RACISM AND ISLAM II
Continuing from part one’s essay on Racism and
Islam is the question of the Muslim response to racism and the Sharia’s
prohibition of it. I mention this as it is well known that Islam is both belief
and action so that a Muslim’s~~~ conformity to the lawful and abandoning the
unlawful in the sacred law/shariah is considered a proof of his or her
assertion of faith. The old saying ‘actions speak louder than words’ is
consistent with the perfection of Islam reflected in the text sources (Qur’an
and Hadith) after accepting the beliefs of Islam with one important difference,
the texts were divinely revealed meaning they must be obeyed if our statements
of faith/belief is true.
To put this falsehood in perspective a few facts are in order: First, the Prophetic narratives that mention a man with a “head like a raisin” reflect the Prophet’s (pbuh) means of educating Muslims in several areas, starting with the criteria of religious, legal and political authority. He used the example of people the Arabs of that time generally ‘looked down’ on as inferior to drive the point home.
Second: what is a raisin—a deformed grape. By using this wording the Prophet (pbuh) was saying a leader’s looks and physical appearance could be offensive but this has no bearing on his capacity to lead. In saying this he rejected racism and tribal exclusiveness being the opposite of what he is criticized for in the Hadith. Here again we see deviated people twisting the sacred words of the last Prophet (pbuh) as they did with the previous Prophets and Messengers, i.e., Musa (Moses) and Issa (Jesus). (Alhs)
Third: the hadith indicates the importance of maintaining the ‘chain of command’ as Allah has stated, “OBEY ALLAH, HIS PROPHET AND THOSE CHARGED WITH AUTHORITY AMONG YOU.” (4:59). Fourth is the Islamic principle of credible expertise – in other words, choosing the best person for the job.
It is interesting to note that playing the ‘race card’ is among the foundations of the Judeo-Christian tradition before the Prophet Muhammad’s time, (see Exodus 4:22) during his time and still lives in the hearts and minds of many non-Muslims today.
The reason Allah (SWT) chose the
Children of Ibrahim/Abraham (pbuh) was that his tradition of faith and
service would be passed on to his descendants reflected in the Qur’anic term Millat-Ibrahim.
During the lifetime of the Prophet (pbuh) some Jews attempted to distort their scriptures in one case to make the Prophet appear to look like them; more European than Semitic. This is said to be the background of the ayat: “THEN WOE TO THOSE WHO WRITE THE BOOK FROM THEIR OWN HANDS AND THEN SAY THIS IS FROM ALLAH...” (2:79) (The Holy Qur’an in today’s English Yahiya Emerick pg. 52 and Tafsir Usmani/The Noble Qur’an Vol.1, pg. 34)
Among the proofs the Prophet’s (pbuh) words were distorted to imply racism is reflected is his interactions with Black people. Usama Ibn Zayd was of ‘mixed’ parentage: his father was Arab, Zayd Ibn Haritha while his mother was African, Umm Ayman. Usama was among the Ahle-Bait or people of the Prophet’s house and not as a slave whom the Prophet loved. In addition is the well-known African Companion, Bilal ibn Rab’aah the chief Muaddhin (caller to prayer) along with acting as a distributor of the Zakat/treasury funds at the order of the Prophet (pbuh). In one incident an Arab Muslim made a disparaging remark about Bilal’s mother/parentage, when the Prophet (pbuh) heard about this he rebuked the Companion, saying “I see the signs of ignorance (racism, ethnic superiority) are still with you.” He then went to Bilal and sought his forgiveness for the remark.
On a contemporary note, there are several Masajids in adjoining neighborhoods ‘run’ by immigrant African Muslims whose Khatibs/Imams know the Qur’an, Hadith and the Seerah books from the Arabic language speaking of Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in the most loving and respectful terms. Are they brainwashed or are they carrying a religious tradition based on the faith of Islam that goes back over 1400 years?
I hope that none of my Muslim brethren were deceived into thinking or speaking ill of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) as this comes dangerously close to unbelief if not unbelief proper. Whether due to the lack of knowledge on the issue of race from the Islamic tradition or being subtly influenced by the ignorant rantings of the two groups declared as deviated in the Qur’an (Jews and Christians), the result of their faith possibly hanging in the balance is the same.
SWT - SubhanaAllah wa Ta'ala
