Religion and culture of Malaysian Chinese Muslims

• Main Authors: Yap, Johari, Yap Yun Hin, Taufiq, Fatah Yasin, Raudlotul Firdaus
• Format: Book Chapter
• Language: English
• Published: Pustaka Yamien Sdn Bhd 2020
• Subjects: BP1 Islam; BP62 By race, ethnic group, tribe, etc.; HT Communities. Classes. Races
• Online Access: http://irep.iium.edu.my/85596/1/85596_Religion%20and%20culture%20of%20Malaysian%20Chinese%20Muslims.pdf; http://irep.iium.edu.my/85596/

Culture can be understood as “the totality of socially transmitted behaviour patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought that characterize a community or a population. It is a set of shared beliefs, attitudes, values, and behavioural patterns of a group or organization.” (Readers Digest Universal Dictionary). Islam views the culture of a society within the parameters of Islamic beliefs (aqidah), acts of worship (ibadah), code of conduct (akhlaq) and the shariah, to allow a culture to be accepted in Islam regardless of the races and tribes who practice it. All communities in this world have cultures. It is the climate of their civilization. Culture is the identity of a group of people living in a specific place, speaking the same language and practising their own lifestyle including religion or beliefs. Different people in different societies have different cultures but they also have some similarities such as in clothing, languages, foods and many others. Malaysia is a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-religious society in which Malays are Muslims and Chinese are mainly followers of the common Chinese religions such as Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism, and sometimes a mixture of those beliefs, as well as ancestor worship. Now, there is a big number of Chinese who are Christians and Muslims. Due to the country’s unique political and social history, a person’s official and social identities are usually defined according to his ethnic background which is closely related to his religion (Ma, 2011).