Islam and Arab culture?

Question

Should we follow EVERYTHING that Muhammad did, as sunnah?
He might keep some habbits as arab culture. For example: his cloth, keep beard, his way to eat, his food...
are all that habbits considered as sunnah that we should follow?

thanks...

Answer 1

Sunnah(t) ((سنت(سنة) literally means “trodden path”, and therefore, the sunnah of the prophet means “the way of the prophet”. Terminologically, the word ‘Sunnah’ in Sunni Islam means those religious actions that were instituted by Muhammad during the 23 years of his ministry and which Muslims initially received through consensus of companions of Muhammad (Sahaba), and further through generation-to-generation transmission. According to some opinions, sunnah in fact consists of those religious actions that were initiated by Abraham and were only revived by Muhammad.

Sunnah means what Muhammad said and the Sahaba noted it down. The question of hadith (Arabic: حديث pl. أحاديث, "words and deeds of Muhammad") falling within the abode of the sunnah is an interesting one, and is highly dependent on the context. In the context of Islamic Law, Imam Malik and the Hanafi scholars differentiate between the Sunnah and the Hadith. Imam Malik, for instance, is supposed to have rejected hadiths that reached him because, according to him, they were against the 'established practice of the people of Medinah. In Shi'a Islam, the word 'Sunnah' means the deeds, sayings and approvals of Muhammad and the twelve Imams who Shi'a Muslims believe were chosen by God to succeed the prophet and to lead mankind in every aspect of life.

In the context of biographical records of Muhammad, sunnah indeed often stands synonymous to hadith as most of the personality traits of Muhammad are known through descriptions about him, his sayings and his actions.


Legality of Sunnah
The sunnah is the secondary source of Islamic law after the Qur'an.

The sunnah's meaning is based on context and this has often gone unappreciated in recent times, leading to misunderstanding and rifts among Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Some things not explained in detail in the Qur'an are clarified in the Sunnah and Hadith of the Prophet. The prophetic example of sunnah, in terms of worship and law, is considered to be obligatory by most Muslims. A few Qur'an Alone Muslims follow only the Qur'an and reject all sunnah and hadith as sources for Divine Guidance or religious law. Many advocates of liberal movements within Islam claim that prophetic sunnah should be followed in matters of ritual and worship, but may be questioned in the case of Islamic law.


Sunnah and Hadith
The Sunnah is the way or deeds of Muhammad and validated by the consensus of companions of Muhammad (Sahaba) in Sunni Islam, and the way or deeds of Muhammad and the twelve Imams in Shi'a Islam, while Hadith is a collection of the narrations and approvals. The two words are sometimes taken to be interchangeable, referring to the Traditions, but difference lies depending on the context. Hadiths are classified according their status, in relation to their texts (matn) and their chain of transmitters (isnad). Scholars of Hadiths have studied the narrations from their context (matn) as well as from their transmitters (isnad) in order to establish what is true and what is false from these hadiths. These were influential in the development of early Muslim philosophy and modern scientific citation.

Through research on the transmitters of Hadith (isnad), scholars of the science of Hadith came up with the system of knowing the different categories of Hadith, and how to evaluate the text (matn) in order to establish if the text is correct, good, weak, or false. There is a tradition both of historical biography (Ilm ar-Rijal) of Muhammad and of validating hadith — isnad or “backing”.

Sunnah, on the other hand, is established through the practical examples and not via these texts in Islamic law, but mostly through the hadith texts as far as prophetic biography, traits and examples are concerned. For example, prayers, both individual and congregatory, were taught by Muhammad to his followers by practical example and since then have been transmitted generation-to-generation through practical learning. Their documentation in form of Hadith only happened later, but their actual learning and transmission has always been through practical means. On the other hand, many traits about Muhammad, such as his style, his habits and his dealings with others, is known primarily through hadith.


Sunnah and fiqh
Sunnah must be made distinct from both fiqh, which are opinions of the classical jurists, and the Qur’an, which is revelation, not record. It is one of many terms in Islam which are difficult to translate out of Arabic without loss of meaning. History further complicates the translation since different assumptions about sunnah dominated Islam in past eras. See The Second Era of Ijitihad


Early Sunni scholars
Early Sunni scholars often considered the sunnah as being equivalent to the sira, as the hadith were poorly validated, and contemporary commentators on Muhammad’s life were better known. As the hadith came to be better documented, and the scholars who validated them gained in prestige, for some scholars, the sunnah came to be known mostly through the hadith, especially as variant or fictional biographies of Muhammad spread, in part from the Christian world, some of them very slanderous. Classical Islam often equates the sunnah with the hadith.


Modern Sunni scholars
Modern Sunni scholars are beginning to examine both the sira and the hadith, with an eye to justifying modifications to the fiqh, or jurisprudence, which was largely drawn from past interpretations of both. The sunnah in one form or another would retain its central role in providing both a moral example (sira) and ethical guidance via Muhammad’s own social rules (hadith) in Sunni Islam, and via Muhammad and the twelve Imams in Shi'a Islam.


Traditional View of Prophet Sunnah
Traditional Muslims however, believe that verses such as "A similar (favour have ye already received) in that We have sent among you an Messenger (Muhammad) of your own, delivering to you Our Verses, and purifying you, and teaching you the Book and the Wisdom, and in new knowledge." (2:151) justify the Sunnah. Many of these sunnah had their roots coming from Abraham as it is mentioned in Quran, "and follow the Nation of Abraham, the monotheist, and he was never one of those who set up partners, and God chose Abraham as his friend" (4:125).

Had the Prophet's only role been to deliver the verses, the remaining parts of the verse: "purifying you, and teaching you the Book and the Wisdom..." would not have been there. The traditional view holds that the above verses imply that Muhammad's mission is to deliver the message as well as teaching the explanation of the Book (the Quran) and the Wisdom behind it to the people; it is not just to relate the verses of the Quran and leave.

In addition, the verse:"Ye have indeed in the Messenger of God (Muhammad) the best of examples, for any one whose hope is in God and the Final Day, and who engages much in the Praise and Remembrance of God." (33:21), further emphasizes that Muhammad's example is divinely inspired and to be followed by Muslims.

According to Traditional Muslims, the point being emphasized in the verses quoted by the Quran Alone argument is that Muhammad is not to be worshipped or deified and that his role is to deliver the Quran, complete with explanation and guidelines on how to live the Quran - guidelines which have been preserved in his Sunnah.

Answer 2

If you read history and read about Islam you will see why we should follow the Sunnah. The Arab culture at this time was jahileya which means in a way ignorant. The Arabs use to bury a girl alive because they wanted boys. There where no rights to women. They kept very bad habits. There was basically no laws. The rich has many rights and the poor people had no rights also slaves. The Arabs at this time where worshiping stone and other Gods. Prophet Mohammed(pbuh) changed the Arab culture. He showed us examples on how we all should live, not just Arabs. So any good Muslim should try to follow the Sunnah and not say that it is Arab culture.

The Quran and Hadiths say that Muslims should follow Prophet Mohammed(pbuh).
In a Hadith the Prophet Mohammed(pbuh) said that those who do not follow him and his ways are not Muslims.

Answer 3

According to Allah SWT Mahammed SAW is the best example for all mankind, and the Sunnah "The Prophetic sayings and actions of Muhammed, his companions, his family and those around him" The Sunnah is a time machine for us to look back and see what little they had and what great things they did. Those days are long over, but we can always re-live the soulful nature they had with themselves. We are better than them because Muhammed SAW said he misses us and loves us so much more, and when asked why he said they will believe in me more, and they will never even have met me. If you see the life of this man and all other prophets you begin to cherrish them and find yourself wanting to do such things as they did, anyone that has to follow anything is doing it for some other intention. The best of all people is going to be those who give peace and are peaceful and surely he was that. He was described " I never seen the likelyness of him and I will never see the likelyness of him ever again." Encyclopedias also recognize Muhammed SAW as the best man that ever lived.
If there was any man on the face of the earth that we should take as example it was him.
Peace to you

Answer 4

I think that we should follow the Qur'an and the Prophet's(PBUH*) examples for the Umma. We should follow Shariah Law since those are the laws that ALLAH(SWT) sent down in the Qur'an for the Umma to follow. However we should also try to follow the law of the land we live in if we don't live in a country that doesn't have Shariah Law as the main Governing law. True some things are culture but like eating with the right hand, saying Bismillah before we eat, Alhamdullilah after we eat, etc. should all be followed.

Answer 5

Of course the Muslim will say the Sunnah is to follow the Prophet Mohammed(pbuh) and the sunnah is so far from Arab culture at the time of the Prophet Mohammed(pbuh). Some people who think that they are Muslims but they are really not say to not follow the Sunnah or follow only some of it. Because of the nature of their religion. Like the Shiia. It is great to say you follow Ali( Allah blessed Him) or his sons or wife, doing everything that they think Ali and his family have done. These things the shiia say are untrue. They are not following Prophet Mohammed(pbuh) because of his companions. The companions are who recanted what the Prophet Mohammed(pbuh) did in his life. The Shiia have made false hadiths and this is not Islam. Islam is to follow the way of the Prophet, believe in only one God Allah(swt) and angels and the books of Allah(swt). Not to worship other things. The Prophet(pbuh) was not sent as a father of any nation but as a messange to all. The Shiia do not think there are verses in the Quran to follow the prophet mohammed or that his companions are blessed. These people are blind that refuse to see and Allah(swt) will punish those who have tried to change Islam.

Answer 6

Everything he did is now his Sunnah.

Whatever might have been custom was either rejected or accepted in Islam and became Sunnah.

Now by following the Sunnah we are obeying the Command in the Quran to follow the Prophet in the minutest detail.

We will not be successful by collecting the material things in this world but we will be successful in collecting every sunnah of the Last Abrahamic Messenger.

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Answer 7

Arab culture was very different before Muhammad (peace be upon him) came.

The pagans used to shave their beards and grow their mustaches, so he ordered Muslims to do the opposite.

And many of his other habits were different and better than the habits of the Arabs at the time. That was what made him so impressive to them. So some parts of Arab culture are from the Sunnah. But not all Arabs keep beards.

Answer 8

All he did is considered sunnah.
Beard is wajib.
Wearing izar, qamis, coat and 'imama (turban) is optional and the clothing of Arabs nowadays (jalabiyyah or thawb) is not the same as it was in the time of Rasulullah s.a.w.s.
Way to eat - right hand and prohibition of eating with left hand - is compulsory, although there is nothing wrong with using fork.

Some parts of sunnah are compulsory (those stipulated) and some are not. But for every sunnah we follow, there is a reward.

The food he ate - I don't think you can eat it. Can you take hard bread? I mean very hard?

Answer 9

Yes. Everything the prophet did is now Sunnah and following in his ways is best. I doubt his eating had anything to do with Arabic culture. He always drank a glass of water before eating (helps your digestive system).. He ate with his hands (Our fingers contain essential oils to help digest food), his clothes were modest and his beard now helps Muslim brothers to represent Islam and his sunnah.

Also all the food he ate was halal, eating with right hand etc..

He was the living Quran.

Jazakallah Khair

Answer 10

some stuff is and others is not.. Sunnah is what he did and was benefical for the society or for himself in the aspect of faith... that is what i believe... the minor thing i believe are not sunnah since one can never copy exactly what the beloved prophet did... you can't walk as he walked or talk like him or even live as long as he had.. so why wear the same clothing and look the same by growing a beard... there is no where in the religion where the beard is a must (likable yes but not a must)...

Answer 11

Following the Sunnah is not obligatory. However, you gain extra thawab for doing them. For example, the sunnah prayers, using miswak, fasting on certain days or occasions.
Growing a beard or eating what he ate are part of his character as prophet Muhammad. You have the choice to follow him in whatever sunnah you wish. But whatis obligatory, fard/wajid, must be done.