A CORRECTIONAL

INSTITUTION’S

GUIDE TO ISLAMIC

RELIGIOUS PRACTICES

Council on American-Islamic Relations

Council on American-Islamic Relations453 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20003www.cair.com

The Council on American-Islamic Relations is anon-profit, membership organization dedicated topresenting an Islamic perspective on public issues.

CAIR Research Center conducts research on theAmerican Muslim experience. Dr. Mohamed Nimer isthe director of research and author of CAIR guidesto Islamic religious practices.

Acknowledgment:The author spent a day in the Central Facility of theD.C. Department of Corrections at Lorton, Virginiaon August 18, 2000. Chaplain Alfred Minor was kindto conduct a tour in the facility. During the visit, theauthor met with Muslim inmates and was given theclearance to participate in Friday Prayer service.

Also, the author wishes to acknowledge the followingindividuals for feedback they offered on an earlierversion of this publication:

• Muhammad AI-Hanooti, Islamic Scholar, IslamOnline.

• Sayed Moustafa AI-Qazwini, Imam of IslamicEducational Center of Orange County,California.

• Susan Van Baalen, Chaplaincy ServicesAdministrator, Federal Bureau of Prisons.

• Ahmed Kubeisy, Director of Religious Affairsand Counselor at the Islamic Society of CentralNew York, New York, and former correctionalchaplain.

• Doris Woodruff, President, AmericanCorrectional Chaplains Association.

© Copyright 2005Council on American-Islamic Relations

A Correctional

Institution's

Guide to

Islamic

Religious

Practices

"Oh you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, aswitnesses to God, even as against yourselves, or yourparents, or your kin, and whether it be [against] richor poor; for God can best protect both. Do not followyour desires, lest you swerve from doing justice; andif you distort or decline [to do justice], verily God iswell-acquainted with all that you do."

Quran, 4:135

Arabic word for God.Name of a religious observance occurson the tenth day of Muharram, the firstmonth of the Muslim lunar calendar.A day of festivity, major religious holiday.Blessed day of festivity.Showering.Sayings, actions, and approvals of theprophet Muhammad.Permissible by Islamic law.Clothing Muslim women wear in public.It is generally loose-fitting and includes ahead covering.Break-the-fast.Nocturnal emission.Prayer leader.Friday (prayer).A sermon.A cap worn by some Muslim men.Night of Power.The direction of Mecca, which Muslimsface during prayer.Islam's scripture, sometimes spelledKoran.The month of fasting.The testimony of faith.Pre-dawn meal.Ablution, or ritual washing before prayer.Halal slaughter.

AllahAshura

EidEid MubarakGhuslHadith

HalalHijab

IftarIhtilamImamJum'ahKhutbahKufiLialat al-QadrQiblah

Qur'an

RamadanShahadahSuhoorWuduZabiha

GLOSSARY OF MUSLIM TERMS

Most inmates adhering to the Islamicfaith, usually do so afterincarceration. In federal institutions

Muslim inmates account for more than 5percent of the prison population, accordingto the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). Instate institutions the percentage may bemuch higher.

The information contained in thisbooklet is designed to assist chaplains,religious program coordinators, correctionalofficers, and administrators in formulatingand implementing policies that will helpcreate a culturally sensitive environmentand facilitate rehabilitation in the country'sprisons. It will also serve as a guide to thereligiously mandated practices ofincarcerated Muslims and their visitors. Thepublication, however, does not cover theconcerns of inmates who follow creeds suchas the Nation of Islam, Five Percenters,Moorish Science Temple, Druze, Bahai, andAhmadiyya.

Correctional facilities typically requireinmates interested in attending religiousservices to declare their faith of choice.Such requirement is usually justified onsecurity grounds. Inmates are not free tomove within the confines of prison walls.Correction officers must account for thewhereabouts of inmates all the time.Because of the lack of experience manycorrectional employees have about Islam,they may wonder what Islam and Muslimsare. This publication does not aspire to

provide a comprehensive definition ofMuslim life but it does attempt to highlightthe beliefs and practices relevant to theprison environment.

THE ISLAMIC CREED

For a person to become a Muslim, he orshe must pronounce the two statements offaith, called Shahadah: "I bear witness thatthere is no god but Allah (the Arabic wordfor God), and I bear witness thatMuhammad is His Messenger." The Muslimcreed is simply a belief in six core elements:The One God; the angels; the divinescriptures, which include the Torah, thePsalms, the Bible, and the Qur'an, as theywere originally revealed; the Messengers ofGod, including Adam, Noah, Abraham,Moses, David, Jesus, and Muhammad, whowas the last prophet; the Day of Judgment,when people will receive the reward(Heaven) or punishment (Hell) for theirdeeds on earth; and supremacy of God'swill.

Islam stresses that all believers arebrothers and sisters who should worktogether to promote the good and forbidthe evil. Thus, the Muslim concept of groupsolidarity assumes not only a positivecollective will, but also an individualcommitment to good deeds. Islamcommands morality in personal life as wellas justice and equity in relations betweenpeople.

To help the believers sustain thedisciplined life Islam prescribes, the Qur'anmakes obligatory on Muslims a number ofpractices including prayer, fasting, almsgiving and pilgrimage. Hadith collections,which offer the details of the ProphetMuhammad's practice of the faith, consist ofhis sayings, actions, and approvals. Islamicdevotions are meant to increase God-consciousness and to offer the believer anopportunity to periodically reflect upon hisor her life with the intention to turn awayfrom wrong doing in favor of the straightpath.

DAILY PRAYER

Islam urges "God-consciousness" in theindividual's life. To that end, Islam prescribesthat believers perform these prayers at thefollowing times each day:

1. Morning Prayer (Fajr) may be offeredfrom break-of-dawn until just beforesunrise.

2. Noon Prayer (Zuhr) may be offered fromjust after midday until afternoon.

3. Afternoon Prayer ('Asr) may be offeredfrom late afternoon until just beforesunset.

4. Sunset Prayer (Maghrib) may be offeredfrom sunset until darkness.

5. Night Prayer (Isha) may be offeredthroughout the night hours.

Muslims usually keep prayer timetablescalculated for specific geographic locations.If the facility's imam is unable to secure

printed prayer schedules, they can be easilyobtained from local mosques. The time ittakes to perform washing and the dailyprayer is usually about 15 minutes.

During the prayer time, the Muslim isfully engaged. He or she may not respond toa ringing telephone or conversation.Supervisory staff should not take offense ifthe worshiper does not answer their callduring the prayer. However, in the case of anemergency, the Muslim will respond to anannouncement by stopping the prayerimmediately.

During the act of worship, in bothindividual and congregational prayer,specific verses from the Qur'an are recited,and the Muslim will stand, bow and touchthe forehead to the ground. Worship maybe performed in any quiet, dry, clean place.During the prayers, the worshiper will facein a direction towards Makkah, calledqiblah-which is generally northeast inAmerica. Toilets and posters of livingimages should not be placed in thatdirection.

Because inmates may be required topray in their dorms, the layout of cubesshould allow enough space for inmates tofulfill the prayer requirement. Should thecost of accommodating such requirementsin every cube be prohibitive, institutionsmay choose to allow Muslim inmates toperform their daily prayer in appropriatespaces in their own dorms. Muslim inmateswould appreciate this, because in normalconditions, according to Hadith texts, the

reward for group prayer is multiplied. Whensuch assemblies may cause a clear securityconcern, however, inmates may be requiredto perform their prayers individually.

FRIDAY CONGREGATIONAL PRAYER

In Islam, Friday is the day for worship,called Jum'ah. This congregational eventtakes the place of the daily noontime prayerand includes a sermon, called the Khutbah,which is delivered by an imam. All effortsmust be made to allow Muslim inmates toattend this service, as it is considered areligious obligation. The length of theservice may vary, depending on theassessment of inmates' needs by imams.Some Friday congregational prayers maytake about 90 minutes; others may last tillthe afternoon prayer. This is especially truein winter, when there is only about two-hourdifference between the noon and theafternoon prayer times.

Correctional facilities usually assign aspecific place for congregational prayer. Theroom should be free of any pictures of livingcreatures, although other artistic designsare acceptable. The room must be largeenough for the number of worshipersattending the service. Islamic worship doesnot require total privacy. Muslims usuallywelcome others who may wish to learnabout the faith. For the sake of orderlyworship, however, such requests must becleared first with the Muslim prayer leader.When attending, visitors should notinterrupt the imam during the sermon or

walk in front of worshippers during theprayer. Muslim inmates may be required tosign an attendance sheet for each prayerservice or study program they attend, justlike other inmates do before attending theirreligious services.

QUR’AN AND OTHER LITERATURE

The Qur'an and Hadith are the mostimportant sources of religious knowledgefor Muslims. Inmates read these and otherliterature in study groups. If a correctionalofficer has cause to believe the Qur'an maycontain any contraband, it may be inspectedand, if needed, confiscated. Inspection andconfiscation procedures should be made inthe presence of the institution's imam orreligious coordinator. Should Qur'ans beseized, they must be treated with respect.This way, correctional officers candemonstrate that they separate the actionsof the inmate who violated prison rules froma holy scripture cherished by all Muslims.Following such an example of restrainedbehavior, correctional officers may advancethe rehabilitative objective of the prisonsystem. seventh month in the Islamiccalendar. The Qur'an states that theProphet Muhammad was taken by thepower of God on a night journey fromMecca to the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.From there, he was then taken to Heaven,where he received the order to start thepractice of the obligatory daily prayer.Gatherings are conducted in which thestory of the miraculous journey is told from

verses of the Qur'an and the collections ofHadith.

CLOTHING

Islam prescribes that both men andwomen behave and dress modestly. Muslimsbelieve that men and women should bevalued as members of society who must bejudged by their wisdom, skills andcontribution to community, and not by theirphysical attributes. There are a number ofways in which Muslims express suchteachings:

Kufi

Some Muslims wear a small headcovering, called a Kufi. Hadith texts alsorequire that in public men are always to becovered from the navel to the knee.

Hijab

When in public, Muslim women tend towear loose-fitting, non-revealing clothing. Inthe presence of unrelated men, Muslimwomen wear attire known as hijab inobservance of commands in the Qur'an andHadith. This attire, which may vary in style,usually includes covering the hair, neck, andbody, except the face and hands. This attire,which may vary in style, usually includes ascarf covering the hair.

DIETARY REQUIREMENTS

The Qur'an prohibits the consumption

of alcohol, pork and pork by-products (suchas lard and gelatin). Therefore, practicingMuslims are careful about the food theyconsume and how it is prepared. Muslimsfollow certain standards deemed halal(permissible) which are usually referred toas zabiha (halal slaughter) in the preparationof meat and poultry. Muslim inmates shouldbe provided a non-pork diet, and foodscontaining pork products should besubstituted with non-pork items.

MEDICAL ATTENTION

The dietary requirements apply tomedical injections and tests when admitting,screening, or treating inmates-especiallywith regards to materials that containsgelatin extracted from animal sources. Also,alcohol free medications would bepreferable to other alternatives.

MUSLIM NAMES

Converts to Islam often adopt Muslimnames. Popular names include the name ofthe Prophet Muhammad and otherprophets mentioned in the Qur'an.Common Muslim names may behyphenated (even though in some spellingsthe hyphen may be dropped). The first partof the name may be Abd (or Abdul), whichmeans servant. The second part may be oneof the attributes of God, which is mentionedninety-nine names in the Qur'an. Forexample, Abdul-Rahim means the Servant ofthe Most Merciful.

STUDY GROUPS:

Reading the Qur'an and contemplatingits meaning is an act of devotion. TheProphet Muhammad said that a Muslim isrewarded for every letter read from theQur'an. The study of the Qur'an and Hadithis obviously a requirement for the properpractice of the Islamic faith. Weekly classeswhere the beliefs and practices are taughtshould be allowed. A Muslim chaplain or aqualified volunteer may teach such classes.Study sessions may normally last two tothree hours. Inmates who desire to exploreIslam should be allowed to attend studygroups or instruction classes to learn aboutthe faith. The study room should be largeenough to accommodate the Muslim group,be quiet and clean, and have chairs, tables,and other essential equipment appropriatefor study.

PRAYER RUGS

Muslim inmates should be allowed tohave prayer rugs to make the daily prayers.A prayer rug is about the size of a largetowel. The prayer rug may be searched asneeded, but like the Qur'an should betreated with respect-never to be thrownaway or stepped on. Inmates may be issueda clean towel or blanket-weight cloth as asubstitute for a rug.

REHABILITATION PROGRAMS

As the prison population grows inreligious diversity, administrators of

correctional institutions must increase theirmulticultural awareness. Faith-basedrehabilitation programs must be voluntary.Inmates should not be forced to participatein functions designated for adherents ofother faith groups. Examples of suchdevotional practices include confession,singing and playing music, and holding handswith a chaplain preaching or recitingreligious material.

DEATH

It is essential that facility imams andfamily members (or the local mosque, iffamily members cannot be reached) knowimmediately when an inmate is dying. Adying Muslim inmate would appreciate helpin turning his or her face toward Makkah(northeast in the United States), inaccordance with Muslim practice. Muslimswash the body of the dead and bury him orher quickly. Cremation is not permissibleand embalming should not be performedunless required by law. Inmates may havespecified in their wills where they should beburied and who should handle their funeraland burial. Such requests should beaccommodated.

AUTOPSY

Islam prohibits the mutilation of deadbodies because it shows a lack of respectfor the dead. Unless required in connectionwith an investigation of a crime, an autopsyshould not be performed.

BODILY SEARCHES

While Muslim females may want to stayfully covered in public, Muslim males willwant to keep their bodies covered from thenavel to just below the knees, and, whenpossible, an officer should let a Musliminmate wrap a towel around himself whengoing to the shower. Muslim inmates may besearched with the same procedures asother inmates. Whenever possible, however,the officer doing shakedowns, including patsearches, should be of the same gender asthe Muslim inmates.

MUSLIM VIOSITORS

Visitors of Muslim inmates may object topat and other bodily searches by membersof the opposite gender. Also, female visitorswearing hijab or face veil (which is calledniqab) would be offended if asked toremove any clothing item before strangersfrom the opposite gender. However, theywould not object to any required searchprocedure by a female officer in a privateroom.

MUSLIM COMMUNITY OUTREACH

For more information and for referralsto appropriate agencies certifying Muslimchaplains, call the Council on American-Islamic Relations at (202) 488-8787. Also,check your local telephone directory for thenearby Islamic center to contact a localimam and a prison outreach officer.

Civil Rights Reports1996 - The Price of Ignorance

1997 - Unveiling Prejudice

1998 - Patterns of Discrimination

1999 - Expressions of Faith

2001 - Accommodating Diversity

2002 - Stereotypes & Civil Liberties

2003 - Guilt by Association

2004 - Unpatriotic Acts

2005 - Unequal Protection

2006 - The Struggle for Equality

2007 - Presumption of Guilt

Guides to Islamic Religious PracticesEmployer's Guide

Educator's Guide.

Health-Care Provider's Guide

Correctional Institution's Guide

Law Enforcement Official's Guide.

Know Your Rights Pocket Guide

Voter Registration Guide (groups, orgs, etc.)

Muslim Community Safety Kit

Other PublicationsJournalist's Guide

The American Mosque - Study Project

A Rush to Judgment

The Usual Suspects

Community Safety Kit

Also availableWelcome to Our Ramadan pamphlet

Welcome to Our Mosque pamphlet

Mosque Open House pamphlet

CAIR Travel Mug

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A CORRECTIONAL

INSTITUTION’S

GUIDE TO ISLAMIC

RELIGIOUS PRACTICES

Council on American-Islamic Relations

Council on American-Islamic Relations453 New Jersey Avenue, SE

Washington, DC 20003www.cair.com