The Islamic Faith in Florida

Start by washing the hands tree times through fingers. Wash the mouth three times. Clean your nose three times starting with the right hand and end with the left. Wash the entire face three times. Wash arms up to the elbows three times. Wet hands to wipe your head front to back and then back to front. Wash feet up to the ankle three times. When visiting a mosque women should cover their skin. Wear ankle length pants or skirts that are not tight, shirts with sleeves and cover hair with a scarf. Muslim pray on the floor or on a carpet. They pray facing the direction of the holy mosque in Mecca which holds the Ka'ba. The five times of prayers are at dawn, immediately afternoon, mid-afternoon, at sunset and at night. Men and women do not pray together due to inappropriate physical contact. The mosque I visited had a section for ladies and one for men. To begin prayer you raise your hands up to the ears and say a verse. Then you place the right hand over the left and say a prayer. Then you bend down at an angle a say a prayer stand back up and raise your arms. After you kneel down placing head, knees and hands on the floors and say a verse. Rise and on your knees and say another verse, stand up and end prayer. .
             Islam has its own calendar made up of twelve lunar months. A lunar month has between 29-30 days that makes up about 354 days a year. As part of the five pillars Muslim should fast in the holy month of Ramadan that varies every year. In the holy month of Ramadan people should abstain from eating, drinking, smoking, and having sex from sunrise to sunset. Muslim should participate in two annual feast. Eid al- Fitr the day in which the fasting ends, this day you should spend time with family and friends. Eid al- Adha is the feast of sacrifice in the month of pilgrimage, after the Hajj ritual. The month of the Muharram is the start of the Muslim New Year. The Birthday of The Prophet Muhammad is celebrated the 12th day of the third month.