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Religion |
slam is the official religion of the UAE, and is widely practised. The Islamic holy day is Friday. The basis of Islam is the belief that there is only one God and that Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him) is his messenger. There are five pillars of the faith, which all Muslims must follow: the Profession of Faith, Prayer, Charity, Fasting and Pilgrimage. Every Muslim is expected, at least once in his/her lifetime, to make the pilgrimage (Hajj) to the holy city of Mecca (also spelt Makkah) in Saudi Arabia.
Additionally, a Muslim is required to pray (facing Mecca) five times a day. The times vary according to the position of the sun. Most people pray at a mosque, although it's not unusual to see people kneeling by the side of the road if they are not near a mosque. It is considered impolite to stare at people praying or to walk over prayer mats.
The modern-day call to prayer, transmitted through loudspeakers on the minarets of each mosque, ensures that everyone knows it's time to pray. In Dubai, the plan is to build enough mosques so that people don't have to walk more than 500 metres to pray.
Islam shares a common ancestry with Christianity and many of the prophets sent before Mohammed can be found in Christian as well as Muslim writings.
While the predominant religion is Islam, Dubai is tolerant of many other denominations, and the ruling family has on numerous occasions donated plots of land for the building of churches. Current churches include the Evangelical Community Church, Holy Trinity, International Christian Church, St Mary's (Roman Catholic) and St. Thomas Orthodox Church, plus the various churches grouped together in the new complex at Jebel Ali. There is also a Hindu temple in Bur Dubai.