Cultural Taboos

Believe it or not, even now in year’s 2013 there are still many people who believe in taboos until we are not realize that we grew up with all this kind of custom and taboos. For example there are taboo before we get married, and during pregnancy. In Malaysia, the taboo is very famous among the community of Malay, China and India.

Taboos are a trust among people in the past which it is related with the customs and cultural heritage of their ancestors. Most of taboos that are practice in life is handed down orally from generation to educate the public especially young people in order to lead them be a better person.

Among the common taboo I have heard are as follows:

- Cannot walk through under a drying cloth. Because it can cause headache. Actually they don’t want the shirt fells to the ground. So one thing is going to wash it again.

-Cannot keep change the place of eat during meals, or we are forbidden sleep after eat. Actually the meaning behind the ban is for our health. There is no time the food to digest during sleep. It will make us be an eager or lazy to do work.

-   - Girls cannot sit by the stairs. When girl just sit by the stairs, people will assume they are lazy to do housework.

-          Girls who are not married cannot sing in the kitchen, as feared would be delayed marriage. When girls singing in the kitchen, there is a possibility they will be splashed saliva into the dish or food in the pot.

-          Do not open an umbrella inside the house afraid if lightning will strike. But not actually. When umbrella is open, space will become limited and difficult to pass.

-          “Do not sit on the pillow, or else you will lest infected boil around your butt. Whereas the pillow actually is use to put head for sleep.

Ever heard of the taboos about pregnancy? Indeed many taboos that sometimes it feels like no deck in mind. I don’t want to deny all this taboo, but for me all this rule is shirk. I just believe everything happens is the will of God. I do not really believe the things this little nonsense but sometimes I’m afraid what if I do not follow that fear also happen as what my parents tell me.

In my opinions taboos are usually included in the custom molds and culture, rather than directly from religion. As the Malays some customs and culture was built on the basic principles of Islamic architecture. However, it cannot escape from the influence of other religions, superstitious elements and mystical nature. In case like this we take one basic principles of Islam- Stay away from harmful things, and do things that are beneficial. But in other respects, many taboos may actually understood the purpose of it existence which can be thought logically, although there was also has nature of superstitions. For example, pregnant women are prohibited to sew. This is to avoid any possible bad happened on mother her baby. But if you want to do, please just be careful.

As my conclusion, do not look at it as a taboo that must be followed, and a big sin if illegal and rejected. If an act is beneficial, and in accordance with Islam, so follow it but if an act causing harm, then leave it. Because taboo is just not only done as a lesson but it is to keep good manners and good behavior so that we do not do things that are not polite.