Religious Rulings vs the Customs of the Era?

Society Religion & Philosophy
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What is the difference between a religious ruling and a custom of the time?

Let me explain. Since early childhood, we are taught about the faraidh and sunnah. We are expected to follow as much sunnah as we can.

Now, we all know that Islam originated in Arab. It is entirely possible that the Prophet (SAWW) and his companions did some things, which were en vogue as per the trends of the time. For example, the sort of clothing they wore. Maybe it was similar to the arab dress of today. Also the sort of head-gear they wore, or the footwear. The kind of hair-style they had. The sort of animals they used for transportation. The social customs and all that.

Does Islam expects its followers, all over the world to keep dressing the same way or have the same head-gear or have the same mannerism. Does doing that means we will be getting more rewards if we adopt an Arabic life-style?

I always thought that Islam gives us the basic principles. For example, in dress code, it provides us the basic information on satr, that this is what you must cover and that you should not wear very tight clothes so as to show the body shape. Now, whether you chose to cover by wearing jeans or a pajama is upto you. Islam does not wish to interfere in the local customs of the place. Infact to associate the arab customs with Islam, and expect to be rewarded for sticking to them, seems like an addition to the body of the religion, and may qualify as “bida’ah”. But that is something for the scholars to decide.

The early muslim explorers, who roamed the world and spread the message of Islam, did not insist that local people should leave their customs and adopt the arabic lifestyle. Instead they conveyed the basic message and the locals used their own customs and traditions to abide by the encompassing rule.

I am having problems, with opinions of scholars, who for whatever reason, believe that every single act, needs to comply 100% with the life of Arabia at the time of the Prophet (SAWW). Should we not have a distinction between what is infact a religious ruling and what qualifies as a custom of the era?

2

[quote]
Originally posted by Pristine:
***What is the difference between a religious ruling and a custom of the time?*

I am having problems, with opinions of scholars, who for whatever reason, believe that every single act, needs to comply 100% with the life of Arabia at the time of the Prophet (SAWW). Should we not have a distinction between what is infact a religious ruling and what qualifies as a custom of the era?**
[/quote]

It simply depends on how much you Love Prophet(MPUH)? as a genreal rule of loving or showing affection towards somebody, we try to follow and act as much as possible in the style of the that person, isn't it ??

Just see an example, Hazrat Abdullah bin Umar(RA) when coming towards Madina after Prophet's death, stopped his She Camel at some place, and when asked by some people, why he did do ? he replied coz, I have seen Prophet(MPUH) stopping and staying at the same place whenever he enterd Madina.

What do we say about this.....apparently there seems no logic, but when one is in Love of somebody he doesn't go for logics and usefulness or comfort(obviously it is not compulsory for everybody but whosoever loves Prophet(MPUH) will do his/her best to follow his footsteps). Similarly , Allah loves such person very much who even try to resemble Prophet(MPUH).

Just Imgine Allah has made Sunnat Rakats " as Mouakkida" in five time prayers, just because every muslim shall follow what Prophet(MPUH) has done.

We are advised in the shape of various Ahadith, to eat, drink, sleep, wake up, do inter-course, take bath, make Ablution, wear dress, and even speak and act like Prophet(MPUH).

We should not take these things as minor and of no importance based on our comfort or personal opinions.

Quraan oders us, O you who believe, take what Prophet(MPUH) has given you and leave what he(MPUH) has forbidden for you.

God knows better.

3

So you are infact saying that we should don arabian clothing, wear the head gear, get the same sort of foot-wear as Prophet (SAWW) wore and maintain the same style of hair, and that will increase our status as a good muslim?

Keeping all the above will show our love for the Prophet (SAWW)? As opposed to wearing shirts and jeans and joggers and keeping short hair etc etc.

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[quote]
Originally posted by Pristine:
**So you are infact saying that we should don arabian clothing, wear the head gear, get the same sort of foot-wear as Prophet (SAWW) wore and maintain the same style of hair, and that will increase our status as a good muslim?

Keeping all the above will show our love for the Prophet (SAWW)? As opposed to wearing shirts and jeans and joggers and keeping short hair etc etc.**
[/quote]

Quote:

May Allah bless us with the wisdom and inner vision.

One need to develop a lot of Love and faith in Prophet(MPUH) before expressing the discomfort or trying to understand how and why Companions of Prophet(MPUH) and millions of Muslim even now are striving hard to follow every Sunnah of Prophet(MPUH) specially having a beard.I have seen a lot of true muslims who are still having full beard while being in U.S after Sept.11.
It doesn't mean that just having the same outlook is the guarantee for the Heaven following prophet(MPUH) means following him in his manners, speech and every thing as much as possible.

When comfort becomes an issue in expressing one's love then we better not call it a Love, rather we name it " Need of Time " or simply " Infatuation ".

There is a very obvious difference between " What we advised to do " and " what we are able to do " the least level of Eimaan calls for atleast admiring such people in your hearts, who are still trying their best to follow Prophet(MPUH) instead of expressing our discomfort in complying with Sunnah.

God knows better.

5

Well, whether we admire those who sport a full beard after Sep 11, is one thing. The question essentially is, whether wearing similar clothing or adopting other social customs of the Prophet (SAWW) are they part of our faith and part of Islam? Doing them we get reward?

I am afraid, but now I am really worried about the aspect of bid'aa. Many religious scholars have explained in great detail, that we should not add anything to the body of religion, which the Prophet (SAWW) did not made part of the religion. If we do that, and we think doing so, we will be rewarded, then shouldn't we be careful about bida'a? This forum, itself is full of debates on what is the appropriate limit after which we need to distinguish between this is islam, and this is not islam.

Surely Allah Ta'llah didn't mean that muslims all over the world and all over time should continue to wear the same arabic clothes and travel by camel and live in tents, and they will get more and more rewards for that. If we add all that to the religion, then aren't we innovating? If Prophet (SAWW) wanted muslims to continue in the same dress-code for centuries to come, wouldn't he have made it clear? Or maybe he did, and I don't know.

Can we take guidance from the life-styles of early muslim explorers and preachers and see if they allowed local converts to Islam to continue their cultural values, within the bounds of Islam, or did they insist that each of them should follow the Arabian customs to have even greater reward?

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[quote]
Originally posted by Pristine:
**Well, whether we admire those who sport a full beard after Sep 11, is one thing. The question essentially is, whether wearing similar clothing or adopting other social customs of the Prophet (SAWW) are they part of our faith and part of Islam? Doing them we get reward?

I am afraid, but now I am really worried about the aspect of bid'aa. Many religious scholars have explained in great detail, that we should not add anything to the body of religion, which the Prophet (SAWW) did not made part of the religion. If we do that, and we think doing so, we will be rewarded, then shouldn't we be careful about bida'a? This forum, itself is full of debates on what is the appropriate limit after which we need to distinguish between this is islam, and this is not islam.

Surely Allah Ta'llah didn't mean that muslims all over the world and all over time should continue to wear the same arabic clothes and travel by camel and live in tents, and they will get more and more rewards for that. If we add all that to the religion, then aren't we innovating? If Prophet (SAWW) wanted muslims to continue in the same dress-code for centuries to come, wouldn't he have made it clear? Or maybe he did, and I don't know.

Can we take guidance from the life-styles of early muslim explorers and preachers and see if they allowed local converts to Islam to continue their cultural values, within the bounds of Islam, or did they insist that each of them should follow the Arabian customs to have even greater reward?**
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May be we need to make Dua in words " Allah Humma Rabbay Zidney Ilma " O Allah make enhancement in our knowledge " that's the only solution for our better understanding.

God knows better.