Muslim
Minorities

Now we know that Islam has travelled all around the world

and has been shaped to different cultures in different places.

But People still tend to look to the place it was born

for an idea of what is necessary to be muslim,

but in countries where almost all the people are muslim,

their way of life is in their culture around them.

They live in the comfort of being surrounded by reminders of Islam,

with the azan keeping everyone in touch throughout the day.

But when Islam is all around,

it is easy to feel that everyone else is taking care of your Islam for you.

The Messenger's Islam was formed in very different surroundings,

with just a few believers surrounded by non-believers,

some of whom remained friends,

but many of whom were openly aggressive towards them.

The experience of those around the Messenger

was not only an immediate personal need to recognise God's presence,

but also required them to live as a minority.

And that minority experience

is shared by many muslims today,

living amongst non-muslims,

some friendly, others not.

But it is usually the muslim majority countries

that are used as examples of the muslim way of life,

with those countries closest to the place of the revelation

being seen as closest to the original life experience

of the early companions,

as though closeness in geography

somehow automatically replicates

something about the original experience,

but it can be argued that the personal experiences of minority muslims today,

is actually closer to those of the original umma.

Of course they don't have the Messenger to talk with,

but then again,

neither did most of those early muslims living as a minority.

They needed to truly understand what they believed in,

so they had no fear of argument

from those who disagreed with them.

They needed flexibility

in their approach to their muslim way of life.

They needed to show their neighbours

tolerance and trustworthiness,

and live in the simple heart

of Islam,

giving praise and gratitude to God,

and so being able to look at what non-believers have

without envy.

And all these things are also needed

by minority muslims today.

And for all the importance of muslim majority countries,

of all the muslims living in the world,

it is the muslims living in minority situations

who are actually globally in the majority.