The practice of Islam in America : an introduction / edited by Edward E. Curtis IV.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Introduction / Edward E. Curtis IV -- Salah: daily prayers in Muslim America / Rose Aslan -- Dhikr: remembering the divine / Rosemary R. Corbett -- Hajj: the pilgrimage / Hussein Rashid -- Ramadan, Eid al-fitr, and Eid al-adha: fasting and feasting / Jackleen Salem -- Ashura: commemorating Imam Husayn / Michael Muhammad Knight -- Milad/mawlid: celebrating the Prophet Muhammad's birthday / Marcia Hermansen -- Birth rituals: welcoming a child into the world / Maria F. Curtis -- Weddings: love and mercy in marriage ceremonies / Juliane Hammer -- Funerals and death rites: honoring the departed / Amir Hussain -- You can't be human alone: philanthropy and social giving in Muslim communities / Danielle Widmann Abraham -- Food practices: the ethics of eating / Magfirah Dahlan -- The Qur'an: studying, embodying, and living with the word of God / Muna Ali.

An introduction to the ways in which ordinary Muslim Americans practice their faith. Muslims have always been part of the United States, but very little is known about how Muslim Americans practice their religion. How do they pray? What's it like to go on pilgrimage to Mecca? What rituals accompany the birth of a child, a wedding, or the death of a loved one? What holidays do Muslims celebrate and what charities do they support? How do they learn about the Qur'an? The Practice of Islam in America introduces readers to the way Islam is lived in the United States, offering vivid portraits of Muslim American life passages, ethical actions, religious holidays, prayer, pilgrimage, and other religious activities. It takes readers into homes, religious congregations, schools, workplaces, cemeteries, restaurants-and all the way to Mecca-to understand the diverse religious practices of Muslim Americans. Going beyond a theoretical discussion of what Muslims are supposed to do, this volume focuses on what they actually do. As the volume reveals, their religious practices are shaped by their racial and ethnic identity, their gender and sexual orientation, and their sectarian identity, among other social factors. Readers gain practical information about Islamic religion while also coming to understand how the day-to-day realities of American life shape Muslim American practice.