The question “where are you from?” is a common one, and in Islam, the answer often points beyond mere birthplace. In many cultures, particularly in western Turkey, people are identified by their hometown or ancestral origins – “the Bolulu Hasan Usta” or “Trabzonlu Veli Efendi.” This article explores this concept with Dr. Ahmet Hamdi Yıldırım.
Origins and Ancestry
Being ‘from’ a place isn’t solely about where you were born. Imagine a father who served as a civil servant, relocating his family twelve times. If he has twelve children, each born in different cities, they wouldn’t all be identified by the city of their birth. Instead, they would be associated with their ancestors’ origins.
Sometimes, a person might have one parent from Diyarbakır and another from Bosnia. In this case, you’d say, “My mother is from Diyarbakır, my father is from Bosnia.” However, generally, a person is identified by the place of their paternal lineage – what’s often referred to as the ‘family registry’.
Family Registry and Tradition
For example, I am registered in the family record of Çalışanlar Village, Dernekpazarı, Trabzon, with 75 households. Upon marriage, my wife’s records were transferred to this registry. While women now have the right to choose their surnames, they are still recorded under their husband’s family registry – a tradition that persists.
This reflects a lingering sense of ownership concerning women, contrary to Islamic principles. In Islam, marriage is a partnership; spouses are complements to one another. A married woman retains her connection to her father’s lineage.
The Islamic Perspective
Therefore, the answer to “where are you from?” lies in your paternal and ancestral origins. Whether you’ve visited Yozgat or Konya is less important than where your family comes from.
Why This Matters
This understanding is significant because cities represent our traditions, customs, and values. Even if you haven’t lived in a particular place, you still embody the manners and character associated with it.
In societies structured around tribes or clans, identity might be rooted in belonging to a specific group: “I am from the Dadaloğulları.” In this case, your village or city of origin becomes less relevant. However, in regions like Yozgat, where cities are central to identity, one might say, “I’m originally from Yozgat but grew up in İzmit.”