Column: PERSONAL NOTES

By Jawed Anwar

Muslims Weekly; May 6, 2005, Issue No: 170

The Culture of Sunnah

         After Salat ul Maghrib (the prayer after sunset) or after Salat ul Jumuah (the weekly Friday prayer at noon), whenever I visited the restaurant just above the Masjid in downtown Manhattan, I saw Muslim immigrants from Africa, Arabia, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Turkey, Bosnia, and also African American and Caucasian American Muslims. One could easily recognize, however, that these people all belong to the same culture. In the Masjid, they perform the same wadu (cleaning and washing before prayer). There is the same Adhan (call for prayer, given either by black or white or brown). They perform the Salat in the same way. Their clothing may be slightly different, but everyone can recognize that they dress according to the same principles. At lunch or dinner, their preferences of dishes may be different, but the principles of food preparation are the same.  All foods are halal (permissible in Islam) with no allowance for haram (prohibited) food. Before the Muslims begin eating, they pronounce, Bismillah (In the Name of God), and after the meal is finished, they say, Alhamdu lillahil-ladhi At’amna wa Saqana wa ja’alna minal Muslimeen (All praise to Allah who fed us and gave us drink and made us among Muslim).

When speaking, they use Qur’anic terminologies like Jazak Allah (God give you reward), Masha Allah (That Which God wills), Alhamdulillah (All Praise is to God), and Insha Allah (If God wills).  From the variety of cultures, these common words are used in a unified religious culture.  The courtesies of Muslims are the same.  They shake hands and exchange hugs and smiles, and they all try to accommodate everyone.  This is part of the culture developed according to the Sunnah (practices and teachings) of the Prophet (S). People who belong to Islam and Masajid know, understand, and practice the culture of Sunnah.

There has been much discussion and controversy lately about the issue of culture as it relates to Islam.  Some newly converted Muslims and native-born American Muslims have complained that immigrant Muslims are importing their cultures in the name of Islam.  On the other hand, immigrant Muslims complain that the native Muslims are still sticking to the culture of Jahliya (ignorance or pre Islamic practices).

When I immigrated to this country, I saw a married Muslim couple buying food from a halal crown chicken restaurant, and each paid a separate bill.  It was a cultural shock to me.  I studied while residing on the campus of ‘Aligarh Muslim University, ‘Aligarh, India (in late seventies and early eighties) - a center of modern education for Muslim India.  Whenever we students went to a tea or coffee house, the bill had to be paid by the most senior student among us (seniority of standing in the campus).  If I did not have money in my pocket, I had to make sure that someone more senior than me was in our group.  Senior students’ clothes, jackets, sherwani (a traditional dress of south Asian scholars and ‘Aligarh students), shoes, foods, and all items were always available for junior students to use.  Seniors made sure that junior students from poor families never had to feel embarrassed because of their poverty.  Can anybody help me figure out which culture is better - separate payment of food by Muslim husband and wife of New York in the presence of clear teachings of Islam that men are responsible for food, clothing, and shelter to their women, or show of kindness and generosity by fellow students in ‘Aligarh?  Which example is nearer to Sunnah and traditions of Islam?

Let us first try to understand the concepts of culture in general, the Sunnah, and specifically the Islamic culture.  Culture is the subset of a civilization, which is the reflection and outcome of the faith, thoughts, knowledge, intellect, and capability of a group of people or community in a society.  Culture is one element of a civilization, encompassing food, dress, language, literature, creations, social manners, etiquette, residence, architecture, traditions, and styles.

Muslims have been living in India for more than 1200 years, during which Muslims ruled for about 900 years with full power and control.  Muslims are still in the minority (which shows that Muslim rulers never forced non-Muslims to convert, and they followed the Islamic principle that there is no compulsion in the practice of the religion).  There are two civilizations, Islamic and Hindu; hence there are two cultures.  Muslims food, dress, language, literature, creations, social manners, etiquette, residence, architecture, traditions, and style are different from those of Hindus.  There may be, however, some similarities and influences of Hindu culture in Islam and also Islamic culture in Hindu.  If the Muslim culture adopted something from the Hindu that is not contradictory to Islam or prohibited in Islam, it is admissible and there is nothing to worry about. The Prophet Muhammad (S) advised Muslims that words of wisdom are the lost property of Muslims, so, wherever you go, accept whatever wisdom you find.  Islam confirms that all the prophets from Adam to Muhammad (S) were from Allah, and all good things in all societies have come from those prophets.

Things of nature belong to Islam except those that violate the principles of Islam.  Therefore, despite such influences (other than the ones clearly belonging to Jahliya), Muslims observe and practice a unique and consonant Islamic culture, and they should adhere to it. This is true the world over.  You will find the clear line of distinction between the Muslim and non-Muslim cultures in the African continent, for example.  The Arab culture is an Islamic culture only if it is not influenced by Jahliyah.  In short, the various Muslims cultures are one Islamic culture when they are all based on the teachings the Qur’an and Prophet Muhammad (S) or at least not contradictory to them.

Immigrant Muslims should not be defensive on the issue of culture.  Centuries old traditions of a group of people practicing Islam and trying to follow Prophet Muhammad’s way of life must be preserved, but we must also accommodate the native-born American Muslims culture when specifics do not violate the Qur’an and Sunnah even when a specific trait is different from our own traditions.  The rich traditions of Sunnah should prevail and the poor traditions of Jahliya should disappear gradually, in Allah’s good time, from the individual lives of Muslims, whether immigrant or native.  Native-born Muslims may learn and adopt many things from the immigrant Muslims cultures, and immigrant Muslims may also learn several good things from native American Muslims traditions.

What specific Islamic traditions should be reflected in the united Muslim society?  Food:  Foods should be halal, neat, and clean. Several animals are haram (strictly prohibited), several others are makrooh (not advisable to eat).  Animals must be slaughtered in the Name of Allah and in a way that blood is drained out from their bodies.  There is also a manner of eating that is derived from the Sunnah. Muslims generally do not eat individually but prefer to eat together; they do not eat while walking or standing or talking, and there are several other manners and traditions.  Dress:  Any dress can be Islamic if (1) it covers satar (the private parts of men and women as defined in the Sunnah) and does not expose them in any way, (2) it is simple as not to show arrogance and pride, (3) men’s and women’s clothing differ,  (4) there should not be tashabbuh (similar or identical) to the clothing of unbelievers.  Language:  Everyone must try to read, recite, and understand the Arabic of Qur’an.  In the name of discarding immigrant cultures, some native-born Muslims are attempting to do away with the importance of Arabic language and try to work from transliterations and translations.  Such efforts are deplorable.  Al-Qur’an was revealed in Arabic, and the Arabic of Qur’an was learned in Iran, Central Asia, Africa, India, and China, and other places where non-Arab Muslims embraced Islam.  Now new English-speaking Muslims should not be exempted.  Any superiority complex of language over the Qur’anic Arabic is just a show of Jahliya and not Islam.  Literature:  The literature developed in the Islamic society must improve the moral standard of the people and clarify the relationship among people, the universe, and Allah, and their positions.  It should develop the relationship with Allah and inspire the people to struggle to establish peace and justice on the earth.  The literature should ignite and inspire the pious and spiritual sentiments and clean the dirty and animal desires and sentiments from the hearts and minds of the people.  Creation: Every creation of Muslims should reflect the faith of tauheed (oneness and unity of Allah) and of faith in Al-Khaliq (The Creator) and al-Musawwir (The Artist). All human creations should be beneficial for human beings and not destructive in nature, as Al-Khaliq’s (Allah’s creation) is.  Social manners and etiquette: Muslims derive social manners and behaviors in regards to family relationships, relationships with elders, youth, neighbors, fellow citizens, the people of the Book, believers and non-believers, animals, and other living things.  This relationship is based on the love of Allah, love of all human beings, love of living things, nature, and environment.  Residence and architecture: Styles of homes and architecture should be based on the belief that this world is temporal and everybody has to die and go to the next eternal life.  Big palaces and mansions for personal living are part of the lifestyle of those people who do not believe in the Hereafter.  Traditions and Styles: Muslims should try to learn more and more from the Seerah (biography) of the Prophet (S) and try to follow his traditions and styles, and try to apply Islamic principles to their specific circumstances.  These styles and traditions are the culture of Islam.