Keywords Religions

Acts of Worship
All acts of worship are Islam. The Shahadah (affirmation of faith) is repeated daily: "I bear witness that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God." It attests commitment to a radical monotheism, specifying that the revelation to Muhammad is the final truth. It is whispered in the ear of the newborn to remind him of a primordial covenant made by each individual with God, and in the ear of the deceased in preparation for the questioning of the grave. Salat (ritual prayer) is prescribed for all believers 5 times a day (at dawn, noon, afternoon, at dusk and evening) while facing toward Mecca. Its performance stamps daily life with a steadfast devotion to God. It is to be preceded by ablutions requiring the washing of hands, mouth, nostrils, face, arms (up to the elbow), head, ears, neck and feet (up to the ankle). The believer must remove his shoes and be properly clad: women must cover the whole body except for face and hands, and men must cover at least from the navel to the knees. The prayer involves standing, bowing and kneeling.

Zakat (the tithe) is perceived as an act of purification. The Qur'an teaches that prayer and tithing are irrevocably bound together. One's commitment to God is incomplete without the fulfillment of responsibility toward the community. The tithe is assessed at 2.5% of one's total assets and is to be given to the poor, orphans and widows. During Sawm (fasting during the lunar month of Ramadan, 29-30 days) believers refrain from food, drink and sex from before dawn (when one cannot distinguish a white thread from a black thread) to dusk. The month of Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic calendar; Id-al-Fitr marks the first day of Shawal, the 10th month of the Islamic calendar which ends Ramadan and the month of fasting (see RELIGIOUS FESTIVALS). Fasting is a time of repentance and discipline; it binds the community together in a shared experience of deprivation as well as gratitude and celebration at the end of the day. Hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca), for those who can afford it, is incumbent on believers at least once in their lifetime. It commemorates Abraham's obedience to God and his willingness to sacrifice his son. The ceremony begins with repentance and the donning of 2 pieces of white cloth; it includes abstention from worldly pleasures, meditation at Mount Arafat, pelting the devil, offering a blood sacrifice, cutting the hair and nails, and circumambulation of the Kaaba, the central building of the mosque at Mecca.

The Islamic house of worship, the mosque, is characterized by a large, open interior space and a dome-shaped roof with a minaret or tower from which the muezzin calls the faithful to worship. Mosques are nondenominational; all Muslims are welcome. The imam or khateeb provides a sermon that precedes the prayers, and leads the service from the mihrab, a semicircular alcove that faces Mecca, while the congregation sits on carpets in the center of the building. The first Canadian mosque was the Al Rashid Mosque, built in Edmonton in 1938. Other mosques and centres were not organized in major urban areas until the 1950s and 1970s. Mosques are generally managed by the congregation (see RELIGIOUS BUILDING).

The Statement of Islam
The essential credal statement of Islam as it appears in the Qur'an specifies belief in God, his messengers, his books, the angels and the Last Day. God represents the Lord of the world and is revealed through nature and history. Humanity was provided guidance through prophets and messengers beginning with Adam and ending with Muhammad. Each messenger was entrusted with a book (eg, Moses with the Torah, Jesus with the Gospel), all of which were falsified by their followers. The Qur'an, God's revelation to Muhammad, is preserved in perfect form; it stands in judgment of all previous scriptures.

The Qur'an teaches that God created the angels and his servants out of light. Gabriel brings revelation, Izrail causes death, Munkar and Nakir question the dead, Michael blows the trumpet announcing Resurrection. Muslims believe that on the Day of Judgment all humans will give account for every intent, thought and act. It is believed that righteous individuals who follow the teachings of the Qur'an will be rewarded in the Garden, referring to heaven or paradise, while the individuals who do not follow the teachings will be consigned to fire or punishment.

Islam in Canada
The Islamic mosaic in Canada is the consequence of a variety of factors including changes in Canadian IMMIGRATION policies as well as the economic and political upheavals affecting Muslims in their home countries. The 1871 census recorded only 13 Muslims in Canada. Their number increased to 645 by 1931, mostly due to immigrants from Lebanon, Albania, Syria, Yugoslavia and Turkey. The influx of immigrants after WWII raised the number to 33 370 by 1971. The majority of this wave were highly educated, westernized professionals who came to settle in Canada to share in its economic prosperity. They were mostly from Lebanon, Syria, Indonesia, Morocco, Palestine, Egypt, Iraq and the Indo-Pakistani region. From 1966 to 1970 thousands of unskilled labourers of Indo-Pakistani background immigrated to escape discrimination in East Africa and Britain. More recently, Muslim immigrants have included unskilled workers from south Lebanon fleeing their war-torn country, and political REFUGEES from Iran and Afghanistan.

In 2001 Muslims were identified as the fastest growing religious group in Canada. Early Muslim settlements were concentrated in Ontario and Alberta, with a shift into Québec in the 1930s. Most Muslims arriving in Canada since the 1960s have settled in urban areas and two-thirds of all Muslims now live in Ontario. The 1991 Statistics Canada survey identified 253 260 Muslims in Canada from more than 60 countries, speaking a variety of languages and adhering to their respective ethnic cultures; the most recent survey of religion conducted by Statistics Canada showed the number had more than doubled. In Canada, approximately 3% of the population are Muslim.

Approximately 90% of Muslims are Sunni Islam and the majority of Muslims in Canada are Sunnis. The differences among Muslim groups reflect early political divisions in Islamic history. Sunnis live according to the guidance of the Qur'an and the teachings of Muhammad. Shi'a Muslims place a greater emphasis on the need for a spiritual leader and maintain more authority over religious practice and interpretation of doctrine. Shi'as believe that Ali (Muhammad's son-in-law) was designated as his successor, and that leadership of the community is restricted to Muhammad's descendants. Both groups believe that the revelation through prophets has ceased; however, the Shi'a accept imams as divinely ordained leaders who provide a continuing source of Muslim doctrine.

The majority of the Shi'a in Canada are Ismailis. The Twelver Shi'as believe that with the disappearance of the Twelfth Imam in 878 AD the leadership of the community is in the hands of the religious leaders, the mujtahids. Other Islamic groups in Canada include Sufis (followers of the mystic traditions) and sects that are deemed non-Islamic by the majority, such as the Druze, the Alawis and the Qadyanis.

For Sunni Muslims, Canada offered a special challenge since this group lacked designated leadership. Efforts at organization are principally at the local level. The Federation of Islamic Associations in the US and Canada was formed in the 1950s by second-generation Muslims of ARAB background. In 1962, the Muslim Student Association was formed to instil Islamic consciousness in Muslim students in North America. A number of its alumni opted to remain in Canada and formed the independent Council of Muslim Communities of Canada (CMCC) in 1972; however the council disbanded within 10 years. The council's early leaders were Pakistani professionals who attempted to integrate Muslims of other ethnic and linguistic groups. Its objectives evolved, and the council formed links between Canadian Muslims and other national and international groups to organize youth camps, provide scholarships for Muslims, and publish school textbooks and books on Islam.

Immigrants have often found it difficult to incorporate Islamic practices into their lives because of the pressures of what some consider to be a "Christian" and others a "materialistic" environment in Canada. There are no public reminders for prayer 5 times a day, and allowances are not necessarily made by employers or schools for prayers and fasting. Some modern Muslims question the need to pay the tithe since the Canadian government cares for the disadvantaged, and the Islamic prohibition of usury raises concerns regarding interest payments on purchases. Islamic dietary restrictions against improperly slaughtered meat, pork and pork by-products, and liquor cause concern since they may impede social integration, perceived by Canadians as necessary for professional promotion.

Men and Women in Islam
The area of greatest stress appears to be in male-female relationships, since Islam teaches that there should be gender segregation, and that Muslim women cannot marry non-Muslims. Islamic laws respecting personal status (marriage, divorce, inheritance) are not in harmony with Canadian laws, which can lead to numerous problems.

Islamic organizations have attempted to deal with these problems and have sought support for the incorporating of certain Islamic laws into their Canadian communities. Efforts have also been made to establish positive relationships with other religious organizations through Christian-Muslim and Christian-Muslim-Jewish dialogue. During the 1980s, Islam West Associates promoted mutual understanding between Muslims in Canada and all other Canadians. Efforts have also focused on sensitizing Canadian society to the prejudicial content of some educational material and SUNDAY SCHOOL texts.

There have also been efforts to acquaint Canadian society with the Islamic contributions to culture, science and art. Travelling exhibits as well as videotape presentations are most common. In 2007 CBC Television produced a sitcom featuring a Muslim community in Mercy, a fictional town in Saskatchewan.

Statistics Canada reported that in 2006, among the 220 hate crimes motivated by religion, 21% of offences were against Muslims (Islam). While welcoming the opportunities that Canadian HUMAN RIGHTS provide Muslims, as well as the support of MULTICULTURALISM, Muslim leaders continue to voice concern over Canadian foreign policy in the Middle East and against social discrimination of Muslims.

Author YVONNE Y. HADDAD

Suggested Reading
Michael A. Koszegi and J. Gordon Melton, eds, Islam in North America (1992); S.A. Nigosian, Modes of Worship (1981); E.H. Waugh, B. Abu-Laban and R.B. Qureshi, eds, The Muslim Community in North America (1983).

Links to Other Sites
Religions in Canada
An extensive resource about various religions in Canada. Focuses on religious and spiritual practices, tenets, celebrations and observances.

Religion
This colourful multimedia site from the CBC provides an objective overview of major world religions. Covers religious history, traditions, denominations, personal stories of faith and much more.

INDEPTH: ISLAM
This CBC feature report provides an introduction to Islamic religion, Ramadan, Shariah law in Canada, the Shia and Sunni believer groups, and much more.

The Islamic World to 1600 Tutorial
The Islamic World to 1600 Tutorial is a multimedia introduction to the first millennium of Islamic history. Focuses on Muslim beliefs and practices, the history of the Islamic world from the 7th to the 17th centuries, and more. From the Applied History Research Group at the University of Calgary.

Muslims
A profile of the Muslim community in Canada. Part of the "Diversity Watch" website from Ryerson University.

Canadian Centre for Diversity
This site offers educational resources that focus on celebrating diversity and inclusion in Canadian society.