The Prohibition of Nationalism in Islam- "Leave it, it is rotten."

The Prohibition of Nationalism in Islam

Nationalism is a concept alien to Islam because it calls for unity based on family and tribalistic ties, whereas Islam binds people together on the `Aqeedah, that is belief in Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saaw). Islam calls for the ideological bond.



Grouping the Muslims on tribalistic lines is clearly forbidden. It is
narrated by Abu Da'wud that the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said,



"He is not one us who calls for `Asabiyyah, (nationalism/tribalism) or who
fights for `Asabiyyah or who dies for `Asabiyyah."



And in another Hadith, the Messenger of Allah (saaw) referring to
nationalism, racism, and patriotism said:



"Leave it, it is rotten." [Muslim and Bukhari]
Also, the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said, narrated by At-Tirmidhi and Abu
Dawud,



"There are indeed people who boast of their dead ancestors; but in the sight
of Allah they are more contemptible than the black beetle that rolls a piece
of dung with its nose. Behold, Allah has removed from you the arrogance of
the Time of Jahiliyyah (Ignorance) with its boast of ancestral glories. Man
is but an Allah-fearing believer or an unfortunate sinner. All people are
the children of Adam, and Adam was created out of dust."



Also, the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said,



"Undoubtedly Allah has removed from you the pride of arrogance of the age of
Jahilliyah (ignorance) and the glorification of ancestors. Now people are of
two kinds. Either believers who are aware or transgressors who do wrong. You
are all the children of Adam and Adam was made of clay. People should give
up their pride in nations because that is a coal from the coals of
Hell-fire. If they do not give this up Allah (swt) will consider them lower
than the lowly worm which pushes itself through Khara (dung)." [Abu Dawud
and Tirmidhi]



There are many examples in the Seerah where the Messenger of Allah (saaw)
had rebuked those who upheld nationalism. One one occasion a party of Jews
conspired to bring about disunity in the ranks of the Muslims after seeing
the Aus and Khazraj within Islam. A youth from amongst them was sent to
incite remembrance of the battle of Bu'ath where the Aus had been victorious
over the Khazraj, and he recited poetry to bring about division between
them. As a result there was a call to arms.



When the news reached the Messenger of Allah (saaw), he (saaw) said,



"O Muslims, remember Allah, remember Allah. Will you act as pagans while I
am present with you after Allah has guided you to Islam, and honored you
thereby and made a clean break with paganism; delivered you thereby from
disbelief; and made you friends thereby?"



When they heard this they wept, and embraced each other. This incident
clearly highlights how the Messenger of Allah (saaw) rebuked any forms of
tribalism. Allah (swt) then revealed,



"O you who believe! Fear Allah as He should be feared and die not except in
a state of Islam with complete submission to Allah. And hold fast, all of
you together, to the rope of Allah (i.e. Qur'an), and be not divided among
yourselves; and remember with gratitude Allah's favors on you; for you were
enemies and He joined your hearts in love, so that by His Grace you became
brothers; and you were on the brink of the pit of fire, and He saved you
from it. Thus Allah make His signs clear to you that you may be guided."
[Surah Al'Imran (3); ayah 102-103]



It is narrated by Qatada that Ibnu Abi Hathim said that in the verses quoted
above Allah (swt) has ordered the Muslims to hold fast to the book of Allah,
His Deen, and to his covenant, and He has forbidden the Muslims to divide
amongst themselves and to dispute with each other.



In another incident, Jabir ibn `Abd Allah al Ansari, narrated what happened
at the watering place of al Muraysi which led to the Munafiqun stirring up
the traces of `Asabiyyah and seeking to destroy the unity of the Muslims. He
said:



"We were on a raid when one of the Muhajirun kicked one of the Ansar.
The Ansar said, `O Ansar! Help me! (calling his tribe) and the Muhajir said,
`O Muhajirun! Help me! (calling his tribe). The Messenger of Allah (saaw)
heard them and said, "Why are you stirring up something which belongs to
Jahilliyah?"



The Messenger of Allah (saaw) did not deal with the situation only by
speaking to his men, but he walked with the men all that day until
nightfall, and through the night until morning and during the following day
until the sun distressed them. Then he halted them, and as soon as they
touched the ground, they fell asleep. He did this to distract their minds
from what had transpired.



It is transmitted by at-Tabarani and al-Hakim that in one incident some
people spoke very lowly about Salman al-Farsi. They spoke of the inferiority
of the Persian in relation to the Arabs, and upon hearing this the Messenger
of Allah (saaw) declared,



"Salman is from us, the ahl al-bayt (the Prophet's family)."



This statement of the Messenger of Allah (saaw) disassociates all links
based on lineage and tribal considerations.



It was also transmitted, in two different versions, by Ibn al-Mubarak in his
two books, Al-Birr and As-Salah, that some disagreement occurred between Abu
Dharr and Bilal and Abu Dharr said to Bilal, "You son of a black woman." The
Messenger of Allah (saaw) was extremely upset by Abu Dharr's comment, so he
(saaw) rebuked him by saying,



"That is too much, Abu Dharr. He who has a white mother has no advantage
which makes him better than the son of a black mother."



This rebuke had a profound effect on Abu Dharr, who then put his head on the
ground swearing that he would not raise it until Bilal had put his foot over
it.



These incidents demonstrate that tribal ties have no place in Islam. Muslims
are commanded to stick together and not to disassociate themselves from each
other just because they come from different tribes. The Messenger of Allah
(saaw) also said,



"The believers, in their love, mutual kindness, and close ties, are like one
body; when any part complains, the whole body responds to it with
wakefulness and fever." [Muslim],



"The faithful are like one man: if his eyes suffers, his whole body
suffers." [Muslim],



"An Arab is no better than a non-Arab. In return, a non-Arab is no better
than an Arab. A red raced man was not better than a black one except in
piety. Mankind are all Adam's children and Adam was created out of clay."
[Al-Bukhari and Muslim, on the authority of Abu Musa]



Meaning that the Muslims, whether they are of Chinese, African, European or
Asian origin, are one Ummah and they cannot be separated from each other. No
tribalistic ties should ever break their unity.



Furthermore, Allah (swt), says,



The Faithful are but brothers..." [Surah Al-Hujurat (49): ayah 10]



And the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said,



"The Faithful are to one another like [parts of] a building - each part
strengthening the others"



and

"Every Muslim is a brother to a Muslim, neither wronging him nor allowing
him to be wronged. And if anyone helps his brother in need, Allah will help
him in his own need; and if anyone removes a calamity from [another] Muslim,
Allah will remove from him some of the calamities of the Day of
Resurrection; and if anyone shields [another] Muslim from disgrace, Allah
will shield him from the disgrace on the Day of Resurrection." [Al-Bukhari
and Muslim, on the authority of `Abd Allah ibn `Umar]



Some people claim that the Messenger of Allah (saaw) approved of nationalism
because during the migration to Madinah, he (saaw) said about Makkah with
tears in his (saaw) eyes,



"You are the most beloved land of Allah to me."



However, this saying has nothing to do with nationalism, and this can be
seen from the full saying which people often do not quote,



"You are the most beloved land of Allah to me because you are the most
beloved land of Allah to Allah."



The Messenger of Allah's (saaw) love for Makkah was based on the noble
status that Allah (swt) has given to Makkah, and not because he (saaw) was
born there. All Muslims should have this love and affection for Makkah
because it is the most beloved land in the sight of Allah (swt). After all,
the Muslims pray towards Makkah and go there to perform Hajj there as it
houses the Ka'ba. The above saying of the Messenger of Allah (saaw)
therefore has nothing to do with nationalism. If Rasoolillah (saaw) and the
Muhajireen amongst the Sahabah (raa) were tied to the homeland (of Makkah),
they would have settled in Makkah after it became part of the Islamic State.



Not only does Islam forbid people from grouping on nationalistic ties, but
it also prohibits the establishment of more than one state, whether these
states are based on nationalism or otherwise. The only state that is allowed
for the Muslims is the Islamic State, which is a state that is governed
exclusively by Islam. Allah (swt) addressed the Messenger (saaw),



"And rule between them by that which Allah revealed to you, and do not
follow their vain desires away from the truth which came to you" [Surah
Al-Maidah(5): ayah 48]



and,

"And rule between them by that which Allah revealed to you and do not follow
their whims, and beware (be on the alert) that they may deviate you away
from even some part of what Allah revealed to you." [Surah Al-Maidah (5):
ayah 49]



The speech of Allah (swt) to the Messenger (saaw) is a speech to his (saaw)
Ummah unless specific evidence comes to restrict this. In this case, there
is no such restriction, and so it becomes obligatory for the Muslims to rule
according to Islam. And ruling according to Islam leaves no room for
nationalistic constitutions whatsoever because what is applied, and what
forms the criteria for judgement, is the Book of Allah (swt) and the Sunnah
of the Messenger (saaw).



Ruling according to Islam can only be achieved in one state, with one
Khalifah. It is reported in Muslim that `Abdullah ibn `Amr ibn al-'As
narrated that he heard the Messenger of Allah (saaw) say,



"He who gave the bay'ah to an Imam, giving him the clasp of his hand and the
fruit of his heart has to obey him as long as he can. If another comes to
dispute with him (his authority) strike the neck of that person."



Abu Said al-Khudri narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saaw) said,



"If a bay'ah is taken for two Khalifahs, kill the latter one."



And `Arfaja said that he heard the Messenger of Allah (saaw) say,



"If someone comes to you when you are united over one man and wants to break
your strength and divide your unity, kill him."



This unity of the Muslims was clearly highlighted in the document that the
Messenger of Allah (saaw) wrote when he established the Islamic State in
Madinah. In this document, which was to regulate the relationships of
Muslims and non-Muslims in the Islamic State, the Messenger of Allah (saaw)
said regarding the Muslims,



"Allah's covenant amongst them is one" and "The Believers are brothers to
the exclusion of others" and "The peace of the believers is indivisible. No
separate peace shall be made with believers are fighting in the way of
Allah."



These statements serve to indicate that Muslims are one body and they are
not to be treated separately. Furthermore, the obligation of having one
state, and not many nationalistic states, also comes from the Ijma' of the
Sahabah. When the Messenger of Allah (saaw) died, the Sahabah (raa) convened
to discuss the appointment of the Khalifah in the courtyard of Bani Sa'ida.
One person had proposed that the Ansar should elect their own Amir and the
Muhajireen their own, but Abu Bakr (ra) narrated the Hadith that forbids the
Ummah from having more than one leader. Thus, the Sahabah (raa) never
allowed more than one ruler and their consensus is a legitimate evidence for
us.



Islam therefore leaves no room for the Saudi state, and Egyptian state, a
Malaysian state, an Iraninan state, or a Pakistani state. Islam calls for
one state with one ruler where all Muslims are bound by the `Aqeedah of
Islam. And this is a matter deciddd by Islam to which we must submit to, for
Allah (swt) says,



"O mankind, verily We have created you from a male and a female, and made
you peoples and tribes, so that you may recognize each other. Verily, the
most honored of you to Allah is (he who) safeguards himself against evil
with full awareness of Divine Laws. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing,
All-Aware." [Surah Al Hujurat (49): ayah 13]



This verse was revealed immediately after the triumphant entry of the
Prophet (saaw) into Makkah. After the declaration of immunity to the
Quraysh, the Prophet (saaw) requested Bilal (ra) to give the Adhan. A group
of three new Muslims were observing the proceedings when Bilal (ra) was
asked to make the Adhan. One of them remarked how happy he was that his
parents were not present to see such a disgusting sight. Another one, Harith
bin Hisham commented that the Prophet (saaw) couldn't find anybody other
than a black crow to make the Adhan. The third one, Abu Sufyan, abstained
from making any adverse comment, stating that if he said anything, Allah
(swt) would send a revelation to Muhammad (saaw) addressing his statement.



Allah (swt) sent Jibreel (as) to inform the Prophet (saaw) of the discussion
that had just taken place. The prophet (saaw) asked the three men about
their conversation, who confirmed to the Prophet (saaw) what Jibreel (as)
told him. The verse of the Qur'an was subsequently revealed.



Because these individuals from the Quraysh were differentiating between
themselves and Bilal (ra), Allah (swt) revealed this verse, concluding that
the only criteria that Allah (swt) uses to judge between Muslims is that of
Taqwa, which Bilal (ra) had and of which they were devoid of. This verse
destroys the basis of nationalism in Islam.



In the first part of the Ayah, Allah (swt) revealed to humanity that all
human beings were created from a single pair - Adam and Eve. This statement
clearly refutes any claim of certain people that humans came from animals
through the process of evolution or any other such claim.



The part of the Ayah, "..and made you peoples and tribes, so that you may
know each other..." is usually misinterpreted as `nations and tribes' to
justify the differences created by the existing borders, specifically in the
Muslim World. In addition, such misinterpretations are also used to
encourage Muslims to foster pride in these affiliations.



Unfortunately, these Muslims quickly jump to conclusions without looking at
what Allah (swt) says. The errant understanding of this Ayah attempts to
legitimize the current situation of the Muslim Ummah as many nations -
divided and powerless - resulting from the destruction of the Khilafah state
on March 3rd, 1924 by the puppet of the Kuffar, Mustafa Kamal.



Furthermore, such a misunderstanding lends legitimacy to the continued
division of the already divided Muslim lands that occurred throughout the
twentieth century, with the division of the Indian Subcontinent into Indian,
Pakistani and Kashmiri regions; the further division of Pakistan into two
countries with the creation of Bangladesh; and the renting asunder of the
last Islamic Khilafah by the British agent Sykes and the French agent Picot
during World War I in which they used the pencil and ruler to divide the
Muslim Ummah.



"It is not for a believer (male or female) that when Allah and His Messenger
have decreed a matter that they should have any choice in their decision.
And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger, he has indeed strayed in plain
error." [Surah Al-Ahzab (33): ayah 36]



And those who still uphold nationalism, remember what Allah (swt) says,



"And let those who oppose the Messenger's commandment beware, lest some
Fitnah (disbelief, trials,afflictions,...) befall them or a painful torment
be inflicted on them." [Surah An-Nur (24): ayah 63]



A Chapter from The Roots of Nationalism in the Muslim World
by Shabir Ahmed and Abid Karim
Published by:
Islamic Cultural Workshop
PO Box 1932 Walnut, CA 91789 USA
Tel: (909) 399-4708

Has not the time yet come for those who believe
that their hearts should be humble for the remembrance of Allah and what has come down of the truth?
[57:16]