Middle Eastern Muslims: History, Culture, and Tradition

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Table of Contents

Introduction
History
Religion
Family
Language
Cultural practices and traditions
Implications for psychological theory and practice
Conclusion
References

Introduction

Middle Eastern Muslims are characterized by inflexible cultural values, strong religious beliefs, and unique cultural practices and traditions (Friedman, 2006).

They differ with Muslims in other countries significantly. Middle East has hit headlines for many years because of its cultural and religious beliefs that limit the rights and opportunities of women in society. Middle Eastern Muslims are conservative and not keen on embracing modernization.

History

The history of Middle Eastern Muslims dates back to around 600 CE (Friedman, 2006). In that year, Prophet Mohammed allegedly heard the word of God at Mecca for the first time. Afterwards, he presented Allah’s message to the people in a book called the Quran. The formation of Islam involved incorporation of social and political systems.

However, before its formation, communities were formed based on people’s tribal affiliations. Middle easterners rejected this societal system and embraced Islam that joined people together based on a common belief in one God (Friedman, 2006). The new community was based on religious affiliations and rejected tribal affiliation as an aspect of forming their identity.

Religion

Middle Eastern Muslims are commonly identified by their religion. Most of them practice Islam. In the Middle East, Islam is the predominant religion with the exception of nations such as Palestine and Israel (Bowen and Early, 2002). According to a survey conducted on all states that constitute Middle East, Islam is the principal religion.

However, embracement of Islam as the main religion obscures the fact that within Islam, several sects exist. Examples of such sects include Shia, Sunni, and Shiite. Middle Easterners mostly belong to the Sunni sect (Bowen and Early, 2002). Shiite sect is common in Iran, Iraq, and Lebanon, while Shiite is common in Yemen. Other sects followed by Muslims include Alawites, the Ismailis, the Ibadis, and the Shafis.

Family

Middle Easterners value the family unit a lot. Kinship is the main aspect of both social and economic association (Schabler and Stenberg, 2004). The family that a person is born into is the most important societal unit recognized by Middle Eastern Muslims. Family is important because it offers shelter, social and emotional support, food, and a sense of belonging. Patrilineal families are also valued highly.

These families live together in organized units that allow intra-marriages (Schabler and Stenberg, 2004). As such, marriages between cousins are common. Early in their childhood, children are taught to respect elder members of the family (Bowen and Early, 2002).

On the other hand, elder members take care of younger family members. Women are taught to respect their brothers, uncles, and fathers. Unwed women are segregated and considered failures in the family. Marriage is a very important family aspect.

Language

The three main languages spoken by Middle Eastern Muslims include Arabic, Farsi, and Turkish. However, there are other minor languages and dialects used by minority groups. Many people combine their local dialect with a foreign language. For example, Lebanese Muslims usually mix the local Arabic dialect with French (Bowen and Early, 2002). In Afghanistan, Dari and Pashto are the languages used.

These languages originated from the Iranian language. Languages spoken by minority groups include Uzbek and Turkmen (Schabler and Stenberg, 2004). In Gulf States that include Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Yemen, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates and Oman, Arabic is common. The dialect of Arabic is closely related to Fusha, the modern standard Arabic.

Cultural practices and traditions

Common cultural practices and traditions practiced by Middle Eastern Muslims include observation of certain traditional and cultural practices. These include pronunciation of Allah’s name before meals and physical cleansing (Schabler and Stenberg, 2004).

They use their right hands when eating and drinking, invoke Allah’s blessing whenever they sneeze, and recite the “Adhaan’ in the right ear of a new born to convey the parent’s spiritual natures into the newborn (Bowen and Early, 2002).

It is also part of their tradition to trim moustaches, clip nails, and shave armpit and pubic hair. In addition, they observe the rite of circumcision (Schabler and Stenberg, 2004). These practices constitute their tradition of physical cleansing and are practiced because Prophet Mohammed initiated and approved them.

Implications for psychological theory and practice

The foregoing characteristics of Middle Eastern Muslims have deep implications for psychological theory and practice. They determine the emotional and psychological well being of people that practice them (Schabler and Stenberg, 2004). The practice of incorporating cultural practices and traditions into their religion has far-reaching implications (Schabler and Stenberg, 2004).

For example, people who ignore or violate their traditions and values are either severely punished or cast away from Islam. This may have serious effects, which include emotional and psychological implications. In addition, these practices determine how people view and treat them relative to other groups.

Conclusion

Middle Eastern Muslims have a different way of life from other Muslim communities in other parts of the globe. The group was formed in 600 CE when Prophet Mohammed received God’s instructions and presented them to Muslims in a book called the Quran. Their culture and tradition is similar in some way to the general culture of Muslims.

They wash hands before eating, eat and drink with their right hands, and conduct physical cleansing. The predominant language is Arabic even though other minor languages exist. In many areas, the Arabic dialect is mixed with foreign languages such as English and French. These characteristics determine how other people perceive Muslims, which affects their emotional, social, and psychological wellbeing.

References

Bowen, D., and Early, E. (2002). Everyday life in the Muslim Middle East. New York: Indiana University Press.

Friedman, S. (2006). A History of the Middle East. New York: McFarland.

Schabler, S., and Stenberg, L. (2004). Globalization and the Muslim World: Culture, Religion, and Modernity. New York: Syracuse University Press.

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