Answer
Salam (Peace) Daniel,
Thank you for contacting Ask About Islam with your question.
The short answer to your question is absolutely yes.
Islam is a religion that is meant for all people of all ages and races. It is not only for Arabs. Indeed, the majority of Muslims in the world are not Arabs.
In fact, the Quran tells us that what makes one person superior to another is not the color of the skin but the level of piety:
{O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware.} (Quran 49:13)
The Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him-PBUH) also emphasized this point in his final Hajj (pilgrimage), when he told the Muslims that there was no superiority of Arab over non-Arab (or the reverse) or of white over black (or the reverse).
In addition, the Quran points out that the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) message was for all the worlds, meaning that it was definitely not only for a certain ethnicity or race:
{And We have not sent you (Muhammad) save as a mercy to the worlds.} (Quran 21:107)
Elsewhere, the Quran specifically refers to differences in color and language:
{And one of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your tongues and colors; most surely there are signs in this for the learned.} (Quran 30:22)
When Malcolm X visited Makkah for the pilgrimage (Hajj) after he became a Muslim, he commented on the great diversity of people he found there:
There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white.
You can read more about this in Is Islam a Religion for Arabs Only?
But I wonder what is really behind your question. Is it that you don’t see any white Muslims around you? Or that you wonder whether Islam fits with typical American teenage culture?
Countries that have a Muslim majority are mainly in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. But there are also countries in Europe with large Muslim populations: Bosnia, Herzegovina (both 40% Muslim), and Albania (70%).
Many European countries have Muslim minorities comprising both immigrants and natives who have converted to Islam. In the United States, there is no accurate count, but most sources estimate there are six to seven million Muslims.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) estimates that 1.6 percent of American Muslims are Caucasian.
It may be that the Muslims you see around you are African American, Arab, or Asian; and thus you think that white people cannot be Muslim. But how would you or any of us know just by looking at a person that they are not Muslim?
Many Muslims (especially men) do not dress differently from those around them.
And as to whether Islam fits with typical American teenage culture, I would have to ask you how you would define that culture and what your purpose in life is.
Islam is mainly about peacefully submitting to God, and being Muslim essentially means believing that there is only One Creator Who has no partners. This can fit into any culture with minimal adjustments.
If you do decide to become a Muslim and your lifestyle is very un-Islamic (i.e. you are drinking and clubbing and so on), go ahead and become Muslim. Know that you will eventually have to change, but don’t be too hard on yourself. This change can be gradual as long as you are working toward a better you.
Take things one step at a time, and know that God will reward you for leaving what is forbidden in Islam.
Islam should make you a better person, and accepting Islam does not mean that you can never have fun or smile.
I hope this answers your question, Daniel. May God guide you in your search to know Him. If you have any more questions, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Salam.
Please continue feeding your curiosity, and find more info in the following links:
An Islamic Summer for the Youth
Parents Worry As Their Kids Converts to Islam
About to Convert, Concerned About My Family
Now A Muslim How To Practice Islam