Culture and Islam (misconception)
Culture is the characteristics and knowledge of a particular group of people, defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts.
Further, defining culture as shared patterns of behaviours and interactions, cognitive constructs and understanding that are learned by socialisation. Thus, it can be seen as the growth of a group identity fostered by unique social pattern.
There are certain areas of overlap: People’s religion influences their culture, and culture influences how they practice their religion. But in Islam there is a clear distinction between the two.
Islam ( ﺍﻹﺳﻼﻡ) is a monotheistic religion which professes that there is only one and incomparable God ( Allah ) and that Muhammad is the last messenger of God.with over 1.8 billion followers or 24.1% of the global population known as Muslims, Islam teaches that God who is merciful , all-powerful , and unique has guided mankind through prophets , revealed scriptures and natural signs, The primary scriptures of Islam is the Quran , viewed by Muslims as the verbatim word of God, and the teachings and normative example (called the sunnah , composed of accounts called hadith ) of Muhammad. Islam is not a culture. Whether we like it or not, the essence of Islam is based on religion
Islamic culture is itself a contentious term. Muslims live in many different countries and communities, and it can be difficult to isolate points of cultural unity among Muslims, besides their adherence to the religion of Islam. Anthropologists and historians nevertheless study Islam as an aspect of, and influence on, culture in the regions where the religion is predominant.
Islamic practices and beliefs are those that have roots in the Quran (which Muslims believe to be the last and unchanged revelation from God) and the Sunnah (traditions) of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). if any belief or practice is innovated by any Muslim group into islam and happens to be contrary to The Quran or the sunnah, such belief is void and baseless.
It establishes several primary legal principles, acceptance of culture being one of them: “Accept from people what comes naturally for them; command what is good by custom; and turn away from the ignorant without responding in kind” (Qur’an 7:199). The Prophet’s attitude toward ethnic and cultural identity provides an example of the application of this verse.
Some adopted and enriched local languages. In addition to the Islamic lunar calendar, Muslims adopted solar and astral calendars to determine the seasons and the best times for planting and harvest. They designed distinctive styles of dress; the long onepiece garment (thawb) and many other items of clothing that some Muslims today call “Sunna” are largely cultural products and differ significantly from the dress of the Prophet and his Companions. Muslim cultural genius is still reflected in simple things like the ways they receive guests and prepare food and in grand things like their achievements in regional styles of art and architecture.
Throughout the pre-modern period, local expressions of Islam bore witness to indigenous cultural creativity. When Islam entered Indonesia, Muslims found that the standard Islamic call to prayer (adhān) did not always serve its purpose. The human voice could not carry well in the dense Indonesian rain forests. Muslims adopted the local cultural convention of communicating through “talking” drums. They preserved the Sunna of making the prayer call but complemented it by using enormous drums, which they hung horizontally outside their mosques and beat loudly to call people to prayer. The deep, hollow sounds of the drums resonated through the forests. The drumbeats signified that the place from which they came was empty and needed to be filled; they stopped what they were doing and came to prayer.
“By Time, Indeed, mankind is in loss, Except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.”
[Qur’an, Al-Asr 103]
Islam is based to promote accurate representation of by providing correct information thereby encouraging individual responsibility for seeking and acting upon the Truth.
To increase awareness as to the extent of oppression against Muslims throughout the world and the conspiracy that exists to exterminate Muslims and the religion of Islam from the face of the Earth.
To remind Muslims of their responsibility to participate and support their brothers and sisters in Islam who are striving on a daily basis to fulfil the commandment of Allah (Most Exalted is He)
While culture is what we inherit from fore fathers based on their own believe and way of life at times, when we link culture with islam it brings innovation (bid’ah).
Lets not mix it…. ISLAM is Liberal and tolerant and it base on two books (Qur’an and hadith) as a path of direction let not mix culture with DEEN.
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