EDIT: This guide is NOT intended as an introduction to Islam, merely as a guide for roleplaying purposes, especially in DWRP. (There are many other well-researched, scholarly sources that can introduce you to Islam; I would simply not be that person.)

Because of this, I would appreciate it if you didn't link to this guide outside of various RP communities (anon comm, wankgate, etc) or DW itself. Thanks! :)

Before we begin, I must note that Islam has a currently estimated 2.1 billion followers, so I can't give you a complete picture of EVERY single culture within Islam - and honestly, we'd be here for hours if we did. Instead, I hope I can shed some light on the general practices and beliefs Muslims have, and how those beliefs can be interpreted in a roleplay setting. :)

Additionally, Damian Razem (a fanmade AU Batman character) will be used as a general guide since he's a) a Syrian/Bangladeshi Muslim and b) from the DCU, both of which I have some familiarity. If you have specific questions about Faiza, Bilal, or any other fictional Muslims you've encountered, just respond to this post and I'll try to answer as quickly as I can!

Many thanks to

redconfession and

inkedfeathers for their help proof-reading, double-checking, and just generally keeping me sane while I wrote this. Your love and support is amazing and I appreciate it more than you both could ever know.

Translations will be provided with the "span" tag. Hover over a word and the translation will magically appear!

So You Want to RP a Muslim

1. How We Reference Allah(swt) and our Prophet (pbuh)
2. The Five Pillars
3. How Muslims Address Each Other
4. Keeping a Halal Diet
5. Muslims and Dating
6. Holidays in Islam
7. The Holy Month of Ramadan
8. Hijabi and Muslim Fashion
9. Respecting Your Elders
10. Tidbits of Muslim Culture
11. When Your Muslim Lives in a Jamjar
12. Resources and Links

How We Reference Allah(swt) and our Prophet (pbuh)

As some of you may know, Muslims believe in Allah(swt) as their Creator. He has no father, no mother, no sister, no brothers, no daughters, and no sons. There is no Holy Trinity; Jesus is not worshipped as the Messiah; and Muslims don't worship the Prophet Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam). While the Prophet (pbuh) is a respected figure in Islam - he is considered the last Prophet - most Muslims don't consider him on the same plane as Allah (swt).

Why do I bring this up? Mainly because I've noticed a lot of people, in the real world, make this mistake: Muslims don't talk about the Prophet (pbuh) like Christians talk about Jesus. We don't "find" our Prophet (pbuh), but we do revere him and respect him in the same manner that Christians respect Noah, Moses, and the other religious figures that came before him.

Additionally, Muslims show respect to the Prophet (pbuh) and Allah (swt) by reciting phrases after their names are invoked. SWT is short for Subhanahu wa ta'ala, while PBUH stands for Peace Be Upon Him. These are courtesies we extend to Allah (swt) for having created us and the world in which we live. Similarly, for delivering the message of Islam to us, the Prophet (pbuh) is accompanied afterwards with "peace be upon him" for showing us Allah (swt)'s message. Other respected figures in Islam are extended the same courtesy.

For roleplay purposes, a laconic summary:

[Brackets are your narration. If you aren't Muslim, you don't have to add (swt) to God's name.] However, Damian your character IS Muslim, so he would say Allah (Subhanahu wa ta'ala)!

Muslim cultures vary wildly from region to region: Jordanian Muslims don't have all the same nuances that Saudi Muslims do; ditto for Pakistani, Indian, and Bangladeshi Muslims. Since Damian Razem is mixed (with a Syrian father and a Bangladeshi mother), he blends both cultures together in his every day life.

There ARE, however, a few key points that stick with all Muslim cultures, regardless of what region of the world they hail from. Namely, the five pillars of Islam, the manner in which Muslims address each other, Muslims and dating, keeping halal, and finally, religious holidays. I've also addressed how Muslims would react if they ended up in another universe, and added extra tidbits that may help you in the long run!

The Five Pillars

Islam's five pillars are the basic tenets of Islam. All practicing Muslims ascribe to them (with the exceptions, of course, of non-practicing/cultural Muslims).

The five pillars are as follows (with a little help from Wikipedia!):

1) Shahadah (Creed) - This is the profession all Muslims make, that Allah (swt) is their only god and the Prophet (pbuh) is his Messenger. This creed is made during each daily prayer, and it's the oath converts recite upon becoming a Muslim.

2) Salah (daily prayers) - all Muslims are required to pray five times a day. These prayers are Fajr, Zuhr, Asr, Maghrib, and Isha (each prayed at certain intervals during that day).

3) Zakat (charity). All Muslims are required to give 5% of their earnings to charity a year, though they may give more if they wish.

4) Sawm (fasting during Ramadan) - with the exception of pregnant, sick, young, and traveling Muslims, all are required to fast during the holy month of Ramadan. Once a boy turns 7, and a girl reaches puberty (technically it's 12, but it can be earlier/later), they must fast for the month.
* If you forget to fast, you must make it up later - this can be done either by making up the fast yourself later in the year OR by paying for a poor person's meal for that day.

5) Hajj - if a Muslim can afford it, he or she must make a pilgrimage to Makkah at least once in his or her lifetime.

If you want more in-depth information on the 5 Pillars, the PBS website is an excellent resource.

These five pillars make up the backbone of Islam - in order to understand your character's motivations, it may be necessary to understand the basics of his or her religion, especially since Islamic cultures are shaped by their religious beliefs.

How Muslims Address Each Other

When your Muslim character meets another Muslim, she will automatically greet him or her by saying As-salamu alaykum". The literal meaning is 'peace be upon you,' but it's honestly the proper way to say hello.

In response, that Muslim will tell your character, "Walaikum Assalam."

This point is crucial: You must ALWAYS address another Muslim with these two greetings. If your Muslim character sees a hijabi, he or she will automatically tell that lady 'as-salamu alaykum.' It's polite, plus it also indicates that your character is Muslim.

If your character is an incredibly devout Muslim (we're talking much more devout than Damian, a 10 year old kid), he may also address a fellow Muslim boy as 'brother' and a fellow Muslim girl as 'sister.' In Islam, everyone are brothers and sisters. For example, Brother Bilal can be a title of a prominent Muslim in the masjid.

Culturally, this title can pose some problems: brother and sister is seen mostly as a title among equals (people around the same age). Thus, when characters actually meet one another, cultural respect will take precedence over religious. For instance, if Damian Razem met Bilal Asselah (Nightrunner from DC Comics), Damian would instinctively call Bilal "Bilal bhaiya" since Bilal is a 20-something and not old enough to be referred to as "uncle." (Bilal, being Afghani, might request Damian to call him something else entirely - Damian uses Bengali terms of respect.)

Additionally, the manner of greeting will differ depending on the character's culture. Is your Muslim Arab? He will be inclined to give your character air kisses after saying his salaams. Is your Muslim Pakistani/Bangladeshi/Indian? He may just shake hands, unless it's an Auntie. Some Muslims from the Indian subcontinent will hug each other twice; it varies depending on your character's age and gender.

In Muslim cultures, Auntie refers to an older female family friend. Actual blood aunts have different titles depending on the culture, so if your character refers to an Auntie, he actually isn't referring to his blood aunt. For Damian, that would be a Khala, Chachi, or Phuppi, depending on the relation (Khala = mom's sister; Chachi = dad's brother's wife; Phuppi = dad's sister).

One more thing: if your Muslim is from the Indian subcontinent, Persia, Afghanistan, or a nearby region, he will say a different greeting upon leaving the house. In the Indian subcontinent, Muslims will either say 'Khuda Hafiz' or 'Allah Hafiz' (may God be your Guardian). While both are technically correct, the latter is more appropriate since Muslims shouldn't refer to Allah(swt) by any other name. In general, South Asians aren't that fussy, so if your character's young or more liberal, the terms are interchangeable.

Some Muslims (like Damian) will correct themselves and say 'As-salamu Alaykum' and 'Allah Hafiz' in the same breath before they depart - this is a character preference, since only Persian, Bangladeshi, Indian, and Pakistani Muslims adhere to this phrase.

When Muslims enter someone's home, they also say As-salamu Alaykum. Muslims believe that this phrase keeps jinn out of their home (which we'll also discuss later), so they often say it to announce their presence and keep the spirits out of their homes.

Keeping a Halal Diet

While the word halal simply means 'permissible' in Arabic, it often refers to Muslim diets in the Western world. Specifically, a halal diet simply means that a Muslim's meat was killed in a humane manner (and according to Islamic practices), in addition to Muslims not eating pork or drinking alcohol.

Pork and alcohol are the two big diet tenets that Muslims are hesitant to break. Some Muslims drink, but it's against the religious code of conduct, and thus not advisable. If your character is not a practicing Muslim, they might drink - or they might not, if their family is strict and/or present in their lives. This is a case-by-case basis, so I can't say for certain. Characters, in general, would be more likely to break the alcohol tenet than the pork.

Similarly, diets are a personal choice: I can only tell you that practicing Muslims won't eat pork (the pig is an unclean animal) or drink alcohol. This extends to anything made with pig meat and alcohol - even if the alcohol is cooked off in the process.

Muslims can't eat marshmallows, non-Kosher Jello, Tiramisu, certain kinds of baked Alaska, anything simmered with wine, and similar kinds of food. If you want to get an idea of how much trouble it is for a Muslim, pick up a fine dining menu and try to order something that doesn't involve pork or alcohol - and godspeed if the restaurant is Italian or German.

In the US, it's difficult to keep a halal diet, so many Muslims often resort to eating kosher meat. Kosher meat is considered halal in the eyes of some scholars (the meat is killed according to Jewish practices), but not every scholar agrees on this - it depends from person to person. Kosher and Halal are NOT the same; Muslims can eat cheeseburgers and mix dairy & meat in their meals.

Muslim restaurants won't serve alcohol (nor will they encourage it in their restaurants), nor will they serve pork in most instances. It can vary: I know Muslim Chinese restaurants that refuse to sell pork, while halal BBQ places will sell pork but also have halal meat (and lamb) on the side. This, like a lot of things, depends on the individual.

The term Zabiha is used specifically to refer to meat that has been slaughtered according to Allah(swt)'s wishes. Zabihah is an excellent resource for finding zabiha restaurants throughout the world, while Zabiha Meats discusses the idea of Zabiha meats in accordance with Islam.

Muslims and Dating

The laconic summary: devout Muslims don't date.

Life, of course, is much more complicated than that. Depending on how conservative your character is, he may have eschewed dating rules and chosen a girlfriend that he loves with all of his heart - or he may choose to forever be celibate until he settles down and marries a girl that he knows, but doesn't really love yet.

Damian is a more conservative Muslim; he won't ever date another girl (he will instead marry a girl he likes). Does this automatically translate into an arranged marriage? Not necessarily - plenty of Muslim friends marry each other by choice. It does, however, lead to a lot of Aunties squawking at parties and asking you if you'd like to marry their children!

Islam is worse than Christianity in one aspect: they frown upon gay/lesbians. If your Muslim character is gay or lesbian, they will be in the closet for most of their lives - their families will frown upon it, their Muslim friends will insist it's just a phase, and life will essentially Not Be Fun. For this reason, out gay and lesbian Muslims are rare. They exist, with various communities across the globe, as they do in other religions, but the masjid will not openly support them (in my experience). I'm sure there are plenty of closeted gays and lesbians; I simply haven't heard of them.

No one really minds asexual Muslims: you're not supposed to have premarital sex, so more power to you if you don't get any! (Nevermind that this doesn't exactly coincide with the definition of asexual, where someone has no sexual attraction or chooses to not act upon it.) People will still gossip, and some will wonder why aces don't get married, but asexuals do exist - they're just not as visible as they might be in other religious communities.

Muslims get a lot of flak in the dating ring, especially if she's an American girl who refuses to date. Her non-Muslim peers won't understand how she manages to adhere to her religious beliefs, while many of her Muslim peers will give into society and have significant others long before marriage. It's much rarer to hear about the Muslim who HAS abstained - and honestly, those are the ones who are sticking closer to their religion than the ones who have not.

In short, Muslims generally don't date before marriage, as Islam forbids premarital sex. There's a famous saying in Islam that a man and a woman are never alone because there's a third person in the room - and that third person is the Shaitan (Devil). Many Muslims adhere to this, and limit their contact with the opposite gender as a result. (Exceptions include family, obviously.)

This is often noticeable in real life, especially if you've ever been to a Muslim party - even if they all start in the same room, men and women will automatically separate themselves by gender, even without realizing it. The guys'll sit there for about an hour before someone goes "hey, shouldn't we be with the girls?" and then they'll all clump together before separating again.

Children who haven't hit puberty spend time together regardless of gender; it only becomes an issue once you've hit puberty (and even then, more liberal Muslims don't segregate themselves by gender). It's a matter of preference.

Although some in the Muslim community have argued for a change in courtship rituals, it's likely that this will not change for some time. Some cultural Muslims will eschew these cultural norms for secret relationships - I've witnessed a few in my lifetime - but even these Muslims will note that they don't dare bringing their significant others home or admitting it in public. Courtship is probably THE most debated and controversial issue among younger Muslims, so different Muslim characters will have vastly different opinions depending on their upbringing and history. This is perfectly normal! Just like other religions, followers will differ on their beliefs - just be careful to note that this belief is your character's and not your own, because again, it is controversial.

Holidays in Islam

Saeid: "My friend was telling me today that he's a Chreaster."
Inara: "Chreaster? What's that?"
Saeid: "Someone who only goes to church on Christmas and Easter. So when Renn was telling me that, our friend Eli stops, looks at him, and then asks 'so what do you call a Jew who only goes to synagogue on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur?' A 'Roshkippur?'
Inara: [laughs] That's pretty good! but you know what? What do you call someone who only goes to masjid on Eid and Eid? Oh wait....

Everyone knows Christians who only attend church for Christmas and Easter, just like everyone knows Jews who only attend services for Yom Kippur, Passover, and Rosh Hashana. Similarly, there are Muslims who only attend the masjid for Islam's two major holidays: Eid Al'Fitr and Eid Al'Adha.

Eid Al'Fitr is the holiday observed after the holy month of Ramadan, and is the more important of the two Eids. Eid is a time of celebration - you are not allowed to fast on Eid. Some quick cultural notes:

Muslims are required to wear new clothes on Eid if they can afford it. This extends to shoes and accessories if possible! At the very least, your character'll buy a new outfit for the occasion. If they cannot afford a new outfit, they will wear the best possible thing they own.
In the US, masjid services are often held in convention centers/large gathering places (or in the masjid itself if your city is large enough).
No one actually knows when Eid is! It's customary for employees to mention that Eid will either be on X or Y, so they just won't show up that day - and give their boss notice in a way most Westerners aren't used to. (This is because Eid is dependent on the moon sighting procedure, which doesn't exactly follow the lunar calendar.)
For more information on the moon sighting procedure, Chicago Hilal details the process.
Eidi is perhaps the best part of Eid for kids! It's customary for children to get Eidi (gifts of money) specifically on Eid from their relatives. Some parents give their children gifts, but it's more common to see children receiving envelopes with cash tucked inside.
There will be feasting. LOTS AND LOTS OF FEASTING.

Depending on which part of the world your Muslim character hails from, Eid Al-Fitr will be celebrated differently. For instance, Bangladeshi Muslims will greet each other with "Eid Mubarak" on Eid, while Indonesian Muslims say "Selamat Idul Fitri."

Wikipedia gives a good general idea of how various countries observe Eid! It's different from country to country, so the specific Eid customs will differ for your character depending on their region of the world. The US and Canada generally observes Eid on one day, but Muslim countries will often celebrate it for 2-3 days (and in some countries, it's a week long festival!)

Eid Al-Adha is the other major religious holiday observed by Muslims. This holiday marks the observance of the prophet Ibrahim (pbuh) sacrificing his son Isma'il to Allah (swt) - Allah(swt) was so moved that at the last second, he ordered an angel to replace Isma'il with a ram. In honor of Ibrahim (pbuh)'s sacrifice, Muslims are required to sacrifice an animal every year. This holiday also occurs during Hajj.

The Daily News in Egypt wrote a good article on Eid Al-Adha, in accordance with how it's celebrated in Egypt (the general principles are the same). Some quick cultural notes:

Western Muslims don't sacrifice the animals themselves. If they have family overseas, they'll send money to the family and have the family buy the animal in their name. in the event that they don't, Muslim magazines have charities that work along the same lines. This, like anything else, is a matter of preference.
In the event that your character is the only Muslim in a jamjar, they will have to sacrifice the animal themselves! (It's fun for the whole family... except not.)
Like Eid Al-Fitr, characters are required to go to the masjid and pray to Allah (swt). They also wear new clothes, or the best possible clothes they can afford, before heading off to prayers.
Feasting! People don't work on Eid Al-Adha, and it's still a fun holiday despite its somber origins.
KIDS GET EIDI AGAIN!!! (seriously, kids, go rack up that cash)

Although these are the two major holidays of Islam, there are more minor holidays observed by Muslims in various parts of the world. Additionally, Muslims culturally celebrate various holidays - American and Canadian Muslims love partaking in Thanksgiving, for example, and most everyone celebrates the Gregorian New Year with their family and friends.

Your character will celebrate Eid differently than another (for instance, Damian Razem and Bilal Asselah will not have the same traditions, nor would Damian and Khalid). This is normal! Not every Christian celebrates Christmas the same, nor does every Jew observe Hanukkah and Purim the same.

The Holy Month of Ramadan

Ramadan, on the other hand, is generally observed in the same manner the world over. I wouldn't exactly call it a holiday since it's not celebrating anything; rather, Ramadan is a time where Muslims reflect on the year, learn from previous mistakes, and attempt to practice their religions better. (It's similar to Lent in Christianity in some aspects.)

This month is especially difficult in the West - and in jamjar games, as Damian Razem quickly learned - due to misunderstandings and misconceptions Western people have about Ramadan. Some quick bullet points, if I might?

Muslims fast from sunup to sundown. No water or food may pass their lips during this time. (The water is especially key - they cannot drink a sip, or their fast is broken.)
Muslims also abstain from sexual activity and worldly vices (like smoking) during their fast. It's also common for Muslims to be politer human beings, as they believe angry actions (and violence) will negate the benefits that they receive from fasting.
Certain people can abstain from fasting: pregnant women, young children, travelers, and the sick. Everyone else is required to fast all 30 days. (Another exception are women on their monthly cycle - while they're on it, they cannot fast.)
Before dawn, Muslims have a pre-fast meal called suhoor or sehri. This can be anything, but it usually consists of hearty breakfast foods (and as your character might have learned, it does NOT include doughnuts. This may be the voice of experience talking.)
Similarly, your character will break their fast with Iftar. Iftar always consists of a date and fruit juice (usually orange in the US, but it's personal preference). Like most of Islam, Ifar can widely depend from country to country - a Muslim in Pakistan may have a dish called 'bhelpuri' with his Iftar, while a white convert could include a fruit salad.
Prayers are of the utmost importance! Muslims strive harder to pray all five times during Ramadan.
Strenuous physical activity, for obvious reasons, are not encouraged during Ramadan. Most superheroes will retire during the day, and most will abstain from heavy-lifting if they can. (Kids are often excused from PE.) If your character lives in a Muslim country, it's their lucky day - schools are closed during the entire month!
Every night, the masjid offers special prayers - and while they're not mandatory, everyone is encouraged to attend them. The masjids often re-read the entire Qur'an during Ramadan, finishing the entire book within the entire month! These special prayers are called "Taraweeh."

While there are similarities with Lent, there are also huge differences. The specifics of Ramadan become different with various cultures, so this isn't a complete guide - Pakistani Muslims and Egyptian Muslims don't have the same cultural values, after all, just like European Catholics and Canadian Catholics observe Lent differently.

Hijabi & Muslim Fashion

Muslim women are encouraged to wear a scarf around their head; those who adhere to this idea are called hijabi, which derives from the Arabic word hijab, meaning scarf. Not all Muslim women are hijabi, but all hijabi are Muslim women.

There's currently a lot of controversy over whether or not hijabs are required in Islam. I'm currently of the opinion that it's a good idea, but not mandatory for all Muslim women (my stance may change in years to come), as it was not explicitly stated in the Holy Qur'an. Regardless, hijabi follow a dress code of sorts: they cover their arms and legs. Their clothes shouldn't be tight-fitting (there is a difference between figure-flattering and tight-fitting), as they want to leave some things to the imagination! Within this code, though, they have a tremendous amount of freedom. Hijab Fashion is a tumblr dedicated to the amazing creativity that hijabi display while adhering to their religion.

Regardless, Muslims treat hijabi with great respect (they will say salam to her even if they don't recognize her), just as they treat other Muslims. I personally consider hijabi as very devout Muslim women, and so I give them proper respect - there's something about a woman covering her hair for Allah(swt) that's worth it, I think.

In general, Muslims adhere to these guidelines: women must cover most parts of their body, excluding their face and their hands, while men must cover themselves from the navel to the knee. Their clothing should be decent, not extravagant, as well as slightly loose and thick (not see-through).

Some fun facts about Muslim fashion?

Muslims can't wear wigs made from human hair. This is a sunnah that extends from a story where the Prophet (pbuh) told a bald woman to not wear them, even if she was sick/had cancer. The main idea here is deception/trickery - you cannot wear anything that would deceive another person. (The jury's still out regarding Halloween/cosplay wigs.)
Men can't wear gold! This is considered an extravagance; however, gold on women is permissible since it's not an extravagance for them.
Nail polish is more an inconvenience than outright against Islamic law; if you paint your nails, water can't reach your fingernails (and thus wudu can't be performed on them). This is a highly contested issue in Islam: women in Saudi Arabia have been arrested for wearing nail polish in the past. Depending on who you ask, nail polish will either be permissible, outlawed, or permissible depending on the time of month.
Women won't wear swimsuits in public. Instead, many opt for a t-shirt and shorts (or to wear a one-piece and cover it with a t-shirt) before they dip into the pool. Additionally, men and women don't often swim in the same pool together unless they're family.

The short and sweet summary: fashion is not meant to be a restriction, and most Muslims don't consider it an impediment in their daily lives. They simply wish to respect Allah(swt), and it shows in their clothing as well as their day-to-day mannerisms.

Respecting Your Elders

This was touched on briefly earlier, but Muslims generally treat their elders with the utmost respect. This is more of a cultural thing than a religious thing in some aspects (the titles of respect change from culture to culture), but the general principle remains the same: your elders have wisdom that they can impart on you, so you'd better shut your mouth and listen.

Islam instructs its followers to respect their parents, even if their parents are non-Muslims. Muslims are commanded to not even do so much as "huff" when their parents ask them to do something, because of the great favour their parents have on them. Even if many Muslims argue with their parents, in general, you will see them show great respect to their parents.

There's a similar hierarchy for older relatives; Muslims show older cousins, aunts, and uncles the same kind of respect that they show their parents. It manifests itself differently from culture to culture - for instance, Pakistani Muslims will call their older cousins Bhaji (a word meaning "older sister").

On the Day of Judgment, your parents will be asked if they raised you properly - while you are responsible for your own actions, they are responsible for at least teaching you the proper values. This is why parents are often quick to teach you all they know: it's your fault if you goof up, but it's their fault if your mistake was a result of poor Islamic knowledge.

In Arab cultures, Muslim children kiss the foreheads of their parents (and uncles, aunts, grandfathers, grandmothers and so on) whenever they greet them. This is a show of great respect. Kissing the hand of your father or mother also shows great humility. In the Indian subcontinent, respect is shown through physical affection (hugs) as well - though this honestly differs from family to family. Some don't like physical affection, some do; it's all a matter of personality (and preference). The respect, however, is genuine across the board.

Tidbits of Muslim Culture

All Muslims have two angels sitting on their shoulders. The angel on the left records bad deeds, while the angel on the right records good deeds. Muslims can't see these angels, but they're always there (this is why Muslims give their salams to their shoulders upon completing salah). For parents, it's common to tell their (naughty) children that they can see their child's angels writing furiously - but which shoulder angel's writing??

Along those lines, Muslims don't believe in ghosts. When someone dies in Islam, they fall into an eternal slumber until the Day of Judgment. The supernatural, instead, is explained as the work of jinn. Jinn are smokeless creatures formed from fire, known for causing mischief in people's households. Ghost stories don't exist in Muslim culture; instead, kids swap jinn stories. Not all jinn are bad; in fact, some may be benign! However, they are known for mischief, so children generally avoid mentioning them when they can.

Muslims can't see jinn, but they're believed to always lurk around, and only prayers can keep them away. Allah(swt)'s words summon angels who can fight off jinn - this is why Muslims say salam upon entering the house, and this is why Muslims invoke Allah(swt)'s blessings when they do just about anything.

Before Muslims do anything, they say Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim (in the name of God, the most gracious, the most merciful). Muslims believe that everything they do is in the name of Allah(swt), so they invoke his name whenever they can.

Surahs, or chapters from the Holy Qur'an, are often recited whenever Muslims feel stressed, worried, or just out of sorts. Muslims memorize surahs to recite during salah, but surahs can be recited any time of the day! Before going to bed, children are taught to recite Surah An-Nas and Surah Al-Falaq (and then blowing inside their shirt) to keep the evil spirits at bay. It's a superstition that will often last for the rest of your character's life, should she have been raised in a Muslim household.

Muslims also take their shoes off before entering someone's house - they feel rude if they keep their shoes on, and often do it even when the other person is a non-practicing Muslim (or just not Muslim, period). If you want to insult someone, you would place your feet near their head or throw a shoe at their face! This is worse than cursing someone out.

Even if your Muslim character is left-handed, she'll eat with her right hand. It's considered holy (and they use the left hand when they use the restroom as a result).

Whenever Muslims talk with their elders, they'll ask for dua, which are different from Surahs in that dua are prayers not inherently written in the Qur'an. (Dua are prayers, but a Surah is a chapter in the Qu'ran). Before your character leaves the house, she'll ask the elders to pray for her - it's a common sign of respect and courtesy. Incidentally, most Muslims drink tea after dinner - the type will vary from region to region! - instead of having coffee or an alcoholic beverage.

Alcohol is explicitly forbidden in Islam, so most houses won't have liquor cabinets. Some families make a joke out of it - my house, for instance, was built with a wine cooler, but we don't drink wine, so we use it to stock soda. The rest of the room houses various tea blends, and since we're voracious tea drinkers, the amount of tea manages to surprise pretty much every guest we house.

There are many more tidbits, since Muslim culture is vastly different from Western, but these are the main ones that stick regardless of your character's nationality or ethnicity.

When Your Muslim Lives in a Jamjar....

Jamjar games make up the bulk of DWRP games, which is fine! There's something appealing about tossing your character into another world and watching him struggle with the consequences. When your character is Muslim, you might run into some problems, as I did with Damian.

Since all Muslims pray salah five times a day, Damian attempts to pray (he doesn't always pray five times, but he tries). This is easier in a jamjar set on Earth - he just has to know where the Kaaba is, and he'll adjust his routine. This is significantly more difficult when your jamjar is set in Random Fantasy World or Gateway to the Stars, and you encounter something called "Fantastic Religious Weirdness." Your character will honestly not know how to cope - which way is Makkah now?

If your jamjar knows where Earth is, great! Your character will face Earth when he prays. If not? ... Godspeed and good luck to your character. It will be the source of some angst, not only because your character doesn't know where to pray, but also because your character has lost his chance to fulfill one of the five pillars (Hajj).

This is a case-by-case basis, so your character may angst more or angst less - or they may not openly angst at all! If your character practices Islam, though, I do expect this to come up at some point: salah is a major part of their religion, and it's strange when it's not mentioned to at least a canonmate or close CR. Your character will be used to racial discrimination; this is not something they'd angst over (but they may whine about white people). In fact, they might be pleasantly surprised to find out that people hate them for having superpowers/being from Earth/some other reason than 'you worship Allah(swt).' It's still bad, but it's an improvement!

For these jamjar kids, keeping halal will be hard: they might resort to abstaining from pork and alcohol. More devout Muslims would become pescatarians, preferring to only eat fish and vegetables since they can't ascertain meat sources. This all depends on your game - if it's a horror/survival game, they'll obviously be less picky (but still won't eat pork).

They'll struggle a lot with being the only Muslim in their game. It's difficult being the only Muslim in your school, or your grade - but imagine being the only one in the world. No one else knows how your character prays, no one else knows how your character worships Allah (swt), and no one else celebrates the same holidays that your character does. At least the Christians, when they land in a jamjar, have other kids that celebrate Christmas - isn't it funny how certain games seem to focus solely on Western holidays? (Obviously this comes from a bias of most DWRPers being white Christians/Americans, but your character wouldn't know this from an IC perspective.)

Your character will have to slaughter a cow themselves, and your character will have to hope Allah(swt) forgives them for not remembering the proper prayers for Ramadan, Eid Al-Adha, and Eid Al-Fitr. Your character will struggle, and it may or may not be pretty. Your character may be the only one who remembers how to make baklava or mishti, and your character may be the only one who still has faith in a land where no one worships their Creator. It'll be tough. Not impossible, but tough.

But your character may have special powers bestowed upon them by Allah(swt), and they will be able to cope. I believe in them and their ability to be a Muslim in a strange land - after all, if they're from the US or a country where they were already a minority? They'll have the coping skills needed to make Islam theirs.

Resources and Links

Interested in learning more about Islam? Excellent! The internet has a lot of great resources on Islam, but as some of you might have noticed, the Internet isn't always correct when it comes to this religion. Plenty of websites are dedicated to bashing the religion, while others are well-meaning but misinformed. I've gathered sites that should help you learn more, should you choose to embark on this journey. This section will always remain incomplete; if I find additional resources I like, they'll be added to the list.

(Last updated January 10 2013)

Chicago Hilal
* This group is dedicated to moon sighting for North America. If the moon sighting procedure interests you, mosey over and give the site a read! It's a bit dense but worth the time and effort.

Hijab Fashion (hosted on tumblr)
* A tumblr blog dedicated to hijab fashion.

Islamic Horizons
* Islamic Horizons is a nationally-printed Muslim magazine that comes out once a month. This website holds the archives of each issue and thus holds a treasure trove of achievements in the North American Muslim community (as well as their opinions in the present day).

Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet
* The best film about the Prophet (pbuh) out there in the mainstream US. The entire website is well-organized and includes plenty of information about him, should you be interested.

PBS Lesson Plans for Islam
* While intended for schoolteachers (K-12), this website is an amazing resource for anyone who seeks to learn about Islam, as it offers 5 lesson plans plus a bibliography for further research. It is steeped in the Islamic Empire, as it was based around a PBS special, so it doesn't provide much about modern Arab culture, but it does give a good background.

The Holy Qur'an
* The Holy Qur'an, now at your fingertips! The entire thing is available in Arabic, transliterated Arabic, and in English (with an audio guide for pronunciation).

Unity Film Productions
* A "non profit organization working for peace through the media," UPF strives to bring more representation of Islam through various forms of media (including films). This is the company behind What a Billion Muslims Really think, and Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet. I've personally watched most of their films and found them brilliant, so definitely give them a look through (and I promise, you don't have to donate anything to them).

Zabihah
* Want to eat at a Zabiha/Halal restaurant? This website is the largest resource dedicated to finding Halal/Zabiha restaurants in the world. Simply look for your city and you'll find out which restaurants adhere to your dietary needs! (The food also happens to be yummy most of the time, but that's an added bonus.)