By Al-Amin Andalusi

http://www.islamonline.net/servlet/Satellite?c=Article_C&cid=1221720273234&pagename =Zone-English-News/NWELayout

IslamOnline.net
September 25, 2008

MADRID Thousands of Spaniards, especially intellectuals, academics and anti-globalization activists, are finding comfort and solace in Islam.

“Embracing Islam is on the rise despite ferocious Western media campaigns,” Abdul-Nour Brado, the head of the Islamic Society of Catalonia, told IslamOnline.net.

Estimates suggest that between 3,000 to 4,000 Catalonians accepted Islam recently.

“The numbers could be much higher than that,” Barado believes.

Local media reports have noted that intellectuals, academics and anti-globalization activists make up the bulk of the new Muslim reverts in Spain.

Catalonians first embraced Islam in the 1960s and their numbers were quite few.

Now thousands of Catalonians are believed to have joined the fold of Islam.

The Spanish autonomous province of Catalonia covers an area of 31,950 km² with an official population of 6.3 million, and its capital is Barcelona.

It is home to around 100,000 Moroccan immigrants, which is attributed to the geographical proximity with Morocco.

The southern European country has an estimated Muslim minority of about at 1.5 million out of a total population of 40 million.

Islam is the second religion after Christianity and has been recognized through the law of religious freedom, issued in July 1967.

Increasing

More Spaniards in the northern province of Palencia, in the northern part of the autonomous community of Castile and Leon, are also finding solace in Islam.

“Nearly 4,000 people in Palencia embrace Islam every year,” said Saed Al-Ruttabi, the head of the Islamic Council of Palencia.

He said many Spaniards start their soul-searching journey by delving deep into the Islamic faith.

“And when they do so, they discover that the faith is quite different from the perceptions they had.”

Al-Ruttabi noted that out of the 150,000 Muslims in Palencia, only 90,000 are of immigrant backgrounds.

“This reflects a global trend not only in Spain but across Europe and the US.”

But the rising number of reverts is creating a “cultural problem” in the southern European country.

“New Muslims tend not to attend prayers in the mosques of Muslim immigrants,” Barado said, attributing this to “cultural differences”.

“This is because the reverts believe that such mosques have become like social centers for immigrant Muslims.”

But Mohamed Halhul, a spokesman for the Islamic Cultural Council of Catalonia, sees a positive side.

“Differences between Muslim immigrants and new Muslims are a positive sign in a democratic country.”

By Teresa de Castro

http://www.geocities.com/tdcastros/Historyserver/papers/IberianPeninsula.htm

Cuisine in the Iberian Peninsula: Moorish Heritage in the Cuisines of Spain and Portugal

INTRODUCTION

The Iberian Peninsula, in south-western Europe, is occupied by Spain and Portugal. It is separated from the main continent by the Pyrennees and surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to the northwest and west and the Mediterranean to the south and east.

The characteristics of the Iberian cuisine cannot be understood without the culinary influence of Romans, Arabs, Jews and Christians, and the dietary exchange that followed the colonisation of America and the colonialism in Africa and the Far East. Still, Rome never conquered the Basque Country and the Arabic heritage never reached the north-western fringe of the Peninsula. Moorish influence is particularly important in areas in which Moors and/or Moriscos remained longer, that is, in the southern and eastern regions (Alentejo, Algarve, Andalusia, Aragón, Extremadura, Murcia and Valencia) especially in rural areas.

Moorish cuisine was shaped by the combination of Andalusian, Persian and Maghribian ingredients, and had a selection of basic foodstuffs, condiments, and cooking processes. Expiración García in “La Alimentación”, Lucie Bolens in “La cuisine andalouse”, and Manuela Marín in “Cuisine D’Orient” have described this cuisine. The expulsion of Moriscos from the Peninsula in the 17th century was the end of the Moorish culinary system in Iberian lands. However, some Moorish elements are still discernible in the Peninsula’ cuisine.

The disappearance of the Moorish food system from the Iberian Peninsula occurred gradually, following the path of the Christian conquest of the Muslim territories, that happened in different dates depending on the areas). After the conquest, some Muslims areas were completely resettled with Christians; other times Muslims were set in ghettos inside the cities. The last Muslim Kingdom was conquered in 1492, and in 1501 the Moors were forced to convert to Christianity and, by the pressure of the Inquisition, they also were forced to change their dietary practices. The expulsion of Moriscos of the Peninsula in the 17th century was the end of the Moorish culinary system in Iberian lands. However, some elements of this system are still visible in the Peninsula.

WAYS OF PENETRATION

The foodways of the Moors influenced indirectly Christians’ cuisine as a result of the contact that Muslims and Christians had during long periods of time in frontier’s lands in peaceful periods, mostly before the 15th century.

Christians’ cuisine absorbed Moorish influence, firstly, through the effect that Moors’ foodways had on Christian upper classes during the Caliphate and Ta’ifa’s periods (10th 12th c.), when al-Andalus (Iberian Muslim Kingdom/s) was a cultural model to imitate. This was the golden age of Al-Andalus, and for the Christian World “Moorish style” meant luxury and exoticism.

A second way of penetration was through the contact that Moors and Christians had during long peaceful periods of time in frontier’s lands, especially in the South.

A third way was the result of years of interaction between Moorish and Chistian communities in those cities where, after the Christian conquest, Muslims (Mudéjares) had been set in ghettos inside or outside the urban walls.

A final via was through the neighbourhood that Moriscos had with Christians in the Kingdom of Granada, the last Muslim territory to be conquered (1492). After the failure of the Morisco’ rebellion in the Alpujarras region (1568-1570) the Moriscos were expelled from Andalusia and relocated around the Kingdom of Castile, spreading even more their influence. Nevertheless, the resistance of the Moriscos to integrate themselves despite the pressure of the Inquisition- produced a Christians’ disgust and hostility with regard to Morisco foodways. Although this anger could not stop the culinary exchange, the action of Christian culture and foodways on Moors’ cuisine led to the disappearance, substitution, addition, modification or different combination of ingredients and culinary practices once Moorish. The outcome was a cuisine that contained some Moorish components but was different because had different flavour, smell, colours, and textures.

MOORISH CULINARY CONTRIBUTION

Expiración García in “La Alimentación”, Lucie Bolens in “La cuisine andalouse”, and Manuela Marín in “Cuisine d’Orient” have described Al-Andalus cuisine. However, contemporary Iberian cuisine has only a few elements of this Al-Andalus cuisine. In the Iberian Peninsula, these culinary features are marked by the prevalence or use of certain ingredients, dishes, methods of cooking, or ways of eating that were once typical of Al Andalus but devoid of any religious meaning. These features having a Moorish heritage are:

• Communal sharing from the same dish. Examples of such shared dishes are paella, migas (fried breadcrumbs or semolina), and gachas and papas (porridges). This practice of sharing is no longer as prevalent as it once was.
• Predominance of yellow, green, and white colors. Yellow is common in most rice dishes, in fish stews with rice or noodles, and in some chickpea stews. White is typical of some sweet rice puddings (arroz con leche and arroz doce), some porridges, and some soups such as ajo blanco (a white garlic soup), the original gazpacho, gazpachuelo (a fish and egg soup), and various almond soups. Green is the dominant color of some Portuguese dishes prepared with coriander, although the sopa verde (green soup) cannot be included in this category.
• Use of saffron, cumin, and coriander. Coriander is rarely found in traditional Spanish cuisine but is very popular in Portugal, especially in dishes from Alentejo; some food writers relate this use to African influences. Saffron is used both to color and to flavor rice dishes, legume stews, and meat casseroles. Cumin seasons some legume stews, sausages, and dishes of meat or fish.
• Spiced stews made from chickpeas, lentils, and from fresh or dried broad beans. Examples of such legume and bean stews include potaje de garbanzos, potaje de lentejas, fava rica, and favas con coentro. The consumption of broad beans, however, has diminished during the last sixty years. Bulgur, or cracked wheat, is still included in some dishes from the Alpujarras region in Andalusia.
• Savory or sweet porridges, made from different grain flours. These porridges, such as gachas and papas, were also the basis of Roman cuisine.
• Dishes made with breadcrumbs or slices of bread. Breadcrumbs or torn up slices of bread are used for thickening and giving texture to many varieties of gazpacho and other kinds of soups (açorda, sopa de ajo, ensopados, and sopas secas). Breadcrumbs are also the main ingredient in migas, a traditional and popular dish. There are some factors that relate the recipe for migas, in its Andalusian version, to the recipe for couscous. The first element is the way in which migas are cooked. A sort of steam cooking is produced through the sauteeing and continuous stirring of the semolina or the crumbs (these are previously soaked and drained) and gives a golden and granulated appearance to the dish. Migas, similarly to couscous, serve as the base for a wide range of other ingredients such as fresh fruit, fried vegetables, fried or roasted fish or sausages, and even sweets. Finally, migas, like couscous, are eaten from the pan in which they were prepared. The pan is placed on the table, and the whole family eats from it.
• Spiced fritters and desserts. Various doughnut-like fritters (buñuelos, boladinhos, roscos, filhós, pestiños) and desserts (alcorza, alfeñique, alajú, nougat, and marzipan) are made by combining honey or sugar, egg yolks, cinnamon, and sometimes ground almonds.
• Other popular foods and dishes. Flatbreads, either baked (pão estentido) or fried (pão de sertã, torta), stuffed eggs, stuffed eggplants, vermicelli stew, spiced meatballs, shish kebabs (pinchos morunos, espetada), and quince paste are current Iberian foods also mentioned in Arab cookbooks.

A LINK BETWEEN MIGAS AND COUSCOUS

Recipe from “An Anonymous Andalusian Cookbook of the 13th Century”.

I Have Seen a Couscous Made with Crumbs of the Finest White Bread.
For this one you take crumbs and rub with the palm on the platter, as one rubs the soup, and let the bread be neither cold nor very hot; put it in a pierced pot and when it’s steam has left, throw it on the platter and rub with fat or moisten with the broth of the meat prepared for it.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bolens, Lucie. “La cuisine andalouse, un art de vivre : XIe – XIIIe siècle” (The Andalusian cuisine, an art of living: 11th 13th centuries). Paris, Albin Michel, 1990.

García, Expiración. “La alimentación en la Andalucía Islámica: Estudio histórico y bromatológico.” (Food in Islamic Andalusia: an historical and dietetical study) “Andalucía Islámica”, 2-3 (1981-1982): 139-177 and 4-5 (1983-1986): 237-278.

Marín, Manuela. “Cuisine d’Orient, cuisine d’Occident.” (Eastern Cuisine, Western cuisine) “Médiévales” 33 (1997): 9-21.

Martínez, Manuel. “Historia de la Gastronomía Española” (History of the Gastronomy in Spain). Huesca, La Val de Onsera, 1995.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

Short version of – version modificada de: Teresa de Castro, «Iberian Peninsula: Overview», Encyclopaedia of Food and Culture. New York, USA. Scribner and Sons. 2003, vol. 2, pp. 227-22. (La Península Ibérica: Visión General) Teresa de Castro © 2005-2008. This paper is protected by copyright laws.

By Gerald Butt
December 12, 1998

http://islamfortoday.com/spain01.htm

“When the Christians recaptured Granada, they burnt all 80,000 books from the palace library – as if to expunge the memory of Islamic rule.”

When the Arab and Berber armies crossed from North Africa into Spain in the eighth century, they thought they’d discovered heaven on earth.

By the time they were finally driven out in 1492 they’d actually created an earthly celebration of paradise – the Alhambra palaces and gardens in Granada.

For desert Arabs, water is luxury. And in the melting snow of the Sierra Nevada mountains they found what they wanted. By a series of intricate channels they directed water into the palace grounds and onto the dusty plains below.

Still today at the Alhambra you get a glimpse of paradise. Small streams take the water hither and thither to innumerable fountains and ponds – at one point rushing down channels in the balustrades of a stone stairway. Everywhere, splashing and gushing water. And great splashes of colour under the conifers – roses, lilies and sweet-smelling jasmine.

Not to mention the luxury of the palaces themselves with their courtyards shaded by trees and cooled by fountains and with the walls decorated by elaborate Arabic inscriptions and patterned tiles.

For an Arabist like me, a visit to Alhambra should have been the experience of a lifetime. But I came away slightly disappointed. Not at the beauty of what I’d seen – rather with a sense that the Arab and Islamic character had been somewhat down-played.

When the Christians recaptured Granada, they burnt all 80,000 books from the palace library – as if to expunge the memory of Islamic rule. Then they built a cathedral on the site of the great mosque and put a baroque facade around the main palace.

Today the Alhambra is marketed very much as a major Spanish tourist site. One Spanish guidebook says that the Alhambra is to Granada what St Peter’s is to Rome or St Mark’s Square is to Venice.

What the guidebook doesn’t say is that the Alhambra is a legacy of nearly eight centuries during which the Arabs not only occupied Spain but also introduced into Europe mathematics, philosophy and Greek scholarship. Furthermore, the Arabs brought into Spain oranges, lemons, rice, sugar, date palms, cotton and much more.

And then there was the elaborate irrigation system, bringing water to the plains of Andalusia and giving it the landscape it has today. Even when the Arabs had been expelled en masse, two families were required to stay in each village to operate the irrigation system.

In other words, the Christians of Europe were happy to inherit the legacy of the Arab occupation of Spain, but were reluctant to acknowledge its Islamic origin. The American traveller, Washington Irving, noticed this when he visited Granada at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The Spanish, he said, considered the Muslims nothing more than “invaders and usurpers”. And that still seems to be the case today.

Does any of this matter? I believe it does. Arabs feel bitterly resentful at how they’re portrayed in the West – as ignorant people, lacking the advantages of our history and civilisation. As I drove away from Granada, I remembered what a retired Jordanian diplomat Hazem Nuseibeh once told me.

For him, history was like a medicine. Whenever he felt depressed by the sense of inferiority and failure that haunts the Arabs today he escaped into history books and read about the glories of the past, not least the glories of Andalusia.

But escapism can’t hide the fact that the Arabs as a whole feel they’ve lost their way and lost their self-esteem. They live, for the most part, under corrupt and incompetent regimes, and – as they see it – in the shadow of the West.

“The West calls the tune to which we dance,” Rabee Dejani, a Palestinian businessman in Jordan told me, “We hate the tune and we hate ourselves for dancing”.

The accumulation of this resentment is creating new generations of Arabs who are hostile to the West. With no political platform on which to vent their anger, they’re increasingly turning for comfort to Islam and to Islamic fundamentalism. And the violent acts that militants carry out blacken the name of Islam in the West.

Thus the anti-Muslim slogans I saw daubed on the walls of the ancient caravanseria in the centre of Granada – and the look of anxiety and suspicion on the face of Hassan, the caretaker of the small centre nearby, when I knocked on the door.

Mutual suspicion is increasing. It’s a vicious circle that won’t easily be broken. But a start would be for the West to give credit where it’s due.

Yes, the Alhambra is a tangible legacy of a great Islamic civilisation. But there are many other intangible legacies from the days of Arab rule in Spain, ingredients of our daily lives that we take for granted. If those debts were acknowledged, Arabs, I believe, would still go to their mosques in large numbers. But they’ll be less attracted than they are now by the angry rantings of anti-Western fundamentalists.

By Samantha Sanchez

The Spanish Inquisition spanned four centuries. Spanish Muslims attempting to escape it fled in two directions – North Africa and the Americas. Those that remained became nominal Catholics. Some practiced their religion n secret. If they were found out they were killed or exiled. In 1610 the last of the so-called nominal Catholics or Moriscos were exiled. The Inquisition practically wiped out the Muslim community in Spain. In fact the revival of Islam in al-Andalus as it was known, has been a cherished ideal since the fall of Grenada in 1492.

The first chance that the Andalusian people had to bring back Islam was when they had their freedom in 1975 with the advent of democracy, sine the Inquisition had legally continued until July 15, 1834. After which social pressures hindered Jews and Muslims from practicing their faiths until 1975.

In 1976, in the city of Cordoba, five brave young men became Muslims through the dawah of Shaykh Abdalqadir as-Sufi. Shaykh as-Sufi is a convert himself and the founder of the Murabitun Movement. These were the first Spaniards to accept Islam since the time of al-Andalus. They were instructed to spread Islam to the people and their efforts drew a large number of new Muslims, and subsequently the establishment of a Muslim community in the city. Their efforts to build a mosque, the first since the Inquisition, were hindered by public and government opposition.

In 1980 Spain put forth The Organic Law of religious freedom. The real rebirth of Islam in Spain, thus, did not begin until 1980 with the formation of the Autonomous Community of Andalus. The Yamaa Islamica of Al-Andalus was established in Seville (capital of present-day Andalusia). This association and the association for the rebirth of Islam were the most important. The Grand Mosque of Cordoba under Muslim rule in Spain was open to Muslims, Jews and Christians. It was the center of academic and spiritual learning. Today, it is a cathedral. Muslim visitors to the former mosque are told by the guides/guards before entering that it is prohibited to pray there.

Islam has slowly but surely flourished in Spain. In 1983-4, the Yamaa Islamica al-Andalus opened centers in Granada, Malaga and Jerez. In 1984, it made its first public demonstration by celebrating the memory of Al-Motamid Ibn Abbad, the last Muslim king in Seville. The act included a public call to prayer. More than 4000 people took part in the demonstration. In 1985 a convention of all Andalucian Muslims was held in the province of Granada. In 1986, YIA opened its center in Cordoba and made it the center of the entire community. Between the years of 1987-88 new centers emerged in Almeria and Murcia. So far we have tracked thirteen years of progress among Muslims in Spain since the Inquisition. However in all of this time, the government of Spain did not recognize Muslims and the Islamic faith. It was not until 1989, that Islam was recognized in Spain and even today though Muslims have official status they enjoy fewer privileges.

Between 1989-1993 several celebrations took place to commemorate Muslim ancestors and erected mosques. In 1992, the Islamic commission of Spain signed an agreement of cooperation with the state. In 1993 a major historic event took place. It was led by Ali Kettani. That is a project was begun of establishing the first ever Islamic University in Spain since the fall of Grenada. It began with the purchase of a building in the vicinity of the grand Mosque. Construction was completed in 1994 and the University, Ibn Rushd, is now authorized to award bachelors degrees in Arabic Studies and Islamic Studies.

Thus, as we can see, although it took several centuries for Islam to resurface in Spain, Islam is now flourishing throughout Spain as more and more converts come to Islam each year. In 1998 there were more than 450,000 Muslims and 45 mosques. Still they suffer persecution. In 1999 30 Muslim girls in Grenada were required to remove their veils for ID card photos. Catholic nuns are not required to do this.

As you recall I stated that Muslims fleeing Spain went in two directions. Those who went to North Africa have, in places such as Morocco and Tunisia, maintained their language to some extent, and some have even returned to Spain. And, then there are those who fled with expeditions to the Americas in the 15th century. These Muslim slaves were obliged to abandon their beliefs under fear of being executed, as you know part of the reason for the expeditions was to conquer new lands for Christianity. Thus, the trace of Islam disappeared in the Americas. It was not until the 16th century when Indian and Pakistanis immigrated to the Americas and the slaves were liberated. A few hundred years later, in 1850-1860, massive immigration of Arabs to the Americas took place. Muslim communities erupted as a result of this. But what about Latino Muslims who live in the Americas? In general there are over 6 million Muslims in Latin America (including immigrant populations). IOLA or the Islamic Organization of Latin America in Argentina serves the purpose of providing information about Islam to Latin Americans. This is the largest organization with this purpose. In Caracas, Venezuela, the largest Mosque is Masjid Sheikh Ibrahim.

In the US, since the 1970s, there has been a resurgence of Islam amongst Latinos. Primarily this has taken place in NY in El Barrio and in Los Angeles. Some Latinos would say that they are reclaiming the Islamic heritage, which we learned about tonight. In 2002, it is estimated that there are 40,000 Latino Muslims in the US. Currently a census is being conducted. This number includes born and converted Latino Muslims. The largest concentrations are in Los Angeles, NY, Chicago, and Washington DC. In each of these places, organizations have emerged along with mosques. One of the first of these was Alianza Islamic in El Barrio, now located in the South Bronx. Now there are nearly ten of such organizations, LADO being the largest of them all with a growing membership. All these organizations have different agendas. Some are to promote Islam in Latin America, others are for prisoners, and again others are for Spanish speakers only. Whatever the current number of Latino Muslims in the US or globally, they are being recognized in the Muslim world and in the media. Over the last few years articles in the Washington Post and other well known newspapers have discussed the emergence of Muslims in Latino communities. This year was the third annual conference by ISNA, of Islam amongst Latino Americans. The Inquisition may have been 4 centuries ago, but today it is clear that Islam cannot be erased from the hearts of Latinos.

By Lidia Ingah

There is a human tendency to follow others in order to fit in a social group or community. This eye-blinded tendency not only lowered humans to the level of animals but also makes humans unhappy. Men and women are naturally thinkers and can generally sense the difference between the good and the bad. As a result, if we do not do what our conscious mind rationally thinks is right, then we disrespect ourselves and a feeling of shame and discontent about ourselves develop. This “going against ourselves” to mimic others has happened and is happening in many communities repetitively. Even worse, this irrational imitation is leading to a chaotic society. A clear example of this type of society is Spain today.

I was born and raised in Mallorca, Spain, and for many years I analyzed the features of this potentially great society. Spaniards are known for being very accommodating and welcoming to foreigners, but the reality is that they have a lazy and passive attitude to communicate their will. They would rather agree to the newcomers’ requests than make an effort to stand up for the defense of their values and way of life.

Every time, I go to Spain to visit my family, my parents inform me of how many people have died in driving accidents due to excessive ingestion of alcoholic drinks. Also, I have noticed a great number of Spaniards dying from cancer and heart disease. This fact is not surprising, since they love to eat barbecued pork ribs, smoke a pack of cigarettes a day, and take other illicit drugs.

All these toxic killers’ victims are well aware of how pernicious alcohol, drugs, tobacco, and pork fat consumption are to their health; but they still ingest them. These people are basically killing themselves consciously. Slowly but surely, they are making themselves physically sick.

To the development of diseases cause by physical toxins, we have to add the mental sickness that so many Spaniards suffer. It is not unusual to see young people trying to fight their profound depression. They do not like their life styles, they do not like themselves, but they do not know how to change or what to change to be happier. They feel empty, lost, and sad. Many Spaniards do not believe in God, although they were raised Catholic. They are taught just to believe what the priest says because you are supposed to. They are unable to question anything at a philosophical level. Basically, they are raised to believe what the church preaches and not to worry about thinking too much. This educational system is translated also to all school subjects; that is, the teacher says what the student have to say and think, and the student memorizes and repeats it . Just like a parrot. No brain is required, no ability to choose is required, no understanding is required and, as a result, Spaniard children become order-following machines. Unable to say “no” to something they feel is not right or say “yes” to what they want. Spaniards are not allowed to have their individuality, to work hard to fight for what they believe needs to be changed, to feel fulfilled and happy about themselves. Everything is decided for them. They just need to imitate. Easy task but destructive to their well-being.

Although I am a Spaniard and attended Catholic schools and university, I have always hated to be a follower. I love to decide on my own and act accordingly with what I think is right. I am a very rational type of person, lucky enough to have exceptional parents who accepted that with me the traditional “do it just because I said it” did not work I could never accept that Jesus was God or that all humans beings are born sinners because of the actions of Adam and Eve. God is not human, and I am only responsible for my own actions. Therefore, although I have always been a very religious person, Catholicism just did not make sense to me.

Years after my college graduation, I traveled to California for the first time; and I met who is today my husband, a Muslim student from Indonesia. It was through him that I learned about Islam and how my country had been Muslim for as long as eight centuries (8th to 15th century after Christ). During those years, Muslim Spain, also called Al Andalus, was a very flourishing society. Education was encouraged to all in order to find answers to life’s questions that will let the members of the community to fulfill their desire for understanding things, develop a strong sense of self-esteem, and ultimately, to develop happiness and inner peace. Also, in Al Andalus men and women alike felt very responsible to take care of themselves at a health level: not eating pork, not drinking alcohol, not taking other drugs, nor doing anything that would endanger a person’s health. It was clear to Muslims in Spain that those things were very harmful to them and that the consequences of them would negatively affect the rest of the community: wild and aggressive behavior due to use of alcohol or other drugs and development of deadly diseases as a result of eating pork.

Spaniards in Al Andalus simply loved their lives too much to harm themselves. Moreover, and most importantly, they all had a profound belief in the existence of a main power, a creator of all nature’s creatures, all mighty and powerful, infinitely loving, compassionate and just. This belief provided them with the foundation to live a wonderfully happy life, and to value it, and to be grateful for it, as well as to try to become the best human beings they could possibly be. Everyday they would take time to reflect about their lives and how to improve them, and to ask for guidance and to give thanks for all they had. This was achieved by their five daily prayers that would empower them with a feeling of being loved and protected that can only be understood for those who perform them. Muslim Spaniards had a taste of paradise on Earth. Thank God, they were able to understand and follow the right way of life. Maybe, one day Spaniards will revise their history, and they will learn from their ancestors how to live their lives happily. God-willing.