Kristyn Thielbar

During the 2020 fall semester, I asked my roommate about her religion. It is sometimes hard to ask questions about something that you don’t know much about, so she started with the basics of prayer and celebrations within the Islamic culture. She allowed me to understand the similarities and differences between Christianity and Islam. We first talked about readings within each book (the Quran and the Bible), then the importance of saving yourself for marriage, and the hidden meaning of humility within religion. There is also a restriction on food in the Islamic religion that prohibits followers to eat pork(or any animal that wasn’t sacrificed with the word Bismillah). The differences are more common within the celebrations for each religion. For example, during Ramadan, it is not the same time every year as it is with Christmas. Ramadan has to do with the phases of the moon. It is fascinating how Muslims dedicate a whole month to worship. Islam has prayer windows throughout the day for a total of 5 times. The first prayer window is called Fajr, which is before the sun rises (3 am). The second time to worship is called Duhur(or Tisbar), which is at 2 pm. The third time is called Asr(or Takussan), and it takes place at 5 pm. The fourth time is called Magrib(or Timis), and it takes place at 7:30 pm. Finally, the fifth time of worship is called Isha(or Gweue), and it takes place at 9 pm (This time varies between sunrise and sunset for all five). During this month, believers are supposed to fast from the hours of dawn till dusk. These prayer windows are said to be the strongest time to worship and bring praise to God. My roommate says that her religion is important to her because she strengthened her faith in God and this world. It gave her a purpose in life to do good and live for others.

 

Having a conversation about another person’s religion is so important to understand the similarities and differences within our country. Having a general understanding of religion and culture will help future generations coexist and become united. I believe that having people around you with different backgrounds and beliefs will help individuals shape their minds in the way that we treat other people. In Honors 201, we watched a few videos that help us understand the beauty of DNA. Students in this video found that there was little to no difference between them and other individuals that had a different skin tone, ethnicity, or difference in religion. It was outstanding to debunk the real truth of how similar individuals are despite the color of their skin. I hope that in my lifetime there becomes more unity between people and their religions.

 

Having this experience shapes me to become a better and more understanding person. At Minnesota State University, Mankato, I want to become more familiar with traditions within the community. Also, I want to attend more intercultural engagement activities through the school and tell others about these experiences. I believe that understanding other beliefs and traditions will help in the business field to promote unity within our community.