Traditional Islam in America

As I mentioned in my earlier post, one of my resolution for this year is to make time for Majlis Ilmu. Last night, I attended a talk titled 'Traditional Islam in America' by Imam Finch (Muhammad Abdul Latif Finch). It was my second talk channeled through Brother Mahdar from Arabic Academy Malaysia. From time to time I get talk invitations from him and I will try to attend whenever time permit.

Imam Finch is the imam at the Lighthouse Mosque in Oakland, California. He is a teacher and program developer for Deen Intensive Foundation. He also works with SeekersGuidance and assists Zaytuna College's annual Summer Arabic Intensive program in Berkeley, California. He is one of five students who comprised the first graduating class of the Zaytuna seminary program. Born in El Paso, Texas and raised in the south, he embraced Islam in 1995 in Atlanta, Georgia when he was 20 years old. He graduated in 2008 with an ijazah in basic sciences of Islam.

'Traditional Islam in America' is indeed quite a tough topic to discuss. The speaker himself admitted this fact. He said that Islam in America has just reaching 50 years and that's not long enough to form a traditional Islam.

Wait a minute... what is 'Traditional Islam' really means?
I was puzzled myself.

Wikipedia defines 'Traditional Islam' as cultural Muslim, that is a general term used to define a group of people who are identified by association with a Muslim community rather than Islamic faith or rituals.

Okay, now I get it. In other words, what are the norms or traits which give the impression that a person or a group of people is the Muslims.

The discussion with Imam Finch was not as structured as the first talk by Shaykh Afifi Al Akiti which I attended sometime ago. To be honest, I'm quite disappointed :-( Imam Finch didn't really explore the topic sufficiently and simply rest with the fact that America has no traditional Islam. Which I can argue with his own fact which says traditional Islam evolves over time.

Traditional Islam Evolution
Traditional Islam evolves over time, transforming the way people live their lives, the fashion and style they put on, the way they speak and think.

People change and we ourselves can be foreign from our traditional Islam in which we came from. Imam Finch asked "How many are Malays here?" - Majority put up hands. "Who feels more confidence conversing in English than Malay?" - A few put up hands. "See.. you are foreign yourself, different from your tradition."

If traditional Islam evolves over time, it can exists as early as a second and start to evolve from then onwards. Hence, there must also be traditional Islam in America which has started since the last 50 years, although it is not pretty distinct like any other Islamic countries.



I once read an article in Al-Islam magazine which says that the niqab (purdah) is a custom or common practice in the Arab countries of the Arabian Peninsula such as Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, and the UAE. So, I would say that's what defines traditional Islam in Arab countries. I believe there are distinctive values or style in other Islamic countries as well. But, the essence is still the same that is to cover the aurat e.g covering the head and bosom in this context.

I went for sight-seeing at Suomenlinna Island in Helsinki last month and met a Malaysian family, a couple with 4 kids. FYI, there are very very minimal Muslims tourist over there. During my 1-week work-stay, I only saw Muslims women twice! So, seeing someone with hijab (tudung) is very obvious among the people in the city. I remember the wife said to me she recognized me as Malaysian by my hijab style. So, I would say that's our traditional Islam in Malaysia, I guess.

Nevertheless, lifestyle, customs and cultural practices covering as small matters as food, drink, dress code to bigger matters like jurisprudence, administration and everything we believe, do and say, has to fall back to the essence of Islam, that are Al-Quran and As-Sunnah Wal Jamaah.

Deen = mind + body + soul = Iman + Islam + Ihsan

“Say: If you all love Allah, then wholeheartedly follow me, and Allah will love you and forgive your sins” (Koran 3:31). Man is body, mind, and soul all together, and does not find the deep inner peace of true religion without Islam, Iman, and Ihsan all together. It means observing the law (shari‘a), knowing the faith (‘aqida), and realizing the soul’s potential (tariqa).

P/S: What's written here is from my shallow and little knowledge and understanding. After all, I'm a learner myself.
Wallahualam...