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The “Culture” concept is becoming wider in its perspective. That is, it overlaps with some other ideas, such as civilisation. I will try to bring things together to better understand “culture” in relation to Islam.
“Culture” is seen as the total sum of civilisation, cultivation, thought and the whole life in its material and spiritual dimensions (As-Sayeh, 1977). Habannakah (1998) suggests that the meaning of “culture” encompasses the different kinds of human development which are included in one of the three following categories: a) that which serves the material body, b) that which serves the society, c) that which leads to the ultimate happiness in the hereafter.
Oxford dictionary, however, defines culture as, “The ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society”[1]. The issue that arises now is whether or not “religion” is part of “culture”. In this context, I recommend addressing both separately in order to establish the relationship between eachother.
Islam and Culture
Islam is not a mere religion that is practised inside places of worship but a comprehensive way of life that is ordained by Allah, the creator of the heavens and the earth and all humankind. Hence, Islam has a unique feature of organising various aspects of life.
Allah said, the meaning of which is, ” Say: “Verily, My Lord hath guided me to a way that is straight,- a Religion of right,- the path (trod) by Abraham the true In Faith, and He (certainly) joined not gods with Allah. Say: “Truly, My prayer and My service of sacrifice, My life and My death, are (all) for Allah, the Cherisher of the Worlds” Qurán (6-161:162)
Allah also said to prophet Muhammed the last messenger, the meaning of which is, “We sent Thee not, but As a Mercy for all creatures” Qurán (21-107)
Considering “Islam” and “Culture” as being separate, the point that stands out here is that Islam recognises culture as long as it does not have any conflict with what Islam teaches, no matter how far cultures are diverse across the world. An example that highlights this is that we can see nations who use spoons for eating food whereas others use chopsticks. Although these two ways were not practised during the prophetic era as people would use their hands, they are not impermissible as long as the right hand is used. Nevertheless, if people use their hands for eating, as the prophet salla Allah alaihe wasallam did, but the left hand instead of the right one; this is considered totally against Islam.
What does Islam teach about culture?
There are principles that shape the Islamic culture. The five pillars of Islam form the acts of worship and they are as follows:
- Bearing witness that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and that prophet Muhammed is the messenger of Allah.
- Performing the five daily prayers.
- Giving Zakat, i.e., alms or charity.
- Observing Sawm, i.e., fasting.
- Performing Hajj, i.e., Pilgrimage to Mecca.
The six articles of faith are also the basics of a Muslim belief system, they are:
- Belief in Allah
- Belief in the Angels.
- Belief in Allah’s scriptures.
- Belief in Allah’s prophets and messengers.
- Belief in the Last Day, i.e., the Day of Judgment.
- Belief in the pre-destination.
The Islamic culture is basically the outcome of believing in the abovementioned articles as well as acting upon them: manifested in the five pillars of Islam. In other words, Islamic culture is the customs that are noticed as a result of the daily practices of the people who follow the genuine Islam (Phillips, n.d.).
It is generally agreed that our conceptual framework of understanding morality has a direct effect on our conduct and behaviour, i.e., our culture. That’s why Philips (n.d.) discussed the foundations of Islamic morality from two angels: Good and Evil; and Halal and Haram. He clarifies that good and evil are decided by Allah as he encompasses the consequences of peoples’ actions. So, what pleases Allah is considered good and what displeases Him is wrong and evil. In addition to this, Dr. Philips further mentioned that halal (permissible) and haram (impermissible) are also to be defined by Allah and this is according to whether the action is beneficial or harmful[2].
What does Islam consider about culture?
Allah subhanaho wa taála, the creator of the heavens and the earth, and what exists between them sent his last messenger, prophet Muhammed salla Allah alaiyhe wa sallam with the religion of Islam as a valid way of life until the Day of Judgment. Consequently, Islam; displayed in the Qurán and authentic teachings of the prophet, established a general framework that appeals to everybody and every nation in the whole universe.
Allah said, the meaning of which is, “On no soul doth Allah place a burden greater than it can bear” Qurán (2-286)
Therefore, Islam considers the culture-specific manifestations as long as they are in line with Islam. For instance, there are types of food recipes for different cultures; a Muslim can eat whatever kind of food he or she likes since the food being halal is maintained, i.e., no pork or alcohol, etc. So, in a nutshell, a Muslim can be Arabic, Asian, African, European or American; they can practise Islam within their culture.
What does Islam abandon about culture?
Though it is true that Muslims have their own culture, we should also bear in mind that the ‘Muslims’ culture’ does not necessarily reflect the ‘Islamic culture’. Nowadays, many Muslims follow what came to be known as ‘Folk Islam’ or ‘Cultural Islam’, which is not necessarily in agreement with what Islam teaches.
Philips (n.d., pp. 35) states that “There are four basic sources for un-Islamic traditions in cultural Islam: Pre-Islamic practices, adopted practices, religious innovations and factionalism”.
This was mentioned in the Qurán many times, for instance, Allah said, the meaning of which is, “When it is said to them: “Follow what Allah hath revealed:” They say: “Nay! we shall follow the ways of Our fathers.” What! Even though their fathers were void of wisdom and guidance?” Qurán (2:170)
The prophet salla Allah alaihe wa sallam said “… for those of you who live after me will see great disagreement. You must then follow my sunnah and that of the rightly-guided caliphs. Hold to it and stick fast to it. Avoid novelties, for every novelty is an innovation, and every innovation is an error.”[3]
On the whole, such practices hinder the progress of the Muslim nation both nationally and internationally and every possible step should be taken to educate the Muslims all over the world and make them distinguish between what is Islamic and what is traditional.
Conclusion
To conclude, it is clear that the concept of culture is about how people live their lives under what kind of principles and how this is demonstrated on peoples’ behaviour. Islam considers culture under the prerequisite that it does not conflict with the authentic Islamic teachings. The question is, though, will Muslims be able to meet the challenge nd differentiate between what is traditional and what is Islamic?
Bibliography
Ali, Y. (n.d.) Qurán Translation [Microsoft Word add-in]. Available from < http://quran-in-word.software.informer.com/1.3/> [Accessed: 17th June 2014]
Al Sayeh, A. (1977) الحضارة الإسلامية, Madinah: Islamic University in Madinah [ الموسوعة الشاملةWindows® PC Application]
Bin Hamad Al Oda, S. (1433) الاتباع المحمود و الاتباع المذموم [online]. Available from < http://www.khutabaa.com/index.cfm?method=home.khdetails&khid=4434> [Accessed: 17th June 2014]
Habannakah, A. (1998) الحضارة الإسلامية أسسها ووسائلها وصور من تطبيقات المسلمين لها ولمحات من تأثيرها في سائر الأمم , Damascus: Dar Al Qalam [ الموسوعة الشاملةWindows® PC Application]
Oxford Dictionaries, 2014. Definition of Culture in English [online] Available at http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/culture?q=culture [Accessed 15th June 2014]
Philips, B. (n.d.) The Clash of Civilizations, Qatar: Islamic Online University
Sunnah (2014) Sunan Abi Dawud – dKitab Al-Sunnah [online]. Available from < http://sunnah.com/abudawud/42> [Accessed: 17th June 2014]
[1] Oxford Dictionaries, 2014. Definition of Culture in English. [online] Available at <http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/culture?q=culture> [Accessed 15 June 2014]
[2] We believe that the human mind is imperfect, so as humans we sometimes can understand the wisdom behind rulings and teachings, but sometimes we can’t. in both cases we must submit to the will of Allah and obey Him as He is the All-Knowing.
[3] Sunan Abi Dawud 4607
