Islam Is...: An Experience of Dialogue and Devotion

Islam Is ... An experience of Dialogue and Devotion, Mary Margaret Funk, Lantern Books 2003, 120 pp., Notes, Bibliography. $12.00 [ISBN # 1-59056-061-2] Reviewed by: Wilfredo Angel Ruiz " ... religion is not God. GOD id more than any religion." ( p. 68) ------------------------ On a very clear, basic, and concise way, Mary Margaret Funk, a Catholic Benedictine nun raised in Indiana, exposed in her book: Islam Is...An experience of Dialogue and Devotion, not only the basics of the religion of Islam, but also the topics of the spirituality involved on its devotional practice and the contemporary controversial questions on the issues of: Fundamentalism, Women's Rights, and Democratic Principles. By the time she wrote the book in 2003, Sister Mary Margaret, engaged in over seven years of active interfaith dialogue with American Muslims. Her experience has been of great spiritual enrichment, as she emphatically described: "...I have been pleased and awestruck at my Muslim dialogue partners' connection with and consciousness of God - the same God I love and obey - whom I call God the Father and whom they call God with no Second. Therefore, while Muslims differ from Catholics, without a doubt we can affirm one another in our way of life under this same God that transcends all of us." (p.17) In the same line of the importance of interreligious dialogue and its relation to the spiritual development she stated that: "whenever we become overly literal in the interpretation of our faith and insist on a linear logic to express it, the mystery that holds so much of our religious practice and feelings is diminished" (p.19) In her second chapter called An Early Religion she offered a very simple and understandable approach to Islam where she highlighted that: "...the key to understanding Islam is to "know" this prophet [in reference to Muhammad (SWS)] and respect the Qur'an as Islam's authentic revelation. " (p.23) After this the author kept the same line of simplicity and explained in her next chapter, the Pillars of Islam, the Muslim's religious practices or believes often comparing them to other religious practices. As for example, as for Salah (Muslim's Prayer) she mentioned: "The fact that Muslims pray five times a day is dear to my heart since, as a Benedictine nun, I too pray five times a day. ... I have witnessed and participated in the same prayer rhythm at Buddhist and Hindu monasteries. Clearly, what is common to all these religions is a human desire to sanctify the hours in an orderly way. (p.40). ...: "The daily prayer practice provides me with the energy to give my goods as well as my time. Islam is an ingenious system of such energy direction ... (p. 41) As she followed to discuss the Insights of Islam in her fourth chapter she identified that "Islam provides a cohesive grid of inner strength using an unmediated symbol system." (p.61); and as a catechist she admired the clarity of Islam describing it as: "an eas

My lack of understanding of the Islam faith prompted me to read this book. I am excited and grateful!! The clear and precise explanations of the Islam faith and the comparisons to Christianity gave me a deep understanding and appreciation of this tradition. As we live a most difficult moment historically, learning about the ongoing dialogue between monastics of different faiths gives one a hope for the conflicts that we are living. I thank Sister Meg, for sharing her experience and wisdom with us. I highly recommend it, not only from a spiritual viewpoint, but also for its political implications.

Sr. Funk has given us a very brief but a very helpful outline of the most basic tenets of Islam while also identifying some issues of concern for Muslims vis-a-vis their emigration to the U.S. She speaks out of her own personal experience of dialogue as a contemplative nun. She has skillfully drawn limitations for herself and has chosen not to go to great lengths to discuss pros and cons of the faith. In a sense, the book is a basic essay in which a non-Muslim tries to explain what Islam is as a first step toward understanding it better. It is therefore an invitation to explore more and she welcomes the response of the Muslim community so that she can continue a dialogue. I found the book very easy to read and extremely helpful in just beginning to understand what often seems so mysterious.