The Other Side of Quiapo

Jasmine B. Suiza / August 23, 2019

There is more to Quiapo than cheap finds, DVDs and busy streets.

Today, I had a deeper understanding of our Muslim brothers and sisters' faith, fashion and food!

These are 10 things that I learned about Islam through the Quiapo Muslim Town and Culture Immersion Tour:

1. Muslims believe in one God. The Arabic word for God is Allah.

2. Islam is a religion of love, so hurting and killing others is definitely prohibited.

3. Islam follows some of the same principles as Christianity. Some Muslims say that Muslims and Christians are like cousins. They also believe in Adam and Eve, Abraham, Noah, Mary and Jesus.

4. There are five "Pillars of Islam" that Muslims follow. A practicing Muslim must do all these five.

5. Muslims do The Salah, or the daily prayer done five times a day, that starts as early as 4:00 AM.

6. Consumption of alcohol and pork is forbidden in Islamic tradition.

7. Muslims invented coffee, Algebra, universities, cameras and flying.

8. The Madrasa school teaches young Muslims the Arabic language so that they won't forget their original religion. They also learn good manners and right conduct here.

9. Muslims sell reasonable prices for their products and services because it is prohibited or Haram to sell beyond the acceptable markup.

10. Islam encourages monotheism, or marrying just one woman. A Muslim man MAY marry up to four women, as long as he can treat all four equally. This practice started during periods of war when many men died in battle, allowing men to marry more than one to support the affected families.

Learning all of these things made me appreciate Islam more!  The half day tour was well worth it! 

So the next time you rub elbows with Muslims, remember that like Christians, or any other religions, there are good and bad ones. What the media feeds our society is exactly the opposite of what they truly are.

We should learn to look beyond the differences in faith, culture, tradition, as we are all children of God.

Thank you Meaningful Travels PH for this wonderful experience! ❤️