Response to Safyiah

I received a comment from Safyiah on my post about not forsaking one's culture once becoming a practicing Muslim. She brought up several good points and I wanted to share them here.

In regards to the hadith I mentioned about the Prophet (saw) and the Ethiopians:
"The story of the sons of Arfida, a familiar Arabian linguistic reference to Ethiopians, provides a telling illustration of the place of culture (here, of course, Black African culture) within the Prophetic dispensation. In celebration of an annual Islamic religious festival, a group of Black African converts began to beat leather drums and dance with spears in the Prophet's mosque. ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab (ra), one of the chief Companions, felt compelled to interfere and stop them, but the Prophet (saw) intervened on their behalf, directing ‘Umar (ra) to leave them alone and noting to him that they were the sons of Arfida, that is, not his people. The Prophet (saw) invited his wife ‘A’isha (ra) to watch the dance, took her into the crowd, and lifted her over his back, so that she could watch them clearly as she eagerly leaned forward, her cheek pressing against his. The Prophet (saw) made it a point to dispel the Ethiopians' misgivings about ‘Umar's (ra) intrusion and encouraged them to dance well and, in one account of this authentic story, reassured them to keep up their drumming and dancing, saying: Play your games, sons of Arfida, so the Jews and Christians know there is latitude in our religion.
The Prophet’s (saw) intervention to stop 'Umar (ra) made it clear that the Ethiopians were not to be judged by 'Umar’s (ra) indigenous Arabian standards or made to conform to them. The “sons of Arfida” had their own distinctive cultural tastes and conventional usages. The fact that they had embraced Islam did not mean they were also required to commit cultural apostasy or become subservient to Arab customs. The Prophet (saw) allowed Muslim Arabs agency in their social expression and extended a similar right to non-Arabs. By his affirmation of the “sons of Arfida,” he established an overriding sunna and abiding legal precedent for respecting different ethnic and cultural traditions and acknowledging the emotional needs, tastes, and cultural inclinations of all who embraced his teaching."

from “Islam and the Cultural Imperative” by Dr. Umar Faruq Abd-Allah

According to the footnotes in this work, this hadith is related in Bukhari (2.103) and Muslim, with the concluding reference from Musnad al-Humaydi.

You're right, given the wording of the hadith it might not have been dancing as we think of it, but more like playing or performing (I read that it might have even been like martial arts). I thought the explanation that Dr. Abdullah gives made sense, though. As long as whatever cultural activity doesn't transgress the rules of Islam, they are permissible.

I won't deny that "Western" culture has a lot of problems, and I won't deny that Arab culture is influenced heavily by Islam. But this is not to say that Western culture can never be Islamic. It simply hasn't been exposed to Islam the same way Arab culture has. If Islam continues to grow in "Western" societies, Insha'Allah the unIslamic parts of Western culture will dissipate and there will be a Western Islamic culture.

I used to dislike abayas because I thought they were an "Arab" garment and non-Arab women who wore them were falling into "the Arab way is the best way" idea. I don't believe this anymore; abayas are indeed very good ways to fulfill the requirements of hijab, and they shouldn't be considered only an Arab garment. I do like abayas, but I don't think they need to be black (there are several hadiths that talk about female sahabah wearing colors like green, red, yellow, etc.) In general, I prefer to wear button-up jilbabs (like floor-length trenchcoats, the ones really popular in Turkey) or long skirts with long sweaters or shirts over them.

I think it's more an issue of people living in Western countries being seriously misinformed about Islam rather than any inherent hatred of it. In terms of the average person, it's not their fault that the media gives such a negative portrayal of Islam. But if people choose to study Islam for themselves, or if they hear about all the good that Islam offers, their hearts can change. I was brought to Islam by watching the movie "Not Without my Daughter", a film infamous for its negative portrayal of Islam and Iranians. It piqued my curiosity as to whether or not Islam really condoned all that happened in the movie, and after some research, I realized that Islam was the truth Alhamdulillah.

I am not going to change my name. It does have a good meaning; "Anne" is the diminuitive of the name "Chana", a Hebrew word meaning "grace". And it's elegant and simple.

I'm usually pretty good at checking the authenticity of hadiths and what imams and sheikhs say in their lectures. I didn't initially check the authenticity of the hadith the imam at my masjid spoke about, so Jazakallah khair for reminding me.

I appreciate your comment. I don't agree with everything you said, but I know you said all these things for my own benefit and to help me, and I thank you for that. May ALLAH reward you for helping a sister out. :)