Muslims in Britain
by Fazeela Hanif
This course work is concerned with the beliefs and practices of Muslims living in Great Britain. The purpose being to explore and examine the huge effect that Western culture has had upon their lives. This particular study mainly refers to Muslims of the Pakistani origin, living in the North-West of England, in the year 2000. Twenty-seven Muslims from the area were interviewed for information of their beliefs and practices.
It was during the 1950’s and 60’s that a large number of Muslims, the majority being male, emigrated to Britain, especially from the Indian sub-continent. The most vital reason being the shortage of labour in Britain. In Pakistan, both East and West, there weren’t enough jobs for everyone, and those who had jobs earned less than enough money to support their families. In Britain, there were plenty of job opportunities, the pay was good and the lifestyle was much more settled.
The plan for these outsiders was to earn enough money for a good life with their families back home when they would return. Unfortunately, for a number of reasons, one example being a lack of income for some people, their hopes and dreams for the future seemed very distant. As an alternative, they invited their families to live with them. This is known as the ‘myth of return’, as they never did go back, despite their initial intention to return ‘home’.
It is believed that most of the first generation Muslims were in isolation at the time, ‘separated from the rest of society by language and culture’ (Wolfe, 161). As time passed by, families began to settle in comfortably, still living life the way in which they had done so in the past, and always ‘holding firmly to their religion as the cement of their identity’ (Wolfe, 161). ‘John Bowker (1983) quotes a Muslim he interviewed as saying ‘We don’t refer to Islam as religion. It’s a way of life. The Holy Quran refers to Islam as a ‘din’, and a din is a way of life.’ (47) This was until various problems arose for the Muslims, as religion became less prominent, especially in the 1980’s and 90’s. The first generation British born Muslims made many changes to their way of life, because of growing up into two clashing cultures, the Islamic culture at home and the Western at school.
Wolfe’s theory (162) reveals that ‘Islamic and British identities are in conflict which can be resolved only by the ascendancy of one or the other’. This is why Muslims brought up in Britain have become very confused as to what is right for them and what is wrong. Thus following the majority, in which case they have adopted most of the British ways, keeping Islam only as a religion for practicing in the home and ignoring it as a way of life. Wolfe also mentions that some Muslims have redefined Islam, by practicing the basic principles of the faith and discarding conditions which are culturally specific for peaceful coexistence.
Assimilating British culture begins at schools, where Muslims are fully surrounded by Western society. There they obey anti-Islamic instructions of the non-Muslim teachers and at home they live according to their parents’ teachings of Islam. It’s almost like living a double life.
In primary schools young Muslims are sometimes directed to sing Christian hymns in assembly, and on returning home, their parents send them to mosque to learn the recitation of the holy Quran and praying Salah. In PE lessons the children are only allowed to wear clothes which are short and tight fitted, however, at home they are taught to cover their body with lose clothing. At dinner time, in school, the Muslim youth wonder why they have a limited choice of food, only that which is halal, whilst their non-Muslim friends have a larger variety of foods to choose from. In the Religious Studies lesson, Christianity is taught to them and at home their parents always tell them about teachings of the Quran and the sunnah of Prophet Muhammad. Also, at school, children mix freely with the opposite sex, whereas at home girls are made to keep away from talking too freely with the boys.
As a result, most of the Muslim youth interviewed have chosen the path which is completely opposite to that of Islam. Although many of them practiced Islam a lot more when they were young children, as informed during the interviews, on becoming teenagers, many of them are inclined to seek attention from their peers. Throughout their teenage years, they continually become more and more engrossed in westernizing, by following the footsteps of pop stars, film actors and famous sports men and women, who become their ideal role models instead of the holy prophet, Muhammad. They begin with smoking cigarettes and impressing the opposite sex. Clubbing is the next best thing for them and going onto illegal drugs like weed. Then this leading onto testing alcohol, which is also completely forbidden in the Quran. ‘O you who believe. Intoxicants (all kinds of alcoholic drinks), gambling…… are an abomination of Satan’s handiwork. So avoid (strictly all) that (abomination) in order that you may be successful.’ (Surah 5, Verse 90)
Most youngsters gamble money for fun. But strangely, they consider it wrong. Another contradiction is that most of those who take part in the activity denied this fact completely during the interview. This may have been due to feelings of shame. F3 explained her point of view ‘I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the lottery or bingo but I totally disagree with casinos, because it’s playing for big money’. There are many of the Muslim youth who have sex before marriage, which is known in Arabic, the language of the Quran, as ‘zinah’. Some go way beyond limits by socializing with the wrong crowd and committing crimes also against the British laws, such as stealing and especially fraud.
The Muslim interviewees ensured that they believe in what they think may be right and obey those of God’s commands which suit themselves. F9 explained it all in her words, ‘I only agree with whatever suits me, because everyone has different opinions and points of view. But sometimes I might agree with something being wrong and still carry on doing it, like listening to music’.
When major issues were considered during the interviews, it was discovered that the youth had a mixture of ideas, with the influence of both Islam and the West. When it was asked if they agreed with homosexuality, the majority said a definite ‘no’. However a minority was found to accept it, which is strictly forbidden in Islam. More than half of them agreed with abortion under the few circumstances that Islam allows. But some completely disagreed with it, because of personal beliefs rather than Islamic. Most were against the idea of euthanasia, all for one reason, as F12 clarified ‘we don’t have the right to end anybody’s life because Allah’s given life. Maybe people’s suffering is to relieve their pain in the life after death, so then they won’t suffer as much’. Very few believed that euthanasia is fine, as long as the person is in severe pain and there is no alternative to relieve them from pain. This is a another belief which opposes the Islamic view. It is very surprising to find that young Muslims agree with many Islamic teachings and still go against them in practice.
More than half of the interviewees make friendships with all kinds of people, and still expressed themselves feeling uncomfortable with the society surrounding them, because of the bad influence western culture has had upon them. One example being M1 who feels ‘there aren’t many religious people around to guide us onto the straight path. My friends aren’t religious…… I would like to become religious but sometimes also have fun and religious people don’t have my kind of fun’. These beliefs show that young Muslim minds have the views of both western and Islamic worlds. However, they are influenced by the western culture a lot more through the state education and media, which don’t have a lot of stress on religion and when they do, it always from a questioning approach of whether it’s acceptable in society or not. So being a minority, this is the reason for why they have adapted to more of the western ways of thought, than the Islamic.
Even though these people have guidance from the Quran and Sunnah, for becoming good Muslims, their non-Islamic actions are continuous. Still none of them are prepared to call themselves non-Muslims, as revealed through the survey. M1 explained himself, ‘I know the consequences of being a non-Muslim. It’s most likely that you’ll go to hell because most non-Muslims commit shirk…… and if you’re committing shirk, then you’re definately going to hell’. By this explanation, like many others, it can be understood why the youth still feel that they are Muslims. It is all because they firmly believe in what make a person Muslim: the seven basic beliefs of Islam, which are better known in short as Tawhid (oneness of Allah), Risalah (prophethood) and Akhirah (life after death). These were indirectly mentioned by M1.
Read More...The holy Quran states ‘And of mankind, there are some (hypocrites) who say: “We believe in Allah and the Last Day” while in fact they believe not.’ (Surah 2, Verse 8)
This verse means that people only believe in Islam wholeheartedly if they fear Allah and the punishment that they will receive in the life after death if they do not obey Him by practicing it. The type of people it refers to are those, like many of the youth, who have been lead astray, as mentioned earlier.
Watton (136) suggests that not only are schools preventing children from practicing religion properly, but so are many parents. He clarifies several types of Muslim parents, all trying to bring up children in their own way. There are parents who are ‘strong in belief and practice; those strong in belief and weak in practice; those weak in belief and strong in practice; those weak in belief and practice and indifferent to Islam.’ The survey exposed that all youngsters felt their parents were Islamically religious in one way or another.
No matter how many sins are committed throughout life, Muslims are still prepared to engage themselves in the worship of Allah the Almighty, through observance of the five pillars.
Allah guides and assures us in the Quran ‘Those who believe [in the oneness of Allah (Monotheism) and in the Messenger Muhammad and do not apostate because of the harm they receive from the polytheists], and do righteous good deeds, surely, We shall remit from them their evil deeds and shall reward them according to the best of that which they used to do’. (Surah 29, Verse 7)
It was discovered through the survey that Shahadah, the declaration of faith, is recited quite often as it is always in their minds that the one God is present and Muhammad is the last prophet sent down to earth. However, it was found that Salah isn’t prayed as often as it should be. Not even one single person was found to pray all five in a day. The survey revealed that 33% of the Muslims interviewed pray a few times a day, 11% a few times a week, 30% when ever they feel like praying, 4% only when told to pray by parents, 11% occasionally and 11% not at all. When the question arose on fasting, most were found to be keen on the idea. The majority have fasted for all thirty days of the month of Ramadan, whilst the minority, which consisted only of males said they fasted only a few times during that month. Most of the interviewees explained that they worship God a lot more in Ramadan than any other time, because they felt it is the most holiest month of the year. Unbelievably, for those whom Zakah is obligatory upon, pay it every year without any hesitation at all. Hajj, the pilgrimage to Makkah, on the other hand, is a pillar which has only been performed, from those interviewed, by an older male. Although every one of them said they would like to perform Hajj some time in their life, some revealed they are afraid that they might not be able to change religiously after returning from pilgrimage.
The survey showed that all those who have spent their childhood years in Britain have attended a mosque to learn about Islam. This Muslim tradition has been continued by Muslim settlers in Britain, who originate from an Islamic country, in this case Pakistan. Ian Wilkinson carried out interviews alike in 1988 and found similar results, ‘all of the younger Muslims who were interviewed, and who had spent all or most of their formative years in Britain, attended Religious Instruction classes at a mosque.’
It was thought by the elder Muslim generation, in Britain, that if their children attended a mosque then they would gain knowledge of Islam and consequently practice its teachings at all times. But most of the Imams were, in the past, from their own country of origin, so they didn’t understand the situation of Muslims’ difficulties in trying to practice Islam in Britain. Mohammad Raza indicated that ‘English speaking Imams are needed in mosques’. He mentioned this because another matter of concern was that speeches were given in languages of the elder generation. Although these languages are also the mother-tongue of the Muslim youth, English is their main language and because of this, if teachings at mosques were spoken in English then it would have had a much greater effect.
For an effective speech or teaching method it is vital for those learning, to enjoy it so that they can at least, with deep thought, consider the message that is being put across to them. It was revealed through the interviews that a few people did not at all enjoy learning about Islam, when they were young children. M8 explained his reason, ‘we were forced fed and we couldn’t understand what we were being taught’. It is obvious from this statement that language was the main barrier between him as a young student and the teacher at the time. Again, the teaching method applied was not of any use, because it opposed that used for the state education at schools, which is much more powerful. Raza clearly expressed his feelings on women’s and the youth’s needs being ignored by mosques. In his 1991 edition, he wrote that ‘mosques should take an active part in the affairs of the community’.
It has only been very recently since improvement on these factors commenced. It is due to very few youngsters, throughout Great Britain, which Wilkinson, from his findings (8), mentions ‘the more religious’ interviewees spoke of the examples set by their parents in encouraging them to practice their faith.’ These people have gone from strength to strength to make their ways through education to complete their degrees at first. This then helping them to preach Islam to others in pure confidence, the way in which they have been taught by teachers at the state schools, colleges and universities that they attended. It is easier for these British born leaders of Islamic organizations to relate to the Muslim youth who are finding many difficulties in trying to practice Islam in this non-Islamic society. Due to this course, many youngsters are learning the religion in a more exciting way and also helping their community by spreading the message to their peers in the main language spoken by them, which happens to be English.
Although, mosques still consist of Imams from the Indian sub-continent, there is an increase in Imams who are British born and understand the ways in which the Muslim youth have been brought up into two clashing cultures. But mosques aren’t the centres of attention any more, for the youth, other than on Fridays, when many young Muslim males join the congregational obligatory prayer called ‘Jummah Salah’. Wilkinson (9) explains in 1988 ‘one of the male interviewees - who did attend mosque regularly - said that squabbles inside the Muslim community between different sects had disillusioned him and could also have the effect of discouraging religious practice amongst the younger generation’. It suggests that quarrels between many sects is a major problem as it only pushes people away rather than attracting them to Islam. This has become true, as many of the youngsters interviewed for this research explained that they only practice what they think is right, because various sects all have different opinions. This is then why youngsters are turning to the Western way of life.
Therefore, some Muslim parents have decided to send their children to Islamic schools, which are all single sex and provide most Muslim children the environment that they need. Although Islamic schools are also of several Muslims sects, children are able to follow the teachings of the school which they attend. However, having mentioned that, it is not always possible for every child to do so. The reason being that there isn’t always an Islamic school nearby, which belongs to the same sect as the child’s parents. Therefore, despite having sent their child to school of different thought from theirs, they force upon the child act upon and believe in their ways rather than the teachings of the Islamic school. Still, It is noticeable that Islamic schools are opening on the increase, so this means there are many Muslim parents out there, trying at least, to put effort into keeping Islam alive for the forthcoming generations. However, Raza criticizes these madrassahs and their teaching strategies. He believes that Islamic teachers should allow students to reason independently. Having studied in three different Islamic schools, his argument can be understood. Islamic schools do in fact only have one method of teaching the religion, which only gives the students an idea that Islam is correct in every way. But another argument may arise opposing these opinions that schools of other religions are also biased, obviously favouring the faith taught there.
It is very difficult to draw a general conclusion for the British Muslim society, as a whole. However, having mentioned that, it is believed by all Muslims interviewed, young and old, that western influence has had a major effect on their lives whilst living in a non-Islamic society. Most of those interviewed, for this project, believe that although they themselves are caught up in this change, it is very wrong and that they should rather practice their religion: Islam. For example, they should pray Salah five times a day, as prescribed by Allah, in the Quran. However most feel that they don’t have the motivation to do so, being a minority in a non-Islamic society which encourages and influences everyone, including minorities of any kind, in some way, of western ideas and practices.