Civil Islamic customs
Civil Islamic customs are the norms and practices that govern the social and moral behavior of Muslims in various contexts. These customs are derived from the sources of Islamic law, such as the Quran, the Sunnah, and the consensus of scholars. Some of these customs are obligatory, while others are recommended or permissible. Some examples of civil Islamic customs are:
– Greeting each other with “as-salamu alaykum” (peace be upon you) and responding with “wa alaykum as-salam” (and upon you be peace).
– Showing respect to elders, parents, teachers, and scholars by using honorific titles, such as “ustadh” (teacher), “sheikh” (scholar), or “hajji” (pilgrim).
– Seeking permission before entering someone’s house or private space, and saying “bismillah” (in the name of God) when entering or leaving.
– Offering hospitality to guests and visitors, and accepting it graciously when offered.
– Sharing food and drink with others, and avoiding waste and extravagance.
– Dressing modestly and covering the awrah (parts of the body that should be concealed) according to the Islamic guidelines.
– Maintaining personal hygiene and cleanliness, and performing ablution before prayer and other acts of worship.
– Using the right hand for eating, drinking, giving, and taking, and avoiding using the left hand for these actions unless there is a valid reason.
– Saying “alhamdulillah” (praise be to God) after eating or drinking, sneezing, or experiencing something good, and saying “inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un” (to God we belong and to Him we return) when faced with a calamity or loss.
– Avoiding lying, backbiting, slander, gossip, and other forms of harmful speech, and speaking kindly and truthfully to others.
– Respecting the rights and property of others, and avoiding injustice, oppression, cheating, stealing, and harming anyone or anything.
– Being honest, trustworthy, faithful, and loyal in one’s dealings and relationships with others.
– Being humble, modest, courteous, and polite in one’s attitude and behavior, and avoiding arrogance, pride, rudeness, and vulgarity.
– Being patient, tolerant, forgiving, and merciful towards others, and avoiding anger, hatred, envy, and grudges.
– Being generous, charitable, helpful, and compassionate towards the needy and the oppressed, and paying zakat (obligatory charity) and sadaqah (voluntary charity) according to one’s ability.
– Being grateful, content, optimistic, and hopeful in one’s outlook on life, and avoiding ingratitude, dissatisfaction, pessimism, and despair.
– Seeking knowledge, wisdom, guidance, and understanding from God and His revelation, and from the authentic sources of Islamic scholarship.
– Seeking God’s forgiveness for one’s sins and mistakes, repenting sincerely from them, and striving to improve oneself spiritually and morally.
These are some of the civil Islamic customs that reflect the values and principles of Islam. They aim to promote peace,
harmony,
cooperation,
respect,
dignity,
and justice among Muslims
and with other people. They also aim to enhance
the personal
and social well-being
of Muslims
and help them attain God’s pleasure
and paradise in the hereafter.
References:
Abdul-Rauf M. A Muslim’s Guide to Living a Balanced Life. Kuala Lumpur: Islamic Book Trust; 2004.
Al-Qaradawi Y. The Lawful
and the Prohibited in Islam. Cairo: Al-Falah Foundation; 2001.
Al-Sheha AR. Human Rights in Islam
and Common Misconceptions. Riyadh: Al-Muntada Al-Islami; 2005.
