The prophet Muhammad said: “He is not one of us who calls for asabiyyah, (tribalism/nationalism) or who fights for asabiyyah, or who dies for asabiyyah.”
On one occasion during the time of the Prophet (salallahu alaihi wa sallam), a party of Jews conspired to bring about disunity in the ranks of the Muslims after seeing the Aus and Khazraj harmonious with each other within Islam.
Islam and Nationalism
The prophet Muhammad said: “He is not one of us who calls for asabiyyah, (tribalism/nationalism) or who fights for asabiyyah, or who dies for asabiyyah.” [Abu Dawud]
On one occasion during the time of the Prophet (salallahu alaihi wa sallam), a party of Jews conspired to bring about disunity in the ranks of the Muslims after seeing the Aus and Khazraj harmonious with each other within Islam. A youth from among them was sent to incite remembrance of the battle of Bu’ath, where the Aus had been victorious over the Khazraj. He recited poetry to stir their feelings, remind them of their past differences, and bring about division between them. As a result there was a call to arms.
When the news reached the Messenger of Allah (salallahu alaihi wa sallam) he said, “O Muslims, remember Allah, remember Allah. Will you act as pagans while I am present among you, after Allah has guided you to Islam, and honoured 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.
Islam is a religion that abhors racism, ethnicism, tribalism, and its newer version, nationalism. Differences of language, colour, cuisine and accent were meant to add flavour to life, not to be used to ridicule or fight each other. The past couple of centuries have seen wars between different ethnic groups on a scale unprecedented before. The rise of nationalism has resulted in bitter conflict between groups that had lived for centuries in harmony. It has set the world on fire and resulted in pandaemonium.
While Allah (subhana wa ta’ala) has prohibited nationalism, Muslims are killing one another and aiding non-Muslims to kill their brothers and sisters in Islam, in the name of serving their own “country”. This is despite the fact that such “countries” have no legitimacy in Allah’s eyes because:
1) in none of these is Allah’s law held wholly superior to man made law, and
2) there is only one country to which all Muslims belong, i.e. Dar-ul-Islam. Muslims, for thirteen centuries were one bloc, under one leadership, in the name of Allah (subhana wa ta’ala). When you cut an elephant into 100 pieces you don’t get one hundred elephants, instead you get a bloody mess. Incited against each other using nationalism, this is what the Muslim Ummah has become.
Do you agree that theocracy (any religion) is the optimal form of government? I think a theocracy’s exclusiveness and elitism creates more disharmony among people of different kind than the unity it alleges. Theocracy dismisses all outsiders. Seems to deny right of existence of non Muslim subsets of population . In fairness other religions do the same thing. Even Christian denominations disparage each other and their entry into the political arena has certainly polarized and immobilized progress in US. 35 years ago I almost entered Presbyterian seminary. The elders of my home church were reluctant to recommend me because I expressed that it appears that God reveals Himself to different people in different ways. Who can claim the exclusive knowledge to validate or dismiss paths to God ? There may be other paths to communion with God than the one taught by my own denomination and anyone who professes exclusive knowledge that a path is the only path is delusional. To claim that one knows the mind of God seems blasphemy no matter what religion is professed. My current ideas about religion after all my studies has been boiled down to just two things: never be the source of anyone’s misfortune and never pass up the opportunity to perform a charitable act.
If you ask me I would give you the biggest living example of Islamic way of banking system which introduced quite long ago, the interest is haram in Islam in all ways…. anyway all the banking or the money is in the very wisely used and even loans have no interest… I am in favor of the Shariya laws….. as the misconception of Shariya by the west is misinterpreted and spread the hate rather. Unless people really read about it rather then watching CNN etc… will have no knowledge of it. As the US is heavily dominated by the Evil Zionist media and doesnt show the reality of even Israelis. I cant blame the public but the policy of the country. If we look back in the history of US, which killed more people than hitler since world wars..
The corruption of the west impose the leadership as well as favor them time to time which caused so much destruction of humanity. I like the Egypt which got now total semi Islamic govt. which is good. Iran got theirs and But non of the country have the real shariyah laws at all… they may have few yes but the rest based on their Constitution. the govt should be for the people and by the people but not by fucked up MTV or Scifi or Superman or Batman or by Statue of so called Liberty or neither by Columbus.