Islam in North America

by Dr. Aminah B. McCloud

Professor of Islamic Studies in the Department of Religious Studies at DePaul University, Chicago

Islam first came to North America on the souls and tongues of African traders, and then in the hearts of many African slaves. Islam comes in a more noticeable garb with immigrants in the late 19th century and with a string of influence beginning with the 20th century. There is no monolithic Islamic expression among Muslims in America since it has all the diversity of the Muslim world. By 1960 Islam was definitely an American religion with its own institutions and several generations of indigenous Muslims. Muslim children could attend Muslim schools through the high school level in almost every major city in America by 1960. Since the 1960s the Muslim presence in the public space is also evident in the spread of the domed masajid and Arabic calligraphy signs.

The study of Islam in America is important for a variety of reasons. It is the fastest growing religion in America. Its basic practices and beliefs are obviously different from American Protestant Christianity. Since Muslims act in concert with other Americans in a wide assortment of tasks such as the practice of medicine, industry, education and even celebrations, some knowledge of those differences is crucial. To handle the needs of their community and to promote an understanding of Islam, Muslims have formed dozens of organizations -- professional, social and educational. In spite of these efforts dialogue between Muslims and other religious communities has been sparse. While there are numerous texts on Muslim-Christian relations, there are almost no texts on encounters within the American context. It is only recently that Islam has come to be seen as a legitimate part of the American religious landscape by scholars, and most of this has come through a media focus.

In America, Muslims struggle to enact the obligations of their faith. The obligation to pray five times daily (salat) at certain times can be problematic in the American work-place or school. Often Muslims encounter the American resistance to the notion of prayer as an intimate part of one's self understanding. In the workplace, Muslims often trade breaks and/or lunch times to meet the obligations of daily prayer and the congregational prayer on Fridays (Jum'ah).

The work place can also provide challenging social encounters with regard to dress, lifestyles, holidays and professionalism. Most Muslim women have met numerous obstacles with reference to dress and their head scarves, while some Muslim men have the same problems with the length or presence of their beards. Muslim reluctance to participate in social gatherings where the main activity is drinking and dancing has led to difficulties. Differences have often led initially to hostility, later followed by understanding and in some cases accommodation. The celebration of holidays remains an issue since Islamic celebration days appear on very few calendars; most often, Muslims must take vacation or sick days in order to participate in the festivities. On Christian holidays, however, Muslims are forced to observe closed offices and the cessation of work.

Fasting (sawm) also provides some difficulty for the Muslim in America. The Islamic fast is one of abstinence from food, drink and certain behaviors from sunrise to sunset for 30 days. Alertness of mind and the ability to carry out tasks is somewhat compromised during the first few days of the fast, which can make the American work load difficult. Whether the Muslim is a student or a physician, this is indeed challenging. The other part of the tradition during this month of fasting where the believer tries to make extra prayers nightly in the masjid also puts a strain on the Muslim who has to be at work at 8 a.m. the next morning. Students often experience the most challenge in the public school systems where they may be questioned as to the legitimacy of this religious obligation.

Muslims fulfill the obligations of the giving of charity in several ways. Zakat (the formal giving of a specified amount of charity) is given to the local community for distribution to those in need at the end of the month of fasting. The more informal, day to day charitable response to misfortune or to assist in a positive venture is carried out on a person-to- person basis in and across communities.

Muslims in America have taken their diversity and in many ways have welded these cultural differences into one face of Islam. All communities are open for prayer and participation in social activities to everyone. Efforts in business and education express the variety of ethnicities and their social concerns. Muslims in America, without regard to ethnicity, remain tied to all parts of the Muslim world. Political issues emerging abroad have profound effects on Muslims in America at many levels. In many cases these communities are highlighted and sometimes maligned for political and religious differences. This is currently the fueling force for the necessity of dialogue.

The largest single contingent of Muslims in America is African American. At least 17 different communities evidence choices of Islamic philosophy and Islamic responses to American racism and theocentricity. As indigenous Americans and as ex-slaves, their move into the Islamic worldview has often been challenged as inauthentic. There remains an ongoing suspicion that these choices for Islam by up to four generations of African Americans continue to be a protest against the abuses of Christianity. While this may have been a primary impetus decades ago, it has long ceased to hold weight in current spiritual understandings and experience. African American Muslims, alongside their brothers and sisters from the Muslim world, have developed the necessary institutions and businesses for community in America.

The real need now is for greater attention to Islam in its American context. There is a critical need for awareness of the American Muslim position on American affairs as well as for dialogue on issues and concerns.