Islamic Culture Vs Western Culture

Islamic Culture vs. Western Culture by DR.BILAL PHILPS

Opening of lecture:

إِنّ الْحَمْدَ لِلّهِ نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِيْنُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ وَنَعُوذُ بِالِ مِنْ شُرُوْرِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَمِنْ

سَيّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ الُ فَلَ مُضِلّ لَهُ وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْهُ فَلَ هَادِيَ لَهُ.

وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَ إِلَهَ إِلّ الُ وَحْدَهُ لَ شَرِيْكَ لَهُ وَأَشْهَدُ أَنّ مُحَمّدًا عَبْدُه

وَرَسُوْلُهُ.

All praises due to Allah and as such we should praise him. We should seek his help, seek his forgiveness, we should seek refuge within the evil of our self, and the evil which result from our deeds. For whomsoever, Allah has guided, none can misguide. Whomsoever Allah has allowed to go astray, none can guide. I bear witness there is no god worthy of worship but Allah alone without any partner. Muhammad  is last messenger of Allah.

Significance of the topic:

This topic is specific significance to us in the west as the minority community here, and it also significant to Muslims internationally to understand what constitute western culture and what if there isn’t Islamic culture. Should Muslims adopt as alternative to what is being represented in media as the world culture?  

In order to understand the issues of Islamic and Western culture, it is necessary to understand what culture is.

Overview of the term culture:

From anthological point of view, it is viewed as the man made cut of the human environment. Culture is the way of life of a specific group. The word culture comes from the Latin word, “cultura”. Which is the derivative of the verb colaret . The meaning of it is tending of cultivation.  It is initially referred to the tending of animals. By the 16 century, 1610, the oxford dictionary of English language, had modified the meaning of the word as the training of the mind or manners.

Now though all students of human society are agreed upon in the importance of culture. There is no single definition has universal acceptance in the various schools of anthology.  

But the basic idea of the culture arises from the observation of the human beings of what they do and what they refrain from doing. It is impart a consequence of being brought up in one group as opposed to another. And, it has been observed, that people have both social heredity as well as biological heredity.

So now what we can say from the general understanding of what culture is. That is body of knowledge and practices which are taught within the family, system of education of the society, both formally and informally. Where in people learn to behave in a particular way that becomes conventional and seeped by the traditional.

Origin of Western Culture:

In terms of western culture, we can say that the origin of western culture is pagan. It is all pagan origin. It is referred as the Greco-Roman civilization meaning that origin is from Greece and Rome. Anybody who is reading the book of history and the Greece and roman history will be able to quickly to realize that these are from pagan society, founded in idolatry. The other component of western culture can be found in northern Europe, Scandinavia, they made a major contribution. This is what is now known as the western culture.

This is evident from basic things like the days of the week. How we name the days of the week. Saturday is derived from the word “Saturn Day”. Saturn is the god of the agriculture of the Romans. This is the very basic. Sunday is the worship of sun god. Monday is the worship of the moon god. Thursday is the god from Scandinavians god, thur, which is originally known as the god of the thunder. Wednesday is derived from Scandinavians god,” Wodanaz day”.  Even the names of the week are write out from the pagan and this is our what we have been inherited from the west.

Paganism and Christianity in Western Culture:

And the Christ teaching, Jesus Christ, عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمwho originally promoted non-pagan system of system which we understand as that Islam fundamental. That is the worship of god, the creator, and not the worship of his creation.

By the time the Greeks and roman hold of it (Christianity), it became again paganized. And the people return back to worship of human beings, such as statues etc.

All we have to do is to look at the symbols in the Christmas and what the Christmas represents. The 21st December comes straight out of the Roman practise. The celebration known as Saturnalia, which is giving thanks to the god of the agriculture that, is Saturn. It took place at the same time, in the winter equinox.

In Saturnalia celebration, they give gifts. It is part of the thing, by giving dolls to the children. It is part of their celebration. And similarly, the tree which is now the standard symbol of Christmas, which came from Scandinavian. It is believed in Scandinavian that evergreen was symbol of god for them. When they look at all the trees during the winter, all the tree die by leaves, branches falling off. All the trees appear to die. But the evergreen tree remains green. This concept of eternal life is in the tree. The tree became a symbol of their god. When they became Christians, they brought this entire symbol, and the tree became the symbol of Christianity.

Now in spite of that origin the roman church, gained control in most of the west, Boston roman, eastern roman, western roman. Another set of values brought in and some of them we can say that they are mosaic. The reason is that some of them had old testaments along with them and some aspects of Jewish culture as well, it then became Judeo Christian culture, which is being infused.

And of course, the origin of that are deviant revelation and some distortion. So another component came in.

Revolutionary in Western Culture:

However, by 15th or 16th century due to the struggle between the church and scientist, the free thinker etc., they had split and it actually began with the protestant movement Martin Luther. He began the initial split from the control of the church in thought patterns of the region. They broke and rejected many of the practices but from them came a scientist who now question in number of areas. There was a rise in atheistic thought, in fact out of the centuries came, became the next expression of the return of the pagan rules where scientific basis is provided for it by Darwinian series.

Darwinian series:

It is back to the pagan rules again. In the ancient Greece, it was believed the world is eternal. A number of Greek scholars held this idea that the world is eternal. You do not need to go to the issue of the God; the world is always there and there is no God who created. Basically Darwinism providing the foundation to go back the concept of the world is being eternal, matter being eternal; human beings are natural products, of the development of nature, survival of the fittest and accidental creation by the Mother Nature.

Mother Nature is the big word being used. When we go back to pagan, for the roman and Greek the Mother Nature is a symbol of god. You hear them talking how the Mother Nature evolves the Venus fly catcher and how the plant develops the ability etc. If you listen to the actual statements and expressions of all these came about, you can see the roots of paganism lies in it.

Secularism & Humanism:

Out of that came the culture of 21st century now, of secularism. It is the complete overthrow of church. The secularism is a system of belief that rejects all forms religious faith and worship. The view of public education and other matters of civil policy should be conducted without the introduction of the religious element. This is secularism.

And the basis of the approach, they called humanism. Now away from the religion, we go to humanism. Humanism being a system or mode of thought or action in which human and secular interest predominate. That means of how we determine of what we should do in society and this is what is beneficial.  What you conceive to be beneficial, it is good. What you conceive not to be beneficial, it is not good. So, you now decide on the way things should be according to human interests. There is outside individual or power or source which will define for you what is right or wrong.

Origin of Democracy:

The other major western culture symbol is democracy. Democracy is from Greek origin. Origin means the rule of the people. It evolves in Greece especially it happens by the people used to be gathering, vote, and decide on how the society should function. They did not have major structures of parliament and such things as it was not big so they had assembly. And everybody has a rise to vote, ideas were put forward to make decisions. However, the slaves and women were excluded. They had no votes. And the slaves and women made up close to 70 % of the population. So this so called democracy was a decision made by the minority of inhabitants as to how the society would function. And they say and teach in colleges that western democracy preaches beyond confines of the government and all sects of human relations. It’s a way of life.

Principles of Democracy:

Democracy is a way of life on based three basic principles.

Firstly, it is rational imperialism. So what is rational imperialism? It is fundamentally consist, the confident of human reasoning and experience. Human reasoning is that we have ability, intelligence and experience to determine of what is in fact death for us. The whole reasons that applicable not only in understanding the mastery of nature but also the understanding of the social conducting properties. And it can find solutions in from its own brain. It can do it.

The second basic principle is called discussion and concern. Since no one in democratic view possesses the absolute truth and this what they teach saying that truth is relative. One man’s meat is another man’s poison. These all are reminders so that you will not get the idea that there is absolute truth. No. Since no one has absolute truth, all sides of agreement must be given as the free expression. No truth is so certain that they may not be challenged. This is the fundamental principles of democracy.

Furthermore the third principle is the equality, from rationalistic human point; all human beings share over and above difference in class, race, sex and nationality, religion and one common trait which is the ability to reason. The issues of reading the human mind and its ability is given to an elevated status now of a god. It becomes the god of the century. The humans beings given the decision of human intellect, read and write over or else.

Muslims’ duties:

Practically speaking, what is comes down to be that all of the various cultural practices of the society will be affected by these concepts. Darwinism, secularism, humanism will be affecting us. All of these principal will be affecting various cultural norms of the society. So as Muslims, we have to realize that. We cannot just observe the practices of the society and accepted it. We have to look if there is in fact is there any Islamic cultural that we should be following. Now what we find in the mass of the Muslim world is the cultural Islam. That is traditionalism. We are looking for Islamic culture and what we find in general is cultural Islam. This is traditionalism is based on the principle of blind following of cultural norms. This is the foundation of it.

Cultural Muslims:

The blind following of the cultural norms of what has been inherited; you find it in the Quran that when the Prophet Muhammad  advises the people back to worship of one god, it is to give up the false gods, etc. Their response was we must hold on to the cultural norms.

Allah says

وَإِذَا قِيلَ لَهُمْ تَعَالَوْا إِلَىٰ مَا أَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ وَإِلَى الرَّسُولِ قَالُوا حَسْبُنَا مَا وَجَدْنَا عَلَيْه

آبَاءَنَا ۚ أَوَلَوْ كَانَ آبَاؤُهُمْ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَهْتَدُونَ

And when it is said to them, "Come to what Allah has revealed and to the Messenger," they say, "Sufficient for us is that upon which we found our fathers." Even though their fathers knew nothing, nor were they guided?

This is the standard response of the cultural Muslim today and this is the truth. The reason is that Islam is based on the Quran and the Sunnah. When the Quran and the Sunnah is presented to them, their response will be we are doing well enough for our parents, for fathers and for us.

So what comes out of that is that the Madhhabism. It is when the people attribute cultural practises to the school of Islam. Madhhab takes cultural role. Though the Madhhab or school of Islamic Laws represented the attempt of the early scholars to apply the Quran, Sunnah , Shariah in daily life. It took on rigidity and six set of practises that now became cultural norm. So you may find people doing things and the first thing they will say that is it according to my Madhhab. Though it may adhere to school of Islamic Law, you may not find it there at all. That’s what people do and that is what is in school of Islamic Law. So they tend attribute everything back to the Islamic school of Law. It is also you may find a result of this you may find Biddath, extensive innovation of religion practises; it is norm of the society. That people are involved in all kinds of practises which contradict the basic Islamic principles whether the building tools of graves, performing religious rights around the graves or from beginning to uppermost of life areas , you will find innovated ,mixed up with the various innovations.

What is also close to link to this is so called the Islamic Mysticism or Sufism which provides spiritual culture and it is another spiritual culture of Islam wherein people operate shortcuts to the god. You know as the pope in the medieval day used to offer tickets to the paradise, actual certificate which is said that possessor of the certificate has the right to go to the paradise. If you paid the money, your name will be put into the certificate. It was found by the Pope. This is known as the indulgence was practise hundreds of years in the Christian capital church.

Examples of cultural Islam:

Like what they had in the past, people in the cultural Islamic environment promoting similar free trips to paradise. For example, the most popular individual today is by the name Sheik Nazim Al-Haqqani, who is promoting especially in the West. He just had big conference out in the California, Los Angeles and lot of people invited there. It was major world conference and when you read this individual’s writing, he tells his followers that whoever has accepted him as the Sheik and mourid , the who has given up his will to the Sheik. Meaning that whatever the Sheik has told him to do, he does, accept him as Sheik and does. When the time to die come, the angel of death will not take his soul, he will be there to take his soul and pass it on to the next life. When the angels Munkar and Nakir come to question them in the grave, who is your lord? What is your religion? , Who is your prophet? , he (the sheik) will be there to answer your question. And on the day of judgement, when you stand before the god and the god question he (the sheik) will also be there beside you and answer your question. This is the shortcut of paradise being offered which is of course is false. This individual is deluding people and stealing their souls.

Basis of Islamic culture:

The question we end up with is having the overview of cultural Islam and what constitutes the basis of western culture. The question arises is there any Islamic culture? Is there such a thing called Islamic culture? Now in the beginning we said the definition of culture was the way of life of a specific group.

And we know, in Islam we are obliged to follow the way of Prophet Muhammad , his  Sunnah, which means the way of life. And Allah say regarding it :

لَّقَدْ كَانَ لَكُمْ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَةٌ

“There isn’t messenger of Allah the best of examples”

So the way of life he brought which he brought, taught as of all the prophets before him. They all taught the way of life based on divine revelation. That way of the life it’s the foundation of Islamic culture.

Uniqueness of Islamic culture:

Within the culture, of course we know that foundation and principles is the revelation. Islamic foundation is distinct and different from the democratic view. The foundation is revelation. Meaning that it is not up to the individual to determine rationally what should be norms of the society as well as the government. Those norms are set by god. Because god created the society and the god knows humans’ strengths and weaknesses, and set for us laws which are not class based or with any kind of interest. You know people call it as the sex based, sexist where males are put up in the laws. No, Allah has beyond all that because he created males and females. The law which he is established are for mankind in general. In fact, we believe that there are absolute truths, those which have been defined by Allah and the messenger.

Ways to analyse Islamic culture:

So when we comes to the obvious expressions of culture, we then have to analyse them in terms of what degree, the western philosophy plays the role, does Muslim culture or cultural Muslims play the role and Islamic culture here. What is an Islamic cultural aspect of the particular practise?

How clothing viewed in two cultures:

For example, we take one of most obvious thing in the society which is the dress. The way we dress. In terms of dress, we believe that this is something impart from human nature. It is something began from Adam عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَم. Human culture is the learning part in terms of how it should be style etc. And this is when the individual culture comes in taking place. This is fundamental part and parcel of the human nature.

Now from the western point of view, Western culture has adopted Darwinian approach. Human beings are evolved from it. And the question of dress is coming as attitude now. They are looking what is the purpose of the dress. When we are looking at the dog walking around, we do not find the dog trying to cover itself. The idea of human beings hiding their private parts, this is something which is put up by the society. It is kind of phobia and psychological error that has taken place in their development. So they promote back to nature.

Clothing in Western cultures:

You know, let’s be natural so we have nudist beaches, nudist camps in Germany where they have huge area which are like parks. Where everybody there are naked from the guy who is collecting tickets to the way, selling ice cream cone and everybody, men, women and children are naked. This is the culture and view and it is finding in expression in number of ways.

I know in Canada, in Toronto where I grow up, students from junior high and high school, all male students have to swim naked and it is a law. The only way to get out of it is when you have doctor’s excuse meaning that you have some kind of excuse. Or not you have to swimming naked.

This idea of being shy are not natural and you have to go back to nature, you don’t see the animals acting in this way, so we should not have these feelings. They have communal showers in basketball, football and cricket etc.,   instead of individual shower, you have a big room and people are naked to get the shower.

This is the philosophy and culture. It has become secular culture. So when we look at the purpose of the dress, we can say that from Islamic point of view, the first purpose of the dress is to cover the private parts.

Second purpose is to protect oneself from element such as Sun, wind, and cold.

The third purpose is beauty, it is to beautify. Allah says in the Quran, We should wear the most beautiful garments when we are going masjid etc. Part of our dress is beautification.

Now, this is where the Islam differs through quoting the three purposes.

In the western concept, the secularism concept and Darwinian product is that first is beauty. That is number one; beauty is the most important one. This why you will find a woman wearing hyper mini skirt in dead winter of New York City, in the 10-15 degrees below zero. Obviously, her dress is not the protest of the elements and the private parts will be exposed. Number 1 is beauty; it is reversing the whole look because we are basically animals.  

And, how do animals function? The female animal likes to spread her tail feathers to attract the male. So this is the most important function, second it is protect from the element. So they may have something, stocking on their knees and then covering the private part but it is given minor importance.

Even the covering the private part is slowly disappearing. As the time evolves, the whole issues of covering the private parts are out.   

What is most important now is showing their private parts. It is covered but uncovered. This is dress from the western culture view point.

Rulings on all Islamic cultural clothing:

Now from cultural Islamic view point, we have different types of dress. In Malaysia, they like to wear sarong; In Pakistan and India, they wear salwar kameez; In many of the Arab and Afro Arab cultures, they wear robe, long gown; and they are different names are attached to different styles of dresses. And these are ultimately are cultural expressions. Islam doesn’t deny the cultural expression as long it doesn’t conflict with the principle of Islamic dress. What constitute the Islamic dress are the principles of dress.

Rulings on all male Islamic clothing:

For the male, it should cover at least from the navel to the knee. It should be above the ankle. It should not bright colours like bright orange which is associated to the Buddhism, Buddhist monk wear bright orange.  It also shouldn’t be silk and the ornaments shouldn’t be gold. These are principles of Islamic dress and it represents the dress comes out of that as product of Islamic culture. So there were cultures existing society before the coming of Islam, whatever the cultural norms has to be modified to match the Islamic principle.

Rulings on female Islamic clothing:

Similarly, in the female dress, the woman is expected to cover everything except her face and her hand. And in the same way when it is covered, it should be covered. It should not be covered but not yet covered. It means that a woman wearing a tight aerobic is considered to be covered even though physically a material is covering her whole body. However, it is not covered.

It is the same way for males wearing pants which accentuate their private parts form, show them, this is not acceptable and it is not considered as the covering.

So here we can identify, within the dress codes, what is Islamic culture regards to the dress.

Mixing of opposite genders in Western culture and its impact:

Another common issue in culture is that of mixing. Mixed education itself where they educate the boys and girls together. In the past western culture, they did separate the boys and girls. But with the province and secularism approach education, these practises which are in church school that separate, where separation of church school came from? They came from Judaism practises. In Judaism practises, there was separation of between males and females and this was based by the revelation. When moving away from the church, these values are no longer important. In church everybody came together and also in school, everybody came together. So, the next thing began in the education renew from there it went to the society as whole. Mixing of men and women in workplaces and all the different walks of life became the norm.

Of course what result from that is especially in modern science is that harassment of woman’s mental. So you will find women writing harassment in job in American and England in which you know is supposed to be the most progressive societies but the women are harassed. Every year, we read the incidents in the army, navy and savvy incidents where a woman’s well being harassed. The doctors, lawyers, professors, all these profession where they are once mixed with opposite gender, they are being harassed. So out of cultural mixing, there is harm coming to the female. In fact way back to 1991 in America, reported raped case was one hundred thousand marked and this is estimated of one seventh of one tenth of actual numbers. This is what they estimated, because most women did not report for embarrassment and everything else. This is something seven to ten times the number. And this is was what most province of the society and yet this is happening. This is happening because of the intermingling of opposite genders and also through dress codes. It is where the females have been unclothed in the society. They have been used to promote the products to be sold and with that mixing, continuous contact in those circumstances of the same mind, the end result is serious harassment of women. Because we know that in one hundred thousand rapes, in not many of them there are women raping the men. There have been some cases that have been told that women raping the men. So the harm of mixing is quite obvious.

In education, in places like New York, some of the black educators of the New York are trying to set up all boys’ school and all-girls school. There is big struggle in education of department there as people complaining why you are not integrating the schools and why are you going backwards. However, the educators have found that boys and girls studying together, they don’t help each other, it harms. There are more effective when they study together with their own gender. So they themselves are going back to the methodology revealed by the revelation.

Islamic view on mixing of opposite genders:

Islamic view is of the separation.  Separation began in the places of worship and we are not mixing together. Women are separated from men to all walks of life. It is within the home, Islamic tradition, where people outside the home and the women eat together and men eat together. Their idea of all men sitting with all the women and separation is not only Arab culture but also Islamic culture. It is in keeping with the Islamic culture. Because, the harm of mixing in prayers, work circumstances and all even in the areas of the meal.

And this why for example for greeting, shaking the hands of opposite is a common form of greeting. Men shake hands with women and women shake hands with men. From an Islamic perspective, men shake hands with men and women shake hands with women. It is forbidden for the protection.

Those of you may know the handshake can be more than handshake. So for the protection sake and other meanings and understandings can be prevented, from forbidding this type of interaction.

View on celebrations:

In terms of celebration and the other major cultural regular manifestation in the society, the western cultural celebrations as mentioned are fundamentally pagan. The Christmas, Easter, National Day or whatever day all of these various celebrations tend to be of pagan type origin.

So as Muslims, we are not permitted to take part in these various celebrations because of the fact that they are fundamentally pagan. This is the reason of why we are not allowed to take part. Some people may have the idea, for example, if a Christian will attend Muslim celebration in Eid and wish people as “Happy Eid”. Then why can’t we wish them also “Merry Christmas”? They don’t believe in our Eid and we don’t believe in their Christmas.

So the point is that for them because their celebration has no solid basis like Santa Clause. It is no longer about the birth of Jesus عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ but the key is the figure of Santa Clause. This fly to the area and this is a fairy tale. It is a lie which children are taught. The essence of it is from pagan belief that god was born in 21st December. That is the essence of it.

So for Muslims, we cannot accept that god was born. So as we say to the Christian if the Satan worshippers greet you “Happy Satan’s Day”, would you reply also , saying “ Happy Satan’s Day to you too”. This is something contradict to our belief, we don’t celebrate of Satan’s work in the society. Greeting the Christians “Happy Christmas” is like greeting “Happy Satan’s Day”. As for us joining the celebration in the verse of the god is born is totally opposed to our system of our belief. So it is not acceptable, for us to take part in that celebration as well as any other celebration in which related to the other religion practises.

We know Prophet Muhammad  came to Medinah, he found the people having a number of yearly celebrations. And he told them that they should stop all these celebrations as we only have two religious celebrations. It is Eid-Ul fitr celebrating the breaking of fast in Ramadan and Eid-Ul Adha celebration or commemoration Prophet Abraham عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُwillingness to sacrifice his son on whom we also sacrifice animals for needy etc.

Racism, tribalism, nationalism in Islamic culture:

There is no race but only human race. That is the reality. Differences in colours, forms and you know height all these differences are incidental. As we look at the cats, there is big cat, little cat, red cat, black cat, yellow cat and all of them different colours of cat , and we don’t call them from something other than the cat.

Human beings are the same things. In fact god has let a message to the mankind; within the biological makeup of the man is that even if you reflect in yourself you will know about that. That is we cannot deny transcend, of so called division of race because if you are in need of blood transfusion and you are type A , your all other Afro or Bahamian brothers are type O. There is one European from South America or from Europe and he or she is type A, only his/her blood can save you, save your life. So if his/her blood can save your life, it is obvious that she/he is closest to you than we are. That is the sign which god left among us.

These are the time of issues of race are being promoted as divisions among the mankind to justify the exploitation of the other societies when you are spread out and to justify their hate of the other cultures. They justify by these people belonging to the other race which are according to the Darwinian revolution tree, low of the ladder. This is what is being promoted. It is the justification for colonisation and the non-European culture.

In recent times, it had officially have been rejected of the western scholars who put up the same argument.

So the issue regarding the race for us in Islamic, it has no place. An extension of race is nation and tribe. This all are expression of tribalism and they have no place in Islam. This is why we cannot take part as Muslims in to take part in expression of tribalism in the societies even in the Muslim societies. Even if the Muslim societies want to do it, it is not acceptable.

Marriage Principles in both cultures:

We can find in another expression of culture in area of marriage.

A number of western cultural practises like white dress, flowers in the car etc. All these are western practises which when you track down the origin of them, their aspects will be linked to paganism, Darwinism, the evil spirits and all these kinds of things.

Even the wearing of the wedding ring on the finger, it is from early Catholic tradition and priest will put ring on front saying in the name of father, son, holy god and Amen. The wearing of ring signifies marriage and the finger are confirmation of the pagan Trinitarian concept of god. So as Muslims we cannot accept any of these, we cannot say that wearing ring will know to people that I am married. But no, this is linked to a particular pagan culture.

So from Islamic perspective in terms of marriage, there are no special wedding practises where the Muslims are in contact with other societies of pagan. So you find Muslims, though they are wearing the hijab, (the woman covering), they want to wear white dress on that day. But where is it coming from? This is the custom here.

You find Muslims in Pakistan and India, they wear red dress. The reason is that Hindus marry in the red dress. Today we are taken into their marriage practises.

Also the issue of dowry, when you actually look up the definition of dowry, it is explained that dowry is the money given by parents of bride to the groom. This is what dowry is and it is the western tradition and Hindu practise. Muslims who are in contact with these societies like Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India, they have also adopted this. So you may find in time that their Muslim daughter to get married the fathers have to give huge dowries to the man.

But the Islamic culture teaches that dowry is given from the man to the woman and it is unique. In regards for man’s preparedness in maintaining and look after the woman, happily, the dowry is given as the symbol.

So, within the context of marriage itself, we can find in all the various aspects, the Islamic norms. The western or pagan norms we should not partake.

Rulings of Islamic food:

In terms of the culture of food, the way people eat the food, the types of the food they eat and the times which they eat the food. All of these represent cultural expressions.

For Muslims, there is an Islamic culture regarding the food. The way the food is eaten, there is specific instructions given by Prophet Muhammad. They are identifies as how Muslims should eat, he  said the believer eat as if he has one stomach and the disbeliever eat as if he has seven. He eats a third of it food, another a third for water, and another third for breathing. The worst thing that human beings can fill is the stomach.  So the Islamic cultural norm is that Muslims should eat moderately and not eating till they are full.

Eating full is part and parcel of the western culture. You eat till you are full and satisfied.

Unfortunately, for many Muslims when Ramadan comes, these principles are lost and thrown up the window. We are supposed to fast whole day long and break the fast sunset. But we are supposed to eat a moderate meal and this is a test on how we are really fast.

Instead, what people are doing is that they are stepping 3-4 course meal and eating till they are full. Like eating till they are having hiccups. They we will not able to pray properly and sleep like animals after eating the meals. These all are happening as we have broken the fundamental Islamic norms of eating.

It is eating with the right hand and not left hand and this is to help us.

In the western culture, you got burger on your right and coke on your left and you just stuff it in both side.

In Islam, you cannot do this to do at the same time, unless you want to stop doing either one of it, like when you want to drink, you stop eating. So you have to break up slowly down. All of these are benefits

Of course, the major ailments are from stomach and things connected with the stomach, eating habits. Problem of cholesterol all are linked to eating habits. Even if the person did not live life of being active and this is a part of the problem, if he eats moderately, the food will not hurt him. When we don’t eat moderately and inactive then it hurts.

So the Islamic norms regards to the food, it is clear and well defined. This is for us to identify them and implement them

Overview and importance of Islamic culture:

So in summary, we can say that culture being the way of life of a particular group, include both western culture of pagan origin which we should be aware of. What are the norms etc? As well as, Muslim people culture back to traditionalism and blind following of traditions that being inherited, not willing to change the tradition. And, what in fact, we should be seeking the Islamic culture which has it sets of norms that set by revelation, the Quran and the Sunnah. This is the foundation for Islamic culture.

It is essential for us in all different areas of walks of life that we should function within the society here or Muslim countries, we do have to mind these distinctions.

Because, often, newly Muslims came to Islam, they are unable to distinguish the tradition of the culture of the Muslim people and what is the Islamic culture. And doing so, they end up in certain tangent and rigid which is not Islam at all.

So really the solution fundamentally, it is the education. It is essential for us to be educate in Islamic teachings as not only as the ritual of worships, what involves in them and the goals of worship etc. But also, what constitute the Islamic culture etiquette and the morality of the Muslim society.

Question

If I find in situation where you visit your parent home and the non-Muslims have the tree up and they have gift under the tree in your name. Should I take these gifts?

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

No. You shouldn’t take these gifts. Tell them that “If you want to gifts, give me any day except this day. I appreciate your intention but for us to accept the gift on this day is taking part in Christmas celebration.”

The gifts are wrapped in Christmas symbols and to accept the gifts are to accept the celebration. The pagans give gifts as part of their ritual worship of god, Saturn.

Question

Is it allowed to jeans, pant as an Islamic culture. Or, should I follow the Middle Eastern clothing to have Islamic dress?

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

The norm of the dress code here is jeans, pant. There were cultures that Islam went to having wearing pants. In India and turkey, they wore pants and this part of their culture. But what happened is that these pants are modified in two things.

Example, in turkey the crops of you pants goes to almost your ankles and properly covered. In Pakistan, they pants were almost your ankles, and it was very loose, and when bending, it shows your privates and it is not worth showing your privates. In India, they wear pants like our pants which come to the knee length.

So the critical part of the covering is the navel and the knee was covered so when the man bend and sit etc., his private parts are not being exposed.

So you do not need to modify in terms of its form and what you may consider is as the person may feel shy about doing either the suggestion. The matter of the fact is that there is fashion coming toward the big baggy pants. Those people who are wearing tight pants, give them couple of years, they will be wearing big baggy pants. That will be the norm, wearing tight pants will be unfashionable and everybody will go along with it.

The point is that a Muslim, he has his own personality and he has a standard to follow. He is not fashion consciousness and a slave to the fashions. He is not the one who will go that way when people go that way mentioned by Prophet Muhammad. He does not have mind on his own. This is a part of independence seeking.

So for Muslims, wearing clothes become act of worship when he/she wears clothes in conformity of the god. This is worship now. And also, when they are putting on their clothes that they are remember god saying bismillah and putting on their clothes right side first. All of these are ways which Prophet Muhammad  did.

The acts of wearing clothes are done consciously and it becomes the means of reminding the person of god.

Question

In issue of wearing clothes below ankle, it used to be means of wearing in extravagance. So should we still follow the same principle of wearing clothes below ankle?

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

Yes, it is true and this can be seen when the king’s robe on the ground and it is just the garment dragging on the ground. It was an expression of extravagance.

But you know what, if you look back at the 60s, everybody wear pants above the ankle and that was the norm, wearing above ankle, wearing high white socks and black shoes.

This was the norm, and then some place in the middle, the hippy movement started. Hippy was rebellion against the society and part of it is that they wanted to drag the clothes on the ground. This is part of their expression of their rebellion. This was also goes to part of anything that goes wastage and it is culture which is hanging on the ground. It is culture expression of free love, free sex and free of everything. People should be free to do their own things. It your thing on what you want to do- this was the slog in those days.

So what happened is that the commercial segment of the culture, it was able to take the expressions and turn into the style. The style of seventies was hanging down, the bell bottoms hanging down, and this became the style.

So what we are wearing now is the tail end of the same culture and, is sure if the next year the culture changes, the spring fashion or fall fashion, the pants are above the ankle and you see everyone in pants above the ankle.

So if you want to wear pants to the ankle, it means you want to follow the fashion. In fact if you are shy to wear pants above the ankle, you have to ask a question on why am I shy? So you are shy, because it is not fashion and you do not want to be out the fashion. People call those wearing above the ankle as the “flood pants” in some parts and using words which means ridicule.

But the point is that the way of Kuffar is more pleasing to you than the Sunnah.  You want to take that a part than the Sunnah. Prophet Muhammad  said “whoever prefers Sunnah, a way or style, he is not my follower”.

Question

It is very difficult to lower the gaze in the streets. So what should I do?

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

One has to look at the circumstances, when one is in that situation; this is the indication that the individual has to get married. This is a need.

You need to look seriously in getting married. That is why Prophet Muhammad  instructed the males in the society when they are in the society and you see somebody and it catches your attention or whatever, then you go back to your home, wife. Because, she has what she has.

When you don’t have anybody at home, then you will have problem. It exaggerates and increases. So this is the sign, of getting married. If you are trying, praying, following on what Prophet Muhammad  advised, and then it should be fine for you.

Question

In some culture, it is necessary to wear coat and tie but some brothers are saying that wearing tie is a symbol cross. So what is the solution?

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

In terms of culture again, there is advice by Prophet Muhammad  which he said that the one who imitates the other culture, he will be that one from the culture.

So the scholars always taught that it is necessary for Muslim males and females in society to distinguish them from the disbeliever.

And, if you know what Allah describe the female dress, they should wear the outer garment so they will be known and not be harmed. But some people saying that the Muslim woman wearing outer garment so that they would not be known. No, they will be known to the society and harmed.

So the female dress of Islam is to distinguish themselves from the others and they can be known to the society. They know that Muslim women are not engage in these practises of being left alone and know that this person is devoted to the god.

Similarly the man should distinguish himself in the dress. The distinction should be some aspects of the dress. It does not have to be or necessary to take the cultural dress of the society. Like some parts of Africa or Asia or Arabian Peninsula and this is not our requirement.

But whatever they are wearing should be modified and comply with the Islamic principles of the dress. Part of that in term of the dress for males, is growing of bear and trimming the moustache. It is part of the dress of a believing male and requirement.

Ibn 'Umar related that the Messenger of Allah (saws) said: "Differ from the polytheists: let your beards (grow), and trim your moustache."

Related by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Sahih Al-Bukhari Hadith 9.651         Narrated by Abu Said Al Khudri

The Prophet (saws) said: “There will emerge from the East some people who will recite the Quran, but it will not exceed their throats, and who will go out of the deen of Islam as an arrow passes through the game. They will never come back to it unless the arrow comes back to the middle of the bow by itself (i.e. impossible!). The companions asked, "What will their signs be?". The Prophet (saws) said: "Their sign will be the habit of shaving off of their beards".

Question

Comment on Muslim males wearing earrings as it being a fashion now Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

In case of Muslim men wearing earring, bracelets or necklaces, these are the norms as considered part of the female dress.

There are some cultures in Africa wear wearing accessories is the norm for both males and females. It is okay if you are wearing there.

However in societies that it is norm to wear the accessories for males and for men to take it on, it will be the imitation of the female styles.

And the Prophet Muhammad  said curse the one the male who imitates the female dress and the female who imitates the male dress.

We know that people, who are in control of the fashion industry, are for the main parts are homosexuals. The leading fashion figures are homosexuals. This is real. They have from 60 onwards of modifying the dress which we call it as the unisex, if you are male or female, you can wear the dress and there is no difference in the two. So they have been trying to blur the lines in what is male and what is female. Hence, men are spending hours in hair dressing which female are supposed to be doing. The men are wearing flowery clothing and looking very feminine. While, the women are wearing suits, ties and it is part of being promoted. This is the goal, the goal to crossover.

Right now we can laugh at the basketball player, Denise Rodman, the one who came in woman dress in the interview. So we can laugh about it but the things the way they are headed, don’t be surprised if it becomes the fashion.

In terms of earring which is associated for women, for men to be ear it again, this is not acceptable in Islam and it is imitating the woman.

And for the woman covering the hair should also be covering the earrings. Prophet Muhammad  said the ears are from the head. That is why when making wudhu, after wiping the head, the wiping of ear follows. So the ear should be covered along with the ornamentation of the ear.

Question

Greek cultures have been mentioned as the pagan culture. However, it also observes cultures like Egypt culture. So what is explanation on that?

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

It is really irrelevant whether the Greek observes from the other societies and it predated or not, from the Egypt or not. It is because in the end, the culture was pagan culture. Egyptian culture was fundamentally pagan culture it is the same with our desires to be loose and people have gone to Africa to take the African ancient. But most of the culture was a pagan culture. When Islam enters these cultures, we can feel proud about as Muslims but what is pagan culture, we should not have any pride in that. We should not have pride in paganism. As a Muslim society, we shouldn’t have museums to the idols of the past, idols is to be destroyed.     

Question

What about Muslims participating in Kwanzaa?

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

Kwanzaa is African harvesting celebration. It is haram. It will be considered haram as it is a part of pagan cultural expression.

Question

What about bracelets ruling in regards with the ruling of Prophet Muhammad , Tabi’een ,Tabu’Tabien?

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

We have to go back to the divisions of either ibadaat which are fundamentally act of worship and muamalat , the cultural social economic interaction. The rules of social custom relation, muamalat, all of them are halal except which is specifically forbidden.

The rules for ibadaat are opposite and all of them are act of worship. All of them are forbidden except those which are specifically permitted.

So when we look at the issue of wearing bracelet, one has to look at where the bracelet has specifically prohibited.

But no it isn’t, what was specifically prohibited was the male imitating the customary practises of female.

So in this society, it is a customary practise of female to wear bracelets, then for males to wear so, it is the imitation of their practises.

For men to wear a skirt in this society and walk in the street, it means he is some crossover transsexual individual. He will be classified as such and imitating the female. But if he went to Scotland, males are wearing skirt and it is a norm. It is up to the society and that the particular dress is not considered to be a female dress. Males are wearing that and it doesn’t go against the Islamic principle of covering of male. The reason is that it does cover between navels to the knee.

So to a certain degree, what may be considered un-Islamic is the imitation of disbelieving religious practises or the imitation of the dress of women and this may vary from area to area. This involves certain amount of fiqh here and look into culture, practise before identifying it.

But it is very clear, for the people who are imitating the female dress is clear. It is culture about whether they have brought the change in gradual fashion and people do not realise that it is not happening to you.

You see in our culture, this is what happens. And in those culture that is clear. But in this culture, feminising the male dress and masculinising the female dress, this has been gradual process and to a point where the people are no longer questioning, what is happening here? Is this permissible? They have reached the point to come to this effect of the society.

Question

What is provision of the Islamic law of the woman having nose rings?

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

Well, nose rings have been worn during the time of Prophet Muhammad  and it is not forbidden specifically.  Other who hold the nose rings as part of the ornamentation; they should cover the ornamentation with niqaab.

Q & A Session:

Question

What is ruling on standing up for national anthem?

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

Standing up for national anthem, it is prohibited in Islam. Prophet Muhammad  forbid for even himself. When Prophet Muhammad’s   , companions stood up, to honour him, he forbid their act.

And we know that standing is part of our prayer, it is not permissible to transfer the act to honour the national flag or national anthem or anything that of nature.

This becomes the religious part of the secularism nationalistic society where they stand for the flags and put their hands on their chest.

So either he/she don’t it in the gathering or should avoid those gathering.

This is their religious right now, participate in their religious right whether they are praying to their pagan god; this is not acceptable in Islam.  

Question

What is the ruling to stand up as honour when it is compulsory to do so?

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

If it is issue of life and death, then we are permitted to stand, bow and prostrate. And it is understood.

If it is not the case, it is the issue of you being there or you could not be there.

You shouldn’t stand, you could either go there late, or make some excuse or some explanation.

Question

Can Muslim women wear dress like a disbelieving woman’s dress at home?

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

In concern with the dress of a woman outside the home, women should cover themselves to distinguish themselves far from the disbelieving women.

Within the home, the Muslim women dress as if disbelieving women as if considered imitating them.

So the dress at home, in the presence of her husband can take any forms that is pleasing within that circumstances, she likes to wear or he like her to wear etc. As long it is not a dress traditionally, defined as part of the latest fashion of she is up trading of time or dresses which are associated religious customs.

So, the point is that in terms of dress, if we say men’s attire coat, pant, tie, suit is a dress worn by the disbelievers. But it is not specifically a religious dress. Hence, people from that culture are allowed to wear that dress as long as it is modified, with the Islam standards.

So the dress of a disbelieving woman and the dress of a believing woman can be worn by her at home. She may have to modify it depending on the circumstances within the home. Or if it is just wearing it presence of her husband, she doesn’t have to modify at all.

Outside the home, there is a requirement for her to wear the outer garment. It shouldn’t be a tight outer garment that is norm if she wears it at home. It has certain conditions on Islamic law on what is outer garment. It is a garment to cover up finally.   

Question

I miss my old non-Muslim friends before I came to Islam. I feel closer to the non-Muslim friends than Muslim friends. Is it right?

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

First and foremost, we have to understand the disbelievers and this life was always there it was. The most important and personal concern is that developing that kind of relationship of a man is willing to die for me. That kind of relationship is product of the philosophy.

From the Islamic perspective, we are supposed to be close and willingness to die for the sake of Islam. It is there and it should be there.

It is not necessarily dying for that individual. It is because, in non-Islamic system, you are dying for that individual which is your friend whether he is in right or wrong. Since he is your friend, you are willing to die for him and join him in the fight.

From Islamic perspective, you have to judge the person, if the person is in wrong, it is your responsibility to stop him and not to support him.

Islam does put certain limitation in terms of how much you can love the person before yourself. Since you talk about the issue of love, in Islamic perspective, the ultimate love should be love for the god and Prophet Muhammad. The love to the god and Prophet Muhammad  should be greater than the love to the other human beings. That is the ultimate love. When the love of human beings become greater than the love of god meaning you prefer to please the human beings and displease the god. This is the problem of the faith. This is something which individual has to overcome with it.

Question

Does the love of god should be different from the love of human beings because I do feel that way as we love the god by obeying his commands etc. Please give explanation on that?

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

Sure, there is a distinction between the two.

The love of human beings can be in raising the child, experience through by the personal experience to create that bond which is different from the relationship to the god.

But what we are talking about the ultimate expression of the god, it is the submission where you will do the will of the one you love. That is the ultimate.

In case of husband and wife, if you have absent to do something and it being refused to do it, the first thing the wife tells the husband, you don’t love me, because if you love me, you will do what I am asking you to do. This is the end.

If you love, you have got to do what I am asking you to do. So that is the point of ultimate expression which belongs to god ultimate point. Doing what gods ask us to do and we should take him as the precedence of what his creation asking us to do. That is the expression of our love to the god over the love to his creation.

Question

How the love of Prophet Muhammad  should be for Muslims? Is it right for me to say if I love god, I should also love Prophet Muhammad

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

The point is that Allah says in the Quran

قُلْ إِن كُنتُمْ تُحِبُّونَ اللّهَ فَاتَّبِعُونِي يُحْبِبْكُمُ اللّهُ

Allah if you love Allah, then follow the messenger and Allah will love you. So it means if you really love the god, then you will do what god asks you to do.

Question

Why the woman dress is considered to be disbelieving and believing dress? Can she wear high heels?

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

I think, I did the principle clear. The principle is that the dress is not identified as the disbelieving dress. For woman outside the home, she has a requirement to adhere in covering herself. And inside her home, she can wear whatever she wants to wear or her husband want her to wear. This was made clear. She can wear high heels but you know medically high heels are medically good for woman. It might be pleasing to you but is harmful to her.

Question

Is learning Arabic very important for Muslims?

Answered by Dr. Bilal Philips

There are some who say Arabic or Quranic dua in chapter of prayers for solat. It is because it is not language that is spoken to country and Allah knows what we are saying

Well, Arabic is the language of the Muslims. It is the language of the final revelation from the god to the mankind. So Muslims are enjoined to learn at least enough Arabic to be able to understand the calls of the prayers, to understand the methodology of the prayers, and to make the prayers sound.

Arabic in prayers, it is what it maintains the universality of Islam. Muslim can go anywhere in the world and join the prayers with Muslims anywhere. When hearing the adhan in China, the mosques in China might not look familiar with mosques in other parts of the world, it is not able identify them but we will know when the call of prayers is heard because the call of prayers is not in Chinese. If the call of prayers is in Chinese, we will have no idea. It is in Arabic. When we join the prayers, the imam lead the prayer in Arabic, we can follow him. This is the universal language that keeps the Muslims together and it should be the desire of every Muslims to try to learn Arabic to be able to read the Quran in the language it was revealed. It is able to appreciate the final revelations which have been preserved and no other scriptures have been preserved until the Day of Judgment .I mean we should have desires in want to hear the god’s words and to understand what it is revealed.

In terms of dua, it is true that we can make supplication in our own languages. Making dua in Arabic helps in the process of learning more Arabic. And the one which was specifically prescribed by the Prophet Muhammad  which are in Arabic, it is good to learn.

But if we make general supplications, it can be our own language. In fact, we shouldn’t make it in language that we don’t understand because it then the general application will be meaningless. In general application when are making particular supplication to the god and asking for something, if we don’t know what you are saying then it becomes pointless.