Parenting Perspective 

Children are deeply shaped by the words and the attitudes they encounter at home. If they are exposed to subtle messages that suggest one culture is ‘better’ than another, they may begin to develop feelings of pride, shame, or even prejudice. To protect them from this, parents can create daily habits that actively promote respect, balance, and humility. This helps to ensure that both parents’ traditions are valued equally, and that Islam, not cultural pride, becomes the unifying anchor of the family. 

Practise Equal Representation of Both Cultures 

Try to rotate your family’s traditions in a fair and balanced way. If one culture’s food, language, or rituals are beginning to dominate, you can make a conscious effort to bring in those from the other side. Children will learn the principle of equality when they are able to see it being modelled for them. 

Use Positive Language About Both Backgrounds 

It is important to speak about both of your families with a sense of dignity. You can replace any comparisons, such as, ‘Our way of doing things is better,’ with more positive phrases like, ‘Each side of our family has its own beautiful traditions that we can learn from.’ 

Gently Correct Any Talk of Superiority 

If a family member, or even you yourself, slips into speaking in a way that suggests superiority, you can reframe the comment immediately. A gentle correction like, ‘Every culture has its own strengths. What Allah really loves is our taqwa, not where we come from,’ can be very effective. 

Anchor Your Child’s Identity in Islam 

Remind your child often, ‘The thing that makes us truly honoured in the sight of Allah is not our culture, but our faith and our good deeds.’ This helps to centre their sense of pride on their Islam, rather than on their ancestry. 

Model a Sense of Curiosity and Learning 

Make it a habit to actively learn from each other’s traditions, whether it is by trying new recipes, learning new phrases, or sharing different stories. This shows your child that respect is an ongoing practice. 

By consistently applying these simple habits, you can help your home to become a space where different cultures are celebrated, not ranked against one another, and where humility is able to replace any feelings of pride. 

Spiritual Insight 

Taqwa as the Only Measure of True Honour 

Islam strictly warns against the practice of boasting about one’s culture or lineage. The noble Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ both emphasise that true honour lies only in our taqwa (piety). 

The Rejection of Pride in Ancestry 

Allah Almighty states in the noble Quran at Surah Al Hujuraat (49), Verses 13: 

‘O mankind, indeed, We (Allah Almighty) have created you all from one man and one woman; and placed you amongst various nations and tribes for your introduction to each other; indeed, the best of you in the judgement of Allah (Almighty) is the one who is most virtuous…’ 

This verse reminds us that our diversity is intended for connection, not for creating a sense of superiority. It is our taqwa that is the only true measure of our worth. 

The Abolition of Cultural Superiority 

It is recorded in Sunan Abu Dawood, Hadith 5116, that the holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said: 

‘Allah has removed from you the pride of the pre-Islamic era and its boasting over forefathers. A man is only a righteous believer or a miserable sinner.’ 

This hadith teaches us that Islam completely abolished any sense of superiority that is based on ancestry or culture, and replaced it with piety as the sole standard by which we are judged. By practising fairness in your traditions, using positive and affirming words, and rooting your child’s identity in their Islam, you are fulfilling the prophetic call to end cultural arrogance. Your child can then grow up feeling proud of their heritage, yet at the same time feeling humble in the knowledge that their true honour comes only from Allah.