A Singular Voice

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1. Abdul Jabbar - February 19, 2008

I think the last Sermon of the prophet pretty much shuts down this crap for me. Brother don’t let these self hating muslims waste your time.

2. Arab Racial Supremacism « Ali Eteraz - February 19, 2008

[...] by eteraz on February 19th, 2008 Arabs as master race. The dark underbelly of modern Salafism. Check out how a major American Salafi Imam — who happens to be black — propagated some extremely [...]

3. peacefulmuslimah - February 19, 2008

I would like to make some really profound statement here, but all I can say is “UGH, what a cretin!”

I have seen the negative impact of the Salafis here in the Gulf, but I think the sickness is greater in the West. I suspect it is because of the insecurity of some Muslims and the desire to feel “more Muslim” than Arab “born Muslims”.

Salaam Alaikum,
PM

4. Abu Usamah - February 19, 2008

Please do not confuse this guy (the Golden or Goldie) with Abu Usamah (Detroit Eastside!) furthermore please pray for the brother eventually maybe he will regain his selfesteem inshaAllah

5. Arab Racial Supremacism | PakQuest - News Aggregator - February 19, 2008

[...] must believe Arabs are the master race!” he said. The dark underbelly of modern Salafism. Check out how a major American Salafi Imam — who happens to be black — propagated some extremely [...]

6. Dawud - February 19, 2008

As-Salaamu `Alaykum,

JazakALLAHU khayran for the post.

It is true that not only Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal and Ibn Taymiyyah made such statements but also Imam Malik bin Anas Imam Ash-Shafi’i also made some negative remarks about Blacks. We pray that ALLAH has mercy on these scholars, who were humans that erred in some matters just as all of us do. The Qur’an is clear (49.13) that ethnic superiority has no place in Al-Islam.

Just as this Salafi brother has “excreted” his views about Arab superiority, I’ve seen indigenous brothers and sisters praise the Ottoman Turks in a similiar way minus quoting ahadeeth that are weak.

As I always say, taking shahadah alone is not enough to break the chains of psychological slavery that many of us still suffer from. Just as some of us back in the day and maybe still say “good hair” is straigther hair like Whites and “nappy hair” is no good, some of us have transferred our latent inferiority complexes with Whites to Arabs. This mental sickness shows itself in terms of associating the best Muslims soley on people being Arab and Non-Arabs being 2nd class.

Please don’t confuse this. I know many beautiful Arab Muslim brothers, and I do believe it to be meritorious for Non Arabs to learn the Arabic language.

Now as for the “immigrant” formed organizations such as ISNA, ICNA, MAS, etc. having these sort of views, I truly believe that there is a new movement among these organizations to purge themselves of some of this overseas baggage. The reality is that many of the children of the founders of these groups find more in common with the Blackamerican Muslims than their own parents. These children in their late 20’s and 30’s are slowly influencing a change in the discourse of these groups. I believe that in another decade these organizations will look very little like how they did in the 80’s.

There will, however, always be Arabs, who see themselves as superior Muslims due to their Arabness. This mentality was never totally purified from them when they were in Jahiliyyah. It goes all the way back to the governments of Bani Umayyah beginning in the times of the tabi’een.

But ALLAH knows best.

Wassalaam.

7. Word - February 19, 2008

I am very disappointed that this kind of racial inferiority is being taught to brothers who need to be learning things that are more beneficial than this. I knew that the salafi movement seemed to promote subjugation to Arabs, but I didn’t know that it was this blatant

8. IMM - February 19, 2008

Why is a black man teaching this? What happened to him?

9. 'Antara - February 19, 2008

As-salaamu ‘alaykum.

I am a proud and honourable non-Arab who agrees with the shaykh. I truly love, respect and admire Arabs - their language, their culture, and their beauty. Thank you for sharing this. May Allah bless you.

Fi aman Allah.

10. 'Antara - February 19, 2008

Here is an excellent and enlightening article entitled “Has Allah placed Arabs over Non-Arabs?”:

http://www.livingislam.org/fiqhi/fiqha_e76.html

11. Hijabisoverrated - February 19, 2008

*sighs

This is retarded

I would never marry such a man

where in the world is his dignity?

12. amad - February 19, 2008

Do the scholars of the large immigrant Muslim organizations like I.S.N.A, Q.S.S., C.A.I.R., M.A.S., I.I.I.T, etc, clandestinely subscribe to this noxious belief?

The only point I will make is to take contention with the above quoted statement. For some reason, you have concluded that the questions of Arabs superiority is only relevant to blackamericans. But akhi, Pakistanis, Malaysians, Caucasians, i.e. 80% of all Muslims are NOT Arab. So this has nothing to do with racism against blackamericans. If you want to take issue with this, then take issue with it as being a non-Arab, along with other non-Arabs. I am surprised at why everything these days is being conflated to make the impression that the Muslims of the world are against blackamericans, as was also demonstrated in another post about Palestine (not on your blog).

And to put the nail in the coffin regarding the organizations you mentioned, none of them (except perhaps MAS) have an Arab domination; rather, Pakistanis and non-Arabs, in the case of ISNA (Sr. Ingid Mattson), have a major say in it. And don’t forget ICNA, which has very little Arab influence.

I believe that one should weigh the consequences of one’s rhetoric. I don’t have anything to say with regards to the jurisprudence of what you stated. There are many theoretical things in the deen that are best to stay away from, because the practical application is different. In other words, I agree that for Abu Usamah to bring this up is not only practically useless, but also counter-productive.

But to imply that this is part of some hidden conspiracy is wallahi a huge stretch. Why would this conspiracy only target black Muslims and not Pakistanis for instance? I personally have gone to conferences of QSS, ISNA, MAS, etc. and never heard of this underlying conspiracy. I personally know Arab and non-Arab shayookh and have never heard of this underlying conspiracy. In other words, if there was INDEED such a conspiracy, I’d know about it, or feel it.

To start dividing Muslims based on race, nationality or other social identities is dangerous. At the same time, I am a huge supporter of MANA’s stated cause, and believe that every community should enrich itself, because it best knows itself. But, I believe MANA and its great leaders such as Imam Siraj, Imam Johari, etc. would never mean self-help and self-enrichment to be a separation and division from other Muslims. Build bridges while fixing your own home. Not fix homes and destroy bridges.

I am sorry akhi, but I find your conspiracy theory quite incredulous and without any factual evidence of its actual manifestation. The cultish salafi problems of the northeast had nothing to do with this theological issue, but everything to do with a few students of knowledge who learned a little and married themselves to concepts that were foreign to this nation. There are salafis all over the world who haven’t had the marriage-divorce-go-arounds, or the other issues specific to the locality. This stereotyping is something we hate for ourselves as Muslims, and something we should be careful to apply to ANY group.

wallahualam

13. Zaid - February 20, 2008

Asalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu, Im not an arab nor do I say Arabs are superior to non arabs or whites over blacks or blacks over whites. But if you look at the muslim society, as a whole, we are divided into many languages and seperated from arabic, or our family like mine which is pakistani and they are muslim they dont know arabic. And if Allaah wills they did know arabic, the language of the day of Judgement, they would be far knowledgeable about Islaam, and they would not fall into so many innovations into the religion. As you see which people fall into all of these issues of deviancy it is those who dont know the language of the Quran and sunnah and this is stated so many times by many scholars is the people go astray because they dont know Arabic. And An Arab is not by his lineage but by his language, so anyone who speaks arabic is an Arab. Because its a language, not a race. And no doubt in the eyes of Allaah piety is what ranks one above another and not the language and you will see many who are non arab speakers who reverted to Islaam and they are more pious than the alot of the arabs. So the language holds no weight who is more pious or not, but language has alot to do with understanding our Religion Islaam. This language is the key to knowledge, all the books of knowledge are in this language, and who has more knowledge is superior than the one who doesn’t possess knowledge, so in this way to have the key to the knowledge and to use the key to access the doors of knowledge yes one would be superior including with his righteousness and sincerity to Allaah. If you were to look at it in this perspective then yes the one who possesses the arabic language whether he is black, white, pakistani, or chinese, who speaks and reads and writes the language would have the upperhand to be better than those who dont have the key to knowledge. Then on the other hand there are people born in the language may Allaah guide them who dont use the key or who dont advance their arabic and they cant even read the text of the Arabic or understand it and even the Quran so are they considered arabs? I would have to say no, regardless of how much they can brag about it, I know Arabs who read english books on Islaam rather than arabic, because their arabic is not so strong. And then you have all those other people who hate arabs and the language but they memorize the quran in arabic and learn urdu, like my people, and this is because of racism, they have the ability to memorize the quran in broken arabic, but have no sense to learn what the meaning is, is it not that Allaah revealed the Quran for us to ponder over or just memorize it and say we are knowledgeable but have no spec of the understanding or know what the meaning of the Quran is. Then is it the person is just blind. I remember many people tell me that if you were to memorize the Quran but dont know its meaning then the person is in doom and they mentioned this to be in the Quran, (as I am not quoting the Quran just what my teacher told me of what it says in the Quran) The language of the Muslims is arabic, whether we know arabic or not or whether we like it or not due to racism in our hearts, but this is our language. So dont separate your selves from the language and let the kuffar take the language away from us and brain wash us to think that arabic is not good, and I am not saying not to learn english, because we need to do dawah in this language or convert everyone to speaking Arabic like the British english did to us they took away our language slowly. They know if they take away arabic they take away from our Islaam. And what language do we memorize for our prayers. So we all have the ability to learn, do we have the ability to seek, may Allaah guide us all upon the correct understanding of this issue ameen. Barakallaah feek, your brother in Islaam. Zaid ibn Kazi al Pakistanee

14. Aboo Abdillah H - February 20, 2008

As Abu Usamah said, this is a fundamental AQEEDAH ISSUE and the Arabs are BETTER than us

SEVERAL scholars of the past and present have agreed and YOU did not support your post with ANY evidence. Abu Usamah’s post was filled with evidence, your with insults and hate. You need to realize your position akhee. You were made less than the Arabs, but that does not mean that you are not Muslim. They have been favored over the rest of us, and that is the way it is. The Arab cultures are closer to the Sunnah than other cultures. Arab run masjids are generally closer to the Sunnah than non-Arab masjids. We don’t find the amount of bidah in the Arab cultures that we find in ajamee cultures. The Arabs have preserved this deen. We should not be ashamed of any aspect of this deen. There should be no blame in imitating and being like the Arabs in what is permissible because their culture is certainly closer to the Sunnah than the worthless BLACK culture of BET video girls, welfare checks, clown culture, laziness, gang problems, out of control crime and ghetto culture that has produced NOTHING!! Black History Month is in February, the shortest month of the Kaafir calender year, for the good reason that they have produced nothing.

The Arabs on the other hand have produced numerous scholars that have protected this deen and still to this day now.

I am free from these BLACK people

15. Abdal Hakeem jamaican - February 20, 2008

abu usamah is not on the salafi methodology he with the people of Ahlul-Bid’ah go to salaf.com salafitalk.com or salaficast.net

16. Abdal Hakeem jamaican - February 20, 2008

salafi methodology is not about race we are all muslim upon the right path that salafi dawah

17. Aboo Abdillah H - February 20, 2008

Akhee Abdal Hakeem

Where is your proof that Abu Usamah is not salafi? Let’s not be oppressive. Which of our ulamaa have said that he is not salafi?

18. Abdal Hakeem jamaican - February 20, 2008

i didn’t say he is not a salafi i said he was not upon the salafi methodology no more he’s with the people of ahlul-bid’ah(hizbi) in is speech and action like what he said about the ulamaa with is speech attacks the major scholars with is false bayan

19. Aboo Abdillah H - February 20, 2008

Abdal Hakeem,

You are playing with words akhee. If you are not upon the salafi methodology then YOU ARE NOT SALAFI. Who are the people of bid’ah that he is with? Besides, this post was about the fadeelah of the Arabs in our Ummah and not Abu Usamah’s salafiyyah. Which of the major scholars did he attack?

Know that the likes of Abu Khadeejah are NOT from the ulamaa akhee

20. amad - February 20, 2008

subhanAllah…. you see akhi AbdurRahman, your problem is not about the superiority of Arab over Ajamee… its on removing some of our brethren from the cultish mentality as demonstrated by the pathetic little spat between our two brothers above, arguing over who’s salafi and who’s not.

May Allah guide us from the movement mentality!

21. Abdal Hakeem jamaican - February 20, 2008

1)he continues is defence of Al-Hidayah(hizbi) work with them,praising them
2)is open attacks and dispraising and mocking shaikh rabee ibn hadi
3)is defence of the innovator Abul-Hasan Misri

you are right about what the post was about i just wanted to make it clear about abu usamah i don’t have problem with what you said about post

22. Abdal Hakeem jamaican - February 20, 2008

amad and abdur rahman you two need to removing the black mentality moverment from ur heart not everything have to be about black this is islam not black islam

23. Ahmad AlFarsi - February 20, 2008

funny… Amad isn’t black… he might pass as blackistani however

24. Shibli Zaman - February 20, 2008

as-salamu `alaykum,

Allahu-l Musta`an. There were so many horrible mistakes in Abu Usamah ath-Thahabi’s email, I don’t think I can tackle them all. What I will tackle is the most glaring and possibly outright deceptive…

“Sheikh-ul-Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah (ra) was of the opinion that Arabs ARE SUPERIOR (Afdal) than Non-Arabs…
He wrote: ‘And the MAJORITY of scholars are of the opinion that the Arab species is better (Afdal) than the Non-Arab (species) just as the nation of Quraish is better (Afdal) than the Non-Quraishite nations and (just as) the nation of Bani Haashim is better (Afdal) than the Non-Bani Haashim (nations).’ Majm’u Al-Fataawa 19/29″

Why stop there? Why not quote the NEXT PARAGRAPH?

“HOWEVER, the prevalence of one group over another group does not necessitate that every individual (from the preferred group) will have preference over the individual (from the other group). For in the Non-Arabs there are many who are better many of the Arabs. In those not from the Quraysh from the Muhajirs and the Ansar were many who were better than many from the Quraysh. In those not of Bani Hashim from Qurash and those not from Quraysh were many who were better than many from Bani Hashim. In regards to this, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) stated: ‘The best of generations is the one I have arisen in, then the ones succeeding them, then the ones succeeding them.’ Yet, in the later generations there are many who are better than many from the Second and Third generations (designated in the Hadith). With this, the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) did not isolate the Second or Third generations (designated in the Hadith) by jusristic decree. Likewise, he did not isolate the Arabs by juristic decree. Moreover, he did not isolate some of his Sahabah with juristic decree other than what was for the rest of his Ummah, but when anyone from the Sahabah had a preferred quality, they were informed of it. Similarly for those who came before and after were not isolated with juristic decree. They were informed of what preferred qualities they had which made them stand out based UPON THEIR DEEDS, AND THIS HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR LINEAGE.”

I’ve touched upon the “Culture is Haram” nonsense being a disguised Nasserist Pan-Arabist propaganda tool. Likewise, these misquotes and quotes taken OUT OF CONTEXT from some of the greatest scholars of Islam regarding the Tafdil of Arabs is another Satanic ploy in the same.

The Tafdil of the Arabs, when mentioned in the books of Fiqh, is in regards to Kuf’ in marriage and the LANGUAGE OF THE QUR’AN. Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) did hold the OPINION AND THEORY which he NEVER claimed to be fact that the Arabs, Persians and Europeans were the prevalent races above all others. The fact that he ties the words “Faris” (Persia) and “Rum” (Rome) to the Arabic words for “Guarding” (”faras” and “Casting away” (rami) is almost prose like and does not seem to be very serious on his part at all. We all know, just as well as he did, that the words “Persia” and “Rome” do not have their origins in Arabic. Based on this alone, this can not be taken seriously.

Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) quotes the following Prophetic Hadith several times in the same work:

“There is no preference for the Arab over the Non-Arab. Likewise, there is not for the Non-Arab over the Arab. Likewise, not the Black over the White. Nor the White over the Black. None except for by piety.”

This is not contradiction. It is INDICATION that his quotes are being MISUSED out of context to support a racist cause. I find it heart-wrenching and tragic that this was done by none other than a Black American.

I normally would have ignored this since the Salafis make chop-suey out of me whenever I address them in public, but I did this primarily to defend Ibn Taymiyyah (rahimahullah) from being portrayed as a racist.

May Allah forgive me for my errors and make any truth I have spoken be of benefit.

Allah knows best.

25. Shibli Zaman - February 20, 2008

Brother Dawud, could you please share what information you have regarding Imams Malik and ash-Shafi`i (rahimahullah) disparaging Blacks in any way? I am not aware of this. Perhaps, there is a misunderstanding here?

Malik and ash-Shafi`i were both from the Red Sea area which, especially in that time, was a Afro-Asiatic demographic of very dark complexion and tightly curled hair. Ibn Taymiyyah on the other hand was from Harran which was on the borders of Rome and would have had a very Mediterranean/European looking population so the slight “White is right” influence is more understandable in his social context.

Allah knows best.

Jazakullahu khayran. was-salam

26. Brother A - February 20, 2008

“They should not – intentionally or unintentionally - misunderstand or misinterpret the intent behind the statement

Which is exactly what was done here, making a non-issue out of an email that was passed out maybe 3-4, if not 5 years ago, in a series of emails none of which expressed the authors personal beliefs and instead (rather colloquially) quoted scholars of the past that held this opinion.
—————————————-
You said:

Abu Usamah’s email quoted below explains why so many brothers in that movement suffer from inferiority complexes and try to be Arab.

While he said:

They despise being led by an Ajamee in Salaat and in some cases (like in Sham today) when one of them speaks about a black Ajamee person he refers to him as ‘Abd (without any evil intent in many instances). These people are the Arab nationalist like those of the Iraqi Bathist party.

Ironically enough, there are some Ajamees who are of this opinion! They mistakenly believe being Arab is tantamount to being Muslim and they believe being a Muslim means you must speak English (for example) with a broken Arab accent! They believe Arab woman are all princes or queens and all Non-Arab woman are lowly and unworthy! Some of them shamelessly take pride in lying and claiming that they are of Arab decent!

Hmm… me thinks that this last quote is not particularly promoting Arab supremacy, and that you may be taking things out of context.
—————————————-

Being that this was an email sent out probably on a listserve, did you receive permission from the listserve or the author before reproducing it? If not then you could be in a lot of legal trouble.
—————————————-

On another note, did you by chance email this Salafi Imam and ask his opinion before using slanderous words like:
1- brazen (or foolish)
2- suffer from inferiority complexe
3- adds quite demagogically
4- reeking, ideological excrement
5- resembles the rantings of Hitler’s Mein Kampf
6- slavishly imitate them
7- spurious teaching
8- shameful behavior
9- clearly contradicting himself.
10- this aberrant behavior
11- breathtakingly fraudulent argumentation
12- “Master Race” hokum
13- slavish imitation
14- dead-enders
15- Hitleresque doctrine, beginning with Imam Abu Usamah himself.

—————————————-
He says:
“…it as being IMPERITIVE that it be brought to the attention of…”

You said:
…it is of the utmost importance that one believe in…

Hmmm….quite a difference. “brought to the attention of” is not “believed in”, seems that you are clearly twisting this mans words.
———————————

No more mention of difference of opinion. It is just a fact. He is saying that the Salaf BELIEVED the Arabs were better and we should too…

Could it be that you were uninformed, and that in that email you read he was presenting the opinion of those that believed such a thing, laying out their proofs so that they could be dealt with later? I ask again: Did you receive permission to reproduce this man’s words here, or did you not care because disrespecting someone that is seen as an “Imam” will no doubt give you the props that you need to feel good about yourself and impress others? See this line of reasoning can be applied both way.
—————————————-

Brother you should fear Allah, advice those you see as wrong, and get informed of the whole issue before you posts things on it. By posting this type of ridiculous and wholly immature answer to an set of numerous emails that you are undoubtfully uninformed about you are doing exactly what you accuse those that you detract from on your webstie: making mountains out of mole hills.

You make so many ridiculous and outlandish claims, inferring what you like from this one email that your objective in doign so is not clear.

One thing is clear however: Your approach is not scholarly at all, and is more fanfare than anything else.

27. Aboo Abdillah H - February 20, 2008

Brother Abdur-Rahman

Here are a few things for you to think about, so that you will stop defending the black hip hop, car theft, drive by shooting, fornication laziness culture.

Blacks lead in violent crimes like murder, assault, robbery and rape
but only make up like 13 percent of America. Show me a black neighborhood and I will show you a crime ridden one.

Believe me akhee, you will feel so much better by attaching yourself to the Sunnah and the ulamaa and their books and speeches. You will only fall into destruction with the lowly blacks

28. Brother A - February 20, 2008

Shibli Zaman-

Thank you for that clarification and translation. I believe that that point was made in another email by brother Imam on the email server years ago where he presents the proof of the other side. It was a series of emails and this post is a johnny-come-lately post.

29. Shariq Hasan - February 20, 2008

Uhh Akhi, who are you? Why did you start a blog? You dont seem to have any knowledge, but you insist on commenting on knowledge based issues.

the brother abu usamah atleast presented the topic with quotes from people like imaam ahmad and in a scholarly way. The least you could do is disagree with him by bringing other proofs from the quraan and the sunnah and the statements of the salaf.

At the end of the day, who are you to go off like the way you did. You have a lot of people reading ur blog akhi, maybe you should think three times before putting urself out there. Your retarded opinions and lack of any scholarly etiquette when addressing issues can easily misguide gullible people.

Before you go off on other people, maybe you should remember th hadeeth of the prophet sallallahu alaihi wa sallam when he told us that during the latter times people will take ignorant people as their leaders.

I know u dont want to become one of those ignorant leaders that people look up to now do u?

30. Faisal - February 20, 2008

Among the benefits Arabs has bestowed on BLACKS: civilization, clothes, science, not eating human beings, the eradication of many diseases that had plagued mankind throughout the ages, reading, cleanliness, and most of all ISLAM. The list goes on and on. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. Islamic students go to universities in the tens of thousands to study in Saudi Arabia. Not Africa

31. Aboo Abdillah H - February 20, 2008

Abdal Hakeem

You continue to throw out charges without support. Who from the ulamaa has said that Al-Hidayah is hizbi? When has Abu Usamah attacked or mocked Shaikh Rabee? When did one’s position on Abul-Hasan Misri become a test to one’s salafiyyah?

Brother A & Shariq:

This brother needs to understand that he is less and just deal with it. Why would one complain that the sahabah were better? The Arabs are just better than us and he is from a filthy and evil culture of crack epidemics, gangsta rap, drive by shootings and drunks that manages to destroy everything in its path and he needs disassociate himself from completely from it. He would feel better once he did that.

32. Word - February 20, 2008

To those who disagree with Abdur-Rahman’s disagreement that the Arabs are superior…why do you have to insult his race and culture in such a manner. It is quite offensive.

33. Shariq Hasan - February 20, 2008

Yes, as ignorant as his post might be, we are all muslims here and need to respect certain limits. no racial insults inshaallah and no generalizations.

34. Aboo Abdillah H - February 20, 2008

Br. “Word”

Who has insulted anyone racially? Everything that I have said is true. The brother needs to leave off the evil black culture. Bottom line

35. Salahuddin, Abu Ismail - February 20, 2008

As salaamu alakum, ahki I’m in agreement with this statement from the brother Shariq Hasan. These issues you are talking about are issues of knowledge and CLEARLY you are someone who are VERY, VERY, VERY IGNORANT. First learn the positions of the scholars as well as the position of what is being quoted from them. Not to forget as Muhammad (sallalahu alayhi wa salaam) said to his daughter Fatimah, “what an excellent salaf I am for you.” And the word in Arabic to describe one who follows the Salaf is Salafi. Know, May Allah guide both you and me, Ibnu Qayyim said that guidance to the path is one thing, but guidance upon the path is something different.

And the Prophet (sallalahu alayhi wa salaam) was an arab so were most of the sahaaba, As Allah choose the best of people from the Arabs and as He said that he revealed the Quraan in the language of the Arabs. Your twisting of words and meanings is dangerous and leads people to think other than what the people of knowledge, the scholars, not the like of Abu Usammah, Balil Phillips, Abu Muslimah, Hakeem Quick, Hasaan Somali, Abu Khadeejah, Abu Muhammad or any of these well known “DUAAT”, (callers to Islaam) may Allah guide us all to follow the path of the Salaf, Salafayyiah…Ameen.

Knowledge preceeds speech and action!!!

36. Shibli Zaman - February 20, 2008

Brother Salahuddin, you said:

“And the word in Arabic to describe one who follows the Salaf is Salafi”

Could you please provide the entry in Lisan al-`Arab which states that “Salafi” means this? To further clarify: I am requesting an entry from the classical Ma`ajim that state that a follower of the first 3 generations of Muslims is a “Salafi” as opposed to using the word “Khalaf”. Jazakullahu khayran. was-salam

37. Hassan As-Salafee - February 20, 2008

Often the hardest pill to swallow in life is the truth. Those hurtful words are a pittance compared to the pain that victims of blacks feel every day of the week. I’m sick and tired of this misplaced oversensitivity on the part of these blacks. As a person said above, blacks have done nothing and they need to put up or shut up. Since they can’t put up, then let them shut up! Anyone with eyes can see that Arabs are the forerunners of the deen and they need to realize this. Love for the Arabs if from the deen and this is not racism.

Get over yourselves and consider things outside the scope of your little black world. It won’t be the last time someone will say something that will hurt you. You placed a big burden on your shoulders delving into this issue and now you can’t deal with it? This is the way it is. Grow up “my brutha”.

Maybe I should write this in ebonics so the blacks can understand: “git ova yo selves and git wit dis deen homey”

38. Abul Qayyim - February 20, 2008

as salaamu alaikum

bro shibli’s post really put this argument to rest, for he quoted in full the text from majmoo’ fataawa.

bro abu abdillah h, was that a blanket statement you made when you referred to blacks as the “lowly blacks”?

39. Aboo Abdillah H - February 20, 2008

Abul Qayyim

I used to be from that LOWLY culture until Islam brought me out of it. Yes, they are a lowly people. Are not BET video girls, gang violence, drugs, crack epidemics, and fornication LOWLY? My point is that there is nothing redeemable about BLACK culture and it is therefore LOWLY.

40. LEILA - February 20, 2008

To Abdal Hakim Jamaican and Aboo Abdillah H on judgement day Allah will not ask you whether Abu Usamah was a salafi or ahlu bid’ah. The ulama are not your masters, but like you will have to answer to Allah one day. Learn the deen to help yourself not to create a cult you choose to call it “salafi” and use it to dismiss other muslims or feel better about yourselves because somehow you are on the “right path” and other muslims aren’t.

To Abdal Hakim Jamaican assuming you are of jamaican background what have you done to help your people? do you care about the issues and problems faced by your community or is Kashmir more important? Different Muslim immigrants from the West have stuck togather within their own groups to preserve their culture, language, identity and help each other from getting married to opening up businesses. If you are suffering from an identity crisis and you are knocking on the doors of the Arabs and Asian to accept you as one of them just because you are a muslim, I suggest you stop wasting your time. A man who rejects his identity and history cannot influence the future nor is he equal to the one who embraces it.

If black culture is evil as Aboo Abdillah H put it then people like Abdur Rahman are seeking for a solution, change, enlightenment and to uplift their community. They dont bury their heads in the sand or run. Nelson Mandela could have accepted the white race as supreme and avoided 27 years in jail so could Malcolm X and Martin Luther King. If both of you are black then its truly sad that you have such mentality.

41. gess - February 20, 2008

Keep digging in!!! Abdur-Rahman M

42. Ahmad AlFarsi - February 20, 2008

Br. Aboo Abdillah H, wouldn’t it be better to describe the fisq you speak of (drugs, BET, etc) as “the lowly state of mind which the West has forced its minorities into” instead of “black culture”? Our brothers and sisters in Muslim Africa have nothing to do with the culture you mentioned… so it is not fair nor just to label this fisq and fasaad as “black culture”…

Furthermore… as Muslims, can we not fathom that one’s closeness to the Prophet SAWS can be a sort of virtue?? Don’t we have a bit more respect for people who are “syed” (in desi terms)… or for the Ahl ul-Bayt and the descendants of the Prophet SAWS… don’t we somehow expect a little more from such people in terms of deen? If the virtue (fadeelah) of the Arabic nation is understood in that way (as it is the nation from which the Prophet SAWS descended, and the nation which first received the final message of Islam)… can’t we just understand that we have a certain amount of respect for this nation due to that? Not dissimilar to the respect one would have for someone who is a direct descendant of the Prophet SAWS. How is that racism?!? Of course, the most honorable in the sight of our Rabb is the one with the most taqwa… no one denies that at all. And, subhanAllah, if I am understanding this issue correctly, I don’t think any of our scholars believe that a person’s race will help him at all on the Day of Judgment! In those terms, there is no difference between any race… a “syed” will be just as accountable before Allah SWT (if not MORE accountable for having been given the blessing of this blessed lineage) than a non-syed… subhanAllah!

Please, brothers and sisters… stop calling things racism when they clearly are not! This simply is not racism… we love our Prophet SAWS, and we recognize that there is some virtue of being near to him… even in lineage! How is that so hard to understand!

43. Ahmad AlFarsi - February 20, 2008

May Allah forgive me if I am incorrect in my understanding. Ameen.

44. Ahmad AlFarsi - February 20, 2008

Also… I am neither Arab nor black… I am Irani. (and, subhanAllah, actually most Iranians are racist against Arabs!)

45. Zaid - February 20, 2008

bismillaah hir rahman nir raheem
asalamu alaykum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu ikhwaan, i want to remind everyone that Muslims are civilized human beings, and among the blacks, whites, pakistanis, and many others from culturally non arab countries are also Arabs but werent born Arabs but became Arabs, who have sought out to learn the arabic language fluently who translate books into english, spanish, urdu, chinese, swahili etc… and so on. And you will find among the blacks, whites and spanish and others in america who revert to Islaam who are amongst the best of the muslims, in eeman, practice, seeking of knowledge, spreading it and loving it, and letting us muslims who are born into Islaam increase our faith and see the victory of Islaam by Allaah making their foothold strong in the deen, We see those brothers who revert to Islaam and mashallaah your eeman goes way up, when you listen to them speak about Islaam and how they came to Islaam and how they have a strong hunger to learn Islaam than us born muslims, you get tears in your eyes. “All of you are descendants of Aadam and Aadam came from dirt.”And Allaah says in His Noble Book what means “O Mankind! We have created you from a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you in the Sight of Allah is the believer who has the most piety. Verily Allaah is All Knowing, All-Aware” So don’t stereotype anyone and remember racism is from shaytan when he claimed to be better than us “Humans” (not black, white, brown, n Yellow) with pride and arrogance, and I would tell all racists, nationalists, tribalists etc.. to “go and bite on the head of their fathers penis and don’t sugar coat their statement” (dont make their racist words seem beautified)(Bukhari;Adab al Mufrad) As for all the racist pride and arrogant people who look down at the arabs and the arabic language, you have lost a great deal, because in your heart you have sought to stem away from learning Arabic, so you have prevented access to your self from the doors of knowledge. So woe to your major loss. I believe this is what abu usamah intends in the article to make people understand the virtue of arabic the key to knowledge, the language of the day of judgement and the language of the Prophet salallahu alayhe wasalam. May Allaah guide us upon the correct understanding ameen.

46. Zaid - February 20, 2008

The Term “Arab” Means Muslim After Islaam
December 26, 2007 ·
By Shaykh ‘Abdur-Rasheed Azhar
Transcribed by Aboo Uthmaan [1] & [2]
After praising Allaah and sending prayers upon the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) Dr. Azhar said:
‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (radee Allaahu ‘anhu) wrote to Aboo Moosaa al-Asharee (radee Allaahu ‘anhu) and said: “Understand the Sunnah and understand the Arabic language because the Qur’aan is in Arabic.”
Brothers and sisters, our talk in this blessed evening is on the Arabic language and the importance of learning and teaching it. However, before I begin with the topic, it’s important to know who the Arabs are and what the Arabic language is.
The word “Arab” has an old and new usage. This terminology went through various periods in history in regards to its meaning with the scholars of the Arabic language.
Before Islam, it was used to mean anyone that lives in the Arabian Peninsula. This was mentioned by Shaykh-ul-Islam ibn Taymiyyah is his book, Iqtidah as-Siraat-ul-Mustaqim:
The Term “Arab” was used for the people who had three characteristics:
1) Their language was Arabic,
2) They were from the children of the Arabs,
3) Their residence was in the land of the Arabs, the Arabian Peninsula.
After the coning of Islam and its spread in the world, this term was used to mean a Muslim. If it was said that a person was an Arab it meant he was a Muslim.
Ibn Taymiyyah quoted Abu Jafar Muhammad ibn ‘Alee ibn Hussein bin ‘Alee who said: “Whoever is born in Islam is an Arab.”
It has been reported upon the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) that he said: “Whoever loves the Arabs, then due to my love they love them, and whoever hates the Arabs then due to my hatred, they hate them.”
Perhaps the Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) meant with the “Arabs” the Muslims. This word then acquired another meaning and was used for anyone who spoke the Arabic language.
It was narrated upon the Messenger (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) that he ascended the mimbar, praised Allaah and then said: “O mankind! Surely the Lord is one Lord, the father is one father the deen is one deen. Surely Arabic is not for anyone of you due to a father or a mother, it is only a language. Whoever speaks Arabic is an Arab.”
It has been narrated upon Abu Hurayrah (radee Allaahu ‘anhu), marfu’an: “As long as you speak Arabic then you are an Arab.
So the term “Arabic” ended up referring to a language and not an ethnicity. Whoever learned and spoke Arabic, no matter from where he came or from which ethnicity he belonged to he was an Arab. If one did not learn or speak Arabic then he is a non-Arab even if his forefathers were from the pure Arabs. So being an Arab is not an inherited trait but rather an earned trait. Hence, it is a reference to the language and not to an ethnicity or lineage.
The importance of this language, the Arabic language, like other international languages, is that it has a great role in the transmission of knowledge between continents. It also has a great role in international social, academic, political and economic relations. In addition, it has great importance to a Muslim’s life in specific since Allaah has chosen it for His great Book, the lasting miracle of the Prophet Muhammad (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). And He (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) mentioned this language in a praiseworthy manner when He mentioned in His revelation:
“And truly, this (the Qur’aan) is a revelation from the Lord of the ‘Alameen (mankind, jinn’s and all that exists), which the trustworthy Rooh [Jibrael (Gabriel)] has brought down; Upon your heart (O Muhammad SAW) that you may be (one) of the warners, in the plain Arabic language.” (Ash-Shu’ara 26:192-195)
He (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) also said:
“And indeed We have put forth for men, in this Qur’aan every kind of similitude in order that they may remember. An Arabic Qur’aan, without any crookedness (therein) in order that they may avoid all evil which Allaah has ordered them to avoid, fear Him and keep their duty to Him.” (Az-Zumar 39:27-2
And:
“Verily, We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur’aan in order that you may understand.” (Yusuf 12:2)
And:
“And indeed We know that they (polytheists and pagans) say: ‘It is only a human being who teaches him (Muhammad SAW).’ The tongue of the man they refer to is foreign, while this (the Qur’aan) is a clear Arabic tongue.” (An-Nahl 16:103)
And:
“And if We had sent this as a Qur’aan in a foreign language other than Arabic, they would have said: ‘Why are not its Verses explained in detail (in our language)? What! (A Book) not in Arabic and (the Messenger) an Arab?’ Say: ‘It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Qur’aan) is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away (so they neither listen nor understand)’.” (Fussilat 41:44)
And other verses.
Allaah revealed this blessed Book in the best language and in the best composition. He gathered in His Verses pearls of eloquence. He (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) challenged a people who were proud of their inherited eloquence and beauty in poetry composition. He challenged them to produce a chapter like the Qur’aan and to call upon witnesses besides Allaah. He challenged them with the smallest of chapters, challenged the orators from the pure Arabs. They, however, failed and were not able to produce a chapter like the Qur’aan.
The Qur’aan will remain inshaa’Allaah, the Book of Allaah, always fresh whenever the recite turns to it and ponders over its rich meanings. Its wonders never cease, as one of the scholars said, and he is Sahl ibn ‘Abdullaah: “If the slave will be given for ever letter of the Qur’aan one thousand insights, he will not reach the end of what Allaah has stored in one verse, because it is the speech of Allaah, and His speech is His attribute. As there is no end to Allaah, there is no end to the wisdom of His words. Everyone will only grasp the amount that Allaah opens his heart to. The words of Allaah are not creation.
Inclusive in the miracle of the Qur’aan is its eloquence and explanation, and this is all from the Arabic language. Therefore, it is not possible for anyone to understand its interpretation and obtain its fine meanings and comprehend its rulings except through proficiency in its base. And its base is the Arabic language along with its science: grammar, morphology and balaghah. From here, the importance of learning Arabic and its sciences is manifested since by it one can understand the Qur’aan and achieve what Allaah has intended for His slaves in this life and the next.
Let it not be the case with any student of knowledge, especially in our times that they feel that they can dispense and distance themselves from this language. Unfortunately, some reprimand others for learning this language and being busy in studying it. The eye tears and the heart grieves for those that have appeared in the field of deen, da’wah and recitation and they do not consider learning and teaching the Arabic language. They do not make amends in their use of the Arabic language and as a result they make grammatical errors while quoting the Qur’aan and Sunnah, and there is no power or might except by Allaah.
So may Allaah reward with all good those that have stood up with concern for the Arabic language. Learning the Arabic language is from the good following of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). The Muslims are commanded to follow and emulate the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) in his life and characteristics. And from the good following of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), of every Muslim is to learn and teach the Arabic language because the Prophetic Sunnah is in this language. It is the second source of Islamic law cannot be disassociated from the primal source which is the Qur’aan. It is not possible to understand the meanings or actions without the Sunnah that came to explain the Book of Allaah. Allaah (subhaanahu wa ta’aala) said:
“And We have revealed unto you the dhikr so you may explain to mankind what was revealed to them.” Imaam al-Hakim and others reported that the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “I have been given the Qur’aan and its similarity along with it.”
The Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) excelled in eloquence and speech, as we mentioned he said: “I was sent with comprehensive yet concise speech.” As narrated by Abu Hurayrah (radee Allaahu ‘anhu) and complied by al-Bukhaaree.
From the obligation of the Muslim caller is to spread and convey the Sunnah of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) amongst the people, so how can he spread the Sunnah and convey the hadeeth if he doesn’t know the language of the one who spoke the hadeeth? For this reason, the pious predecessors gave concern to learning and teaching the Arabic language in grammar, morphology, i’arab and bayan.
It was narrated upon Abu Bakr as-Sadiq (radee Allaahu ‘anhu) that he said: “Learning the i’arab of the Qur’aan is more beloved to me than learning its letters.” ‘Umar ibn al-Khattaab (radee Allaahu ‘anhu) said in his well known statement: “Learn the Arabic language because it is part of your deen, and learn the faraaid because it is part of your deen.” The noble companion ‘Ubay bin K’ab (radee Allaahu ‘anhu) said: Learn the Arabic language then you will learn how to memorise the Noble Qur’aan.” Hussein ibn ‘Alee said: “Learn the Arabic language, for it is the language of Allaah which He will address the people with on the Day of Judgement.” Although this has been narrated it is questionable as Ibn Qayyim mentioned in his Nuniyah: There has come that the best of languages is the Arabic language, but the chain of the narration is questionable.”
Imaam al-Hasan al-Basree was asked: “What do you say about a group of people learning the Arabic language?” Meaning they are busy in learning the Arabic language. He said: “They have done well. They are learning the language of their Prophet.” These scholars have seen speaking in the Arabic language as one of the symbols of Islam and the Muslims. Ibn Taymiyyah said: “The Arabic language is a symbol of Islam and its people. A language is one of the greatest symbols of nations by which they are distinguished.”
A group of people attended one of the gatherings of the famous Imaam and Muhadith Sulayman bin Mahran who is popularly known as ‘Amasah to hear ahaadeeth of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam). So he asked them before anything else: “What day is it?” A man amongst them said: “Al-Ithnayn.” ‘Amash said: “Al-Ithnayn, al-Ithnayn?” Return and make i’arab of your statement. Learn the Arabic then seek the knowledge of the hadeeth.” Imaam ‘Amash intended for them to say: “Yawm-ul-Ithnayn.” The person cannot say “Al-Ithnayn” by itself, because “yawm” is the reason why “ithnayn” is majrur, so how can he make “al-ithnayn” majrur without a jaar?
It is feared that one who makes grammatical errors in reading the hadeeth of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) to be amongst those that lie upon him. The famous linguistic scholar al-Asmaee said: The greatest thing that I fear for the student of knowledge is that if he does not know grammar (nahw) that he is included in the statement of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam): “Whoever lies upon me intentionally then let him take his seat in the fire.” That is so because the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) did not make grammatical errors in hadeeth, so if you narrate upon him and make grammatical errors then you have lied upon him. Ibn Salah mentioned this in his Muqadimah. Yes, one can say if one doesn’t intend to make grammatical errors that he is not intentionally lying, The answer is that anyone who knows that they are not proficient in i’rab and then chooses to mention the Book of Allaah or a hadeeth of the Prophet (sall-Allaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and does so by making grammatical errors in either one of them, then he has intentionally chosen to lie. So those that say: “Safeguarding the principles prevents one from falling into means that lead to the prohibited”, their statement here is emphasised. No doubt that the stringent position from some of the scholars is to shut the doors for such errors, and due to people commonly committing them.
And Allaah knows best and His knowledge is more accurate and precise. I ask Allaah for tawfiq and accuracy in the deen, and an increase in knowledge of Islam and its language. And Allaah is the Grantor of success. Was-salaamu ‘alaikum wa rahmatullaahi wa barakaatuh.
Transcribers Footnotes:
[1] You can watch and listen to the recorded video lecture of the Shaykh in Arabic along with its English subtitles, subtitles that I used for this transcription at: http://www.knowledgeofislam.com
[2] NB: This is not a verbatim transcription

47. Aboo Abdillah H - February 20, 2008

Ahmad

May Allaah guide all of us ameen. The black culture is not virtuous. The African Muslims are MUSLIM and have moved away from black culture as a Muslim should do. A Muslim should have nothing to do with black culture of drugs, “baby mommas”, crime ridden streets, laziness and such things. They love this and celebrate it. This is why I get upset when someone refers to me as a “African-American”. This is lumping me in with this evil that Islaam is against and I reject it.

48. Abdal Hakeem jamaican - February 20, 2008

yes LEILA i was born in jamaica and they are not my people nor the black, white, arabs, Latina in america. my people are the salafi muslim in jamaica and in america of all races (this islam not black islam why all u black people hearts so black with black nationalism)

49. Bro Khalil-Detroit - February 20, 2008

It is ajeeb(amazing) how some people can, in the name of Islam, contradict Islam. If I did not find that the Quran acknowledges the fact that we all belong to a distinct peoples I would be incline to do away with all superficial affiliations myself. However, the Quran identifies the people who invented homosexuality as qaumu Loot(the people of Lot). This certainly does not imply that Nabi Lut was guilty of their iniquitous behavior. It does however acknowledge that, because of His lineage and geographical location, He belonged to the same people. Allah (SWT) Himself has said that He sent a messenger to every people implying multiplicity. Muslims Need To Stop Going To Extremes. The Prophet (SAW) warned us saying that, who ever goes to extremes in religion will not be able to continue that way. I would caution the Ummah to beware of those who speak this way; their ultimate aim might just be to cause dissention in our ranks.

50. MV - February 20, 2008

Subhan Allah. Theres just so much to digest in this article and in the comments that were made that its really hard to know where to start.
First off this is a very very old and might I say tired article that has been in circulation for years. Im talking at least 5 years and it didnt cause a ripple back then…so why should it create a wave now?
I dont know if a lot of the commentators actually read the article and subsequent comments simply because of what they said. The sunnah has a lot of arab customs because that is the nature of the sunnah of our prophet(Saw). It consists of sayings and actions of the Prophet and that includes some customs that were peculiar to the Arabs at that time.
So it shouldnt be surprising that a lot of customs in Islam have arab foundations.
Im grossly offended by Abu Abdillahs comments..you are an example of that “ghuloo” that the brother Abu Usamah was talking about. How is it ok to denegrate an entire people to propogate your own opinion? As a black woman.Im deeply offended.You are a self hating black man. I actually feel sorry for you. To hate what you are must be a terrible cross to bear.
I have to thank Brother Shibli for bringing the additional words of Ibn Taymeeyah. Its important to see everything in context. I agree that the need to take things out of context is a tactic that is used universally to promote(again) an agenda. In this case..that Arabs are better period. Are we talking about the same Arabs who used to bury their daughters alive? The same arabs that used to whirl and twirl around the Kaba naked? The same Arabs that threw animal entrails on the back of the Prophet(Alayhis As Salat Wa Salaam) ..The same arabs that had up to ten wives and treated them unjustly? Are THESE the arabs that we all should fall subservient to? Or are the scholars referring to the flexibility and strength of the Arabic Language in that one small word can mean a lot. Or that the Arabs had traditions that lent itself to maintaining and preserving the Sunnah and Quraan..Biithin Alllah? We need to be sure and certain on exactly what we mean when we say “Arabs are Superior.
And honestly? I think Abu Usamah wrote this KNOWING it was going to ruffle feathers and create debate. Otherwise most of what he said really didnt have to be said. Wa Allahu Alim.
Faisal…I dont know what to say about what you said. My mother bought me clothes. It wasnt any Arab. Again its amazing how the xenophobic ones latch onto these issues to satisfy their own racist views. Where else should a serious student go to study if not the land of the 2 haraams? Your words are nonsensical and Im sorry that your mother didnt raise you better than you prove yourself to be on this blog. Shame on you

51. MV - February 20, 2008

P.S I have it on good authority that the majority of his wives were NOT arab so it makes no sense at all trying to label him a “House Nigga” which is what I believe the author of this blog was trying to infer.
Wsalaamu Alaykum

52. Aboo Abdillah H - February 20, 2008

MV:

All I am saying is that the black culture is something reprehensible. What Muslim in his/her correct mind would want to be a part of such a “culture”? Their culture does not produce a civilized environment and produces insane violence and immorality. Do you want to associate yourself with that or do you want to associate yourself with a culture that produces kids that memorize the Qur’an, people that wait to get married before having sex and babies, and modest people. Compare the culture of Saudi Arabia with the culture of the blacks and tell me which one is more Islamic and who is more worthy of being imitated. You tell me

53. Abu Usamah al-Aswad - February 20, 2008

Assalaamu Alaykum,

As Abdul Jabbar states in the very first post the Prophet Muhammad (saws) in his last khutbah negates this whole notion by saying “La Fadhla li-Arabiyyin ala Ajamiyyim, wa la Ahmarin ala Aswadin illa bit-Taqwa,” that should have ended this discussion.

Aboo Abdillah H, Abul Qayyim, Hassan As-Salafee,

While the initial point of the post was the ‘Afdhaliyyah’ or superiority of the Arabs over the ‘Ajamees’ (Non-Arabs), which includes ALL non-Arabs. For some reason sadly the discussion has regressed to another Arab vs Black debate. What is even sadder is how some have formed the logic that Arab culture = Islamic culture and Black culture = jahiliyyah culture therefore to be Muslim one must totally negate all vestiges of Black culture.

To prove the point destructive behavior among Blackamericans such as drug use (crack), half-dressed dancing women (BET) and mindless killing (drive-bys) have all been alluded to. Yet how in the hell is “smoking the shisha” or chewing qat any different from the smoking a crack pipe or chew tobacco, they’re all haram! As far as I concerned half-naked belly dancing is no different from what’s on BET. As for mindless killing anyone call whats been going on in the Middle East “mindful” how is that any less than “set trippin” LOL some of them wear different color khifeyyahs to rep their set.

The point should be clear destructive behavior is destructive behavior and all cultures have aspects that are unIslamic which should be avoided. No culture (including Arab) is totally halal. Muslims should have love for other Muslims period.

To think Arab culture or any culture is intrinsically superior to any other culture is from jahiliyyah. Scholars of Islam from the time after the Prophet Muhammad (saws) have attempted to purge the deen of this of jahiliyyah. al-Jahiz (d. 225 AH/ 869 AD) wrote Fadhl al-Sudan ala al-Bidan to address the issue. Interestingly enough though many who claim salafiyyah are fond of quoting (often out of context) from Talbis Iblis by Ibn Al-Jawzi (d. 597 AH/1200 AD) few even know he wrote Tanwir al-Ghabash fi Fadhl al-Sud wal-Habash again addressing the issue. Even Imam Al-Suyuti (d. 911 AH/1505 AD) wrote a Raf‘ Sha’n al-Habashah addressing this same issue.

Saddest of all is that these misguided souls act as if Arab and Black (dark skin pigmentation) are mutually exclusive and the so

I love my Muslim Arab brothers but when misguided Blackamericans encourage our Arab brothers to take this superior attitude, this increases the likelihood of them getting hurt, because calling brothers I know “abeed” is a sure way to get their “grill” pushed back or an “eye-jammy”. So can’t we all just get along…

(Deeeetroit!!!!)

54. MV - February 21, 2008

Wow…I had to peer back…Jazak Allahu Khair. That was truly awesome.

55. Who Says Blacks are “Irredeemibly Evil”? « A Singular Voice - February 21, 2008

[...] are “irredeemably evil” and other such non-sense (from blacks no less) we read in the comments here, look at this story of a little black (yes BLACK) girl who took a bullet trying to save her mother [...]

56. MV - February 21, 2008

Abu Abdillah…ALL cultures that support a cullture of debauchery is reprehensible but to single out black culture as the main one is incorrect. Im happy to be a Muslima and Im happy to be a Black Woman. Being Muslim doesnt mean you suddenly lose all sense of self. Im happy with the valuable things that I was taught from My culture. How to cook. How to clean house. How to dress. I wasnt raised in a culture of set tripping and the majority of black people werent raised in that culture either. To denigrate your own race is foolish and childish..not to mention you play into the hands of those racists who use the likes of you as a Posterchild for the idea that ..even black folks dont want to be black.
Wsa

57. DC Muslimah - February 21, 2008

ASA. Very good points Abu Usamah al-Aswad! Mashallah!

58. Aboo Abdillah H - February 21, 2008

MV and others,

If you look at what I said, the Arab culture is CLOSER to the Sunnah than other cultures. Which culture is closer to Sunnah? The Saudis or the blacks in America?

59. Yosef Davis - February 22, 2008

salam walakum
first I would like to say a am pride to be apart of the race who constructed the pyramids, whom all races have come from. adam from dark clay we are all children of adam, the black race was the first and it has been proven scientifically, Does this statement contradict the Quran? Some black muslims try to be Arab due to lack of knowledge. Nobody taught them about the West African empire of Timbuktu were the islamic scolarship was just as strong in the Middle East. The moors invaded Sicily the Italians have a hard time coming to gribs with the fact they were invaded by africans. And some Arabs try yo take credit for the constributions that the african Moors did in europe. Sicle cell is noted to be a black disease, in southern sicily italians have many reported cases,what does that tell you? Im not going to counteract this igrorance by attacking Arab culture but i must state that prophet ishmeal pbuh mother was an african women yes the mother of the Arabs was black, Haggar

60. Kwame Madden - February 22, 2008

For those of you who have chosen to denigrate African people I ask you then why would our Beloved Prophet[peace and blessings be upon him] chose Ethopia for the place of refuge among the sahabah.Also this land was considered a land of truth along with its king.I ask you racist and inferior complex brother and sisters did he
Rasullah Sallallahu alaihi wasallam make a mistake in this matter.

Shaykh Abdullah Hakeem Quick has two beautiful dvds Ethopia the untold story and Timbuktu the journey to the empire of knowledge.
These two dvds dispells the fiction that only scholarship is confine to the one area of the world and that it.The problem with many of the students of knoowledge of Africian descent coming from America is
that they think imitating or taking on the Gulf states cultures is some
demarcation line in defining them in what a authenic muslim should
look like and how he should think.This blog that Abdur Rahman has
started and Tariq Nelson blog are the beginnings of the new freedom
movement amongst muslims of Africian descent in this country.
No longer will we accept second and third class citzensship in our own country of orgin.We will fight tooth and nail to gain our proper place without apolgizing.

61. MV - February 22, 2008

Abu Abdillah…You denigrated the entire black race and Im not african american so you didnt offend me based on national pride. You offended me because you generalized.
As for the arab culture being closer..thats called SUNNAH. Its Ilm 101. The Sunnah is filled with adopted practices of the Pre-Islam arabs. Simple things like how they ate. What they wore.
As for the Saudis….yes in generality that is true.But there are also saudi gays, saudi murtads, saudi drug users, prostitutes and pimps. Its all there Ahkee….just because its saudi ..it doesnt mean its better. What defines us as muslims is our taqwa and desire to adhere to Islam NOT(As far as Im concerned) where we are from. LIke Allah says in the Quraan..He made us different so we might know one another.
Wsalaam

62. Aboo Abdillah H - February 22, 2008

MV:

BLACK is a culture and a way of thinking. I am Muslim and Salafi walillah lilhamd and I am free from all of that. Can you all not see that a Muslim should free themselves from that? You are making my point that the Arab culture is better because it is filled with Sunnah. The later things (dancing and such) are things that we leave. The Saudis put down the gays and such thing because it is AGAINST Islam and their culture. Things that are imported. The blacks’ culture is not like this and this is why we should leave it

63. Abdur-Rahman Muhammad - February 22, 2008

Please to everyone,

I suggest you don’t engage Abu Abdillah H anymore on this topic because the man is clearly ignorant and lacks even a rudimentary level of education. Unfortunately he may be just an irredeemable casualty, both of his own self-hatered and the racist poison brought back to this country by the Ubu Usamahs of the world. Let us focus on the ones that perhaps, by Allah’s permission, can be saved.

By the way, I am almost positive that one of the above respondents is in fact Abu Usama, but regardless, I do know that he is aware of this post. Let him attempt to openly defend this racist crap in the hallways of academia. Yeah, thats what I thought. He has to smuggle it through an email or demagogue it down the throats of poor, uneducated, mostly ex-felons who can’t defend themselves. Shame on people like him! Now that this rank ideological fecal matter has reached the light of day, let him defend it in the light of day! Let him show up at Howard University for example and tell an entire audience of well educated members of his own race that “the Arabs are racially superior to Blacks”. Nuff said.

64. Nafis Bouie - February 23, 2008

In America “White” and “Black” are sociologically constructed ideas that have presumed patterns of behavoir relegated to them. The colors (white & black) are not the actual hues of any humans in this country or anywhere else. All Anglo European Americans, early in our (USA) history were ascribed with “Whiteness.” Thus, “White” assumed the meaning of good, rich, land owning, wholesome family structure, educated, clean environment, etc. Thus, by extension all Ethnic European Americans (Jews, Italians, Polish, etc) assumed “Whiteness.” “Black,” conversely took meanings such as bad, poor, broken family, uneducated, ghetto, etc, thus by extension all Americans of African ancestry assumed the ascription of “Blackness” The sickness and (Taghoot) of White supremacy is that all virtuous acts are ascribed to “Whiteness,” thus by extension, to all “White” people including all “White”/abyad/bayda Arabs. This is why many Near eastern immigrants to the USA dare not ascribe to “Black,” Asian, or other, on their visas to the USA. They check the “White” box, albeit their darker hues in pigmentaion. White supremacy masked as globilization has swept the near east as evidenced by commonly used words as zunuj, takrooni, and abeed being sociologically ascribed to “Blacks” only.