Nicole Cronin on Islamic Influences on Egyptian culture

By: Nicole Cronin

December 15, 2008

Egyptian culture is unique in that not only do religion and society intersect, but rather religion has become an inherent and essential part of society in a way that I have never witnessed in contemporary Western nations. Nearly every aspect of Egyptian life reflects Islam, both in specific events and ideas, as well as a more general sense of the Egyptian view of existence.
Furthermore, this link has become so embedded in society that Egyptians themselves rarely recognize that so many of the cultural traits which they assume as given traditions actually stem from Islam. My cultural anthropology class has been one of my most interesting experiences in Egypt, mainly because it has allowed me to hear Egyptian students'’ views on their own customs, while challenging me to define and defend my own cultural values, from a Western point of view. One particularly interesting discussion focused on modest dress as a norm for females in Egypt. The clothing styles of the girls in the class range from very traditional (long, loose dress with head covering) to modern (jeans and shirts or sweaters, —but always with shoulders and knees covered). When debating over the motives for dressing modestly in Egypt, I was shocked to find that barely any girls in the class acknowledged Islam as the primary reason for this trend. Instead, many simply repeated, “"It’'s just the culture. That'’s just the appropriate way to dress.”" While modest clothing surely is an important part of Egyptian culture, I was very surprised that most of the girls did not consciously view Islam as the root of this tradition, but rather saw the practice of conservative dress as an independent component of society.

This subliminal spirituality pervades society even more deeply in terms of the Egyptian worldview. One phrase which I have heard countless times, that encompasses so many aspects of this mentality, is “in shah allah”, which literally means “"God willing."” It expresses uncertainty of the future, and can be used as a response to nearly any question, such as “"Will the computers in this lab be working by next week?”", or added as an afterthought to such statements as “"The bus will be leaving in ten minutes, —in shah allah”."  The phrase is probably one of the most common in the entire country, used by everyone from men selling fruit on the streets to the Egyptian students in my classes. It is one of the few traditions that crosses generational, regional, and socioeconomic gaps. While it literally references God, not very many people actually consider the meaning of the phrase when using it. The phrase has become such a natural part of Egyptian life that its meaning is subconsciously accepted.

When carefully considered, it becomes apparent that the phrase summarizes this worldview: Egyptian society collectively places its trust in the God of Islam. Everything will work out in the way that God wants it to, and this is how it should be. Thus, constantly stressing over the state of the computers or the time of bus departure cannot be validated because one has no control over these events; they are in God’'s hands. As a Western, plan-oriented, goal-setting, type-A personality student, this mentality of allowing God to guide destiny (and my bus schedule) can be at times frustrating, and terrifying when considered on the a larger scale of political plans and economic crises. This is particularly true because the release of control over life’'s occurrences can sometimes lead to a lack of assuming responsibility. In ways similar to “in shah allah”, the passive voice can excuse someone of fault in a situation, such as when my friend’'s professor told the class that “the tests did not get copied,” or when the man at the ticket window in the bus station told us that our reserved tickets “had been given away”.

For these reasons, I have come to believe that if Egypt is ever to resolve some of its most persistent and pressing issues, it must strike some sort of a balance in its tenacity of faith. In order to achieve this end, the people must be able to identify the role that religion plays in Egytian society, recognizing the inextricable link between the two. In the puzzle of peace and prosperity, God must be not the entire picture, but rather only one piece, used in conjunction with education, true freedom of press, effective economic development policies, and other plans enacted——not passively accepted——by the Egyptian people.
Opens in a new window