Islam in America

Religious leaders go through specialized formal education in the United States. Numerous universities cater to the religious educational needs of Jews and Christians across the U.S. There are also many institutions, such as the renowned al-Azhar University and the University of Medina, which cater to the needs of Muslim scholars across the world. However, such specialized religious institutions focusing on the needs of Muslim Americans are nearly non-existent.

For the Sunni Muslim community in America, the following options apply in identifying religious scholarship. They are listed below from the most common to the least common:

1. Immigrant imams commissioned from overseas to serve Muslim communities, usually in local mosques, or Islamic schools.

2. African American local imams.

3. Lay leaders who develop rigorous Islamic knowledge, while maintaining another full time career/commitment.

4. Individuals taking courses, and sometimes obtaining degrees, from fledgling Muslim American educational institutions (such as the Islamic American University or American Open University).

5. Individuals graduating from American secular institutions

6. American Muslims going overseas to gain scholarly Islamic knowledge and then returning to the U.S. to serve their communities.

Naturally, the above categories are not mutually exclusive.

There are approximately six million Muslims in America. Of those, nearly two-thirds are immigrants or children of immigrants, and one-third  are converts, mostly African Americans. The Muslim American community is in the initial phase of building religious institutions and scholarship in America.

1a. Immigrant Imams

This is a simple model. Thousands of imams across the Muslim world are available to come to the U.S. These Imams have usually experienced traditional schooling and a religious university education in a Muslim country. It usually takes the Imams who come from overseas 3-10 years to begin to grasp the unique dynamics and challenges that face Muslims in America. There are no systematic mechanisms to educate these new Imams on the realities of the Muslim American experience. In most cases, they capably fulfill the immediate worship related needs of the community—leading prayers, delivering sermons, and providing religious guidance on common issues. However, they often struggle in helping the community to fully integrate with the larger society and achieve its full potential, since they are still struggling with the realities of a whole new environment and culture. In a mature community that can provide more support, these Imams can grow into religious leaders who more fully understand and appreciate the American society and the Muslim American experience. In order for this to happen, they need support from other community leaders, who are more experienced in the American context. Imam Basyouni Nehela (Boston) and Imam Mohammed Magid (Washington, D.C.) are two successful examples of immigrant Imams who were able to adapt to the American context. These Imams are respected by their communities and play an influential role in community decision making.

1b. African American Imams

African American Imams understand the social needs of their African American community. The majority do not have formal religious schooling or degrees. Moreover, few have studied in religious institutions overseas, while some will have studied formally respected teachers such as Imam WD Muhammad and others.

2. Lay Leaders

These individuals have a special interest in Islamic sciences, and in serving their community. They find creative ways to learn Islamic sciences, which enables them to play a role as community or religious leaders. They are not considered “scholars,” and are often called “students of knowledge.”To gain this knowledge, they usually do one or more of the following:

• Take courses by correspondence (see below)
• Read books and engage in self study
• Study with local scholars or Imams in the mosque
• Engage in some classes overseas for a short period of time (3-18 months)

These individuals are influential in shaping the Muslim agenda, since they are respected leaders and are more able to articulate a vision to engage the community with the larger society. However, they lack rigorous scholarly knowledge. Every Muslim community will have a number of these individuals who usually give Friday sermons in the majority of mosques which do not have a full time Imam. They are also influential in shaping other policies in the community at large (integration of women in society, interfaith relations, etc.).

3. Imams Graduating from American Muslim Institutions

This is a new but growing trend. Institutions such as the American Open University and Islamic American University have been offering undergraduate and graduate degrees in Islamic studies for a number of years. However, they are struggling to attract students. They have some physical classes in few locations, as well as correspondence and online courses that can be counted towards a degree, or as standalone courses. The Zaytuna Institute, Deen Intensive, and Al-Magrib Institute also fall in this category. However, they do not offer undergraduate degrees per say.

Zaytuna College is a new exciting project that may take this initiative to a higher level by offering a full fledged accredited university style program for aspiring American Muslims.

4. Imams educated at non-Muslim American institutions

American colleges have been offering degrees in Islamic studies for decades. For example, Harvard University, Georgetown University and Boston University offer such programs, among many others. In the aftermath of the September 11^th attacks, several universities invested in new Arabic and Islamic studies programs catering to the increasing demand for such focused coursework. But without additional Muslim-based religious credentials, these degrees are often looked upon skeptically by the Muslim community, especially for religious leadership roles. Oftentimes individuals with these degrees are influential as Muslim scholars in the larger American society. Still, the community often questions whether secular academic institutions are able to fully educate a person in their religion.

Hartford Seminary and other similar religious seminaries have often been received more favorably in the community for educating religious leaders, as they are perceived as more nuanced than the purely secular academic institutions. In the past five years, and especially since 9/11, American academic institutions have had a keen interest in recruiting American Muslims to their Islamic studies programs. There are a number of reasons for this: a) There is more interest in having American Muslims “at the table,”and b) diversity within these institutions is highly desirable.  This has positively influenced the programs to become more understanding of Islam and Muslims, rather than simply viewing Islam with a skeptical lens, or as the traditional “other.”

Although with some hesitancy, more young American Muslims are pursuing the academic path as a possible alternative to more formal religious education. Some of them also enroll in additional formal scholarly institutions to enhance the quality of their Islamic education.

Scholars such as Sulayman Nyang have been able to combine both an academic as well as religious leadership in the Muslim community. On a local level, individuals such as Mohamed Lazouni have been able to do the same.

5. Eastern (overseas) education

Although this option requires more commitment, it has so far produced more positive results. American-born and raised Muslims engage in rigorous studies in overseas institutions or with individual scholars, and come back to the U.S. as scholars and leaders for their community. For instance Imam Hamza Yusuf, a well known national figure, has engaged in this process. The Islamic American University (IAU) has sponsored many students, for 3-10 years each, to live overseas, and gain an education from a Muslim religious institution. With their natural understanding and affiliation to their American culture, these students are able to articulate a relevant message for Muslims in America. Many of these aspiring scholars come back to the U.S. in the summer to “practice” their knowledge in America, so that they are not “isolated from the motherland,” and are able to continuously refresh their analytical skills to apply what they learn overseas to the reality of Muslims in America. There are several women, such as Muslema Purmul of Southern California , who are part of this initiative through the IAU. Suhaib Webb has been a beneficiary and supporter of this initiative as well. Zaytouna Institute has also sponsored individuals to study Islam in Mauritania for more than a year.

The success of this option depends on a number of factors:

1. The commitment of the individual to learning: Living overseas can be a difficult transition. Participants need to have a high level of commitment to be able to withstand the pressures of a new country, culture, and environment.
2. Finances: Five to ten years of education can be costly. In most cases, a Muslim American institution will be needed to fund an individual through a scholarship.
3. Quality of education: Not all religious institutions are equal. For instance, there are some institutions overseas that tend to lean on a more conservative approach to religious education (such as some Saudi universities). This makes it more difficult for the student to apply what he/she learns in a way that is relevant to Muslims in America
4. The support system in America: Some mentoring during the foreign learning process is important to ensure that the student is able to reintegrate into their community and benefit the American Muslim community with their knowledge.

Scholarship in Islam

To the Muslim individual, a scholar’s opinion is highly regarded and needs to be taken into serious consideration. It cannot simply be dismissed. However, a Muslim (individual or community) has the ability to “shop around” until they find the scholar that they are most comfortable with. This comfort should, ideally, not be based on personal desires, rather, on what an individual feels is closest to the truth.

In the Sunni tradition, Muslims do not have a pope like-figure. Scholars do their best to interpret God’s rules and commands but they are susceptible to mistakes in interpretation. If the mistake is an “honest” mistake (one done with utmost sincerity and with a clear desire to look for the truth, while taking the necessary scholarly steps in the research), then they are not held negatively in account (by God) for their position or fatwa (religious edict). Muslims are often wary of following their personal opinion without scholarly “backing.”

Many Muslims will have an Imam or scholar that they trust, and will seek their guidance in order to make a decision on some aspect of their daily life. Lay leaders also play this role in many communities in North America. More learned individuals will often consult with scholars and make up their own mind as to the fatwa or opinion with the most “backing,” and then follow that particular opinion.

An Imam is by definition an individual who leads the daily prayers, and may not necessarily be a scholar. Scholars need to go through more rigorous training in Islamic studies. Every scholar is an imam, but not vice versa. Female scholarship is allowed, and in fact encouraged in Islam. History has ample examples of female scholars who were teachers to great male scholars. The majority opinion in Islam holds that females are allowed all forms of scholarship and leadership in Islam, except leading males in formal congregational prayers.

Is American Muslim scholarship different?

In the Muslim world, Al-Azhar University in Cairo is one of the most renowned religious institutions .In Europe, there are more established Islamic scholarly bodies, which issue legal opinions and fatwas (eg: European Fatwa and Research Council). Muslim American institutions are less established than Europe. One of the more prominent bodies is the ISNA Fiqh Council.

Muslims in America need to build their own systems and institutions to produce scholars that understand the western and American dynamics well enough to shape Islamic opinions based on the realities of western (and more specifically American) Muslims. This is a model that scholars such as Tariq Ramadan are applying. This is also a process that shaped most societies where Muslims lived. For example, the application of Islam in Saudi Arabia is different than Egypt, which is also different than Malaysia or China. Each society faces different realities, which allows culture, politics and other dynamics to shape the legal opinions provided.

Islam has a core that is fixed (ex: belief in One God, the five pillars of Islam, Prophethood, etc). But the other part of Islam is dynamic and evolving, and has changed across different times and different cultures.

In fact, this was one of the reasons that traditional scholars (such as the Four Imams of Schools of Fiqh) differed in their fatwas (legal opinions). For example, Imam Shafi’i changed his fatwas after moving from Iraq to Egypt, instituting an important rule in Islamic jurisprudence: religious opinions change depending on the context (including time, place, and culture).  This rule was applied all over the world for different Muslim communities.

Shaping an authentic American Muslim religious education is important but will take time. It will be facilitated by the presence of authentic scholars who are (a) well trained in traditional Islamic sciences, (b) well aware of the American context, and (c) able to formulate opinions that fit our existing reality. The challenge will be how to shape the American Islamic viewpoint in our context, while not undermining the core values of Islam.