Meet Leap of Faith choreographer Hala Shah A few moments after I was born, the first clearly audible words I heard were the Islamic Call to Prayer that my father whispered into my ear. My American mother taught me the core values and principles of Islam and my Egyptian father showed me how to pray and recite several Surahs, which are passages from the Qur’an. Even at a young age, I felt a deep connection to my faith that was not defined by specific modes of practice. It was simple – I believed in God not because I was told to believe in God, but because I knew God was *there*, in my soul, communicating with me. It wasn’t until I attended college and later married a Pakistani man that I truly discovered what it ‘meant’ to be Muslim and observe the five pillars. It was an exciting time for me, but it was also a turbulent one. Like a pendulum, I swang from one belief to the next, but eventually found my way to back to the middle. During that time, of exploring and ‘trying on’ so many ideas, I realized that my beliefs and my ways of practicing Islam are only sincere if they come from that pure inner call to God that I felt so strongly as a child. My soul is shared with God and God only, and it can be difficult to remember that in my daily activities as I jet around the city going to work, dancing, choreographing, and writing. So I strive to keep my ears open to the call to prayer, the call to faith, that God whispers in my ears. It is always there; I just have to listen for it and *hear* it.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Sep 2014 21:38:16 +0000
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