Question:
asak,
after a long and strenuous effort i have through genetic geneanology found out that my ethnicity is jewish. i finally feel peace in my heart and mind. i still continue to follow the naqshbandi tariqa though. but i like to ask permission from the Grandshaykh or Shaykh Hisham to wear jewish clothing, such as tallit, kippah, prayer shawl-during salat, keep a menorah, star of david. please give me an answer to this request asap as my family is totally against this and this is making me very depressed, deprived of my identity and loosing interest in this world and or life itself. salam,
Answer:
wa `alaykum salam,
Alhamdililah you have found your roots and it is important to know where you come from, but in matters of faith, what’s important is who you are today. As the hadith says “all human beings are born into Islam, their parents make them Jewish or Christian etc…” so the natural state of human beings is Islam and if you have made Shahadah and accept Prophet Muhammad (s) as your prophet, and love and respect all other prophets, then you are Muslim. That being said, to wear the religious clothing of another faith without following that faith, ends up being disrespectful to the sacraments of both faiths. I suggest you honor Prophet Musa, upon whom be peace, but leave the clothing aside.
Dr. Aziz Hussein
