Is Islamic Ummah a Myth?

Dear All

Yesterday I was talking to a friend who is a liberal.

She said that the Islamic Ummah is a myth. How is it possible to  equate all Muslims living in five continents with different value systems. She questioned what is common between s European Muslim, Yugoslav Muslim, African American Muslim, Nigerian or Saudi Muslim? They share very little in cultural values beyond Islam as their religion.

My argument was that faith binds them together and give them a shared value system and a bond.

What do you think?

 

be it an american muslim, a yougoslav muslim, an arab muslim, an asian muslim or a european muslim, after all he is a MUSLIM. the only difference may in the the cultures, and the enviorment in which he lives. also, the way of thinking may differ. for example, asian and arab muslims hate the west, whereas muslims from the west defend their culture.

cultures like the arab culture - like in saudi muslim men wear headscarfs and turbans and white clothes which people in southeast asia do not wear on heads. in south east asia like in countries like pakistan and india muslim men wear round caps on their heads called topis. in afghanistan they wear black turbans and kind of that. in europe u would find a different type of clothing of muslim women and in america muslim men wear different clothes and not as asians. also muslims in diffrent parts of world speak different languages. in some countries muslims r in majority and some in minority. thus, there is a difference in cultures of muslims living in different parts of the world.

As Salamu Alaikum

 

�O mankind! We have created you from a male and female and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily the most honourable of you with Allah is the one who has Taqwa. Verily Allah is All-knowing, All-Aware.� (Surah Al-Hujurat 49:13)

 

�And if your Lord had so willed. He could surely have made mankind one Ummah, but they will not cease to disagree.� (Surah Hud 11:118)

 

Are the Muslims one Ummah � definitely. The Turkish, Indian, Pakistani, Chinese, American- all Muslims face the ONE QIBLAH � they turn their face to Makkah in Saudi Arabia during their Salah (five daily prayers), we fast from dawn to sunset in Ramadan, irrespective of which country we live in, we perform the same rituals of Haj all together at the same time and place- Makkah, Mina, Arafat become the annual meeting place for Muslims irrespective of they color, nationality or culture- we are dressed alike. (anyway the men are- 2 pieces of white cloth), and most importantly we all say the same Shahadah so how can this great Ummah be a myth.

 

The five daily prayers (Salah) are performed in Arabic in any Masjid in the world. A Chinese will have no problem joining and following an Imam in a Masjid in American, neither will a Swedish have problem joining the Jama�ah in Russia. � A Myth- no way.