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Name
Umm Mustafa
- United States
Profession
Question
As-Salamu `alaykum. There ARE things about Western culture that are compatible with Islam, such as the work ethic and giving people a say in the government. But so much of popular culture is un-Islamic. Should Muslims living in the West really assimilate to the predominate culture and to the people? Or should we keep to our own social circles and communities of faith?
Answer
Wa `alaykum as-salam.
Muslims living in the West could actually choose what to "assimilate" from the western "culture".
Let's first discuss the word "culture", which is believed to be one of the most complex expressions in the English language. Most definitions of culture include material and social "norms" that a society agrees on and inherits. Some definitions include beliefs, religion, and values.
For the sake of our discussion here, let us roughly differentiate between "norms" and beliefs that are imbedded in a religion or ideology.
So, Muslims in the West could very well endorse and support social norms as long as they don't contradict with their Islamic belief and values. And I have to say that this is easier said than done, because when it comes to the details, the relationship between norms and beliefs is a bit complex, as I will try to explain through the next few answers.
Name
Rahma
- United States
Profession
Question
How do you think Muslims in the West could make a significant cultural contribution to their Western society?
Answer
Yes. Muslims in the West could contribute to Western society's culture, but first they have to practice a pure form of Islam that is free from the Muslim countries' "cultural baggage".
Name
Tarek
- Switzerland
Profession
Question
What do you think will the next ground for the cultural enterplay between Islam and postmodernism be?
Answer
Postmodernism is a contemporary and powerful intellectual, political and cultural process/force that aims to disintegrate and reformatting a multitude of artistic, cultural, and intellectual traditions. It is a term that has many contradictory definitions ranging from eclecticism and montage to neo-skepticism and anti-rationalism. However, it seems that all postmodernists agree –in one way or another– on the failure of modernity in the first half of the twentieth century due to its own "universal" values. Therefore, postmodernism has waged a war on all shapes and forms of "universalism," something that we should be careful about.
Islam is not against universalism all the way, nor it is against its philosophical anti-thesis, relativism, all the way. Islam, as I view it, takes a middle path. It has its own universal values and beliefs, yet it does observe relativity of application.
However, Muslims could very well benefit and learn from the serious questions that postmodernism raises about modernity and postmodernism's appreciation of multi-culturalism.
Name
anouar
- Switzerland
Profession
student
Question
I am from a Muslim (Syrian) - Christian (Swiss) family.
I grew up 13 years in the middle east in Syria and lived since 27 years in Europe.
Honestly I often feal confused about where I belong to. From deep in my heart I feel Arab and Muslim, but after so many years I have adapted to Westren culture. This was not always good. I hurt myself a lot. At the same time I am -maybe- a little more tolerant or I am able to accept other people's opinion or beleifs than friends and relatives I have who live in Arab countries.
I feel the last years that I want to feel more united, not torn apart. Please help!!!
Answer
My humble suggestion for you to feel "more united" is to search for a true understanding of Islam that is pure from whatever traditions in the Muslim countries that are not necessarily part of Islam. The Qur'an could be your guide in this journey. Stress in your life whatever the Qur'an has stressed and do not bother much with what the Qur'an did not bother with. The authentic tradition of the prophet (peace be upon him) is your good explanation of the Qur'an, because the prophet (peace be upon him) was a "living Quran," as his wife mentioned.
This search for the pure moral core of Islam will not tear you away from your Western upbringing (in sha' Allah), because, as I said below, there is a lot in common between Islam's moral values and the Wetsern moral values.
Kindness, mercy, cleanliness, friendliness, tolerance, etc, are Islamic values that are in no contradition to your Western heritage. In fact, the Islamic way of understanding these values, the way they were practiced by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the way they are related in the Qur'an to the divine attributes of Allah is unique and could add a lot to what you learned as a good Western citizen.
Name
Aisha
-
Profession
Question
I wonder if there is any special definition of "culture" (as a word and concept)in the Islamic thought...
Answer
In Islamic legal thought, the closest to our definition of "culture" is what scholars called "al-`urf". However, `urf could be more precisely translated as traditional norms, i.e. it excluded beliefs and values. `Urf is considered by several schools of thought to be a "source of legislation" in areas that the scripts did not cover in detail.
Name
Sister
- United States
Profession
Student
Question
As-salamu `Alaykum.
Do you think we can create something called "American" Islam or "European" Islam? Islam is definitely universal, but there are so many issues we face in the West that other Muslim countries just don't (or refuse to) understand, simply like drug abuse, psychiatric disorders, scientific findings...
Are we allowed this room for reform? Or is this blatant innovation? I feel this is becoming very difficult because I am born American, and I feel like I'm thrown into a blender with Islam, American values, and all of the Muslim countries "cultures" in a whirling mixture.
How do you suggest American converts retain their identity, yet create a new Muslim identity?
Thank you.
Answer
Sister. Islam has all the room for the kind of reform that you are talking about, much more than commonly perceived. I am dreaming, like you, of a pure "Western Islam." I know what you mean, but we will need to work hard on clarifying the difference between what is "Islam" -that is abiding to every Muslim- and "Muslim culture" -that is not abiding to each and every Muslim, even if it is perhaps alright in some Islamic context... In order to make this differentiation, I briefly suggest the following points:
1) To differentiate between "Islam" and "Muslims". Islam is from Allah and its sources is the Qur'an and Sunnah (traditions of the Prophet peace be upon him). Muslims are nations who accepted the faith of Islam, which we could learn about from the books of history and their literature.
2) To differentiate between "the script" and "the interpretation of the script". The script (for example a verse of the Qur'an) is divine, general and aims at a certain divine purpose, while the interpretation of the script is what some scholars understood from the scripts according to who they are and their cultural context. It is not right to consider any human interpretation, however scholarly, as the absolute truth about the verses and the Hadith.
3) To differentiate between the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet peace be upon him) and the opinions of the schools of thought scholars, who were only great imams who were applying the principles of Islam to their environments.
In short, as I said below, let us keep in mind that Islam's moral principles are universal and the specific application is relative to the cultural context.
Islam's moral principles actually have a lot in common with western moral values. The prophet (peace be upon him) said: "I am sent to complete the good moral values." This implies that people always have a certain amount of morality in their societies and that Islam is here to "complete" and "perfect" these values. The prophet (peace be upon him) did not assume that non-Muslim societies are void of morality.
Name
Azizah
- Australia
Profession
Question
How can you reconcile being active in the community to make positive change and not being affected by the negative aspects of the community?
Answer
You could try to convey an Islamic message to the community that carries the values of tolerance and mutual respect. This message is likely to succeed if you preach these values based on the Islamic sources. You could also give examples to your community from non-Muslim communities who are more successful, on the practical level, in underestanding and applying these values.
Name
Ben Seffaj Yassin
- Morocco
Profession
Artist
Question
Salam `alaykum.
Is Islam growing fast in the West?
Thanks.
Answer
Numerically, yes. Islam is growing because of the encouraging immigration policies of many Western countries. However, I would not agree that Islam is growing in terms of making a real change and contribution to Western societies, because Muslims in the West are still not successful in introducing a version of Islam that: 1) endorses Western moral values that do not contradict with Islam, and 2) insists only on the core message of Islam, i.e., its beliefs, moral values, acts of worship (`ibadaat) and purposes (maqasid) of the law.
Name
Tata
- United States
Profession
Question
Can Islam be an alternative worldview to find an answer to all the drawbacks of Western style modernism like consumerism, hedonism, materialism and nihilism?
Answer
I view Islam as a unique middle path between all philosophical concepts that philosophers developped over the centuries. Islam is not totally against "materialism" nor totally against "spirituality." Islam is a unique combination of both. Islam is not totally against "universalism" nor totally against "relativism." It is a unique combination of both. Islam is not totally against "deontology" nor totally against "teleology." It is, again, a unique combination of both.
On the other hand, modernism is not all bad. In fact, modernism affected a trend in Islamic studies that was crucial in getting Muslims out of the darkness of literalism and blind following of inhereted opinions. The popularity of modernist approaches is growing in both Islamic and Western academic institutes. Briefly, the following are two distinctive characteristics of modernist Islamic approaches:
I. Re-interpretation: Modernists refer directly to Islam’s primary sources, the Qur’an and the Prophetic tradition (Hadith: sayings of the Prophet), rather than the traditional schools of thought, and take the liberty to re-interpret these sources in unprecedented ways, even if outside the ijmaa` (consensus) circle.
II. Ijtihad in the usul: Modernists practice ijtihad in revising the fundamental usul themselves, i.e. the methodology of authenticating, reading and applying the scripts.
Name
Saara
- United States
Profession
Student
Question
Salam.
It is often difficult to discuss "Western" issues in the local Islamic communities because of the lack of knowledge. Most of the masajid (mosques) are run by immigrants from South Asia or the Middle East. They barely have any experience with Western life and cannot relate to the social norms and issues that arise... and often the khutbahs (speaches) aren't even in English!
What do you suggest Muslims in America/UK do? Sometimes I feel very isolated because I cannot be a part of the community... I believe this often leads to Muslims' building a "cyber" community on the web, which is wonderful, but it cannot replace human contact!
We are supposed to be social within the ummah (nation), but when we don't see eye to eye are major cultural issues, what is there to learn from such relationships? Why bother?
Answer
In addition to what I said below, I suggest that you start building your own small Muslim community that includes you and like-minded people. There are so many people like you, not just on the web but probably in your community too. The problem is that this large number of Muslims in your city perhaps could not find a comfortable environment in their local Islamic center in order to show up and contribute. So, I suggest that you take the initiative and try to build some club/committee/association/or whatever form, which acts as a banner that like-minded Muslims (and interested non-Muslims as well) join and participate in.
Moreover, as I said below, I suggest that you start searching for an Islamic identity that is free from all the baggage of Muslim countries' cultures that are not necessarily part of Islam.
Certain things that you deplore in the local Islamic center might not be categorically "wrong," even though they are totally inappropriate in the US context, where you live. Your job is to clarify that to your community and explain how different their current environment is fom backhome. On the other hand, there are things that you deplore in the community that are outright un-Islamic. Your job is to fight against them using authentic Islamic knowledge.
I would like, finally, to encourage you by reminding you that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Glad tidings to the strangers." And when he was asked: "Who are the strangers O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "Those who are moral when people are corrupt."
And in sha' Allah, things are eventually changing to the best that pleases Allah.
Name
khursheed
- India
Profession
house construction
Question
As-salamu `alaykum.
Islam is complete obedience and surrender to Allah, which we do not find in Western culture. How is that compatible with Islam, I wonder?
Answer
In Islam, "surrender to Allah" that you mentioned is actually a direct outcome of believing in Him and His message. Unfortunately, disbelief in God is currently becoming part of what you called "Western culture." However, many Westerners would strongly disagree with that culture of disbelief.
I would like to add, though, that "complete obediance and surrender to Allah" does not mean that Muslims are required to read their scripts literally and in a closed-minded manner. There are many ways of reading the scripts and literalism is one way that is not necessarily true.
Name
Dennis
- Sweden
Profession
teacher
Question
As-salamu `alaykum.
I'm a Swede who embraced Islam two years ago. During this time I´ve noticed how much culture baggage influences ones perception of Islam. I was brought up with strong socialliberal values, typical Swedish, and I haven´t really met any contratictions in my reading of the Noble Qur'an. Here´s tolerance, freedom of thought, concerns for the poor etc.
But when I meet with Muslims from Islamic countries I sometimes wonder if we really share the same religion. Are there any discussion or agenda among the prominent Muslims how to minimize this difference in perception? Is it possible or is it more benificial to allow Islamic expression for each and every culture?
Answer
In addition to what I wrote below to "Sister - United States," I would like to congratulate you for both your Islamic spirit and your Swedish "social-liberal values." I encourage you to keep searching for answers in the Qur'an and follow up on the recent Islamic studies forums that discuss the issues of modernization within Islam, which will also give you many valuable insights in sha' Allah.
I personally believe that Islam will make a big real development in the forseen future, which will come from the West this time. This development is "allow Islamic expression for each and every culture," as you mentioned in your question. We should continue revising the Islamic literature in light of the moral message of the Qur'an. We should insist on sticking to the Book and the wisdom behind the Prophetic traditions as the only valid sources of Islam, and read them, keeping our current environment and moral dilemmas in mind.
Name
Jafar
- United Kingdom
Profession
Education support worker
Question
As a new Muslim in the West, I have an ambivalent attitude towards Western culture. I clearly have to reject much of it, but should I place a blanket ban on film and TV, etc, or should I struggle to engage with Western culture in order to extract from it what I want and to try to influence it?
Answer
You actually have an obligation to "struggle to engage with the Western culture," as you put it, in order to appreciate good things in it and, yes, to try to influence it.
It is a sort of selfishness to live in your own excellent cocoon and forget about your people! You have to try to mix with your people. Read the stories of the prophets in the Qur'an and learn your own lessons on how to engage with your society as a reformer. If you ever get yourself in trouble or, God forbid, fall into any mistake, you have the door opened for repentance. But never give up engaging with your people and trying to change.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
"The believer who mixes with people and shows perseverance with their mischief is better than the believer who does not mix with people and does show perseverance."
