Is it necessary to deny ones race in Islam?
It is natural, lawful and logical for everyone to love his relatives, friends, race and tribe; to show them mercy and to try to serve them materially and immaterially without bearing hostility to other tribes and nations.
Surely, races, tribes and relatives are loved. However, in Islam, loving ones own race and relatives means trying to establish the love and fear of Allah in the hearts of them, protecting them from any kinds of illicit acts which Allah prohibited, to attempting to induce them to live in the bounds of what Allah commanded. It also means introducing them justice, purity, modesty, honor, generosity, wisdom and other lofty characters and virtues as targets for their emotions, thoughts and consciousness. It also means trying to develop their feelings of responsibility for their nation and state by explaining them the right of Allah and the right of His servants.
Almighty Allah commanded in the Quran addressing Allahs Messenger (Peace and Blessings be upon him):
And admonish your nearest kinsmen. And lower your wing to the Believers who follow you. Then if they disobey you, say: "I am free (of responsibility) for what you do!" (The Poets (Ash-Shuàráa), 214-215-216)
From this verse, it is understood that, by remaining in the bounds of Islam, loving ones relatives and race which is inherent in man is not prohibited but commanded. However, Islam definitely prohibits racism that excacerbates conflicts and turns the community life upside down by despising and disparaging other races. Moreover, Islam rejects any kinds of regionalism, sectionalism and tribalism that could cause tyranny, injustice and conflicts.
- Could you give some information on nationalism and racism? Is it religiously permissible if I love my nation better than other nations?
- Racism through the eye of a Quranic verse
- Foreword (About Racism)
- What are the harms of racism?
- THE BASIC CONCEPTS OF ISLAM
- Are Jews cursed?
- What are the traps (tricks) of Satan?
- Gleams: Flowers from the Seeds of Reality. A short ‘Mathnawi’ and collection on the subject of belief for the Risale-i Nur students.
- How does Islam view Racism?
- Before the Lord of the Universe (pbuh) was given the duty of prophethood, how was religious, moral and social state of humanity and world?