A Helpful Guide to Basic Muslim Etiquette
Cultural information
The following information explains some Islamic traditions and cultures that may be relevant in the workplace. This information does not reflect the opinions and views of all Muslim people and communities.
Greetings
The greeting for Muslims is in Arabic - As-salamu alaikum which means Peace be upon you.
Touch and personal space
Islam encourages both men and women to act with modesty. For some people, this will mean that direct eye contact and touching (including shaking hands), is avoided between men and women who are not related. If you are unsure about this, you can usually take your prompt from the other person such as by waiting to see whether they first offer their hand to shake.
Prayer
It is common for Muslims to pray five times a day, the first just before sunrise and last around two hours after sunset, each prayer taking about five minutes.
Friday congregational prayer (Jumu'ah)
Friday is the day for congregational worship, called Jumu'ah. Prayer services take place at a mosque/Musallah during the noontime prayers and include an address or sermon. The entire service lasts approximately 30-60 minutes. A Muslim employee can usually attend Friday prayers in an extended lunch break. Work hours may be made up by either coming in earlier, staying late, or another agreed arrangement.
Dress and appearance
Islam requires that men and women wear modest clothing. However, there is no set ‘Islamic clothing', and practices vary in different traditions. Some Muslim women may cover their hair with a veil called the hijab. Some Muslim men may keep a beard for religious reasons.
Important religious events
Ramadan
Muslims may observe Ramadan (fasting) for a month each year. The timing for Ramadan comes from the Islamic lunar calendar, so the dates it falls on will change from year to year. During Ramadan, Muslims do not eat or drink from dawn to sunset, breaking their fast with a meal at sunset.
Muslim holidays
Eid-al-Fitr marks the end of Ramadan. It is a day of rejoicing, with prayers in the morning, a festive meal and visiting family, friends, neighbours, the sick, and elderly.
The other important religious holiday is Eid-al-Adha, which marks the end of the pilgrimage to Mecca, and is two months after Eid-al-Fitr.
Some Muslims also commemorate an annual period of mourning during the first 10 days of Moharram - the 1st month in the Islamic Lunar calendar. During this month, black clothing is worn. The 10th day is particularly significant and is known as the Day of Ashura. Muslims may require leave on the 10th day as they hold commemorative ceremonies.
Religious holidays or events are calculated using the lunar calendar based on verifications of moon sighting by either visual method or scientific method. As a result, key dates may vary among Muslim communities, and two employees may celebrate or commemorate key religious events or holidays on different days.
Pilgrimage
Hajj, or the pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia, is one of the ‘five pillar’ of Islam. It is generally expected that every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to will make this pilgrimage at least once in their lifetime.
The ritual of pilgrimage may last five days, but considerable variations exist in trip arrangements, and group travel may take 10-21 days.
Understanding Halal
Halal is an Arabic word meaning lawful or permitted. It is the standard of conduct for Muslims, prescribed in the Qur'an or Koran (Muslim scripture). The opposite of halal is haram, meaning unlawful or prohibited. Halal and haram apply to all facets of life.
These terms are commonly used to describe cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, food products, ingredients and food preparation materials. Alcohol is prohibited, as is any pork produce. Halal meat is meat that has been slaughtered according to Islamic practice.