004 – We start class each week with zikr (meditation), the US Pledge of Allegiance and the Islamic Pledge of Faith
This is what we say as we face the US flag START
I pledge Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all. END
Then we turn and face the Qibla and say START
I bear witness that there is no GOD but the ONE GOD and that the Prophet Muhammad is GOD’s messenger (Just as Prophet Jesus Moses, Abraham,David and many more are) END
then we say Surah Fatiha in Arabic English sentence by sentence together Start
Al-Fatihah: Alhamdu Lil-lahi Rab-bil Alamin All Praise belongs to God, Lord of the Worlds.
Ar-rahma-nir Rahim Most Gracious Most Merciful.
Maliki You-mid-din Master of the Day of Judgement.
Iyya-ka Na-budu Wa-iyyaka Nastain You alone we worship and you alone we turn to for help.
Ihdi-nas-sia Tal Mustaqim Show us the straight path,
Sira Tal-ladhina An-amta Alaihim The path of those whom you’ve favored,
Walad-dal-lin And who did not deserve your anger, nor the path of those who went astray. END
FYI: The original Pledge of Allegiance was written by Francis Bellamy (1855 – 1931), a Baptist minister, in August 1892. The Pledge was published in the September 8th issue of The Youth’s Companion, the leading family magazine and the Reader’s Digest of its day. In 1892, Francis Bellamy was also a chairman of a committee of state superintendents of education in the National Education Association. As its chairman, he prepared the program for the public schools’ quadricentennial celebration for Columbus Day in 1892. He structured this public school program around a flag raising ceremony and a flag salute – his Pledge of Allegiance.
aslo see https://muslims4liberty.org/the-pledge-of-allegiance-and-the-religion-of-the-state/
also see
Can Muslims be Americans? They ask…
by Dr. Aslam Abdullah
http://www.irfi.org/articles/articles_551_600/can_muslims_be_americans.htm
But please also inform yourself of the contrary viewpoint expressed by some Muslims and some non muslims on this point
