Your Country is Islam

During the negotiations of the treaty of Hudaybiyah, `Urwa bin Mas`ud, on the opposing side to the Prophet ﷺ said upon looking at the Prophet’s companions (may Allah ﷻ be pleased with them): 

“I swear by Allah, I do not see (with you) dignified people (the companions of the Prophet), but people from various tribes who would abandon you.” [1] 

The reason ‘Urwa said this was that the companions of the Prophet consisted of a mixed group of people, Arabs and Non-Arabs. Even within the Arabs, there were different tribes. Before Islam, the people were united under the bonds of blood, under the bonds of their forefathers and tribes. However, Islam came and united all peoples under the bond of belief. This at first looked weak to ‘Urwa, but when he left the gathering he went back to his people saying: 

“I swear by Allah, I have been to the kings and to Caesar, Khosrau and An- Najashi, yet I have never seen any of them respected by his courtiers as much as Muhammad is respected by his companions.” [1]

This extract of the story is significant. It is a reminder for the Muslims that what makes us unique is our ability to value the bond of shahada above anything else. 

Navigating through the Muslim community today, I find people are increasingly concerned about where others are from before they welcome each other. This is not our way and it never was. Our way, is the Prophet ﷺ teaching us that: 

“O people, your Lord is one and your father Adam is one. There is no favour of an Arab over a foreigner, nor a foreigner over an Arab, and neither white skin over black skin, nor black skin over white skin, except by righteousness. Have I not delivered the message?” [2] 

Our unity and our strength comes from the shahada. Our beauty is in the diversity of our colours and languages. Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’an: 

“Another of His signs is the creation of the heavens and earth, and the diversity of your languages and colours. There truly are signs in this for those who know.” [3] 

So this diversity in us is a sign that points to Allah ﷻ. So beautiful. Why then do we segregate the houses of Allah ﷻ by nationality? This is not our way. Our way, our beauty, is in our diversity. That was the first generation, the best of us. 

Allama Iqbal wrote a poem called “Nationalism” (Wataniyat وطنیت) where he says some beautiful lines regarding this issue:

“Country, is the biggest amongst these new gods

This idol which is the product of the new civilisation

Is the plunderer of the structure of the Holy Prophet’s religion

Your arm is enforced with the strength of the Divine Unity

You are the followers of The Chosen One, your country is Islam”.

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“O The Chosen One’s followers, you should destroy this idol”.

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“Live like the fish in the ocean free from country”.

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“God’s creation is unjustly divided among nations by it.

The nation of Islam is uprooted by it”

Mankind are of one family, the children of Adam and we are one nation, the nation (ummah) of Muhammad ﷺ.

The reality is, borders have always changed and will continue to do so. The countries of today were not always this way. Many of the people who live within these borders never even got to choose the lines. In contrast, each person can choose unity over division: we decide what we believe in and who we’re going to be—our culture, our way of life—it’s all up to us. 

Our way of life is Islam. It is perfect as a guiding principle. Where Allah has left room for the freedom to make a decision, that freedom should be given. Enforcing cultural obligations is unfair. The only obligations are those from Allah. No one should take the freedom Allah has given away from another human, whether they be family or anyone else and suffocate them with imperfect rules made by people. 

Additionally, why do we even ask about ethnicity if we seek marriage or friends? People have told me it is because ethnicity defines culture. That is factually incorrect. I for one, am a third culture kid. So the food I eat, the language I speak, the clothes I wear, my jokes, etc. are not defined by ethnicity; rather, they all differ from each other based on my lived experiences and the various places I spent my formative childhood years. So it’s the minds that unite people, not their skins. 

If one’s mind finds itself stuck in hierarchical structures of skin, then one needs to recognise that this is a trick of the devil as when he said about Adam: 

“I am better than him. You (Allah) have created me of fire, and created him of clay” [4] 

Shaitan lies, but Allah ﷻ has told us the truth. We are indeed one people, we came from Adam. Our creed, our way is indeed one, that is Islam. Although we have many things to share of our food, languages and inventions, we are still one and we should indeed share because our beauty is in how we spread out only to come back together again.

[1] Sahih al-Bukhari 2731, 2732

In-book reference : Book 54, Hadith 19 

[2] Source: Musnad Ahmad 22978, Grade: Sahih 

[3] Quran 30:22 

[4] Qur’an 7:12