ABSTRACT
At every moment of the day, somewhere in the world, a Muslim is reciting the Qur a¯n in prayer. Thus, an observant Muslim is connected to another observant Muslim regardless of where in the world she or he goes, since the formal ritual prayer, the s.ala¯t, is recited in Arabic and follows a similar format of recitation of verses from the Qur a¯n. Rituals punctuate a Muslim’s day, and the Islamic lunar calendar year is filled with ritual observances. Considered to be following a faith that inculcates a high degree of discipline in its required ritual observances, Muslims worldwide are infused with a sense of Qur anically inspired ethics, values, modes of behavior, and attitudes to life and its purpose. This chapter describes the obligatory rituals of Muslims (the arka¯n), some commemorative occasions observed by Muslims.
