American or Muslim: What is my Identity?

American or Muslim: What is my Identity?

The Muslim identity is unique

The Shield

Vol. 1, No. 4


Muslims, especially our young ones,
find themselves forced into a dilemma as to
what is their identity? Although, the issue is
clear according to Islaam, for political and
assimilation reasons it has become somewhat
blurred and troublesome for some.
While many Muslims celebrate a
Muslim being elected into congress in
Minnesota, putting aside the issue of ruling
with other than what Allah has revealed,
bullets and bombs continue to fall on many
parts of the Muslim world while at the same
time our Deen is ideologically attacked.
Being an American goes well beyond
simply being born in America or carrying its
citizenship. America has a cultural heritage
as a nation based primarily on British and
European culture.
This culture separated itself from God
(separation of church and state), and based
its creed on the ideals of freedom,
individuality and man made reasoning,
hence the ideology of democracy and
capitalism. To be an American, means to
accept these values and visions to a degree,
even if you did not choose to do so.
The value of individuality and freedom
leads to selfishness, greed, family and
community abandonment which at it
extremes can lead to depression and even
suicide and a host of other problems. In fact,
according to sociologist Eric Klinenberg,
many elderly people died in their homes
during Chicago’s 1995 heat wave because
they did not want to burden family members
and others to care for them.
It is not just the elderly that take on this
American creed, but many sons and
daughters neglected their mothers and fathers
as well. In other words, it was reciprocal. It
must be made clear here that it is the
American ideology of democracy and
capitalism that breeds social problems and
destroys families and communities, and
allows some to prosper while others suffer.
This ultimately leads to the hell fire by going
against what Allah has ordered one to do.
Being a Muslim or embracing the
Islaamic creed contradicts the American
ideology of freedom/democracy/capitalism.
There is no separation in our belief in Allah
and our daily lives while we live here in
America or elsewhere. Prophet Muhammad
(saw) said:

“Whoever goes to sleep, and
wakes up, without being concerned
for the affairs of the Ummah, then
he is not one of us”

The identity of a Muslim is a serious matter.
This identity will save our skins on the Day
of Judgment. Our creed, and thus values and
sentiments, are unique. We do something
that is good, not because America sponsors
it, or because it is trendy, we do things as
Muslims because Allah demands and wants
us to with the view of either the Nar (hellfire)
or Jennah (bliss) in mind once this life as
ended. Because our creed is unique, there
is no need to preface or mix our identity with
that which takes away from its purity.
Simply put, we are Muslims.
Some of us were born and even
converted in America, but once we embrace
the Islaamic creed, then our identity as
Muslims supersedes all other identities, and
this is what is appealing to the potential
convert. We should reflect values and
sentiments that pull people out of jahiliyyah
(Ignorance) into Islaam. The Muslim
identity makes us witnesses for justice, and
moves us beyond racial identity, patriotism,
sexism, individuality, democracy, and
capitalism.

The push to assimilate young Muslims
into the American society has a political
and dangerous motive. A Muslim must not
take on values and sentiments which are
responsible for the many social problems
we find here in the West. How can we call
others to Islaam, if we are no better than
them? Do we want our children to grow up
and become thugs, pimps, whores, or lost
in the American values of individuality to
the point where they no longer respect or
care for us? No, of course we do not. Our
identity is with Islaam and what Allah wants
for us.

‘‘Who is better in speech than
one Who calls (men) to Allah,
works righteousness, and says, “I
am of those Who bow in islam”?
Qur’an 41:33