Culture vs Islam: Birth and Death Rites

Over time, practices change, societies change and customs change, which is why Allah Almighty sent messengers to bring people back on track, back to the straight path. When they went off track, Allah Almighty would send guidance to clarify what was acceptable and what was not.

In every era and every century and every country we have cultural issues, and it troubles me a lot when these cultural traditions and customs go against our Islamic principles. As time goes on these practices become entrenched. They become so prevalent that it is hard to tell culture apart from Islam. We find it hard to distinguish between where Islam ends and culture starts.

The fact we have cultural issues is not a modern problem, cultural issues existed during the prophetic time itself. When the Prophet (peace be on him) was sent with the Quran and the shariah, he did not abolish all culture and start from zero. It is wrong to believe this was the case.

Over the last 25 years I have accumulated common issues which affect people from different backgrounds – the Middle East, the Indian subcontinent and others, and I decided to collate them and deliver a course on it. Here is the book that covers issues relating to birth and death. We will explore: What is Islamic and what is not?