Culture vs. Religion

By Sofia Usmani

Islam is a religion made up of people from hundreds of countries and is the religion of choice for over a billion people worldwide. Stretching over the span of so many countries, cultures within Islam vary, but as Muslims, have we ever considered how our individual cultures influence how we practice Islam?

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You may know that women in Saudi Arabia are unable to drive. Seeing this, many non-Muslims might be quick to conclude that Islam is oppressive to women. However, as Muslims, we know that Islam is not oppressive to women and we have also learned of the numerous rights women are granted in Islam. So why is a major Muslim country upholding a law which seems to be misaligned with women’s rights in Islam? The answer to this is that the restriction on women driving is a Saudi cultural norm. There is nothing in Islam that dictates whether a woman can drive or not, but a lot of people wouldn’t care to learn that for themselves. You may have caught a glimpse of why this matters at all but first, let’s clear up some definitions:

Culture - the customs, arts, social institutions, and achievements of a particular nation, people, or other social group. Religion - an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods.

The biggest issue that stems from mixing these words up is stereotyping. I, for one, have been told a number of times that I cannot be Indian and Muslim. This is always very alarming for me to hear because it insinuates that the person telling me this does not understand that Islam is a religion and/or that you can follow what ever religion you want no matter your country of origin. But I’ve realized while observing the media and people around me that there seems to be this idea of a “Muslim culture.” It is a made-up culture that attempts to characterize what a typical Muslim looks like and how they behave. The Google search result for “Muslim man” returns dozens of images of dark haired, brown skinned, bearded men. How has the media stereotyped the men of a group of 1.8 billion people who share the same faith? People of the same culture are usually similar physically because they tend to be from the same country/region. But the thing is, religion has no country. Islam has no country. You might have a Nigerian Muslim friend who celebrates Eid differently than your Pakistani Muslim friend. Their food, clothes, and traditions could all be different, but does that mean one is any less Muslim than the other?

Sometimes one’s culture intervenes with their understanding and love for Islam. Similar to how non-Muslims might view the situation of women driving in Saudi, growing Muslim youth might not understand the distinction between Islam and the culture they’ve inherited. And in the same way non-Muslims can jump to the conclusion that Islam oppressses women, Muslim youth can come to a conclusion about Islam that isn’t true. Culture can have a huge effect on how we view our faith and it is important that we all educate ourselves on what Islam is and what it isn’t. It is okay to question what your mother tells you. Because of the internet, we have an infinite amount of reliable resources to help us gain the knowledge we need to be better Muslims. “Most of us do not see it but we allow our cultures to influence how we practice our religion even though sometimes they contradict one another” (Ismaeil). Your religion can play a part in your culture, but your culture doesn't define your religion.

May Allah (SWT) help us all stay on the right path always and follow His religion properly. May Allah (SWT) grant us the chance to spread the word of Islam. May Allah (SWT) forgive us if we have ever misrepresented or misunderstood an aspect of Islam. May Allah (SWT) help all Muslims find a distinction between religion and culture and help all Muslims in Western countries to stay steadfast to their religion despite any backlash they may face.

Sources

Angelo, Julian. “Difference Between Religion and Culture.” Difference Between Similar Terms and

Objects, 13 Mar. 2018, www.differencebetween.net/miscellaneous/religion-

miscellaneous/difference-between-religion-and-culture/.

Ismaeil, Mona. “Recognizing the Difference Between Culture and Religion.” Modern Hejab, 2017,

www.modernhejab.com/news/article/culture-and-religion.