[jyhugikuhih]

Assalaamu alaykum everyone,

First of all may Allah guide and bless everyone here, this forum is awesome.

I want to ask a question about following different cultures, the American culture in particular. Is it right to say that anything that doesn't go against shariah is permissible? But then does it count as imitating the kuffaar. I guess what I'm trying to ask is what draws the line between culture and imitating kuffaar. I imagine that a lot of the culture many countries have today like the indo/pak culture has been there before Islam reached there. I hope my question and thoughts are clear.

[NvrNoNowX]

What is 'American culture?'

Hamburgers and apple pie? Nothing wrong with food if it's halal.
Thanksgiving? Disbeliever's holiday.
Long shirts and baggy pants instead of shalwar kameez? Don't see why not.
Fourth of July? Disbeliever's holiday.

So yeah, it depends on what you mean. What sorts of things do you mean by 'culture,' exactly.

[jyhugikuhih]

What is 'American culture?'

Hamburgers and apple pie? Nothing wrong with food if it's halal.
Thanksgiving? Disbeliever's holiday.
Long shirts and baggy pants instead of shalwar kameez? Don't see why not.
Fourth of July? Disbeliever's holiday.

So yeah, it depends on what you mean. What sorts of things do you mean by 'culture,' exactly.

Jazakallahu khair, that's pretty much included in my question: what does Islam define culture as?

[feAilei1]

Bismillah Al-Rehman Al-Raheem

Assalam-Alaikum:

Brother, I would use your own words except change them into a statement and say,"Anything that doesn't go against the shariah might or might not be permissible."

Masha-Allah, Brother Quandary has already answered your question, but this might give Insha-Allah the fuller picture.

The reason I do not use the word "is" because the matter in some cases are not as clear-cut as others. And we are asked under Islam to leave that which is doubtful.

To better frame then the question of what we can keep from the American culture, we will first have to delve into what both cultures represent. Then, we can better understand where the lines need drawing to differentiate between merely incorporating the halal from the American culture and imitating the kuffar, which various hadiths of the Prophet (SAW) warn us against.

Let's understand the values of the culture. Islam seeks to foster a religion-based culture and whereas secular impressions dominate American culture. Islam stands for a society in which people from birth are taught to integrate into and work for the ummah to fulfill our collective religious duty to enjoin good and forbid evil while simultaneously observing our own individual religious and secular duties. However, America stands primarily for a society in which individuals are treated as free agents and each individual is expected to look after his or her own self and interests.

Many modern technological innovations in our world are emerging and have emerged from the West. So, does that mean we cannot drive a GM? The answer, in my humble opinion, is that the GM is not imitating the kuffar. And the reason for this is many, but I'll offer the simplest one: Since we use Western (or in particular American) technology in an age where the commodity is a global one, we cannot say that would lead to us imitating the kuffar. (However, our actions and intentions in use of the commodity must always be halal.)

However, if we buy a Yule tree in the winter season and decorate the tree to please the children growing up in our households or our non-Muslim friends, are we imitating the kuffar? The answer is yes. While true, the controlling meaning of the tree is no longer so much the Christian celebration of Prophet Isa's birth (peace be upon him) and instead stands more as a joyous festivity due to commercialization of the holiday, we cannot ignore the intent or use or historical connotations of the holiday's existence. Therefore, we should not be having Christmas trees in our home because that is imitating the kuffar even if the intent and purpose is halal.

So, even if the person who buys the Yule tree is clear in his mind that the tree to him does not represent the Christmas spirit, his children might think how wonderful the tradition is and add more elements. The children of his children will add more until the children of his children's children will add even more. The cycle might continue until the lines are no longer simply blurred between what the tree represented to the Muslim who first bought in the spirit of festivity as later generations might start ascribing to the tree more or less than what the Muslim had originally intended. And of them, some might start believing that Christmas should be celebrated and of them some might later even convert to Christianity in seeing that one occasion as more emblematic of an overall a more merry religion. Why? Because Satan will not come openly to the Muslims and say, "Worship other than Allah." Instead, Satan will always ask Muslims to incorporate piecemeal by piecemeal on our own discretion the broader American culture so much so that they will erode the distinction of what Islam (as relates to what Islamic culture) represents and seeks to foster.

What about American food? Is eating the famous shoofly pie of Pennsylvania haram? If the ingredients in the food and its contents are halal and a Muslims begins eating the American food in the name of Allah, then eating American food is not haram because that is a global commodity. And food is food is food.

So, what the Prophet (SAW) was afraid is not of Muslims adopting the halal from a foreign culture but of Muslims adopting the ways, behaviors, and demeanor of the foreign culture to such an extent that were the Muslim and non-Muslim to stand next to one another you would not be able to tell who is what. For example, the purpose of Islamic clothing is to retain a sense of modesty before Allah and non-mehrams and preserve the shame between the sexes. So, a person modestly dressed and observing the rulings and rules applicable for the appropriate gendered clothing, does not have to worry about the warning. However, the person who seeks to incorporate non-Muslim fashion into daily wear for the purpose of carrying a pleasing appearance to non-Muslims might unwittingly blur the lines between modest clothing and immodest clothing. However, Islam is clear on leaving that which is doubtful.

Thus, incorporation of the halal from the American culture that might not on the surface seem so bad and illustrate willingness to assimilate into the wider culture might or might not come under the warned prohibition of imitating the kuffar, depending on the question of what the person proposes to adopt believing to be halal.

Please bear in mind, Brother, that I am not a scholar. But this is my advice. However, I recommend you to consult a scholar when questions like these arise in your mind, Brother, as I believe will scholars more capable of providing a clearer picture of the issue and analysis than any layperson. And maybe you can still take this question to a scholar (and I definitely encourage you to do so Insha-Allah), as I believe many of them are underused resources or gems of our ummah and their knowledge very precious.

Please also forgive any deficiencies in my answer.

If I have said anything that is good and true, it is from Allah, and anything other than that is my own mistake.