DiscussWorldIssues - Socio-Economic Religion and Political Uncensored Debate - View Single Post - "He's just a good Muslim, there's nothing else to him"

**BundEnhamma** · 08-03-2012, 06:01 AM

As-salamu alaykum.

The topic of this thread is related to the topic of this thread that I previously created.

I have long been encountering people who say what I put in the thread title about other Muslims within the community. This most frequently comes up when a marriage proposal is made from a younger Muslim or, most often, a Muslim born in the USA. When whether or not the proposal should be accepted is discussed, I have very, very often heard "I've known him to be a sincere, pious Muslim, but he doesn't act like someone from (insert any Muslim-majority country)." Other times, I hear parents scolding their children in a similar manner, telling them that "It's not just all about Islam," or "You can't just act however you want as long as you're following Islam."

Do statements like these and the attitudes they reflect not make extremely dangerous implications? If people have the attitude that "just" following Islam will make someone insufficient, is this not a tremendous problem? Why is that we teach and value culture almost as much, if not moreso, than we do Islam, at least among many Muslims? Why is that parents view a children's rejection of un-Islamic cultural practices as a rejection of Islam itself? How many parents reprimand and punish their children over the adoption of cultural practices and barely even give their children a push in the direction of increasing their practice of Islam? Did our Prophet (peace be upon him) not warn us not to develop these attitudes?

All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black, nor a black has any superiority over a white- except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood.

This approach to Islam that many Muslims take that involves "balancing" culture and Islam is not Islamic at all. There is no balance to be had, Islam is to take complete and total precedence in all matters; the world "Muslim" means "one who submits his will to God." (Before people jump in with this, in no way am I saying that cultural practices that fall in line with Islam should be done away with; however, imposing them or promoting them with a remotely comparable degree of importance as Islam should never happen)

What are your thoughts on this issue? What have your experiences been?

JazakAllahu Khayran for all of your responses.

08-03-2012, 06:01 AM	#1
BundEnhamma Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 448 Senior Member	"He's just a good Muslim, there's nothing else to him" As-salamu alaykum. The topic of this thread is related to the topic of this thread that I previously created. I have long been encountering people who say what I put in the thread title about other Muslims within the community. This most frequently comes up when a marriage proposal is made from a younger Muslim or, most often, a Muslim born in the USA. When whether or not the proposal should be accepted is discussed, I have very, very often heard "I've known him to be a sincere, pious Muslim, but he doesn't act like someone from (insert any Muslim-majority country)." Other times, I hear parents scolding their children in a similar manner, telling them that "It's not just all about Islam," or "You can't just act however you want as long as you're following Islam." Do statements like these and the attitudes they reflect not make extremely dangerous implications? If people have the attitude that "just" following Islam will make someone insufficient, is this not a tremendous problem? Why is that we teach and value culture almost as much, if not moreso, than we do Islam, at least among many Muslims? Why is that parents view a children's rejection of un-Islamic cultural practices as a rejection of Islam itself? How many parents reprimand and punish their children over the adoption of cultural practices and barely even give their children a push in the direction of increasing their practice of Islam? Did our Prophet (peace be upon him) not warn us not to develop these attitudes? All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black, nor a black has any superiority over a white- except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. This approach to Islam that many Muslims take that involves "balancing" culture and Islam is not Islamic at all. There is no balance to be had, Islam is to take complete and total precedence in all matters; the world "Muslim" means "one who submits his will to God." (Before people jump in with this, in no way am I saying that cultural practices that fall in line with Islam should be done away with; however, imposing them or promoting them with a remotely comparable degree of importance as Islam should never happen) What are your thoughts on this issue? What have your experiences been? JazakAllahu Khayran for all of your responses.
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