Shared beliefs, different traditions
Core and custom | Converts to Islam
Core and custom
Some beliefs and practices are shared by all Muslims. Beyond these
core elements, though, an enormous variety of Islamic traditions and
ways of life have developed.
For all Muslims, the basis of faith is the Qur'an. The other constant elements are the Five Pillars of Islam. These are:
- Shahada The Muslim declaration of faith: 'I proclaim that there is no God but Allah, and that Muhammed is his Prophet'
- Salah Prayer, five times a day
- Zakah The tax Muslims should pay every year to help the poor
- Sawm The fast during the month of Ramadan
- Hajj The pilgrimage to Mecca, which all believers should make once in a lifetime, if they can afford it.
Islam has a code, the Shariah, to guide the practices of Muslims. It is based on the Qur'an, and on the Sunna and Hadith – the practices and sayings of the Prophet as recorded by his followers. This code has been developed by jurists over the centuries, following specific rules.
In the beginning
Islam originated in 7th-century Arabia and, from the start, had a recognisable political character among the tribes of the region, led by the Prophet Muhammed himself. In its early days, the community of Muslims had to fight – literally – for its survival.
After the Prophet's death, in 632 AD, Islam split into two main groups, which survive to this day. The smaller group, the Shii, believe that the leadership of Islam should have passed to Ali ibn Talib, the prophet's closest male relative, and thence to his descendants. The Sunni (today around 90% of Muslims) revere the four rashidun – the caliphs who succeeded Muhammed.
Within each of the two main groups, various schools emerged which have different interpretations of the practices required of Muslims. Sufis, whose movement dates from the 9th century, emphasise the mystic side of religion, and belong mainly in the Sunni tradition – but like all aspects of Islam, the Sufi tradition is very diverse.
In its first 100 years or so, Islam spread east into what is now Pakistan, and west and north to Spain and Portugal, taking in North Africa. By the 17th century, it had reached far into Central Asia, India and Indonesia, and, at the height of the Ottoman Empire, into central Europe almost to Vienna. By this time, though, it had long since lost its position in Spain.
Debates among Muslims
Muslims come from many different countries and cultures, each with their own traditions and outlooks. There are also different opinions within those cultures and between individuals as to what their faith demands.
Much discussion centres on the Shariah – as the vast number of Muslim websites indicates. Opinions range from very liberal at one end of the scale to 'fundamentalist' at the other.
What does the Shariah actually ask of Muslims? How important are those parts of it that do not derive directly from the Qur'an – can they even be rejected outright? Such questions cut across the older divisions within the faith. So it is not the case that Sunni Muslims are more 'liberal' or more 'fundamentalist' than Shii, or vice versa. The 'fundamentalist' leaders in Iran, for example, are Shiite, while the Taliban in Afghanistan were Sunni.
Thoughtful Muslims in Britain tend to feel that the most serious questions they must consider centre around how to practise their faith and how to bring up children in an increasingly secular society. These include:
- the importance (or otherwise) of teaching in mosques being in the English language
- how to encourage schools to meet the needs of young Muslims
- how to prevent the young, in particular, being tempted by fundamentalist ideas
- the war in Iraq and the situation in the Middle East in general, including the question of whether, and how, democracy can be adopted there.
Muslims are also concerned about how much they should play a part in modern British society, and what that part should be.
Closing ranks
Most Muslims in Britain come from families that originated in the Indian subcontinent. This has led many non-Muslims to think of the traditions and cultures of that region, and those of Islam to be one and the same. There is a great deal of confusion among non-Muslims about many matters, such as dress, arranged and forced marriages, honour killing.
Worse than confusion, though, many non-Muslims are hostile to those whose backgrounds and customs are different from their own. Muslims today often feel threatened by the racism they encounter – at school, at work, in their dealings with the police and in many aspects of their everyday lives. They feel they are often misrepresented by the media, and are deeply concerned by what they see as the collapse of family values.
This has led to a 'closing of ranks', putting pressure on individuals who would like to have an open discussion, but who may either feel that, in doing so, they could weaken their community's position or, more commonly, face accusations of betrayal. Those who cannot conform may feel that they must abandon their community altogether.
'Church and state'
The early expansion of Islam led to the emergence of a huge empire. For Muslims this raised questions about the relationship between the state and religion. This issue remains hotly disputed among scholars, politicians and the public alike, even in countries such as Iran, where religion and government are closely linked. Today, states where Muslims form a majority of the population may be secular (such as Turkey and Senegal) or non-secular (such as Iran and Saudi Arabia).
Muslims who live as members of a minority in non-Muslim states also debate their relationship with the population they live amongst. One of the main questions is: how far should the minority be subject to the customs and laws of the land?
For some, living at peace with the majority community requires acceptance of and adaptation to local customs and laws. Others, though, argue that for Islam to survive, they must follow separate customs and laws.
Core and custom | Converts to Islam