By Carol Baass Sowa
Today's Catholic
SAN ANTONIO • Something new was added to the mix when Oblate School of Theology (OST) held their latest Evening of World Faith on March 11. Dr. G.P. Singh of the Sikh Research Institute joined Hazzan David Silverstein of Congregation Israel; Dr. Scott Woodward of OST; and Imam Omar Shakir of Masjid Bilal Mosque on the subject “Outward Signs of Inner Faith: From Headscarves and Turbans to Statues and Prayer Shawls,” marking eight years of those three faiths coming together to share aspects of their different traditions.
Hazzan Silverstein noted there are four outward symbols that inescapably identify a Jew, serving as “audio/visual” aids that remind one to do something reflecting their inner faith.
On Jewish doorposts you will see a mezuzah, he related, a piece of parchment (usually in a decorative case) on which is inscribed certain Hebrew verses from the Torah, with traditional Jews placing one on the door of every major room in the home. When you enter a house, one touches the mezuzah with their fingertips to show love and affection for those things that are commanded by God and as a reminder that they are entering someone’s sacred space and to act accordingly.
The parchment is prepared in a specified way by a scribe and a special blessing is read when placing one on the home. “It is important that we identify it as a house where Jews dwell,” he said. “Even my saintly mother-in-law, who is not of our faith, asked that one be put on her door, because she understands the significance as indicating people of faith live in this house.”
The kippah, a cap, is probably the most identified item of the Jewish people, Silverstein noted, though it is not mentioned in the sacred scriptures of the Torah. It is, however, referred to in the Talmud. While the caps may have a variety of colors in them, their primary color is black, denoting that all are equal before God. The kippah serves as a reminder of being “beneath the kippah of God in the heavens,” as well identifying one as a Jew, though not all Jews wear them.
The tallit is a shawl, primarily worn by Jewish men, though some women also wear them. Worn over the head or the shoulders, they serve as a reminder of one’s faith. Made in different sizes and colors, the scalloped fringe of the tallit is not as important as the four specially knotted strings that hang from the four corners of the shawl, called tzitzis. These are fingered prayerfully in a way similar to the rosary for Catholics, and are a reminder to strive to complete the 613 mitzvot, the positive and negative commandments in the Torah.
Lastly, there are the tefillin, two black leather boxes containing parchment scrolls inscribed with biblical verses that are bound in a prescribed manner by their leather straps to the arm (shel yad) and above the forehead (shel rosh). Worn during morning services, they derive their name from the Hebrew word tefillah, “to pray.” They are a daily reminder of the Exodus, personifying the words: “It is a sign upon your hands, a memorial between your eyes, that the law of God will be in your mouth before you pray, for it was with a strong hand and an outstretched arm did God bring you out of Egypt.”
Imam Shakir related that, while certain things in the Islamic faith have come to be known as symbols of it, there are no absolutes and what is more important are the insights they bring.
Muslims are known for their melodious sung call to prayer, chanted from a high place, and he related this was instituted by the Prophet Mohammed, founder of Islam and the first Islamic state 600 years after the coming of Jesus.
More tangible Muslim symbols are prayer rugs (carried to provide a clean place to pray, wherever one may be, since Muslim prayers are regulated by the rising and setting of the sun), and dhikr beads (a meditational aid, used similarly to the rosary). These beads evolved over time and Shakir pointed out that Mohammed actually used his own fingers to keep count of the praises to God to be said 33 times each.
Kufi caps are popular among Muslims, he noted, but are not a requirement, though some become fixated on wearing them and wrongly believe a proper Muslim should be garbed in robe and sandals as well — the common dress in Mohammed’s time, but not necessary for denoting one’s faith today. These kinds of things are more cultural than religious, he observed.
Hair, he said, represents carnal or worldly knowledge, hence the belief that it should be covered, while the wearing of a beard signifies deeper insight and spiritual connection. Mohammed advocated modesty, and Shakir quoted verses from the Quran that enjoin both women and men to “lower your gaze and guard your modesty.”
Mohammed, he added, instructed his followers to model their way of praying after his, but some have distorted this into emphasis on the visible aspects. He described the term sunnah as referring to outer practices, while uswah deals with inner character traits. “This is the focus,” he said. “Because sunnah comes and goes, but principle ideals of morality, spirituality, remain. They (uswah) can be eternal.”
As a final symbol, he described the Kha’bah in Mecca, the house built by Abraham, father of the Christian, Islamic and Jewish faith traditions. This house is seen as a symbol of the unity of the human family, with pilgrims annually traveling from all over the earth to merge on the house and perform specific rituals. In a corner of this house sits a black stone, referred to as the cornerstone, which was placed there by Mohammed — a symbol that there is nothing inherently wrong with human nature. The placing of the “rejected stone” in the Kha’bah is seen as mankind being returned to their rightful place.
Dr. Singh began by pointing out the most visible symbol of the Sikh religion is the wearing of a turban. While in some parts of the world this is a cultural tradition, for Sikhs it is a religious requirement. He noted there is no significance to the different colors of turbans and that both men and women wear them.
He gave a brief history of the Sikh religion, noting it arose in the Punjab area of south Asia, which was broken into two parts following the British withdrawal from India in 1947. At that time, a part of India was partitioned off to become Pakistan, and there were mass movements of refugees between these two countries. Singh’s parents were refugees from what became Pakistan, moving to India.
In the 1960s, the Indian government further divided Punjab by language, relegating the Sikhs to being a very small minority in India, only about two percent of India’s total population of 1.1 billion. (Christians in India also comprise about two percent.)
Arabic rulers entered India in the 14th century, bringing Islam to Hindu-dominated India. The Hindu religion, he noted, adheres strictly to a system of castes: Brahmins or rulers, the business class, the working class and the “untouchables.” Much bloodshed ensued, and Singh related that numbers killed in modern conflicts pale in comparison with the horrendous carnage that took place at that time.
Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh religion and first of the 10 Sikh prophets who followed one another in succession, was born in the 15th century. He taught that all are equal in the eyes of God, including the different races, colors and genders. This 500-year-old belief in the equality of men and women is evident in the same Sikh first name being able to be given to either a man or a woman.
Another integral part of the Sikh faith is the belief in the presence of the creator in everything. God is not described as a physical form, Singh added, but as a set of qualities which human beings can aspire to achieve.
“When you’re talking about creating change in a society,” said Singh, “every prophet who has come on planet Earth has been persecuted.” Such was true of the ninth Sikh guru who preached equality of religion. At the time, Hindu clergy were told they must convert to Islam and they asked the guru to represent them before the ruler. When he did, he was beheaded.
His followers were afraid to claim his remains and, as a result, the next guru, in 1699, initiated the rule of wearing the turban (signifying each human’s sovereignty) and other symbols to ensure followers with “the courage to be seen.” The other items all baptized Sikhs are still required to wear are: uncut hair, a hair comb, a bracelet or kara (worn as a pledge of faithfulness), a sword called a kirpan (to protect one’s honor), and specially-designed underpants.
“I can tell you,” related Singh, “that wearing a turban has really made me much stronger, because I’m accountable for my actions.” He further explained the meaning of the word guru — often overused today. Consisting of two words, “gu” (darkness) and “ru” (light), it translates into meaning one who takes you from darkness into light.
Noting his presentation would be from the Catholic perspective of Christianity, Dr. Woodward stated that almost anything in creation can remind us of God’s presence and call. Much of Catholic symbolism is rooted in Scripture, but some has human roots.
Notable is the use of statues and images which, he pointed out, are not really objects of worship, but point towards objects of worship. This has been described as “a finger pointing at the moon,” which some have mistakenly misinterpreted as being the “moon” itself.
Catholics have a hierarchy of truths, he said, with the primary realities of faith at the top. “It’s not to say one truth is more true than another,” he said, “but rather that certain truths are more core to the central aspects of our faith.” In this category would be that Jesus is the Son of God and that the Bible is the record of God’s voice.
Then there are secondary realities — things useful in illuminating the core truths, such as papal infallibility and the Assumption of Mary. Next come the “helpful non-essentials,” which arise at different times and places to enhance our appreciation of the core truths. Examples are candles, rosaries, novenas, adoration and holy water.
“No, you don’t have to pray a rosary,” he said of this meditational tool, “but if you have a problem with the mysteries of faith on which the rosary is based, then we have a problem.” Candles derive from our Jewish roots and remind us of God’s presence, while the use of incense recalls the filling of the apostles with the Holy Spirit.
The wearing of a crucifix or cross is another visible symbol, but labeling wearers of the crucifix (which bears the image of Christ crucified) as Catholics and those who wear crosses as Protestant, is stereotypical he said.
Lent, of course, is filled with numerous symbolic items — ashes on Ash Wednesday, palms on Palm Sunday, with these items or rites being sacramentals which point to something beyond themselves — the sacraments.