Nobody forgets their first winter in Iceland. The darkness at midday, the wind tugging at the door, a language with letters you have never seen. And then one morning the neighbour says “góðan daginn” and you answer in Icelandic without thinking.
That is when a country starts to become home.
The first Muslims knew this experience. Those who moved with the Prophet ﷺ from Mecca to Medina are called al-muhājirūn, the ones who emigrated. They arrived in a city with other customs and people of another faith, and had to find their place there.
Many of us are in a similar position today. Some came here to work, to study or to find safety; others were born here. How we live here is much discussed in Iceland right now, and it is good that we take part in the conversation ourselves. Because wherever we come from, the same four things are tested: keeping our word, respecting other people’s faith, learning the language and earning our living. The Qur’an and the Sunnah answer all four clearly.
The promises we make
Settling in a country is a kind of agreement. The country gives us safety, rights and opportunities, and we become part of it: we keep its laws, pay our taxes and deal honestly. In the Qur’an, keeping agreements is not a side issue. It is a duty before God.
وَلَا تَقۡرَبُواْ مَالَ ٱلۡيَتِيمِ إِلَّا بِٱلَّتِي هِيَ أَحۡسَنُ حَتَّىٰ يَبۡلُغَ أَشُدَّهُۥۚ وَأَوۡفُواْ بِٱلۡعَهۡدِۖ إِنَّ ٱلۡعَهۡدَ كَانَ مَسۡـُٔولٗا
And do not approach the property of an orphan, except in the way that is best, until he reaches maturity. And fulfill [every] commitment. Indeed, the commitment is ever [that about which one will be] questioned
The Prophet ﷺ described the believer not by what he says, but by how others feel around him:
الْمُسْلِمُ مَنْ سَلِمَ النَّاسُ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُ مَنْ أَمِنَهُ النَّاسُ عَلَى دِمَائِهِمْ وَأَمْوَالِهِمْ
“The Muslim is the one from whose tongue and hand people are safe, and the believer is the one whom people trust with their lives and their wealth.”
It says “people”, not “Muslims”. That includes the colleague at work, the neighbour next door and the person behind you in the queue at the shop.
Other people’s faith
In Iceland we live among people of every religion and none. The Qur’an is clear that faith cannot be forced on anyone:
لَآ إِكۡرَاهَ فِي ٱلدِّينِۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّشۡدُ مِنَ ٱلۡغَيِّۚ فَمَن يَكۡفُرۡ بِٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ وَيُؤۡمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسۡتَمۡسَكَ بِٱلۡعُرۡوَةِ ٱلۡوُثۡقَىٰ لَا ٱنفِصَامَ لَهَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ
There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing
لَكُمۡ دِينُكُمۡ وَلِيَ دِينِ
For you is your religion, and for me is my religion
Holding firmly to your own faith and respecting that others believe differently go well together. The Qur’an goes further than asking for tolerance. It encourages kindness and justice towards those who live at peace with us:
لَّا يَنۡهَىٰكُمُ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلَّذِينَ لَمۡ يُقَٰتِلُوكُمۡ فِي ٱلدِّينِ وَلَمۡ يُخۡرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَٰرِكُمۡ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمۡ وَتُقۡسِطُوٓاْ إِلَيۡهِمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يُحِبُّ ٱلۡمُقۡسِطِينَ
Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly
And the Prophet ﷺ showed it in practice:
مَرَّتْ بِهِ جَنَازَةٌ فَقَامَ فَقِيلَ لَهُ إِنَّهَا جَنَازَةُ يَهُودِيٍّ. فَقَالَ أَلَيْسَتْ نَفْسًا
A funeral procession passed by him and he stood up. He was told it was the funeral of a Jew. He said: “Is it not a human soul?”
“Is it not a human soul?” Respect begins there.
In daily life this means not belittling other people’s faith, in words or online, being courteous towards other people’s churches, festivals and customs, and expecting the same respect in return. The guide For friends and neighbours and the article on the neighbour say more.
Icelandic
The language is the key to everything else: work, the children’s school, talking with the neighbours and being able to explain for ourselves what Islam is. God sent His prophets in the language of the people they spoke to:
وَمَآ أَرۡسَلۡنَا مِن رَّسُولٍ إِلَّا بِلِسَانِ قَوۡمِهِۦ لِيُبَيِّنَ لَهُمۡۖ فَيُضِلُّ ٱللَّهُ مَن يَشَآءُ وَيَهۡدِي مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَهُوَ ٱلۡعَزِيزُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ
And We did not send any messenger except [speaking] in the language of his people to state clearly for them, and Allah sends astray [thereby] whom He wills and guides whom He wills. And He is the Exalted in Might, the Wise
And the variety of languages is itself one of His signs:
وَمِنۡ ءَايَٰتِهِۦ خَلۡقُ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَٰفُ أَلۡسِنَتِكُمۡ وَأَلۡوَٰنِكُمۡۚ إِنَّ فِي ذَٰلِكَ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّلۡعَٰلِمِينَ
And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Indeed in that are signs for those of knowledge
The Prophet ﷺ asked one of his companions, Zayd ibn Thābit, to learn the script of his neighbours in Medina, so that he could write and read letters for him:
أَمَرَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ أَتَعَلَّمَ لَهُ كَلِمَاتِ كِتَابِ يَهُودَ. قَالَ إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ مَا آمَنُ يَهُودَ عَلَى كِتَابٍ . قَالَ فَمَا مَرَّ بِي نِصْفُ شَهْرٍ حَتَّى تَعَلَّمْتُهُ لَهُ
Zayd said: “The Messenger of God asked me to learn the writing of the Jews for him. He said: ‘By God, I do not trust others with my letters.’ Half a month had not passed before I had learned it.”
Icelandic is not easy, but it is learned like anything else: little by little, every day. Courses in Icelandic for people with another first language are offered around the country, and trade unions often refund part of the course fees. Many libraries hold conversation groups in Icelandic. And when Icelanders switch to English out of kindness, you can ask them to carry on in Icelandic. Most are glad to.
Work
In Islam, honest work is an honour, not a burden. The Prophet ﷺ said:
مَا أَكَلَ أَحَدٌ طَعَامًا قَطُّ خَيْرًا مِنْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ مِنْ عَمَلِ يَدِهِ، وَإِنَّ نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ دَاوُدَ ـ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ـ كَانَ يَأْكُلُ مِنْ عَمَلِ يَدِهِ
“No one has ever eaten better food than what he earned with his own hands, and God’s prophet David ate from what he earned with his own hands.”
لأَنْ يَأْخُذَ أَحَدُكُمْ حَبْلَهُ فَيَأْتِيَ بِحُزْمَةِ الْحَطَبِ عَلَى ظَهْرِهِ فَيَبِيعَهَا فَيَكُفَّ اللَّهُ بِهَا وَجْهَهُ، خَيْرٌ لَهُ مِنْ أَنْ يَسْأَلَ النَّاسَ أَعْطَوْهُ أَوْ مَنَعُوهُ
“For one of you to take his rope, bring a bundle of firewood on his back and sell it, so that God preserves his dignity by it, is better for him than to ask people, whether they give him or refuse.”
Even the Friday prayer, the most important prayer of the week, ends by sending people back to work:
فَإِذَا قُضِيَتِ ٱلصَّلَوٰةُ فَٱنتَشِرُواْ فِي ٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱبۡتَغُواْ مِن فَضۡلِ ٱللَّهِ وَٱذۡكُرُواْ ٱللَّهَ كَثِيرٗا لَّعَلَّكُمۡ تُفۡلِحُونَ
And when the prayer has been concluded, disperse within the land and seek from the bounty of Allah, and remember Allah often that you may succeed
This does not mean there is any shame in receiving help. The welfare system exists for those who are ill or injured, who have lost their job, or who are not allowed to work while their case is being decided, and Islam protects precisely the rights of those in need. But when you can work, work is the way: for your self-respect, for your family and for the society that welcomed us.
And whether you work or receive support, honesty applies. False information to the tax office or the Directorate of Labour, undeclared work or reporting different income from what you really have is not “the system”; it is cheating, and about cheating the Prophet ﷺ said:
مَنْ غَشَّ فَلَيْسَ مِنِّي
“Whoever cheats is not of me.”
Both at once
Being a good Muslim and a good Icelander do not conflict. Honesty, keeping your word, working well and being a good neighbour are virtues in both. God made us different precisely so that we would get to know one another:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقۡنَٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٖ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلۡنَٰكُمۡ شُعُوبٗا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓاْۚ إِنَّ أَكۡرَمَكُمۡ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتۡقَىٰكُمۡۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٞ
O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted
Every one of us who learns Icelandic, turns up for work and greets the neighbours does more for the reputation of Muslims in Iceland than any statement. For those who have just arrived, the guide for new Muslims and the mosques are a good place to start.