A rigorous and traditional Islam
Officially, Qatar embraces Wahhabism, a movement of Sunni Islam founded by Saudi Mohammed ibn Abd el-Wahhâb around 1745. Its followers reject any tradition outside the Koran and Sunna, and refuse to invoke saints or the Prophet Muhammad himself. This Islamic doctrine is based on the historic alliance between the political and financial power represented by Ibn Saud and religious authority. The 5 pillars of Islam are rigorously applied here. The first, Zakat, is legal almsgiving, the amount of which is determined by the Koran. It is a religious tax, levied by the ministry, and which every Muslim has a duty to pay for the benefit of the needy. The second pillar, the Sawn, is a month-long fast that Muslims are obliged to observe during the Ramadan period. During the day, between sunrise and sunset, followers must abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual relations. They are also encouraged to perform good deeds. The3rd pillar, Hajj, is a pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim is expected to make, if only once in his or her life. The4th pillar is Salat, the ritual prayer. It must be said five times a day, in Arabic, facing Mecca. The first prayer is at dawn, around 4-5am. In general, most Muslims perform this ritual within the confines of the mosque. But it's not impossible to see them praying in public places, when the mosque is too far away. In all cases, prayer is accompanied by precise rituals: ablutions, spreading a carpet to protect oneself from impurities on the ground, and turning towards Mecca. Prayer always begins with the recitation of the first sura (or chapter) of the Koran. Finally, the5th pillar is the Shahâda, the profession of faith. It consists of a single sentence: "There is no God but Allah, and Mohammed is his prophet
Mosques in Qatar
While Qataris often use the nearest mosque in their daily lives, for Friday prayers (a holy and non-working day in the Muslim calendar) they often choose larger mosques. The Qatari government's aim is to build mosques every 500 meters or so, so that every devotee can easily go there several times a day. Simple and uncluttered in architecture, the mosque always features a minaret, a long, high tower, plain or ornate, from which, five times a day, the muezzin calls believers to prayer. The call to prayer is made by the muezzin from the top of the minaret at times determined by the position of the sun. Some mosques have only one minaret, while others, the most important, have several (but never more than 7, the number of minarets in the Great Mosque of Mecca). The other essential element of this type of worship building is the mihrab: a niche in the wall indicating the qibla (the direction of Mecca). A mosque always has a water point, essential for the ablutions that worshippers must perform before prayer, in order to purify themselves. Doha boasts some remarkable mosques. The Grand State Mosque, also known as the Imam Muhammad bin Abdulwahhab Mosque, can be visited, as can the Education City Mosque: Qatar Fondation Mosque. With its futuristic architecture, it is a reflection on Islam and modernity. The building, designed by Iranian architect and calligrapher Taha al-Hiti, rests on 5 large columns symbolizing the 5 pillars of Islam. The Qur'anic Botanical Garden is located here.
Family and lively religious celebrations
Most Muslim holidays and religious feasts are based on the appearance of the Moon during the month or week of the Hegira calendar, which is about 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year. Consequently, the exact date of most of them is known only 24 hours in advance. The holy month of Ramadan and the three days of Eid al-Fitr (little Eid) that follow are the most important religious holidays, in Qatar as in the rest of the Arab world. People abstain from eating, drinking and smoking from sunrise to sunset. The fast is broken after sunset with a meal called iftar. During this period, working days in companies are generally shortened by 2 or 3 hours, while stores are closed from 1pm until very late, after the meal. As a result, most stores and malls stay open well past midnight. Eid el-Kebir (the Great Eid), the Feast of Sacrifice, is also a festive time when family members gather to eat mutton. It takes place on the 10th of the last month of the Muslim calendar, and marks the end of the hajj. Children are given gifts or money, and sumptuous meals are shared. Families stroll in the parks, picnic or go to the cinema or shopping malls.
Christianity and the church of Notre Dame
Christians are Qatar's second-largest community, with almost 13% of believers. The Franciscan order of Capuchin Friars Minor, in India since the 16th century, maintains a discreet Catholic presence, with the agreement of the authorities. Without a visible cross or ringing bell, the Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire church in Doha (12 km south of the Corniche) has been welcoming the faithful to regular masses since 2008. Every Friday, from early morning to sunset, masses are held every hour in all the languages of Qatar's working communities, including French, English, Sinhalese, Hindi... At every service, the church is packed! By the way, the stained glass windows in Notre-Dame-du-Rosaire church are the work of French master glass artist Emile Hirsch (1832-1904). This Metz-born artist trained at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts under Eugène Delacroix and Hippolyte Flandrin. Among other projects, he restored stained glass windows in Chartres Cathedral, Saint-Séverin and Saint-Thomas d'Acquin churches in Paris, and Saint-Louis Cathedral in La Rochelle.
