The United States of America, which is historically a melting pot of Indigenous, European, and African cultures, is undergoing a new wave of demographic transformation. A surge of immigration from Latin America, the Middle East, and Central Asia is broadening the nation’s cultural tapestry. Muslims from various backgrounds are establishing a growing presence among these diverse newcomers. Interestingly, this influx has coincided with a rising number of Americans embracing Islam, a faith traditionally associated with other parts of the world.

In the winter and spring of 2024, I conducted an ethnographic survey among Male Muslims living in South Carolina to explore how Muslim leaders and their congregants viewed concepts related to worldview. The men were divided into two distinctive subgroups within the Islamic community: Islamic leaders/clerics (imams) and lay (non-clerical) Muslims. There were seven participants, consisting of three imams and four lay Muslims. Three interviewees were born in America, and English was the first language of the three American interviewees, one of whom was a convert. The remaining four interviewees were immigrants from Afghanistan, Egypt, Iraq, and Pakistan. The participants ranged in age from 25 to 75, with the median age being 40. The interviews were recorded and transcribed. I used a 35-question pool bank that covered the topics of ontology, epistemology, axiology, and on the Ummah (Muslim community). I then performed thematic analysis, narrative analysis, and discourse analysis from the interviews. Below is a brief summary of my findings.

Social Structures

A recurring theme among the participants was religious hierarchy. One interviewee stated, “They’re [imams] the foundation of any masjid; they have studied the Qur’an and the traditions, so we look to them, and they are farther down the path.” After observing different mosques, it was evident that the imams are perceived as revered religious figures within the community. This perception is not surprising, considering their role in leading prayers, which is highly significant within Islam. One could speculate that the imams are considered distinct because they are perceived as more holy. It’s unclear whether their perceived distinctiveness is due to their religious lifestyle or their Islamic education, but it is undeniable that they are seen as set apart.

Ontology

I observed three reoccurring ontological themes: the meaning of history, good and evil, and death and judgment. There was a clear consensus among the participants that the purpose of history is for God to be worshipped and obeyed, and God will give each their award accordingly. All who do not worship Him will be destroyed, along with evil, in the hellfire. One participant summarized these themes well, “Good comes from Allah, and evil comes from Satan… Allah creates us well. Evil, we believe, is from Satan, the evil forces like jinn that try to prevent humanity from accepting Allah’s guidance.” Thus, evil is most manifested in those who do not worship God. The participants also had much to say about death and judgment. They all affirmed death’s reality and responded similarly concerning its inevitability. In addition to the certainty of death, they also agreed that there was little confidence regarding how they would fare on the day of judgment. Some stressed that there is no ability to obtain the mercy of Allah through works but by the mercy of Allah. Thus, the overarching theme was to do all the good possible in this life and hope for the mercy of God to grant you entry into the next.

Epistemology

One of the repeated themes was that mankind is endowed with the ability to reason and learn. This ability to understand and act upon the knowledge one has is why it is important to gain guidance from the Qur’an. Many participants discussed how God made humans His “viceregents” (Q 2:30) and endowed us with knowledge and understanding to learn, create, and have morality.” This is similar to the Christian claim of man being an image bearer, though this particular phrase was not used and is often rejected by Muslims. The Qur’an was viewed as God’s directive words and essential for true knowledge. Over half of the participants also referenced the Sunnah (hadith) of the Prophet as an exemplification of appropriate moral knowledge, with the Prophet’s life serving as the proper embodiment of it in human form. Lastly, all the participants claimed that education is inherent to Islam and related to the way in which the Qur’an was revealed. “Basically knowledge is a light, education is light; if you do not have knowledge, you are blind.” Subsequently, some said that learning is primarily about obedience to God. Many of the participants voiced their pride in the many educational achievements of fellow Muslims.

Axiology

A reoccurring foundation for ethics was the importance of purity and the need for global Muslims to share a high regard for a moral life. One of the interviewees summed up the importance of purity saying, “God wants us to be pure, both physically and spiritually; this is why wudu (ritual washing) is so important; it cleanses us.” God’s desire was for all humans to worship Him. For Muslims to fulfill this desire, purity is a prerequisite in their worship. The need for global Muslims to hold on to a shared moral goal was discussed intensely by the participants. Interestingly, this is also the only theme where there was not overwhelming agreement. Out of the seven, six gave a response, and of the six, there were three different answers: justice, peacefulness, and truthfulness. Those for justice stated that God is ultimately about justice, so we should also pursue it. Those for peace cited “Islam” (submission or surrender) and “Salem” (peace) to mean peace. They too, felt that since peace represented Islam, it should be the primary activity of Muslims throughout the world. Those who express truth as the primary moral goal for Muslims cited that God commands truth and is truth. The difference in commitments seems to stem from lived experiences among all the participants rather than their particular emphasis on their Imam’s teachings or their madhhab (school thought in Islamic law, akin but separate from Christian denominations). All three concepts are well embedded in Islamic theology, so the diversity of opinion is not surprising.

Ummah

I asked directly about the participants’ understanding of the Islamic concept of ummah. Ummah is difficult to translate perfectly, but it can be best defined as “It refers [the ummah] to a people or a community united by certain features that they share…[like] a particular religion [Islam].”[1] Likewise, it is crucial to know geographical boundaries do not limit the ummah; it is like a tangible yet mystical brotherhood of all Muslims. This definition was utilized in the interviews and aligned with all the participants understandings. I received various opinions in response to the interviewees’ views on the current state of the ummah. The Islamic leaders (imams) were candid about the state of the ummah. Two agreed that it is struggling, while another emphasized the importance of following the path of God. The lay Muslims had two views on the current state of the ummah: indifference or negativity. Some leaned towards neutrality, acknowledging the problem but noting that everyone struggles with forgetting Allah, while others had a negative view, citing a lack of unity. Both groups shared a common concern for the potential of disunity making Islam look weak.

When asked about the challenges facing the ummah?” The participants responded within three categories: religious views, political issues, and a lack of Islamic education. From the interviewee’s responses, the challenges mentioned may reflect the differing axiologies that global Muslims should adhere to. Those who emphasized religious differences as a significant challenge to the ummah all prioritized truthfulness in their axiological claims. For these participants, only by holding to the truth of Islam, will the ummah be united. Those who emphasized the lack of Islamic education as a significant challenge to the ummah, all prioritized justice, arguing that it provides a robust Islamic foundation, which is essential for a thriving ummah in society. Lastly, those who identified political issues as the primary challenge to the ummah, prioritized peacefulness. They pointed to the prevalence of violence and conflict in the Muslim world as evidence of the need for Muslims to embody the peace found in Islam.

In conclusion, the intersection between U.S. American Islamic leaders and lay Muslims concerning worldview beliefs and thoughts on the ummah showed significant agreement with most of the worldview issues discussed. Some of the most significant reoccurring themes among all the participants were the desire for assurance of God’s mercy, cleanliness from impurity, remembrance of God and his guidance, justice, and lastly, peace with God and others within the Muslim community.

Work Cited

[1] John L Esposito, The Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World: SAC – WOM (New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 2009), 455–56.

 

Please Refer to the Complete Document for Additional Reading Material

This summary was derived from a redacted source paper: Ethnographic Study of the United States of America Male Muslims: Islamic Leaders and Lay Muslims by Nicholas Waldrop