Julaybib, The Prophet's Companion: A Hope for Desperate Souls

Amatullah Abdullah
There are many outstanding Companions of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) who come to mind throughout Islamic history. Some are huge in stature, and others are humble, yet highly respectable or brilliant in some way. Julaybib was a beloved companion of Prophet Muhammad however, not a likely figure to make it in the ranks of celebrated heroes of Islam.

His life and deeds were not sung nor recounted with reverence as they should be but with the meager facts available one sees hope for humble souls through his life.

Julaybib was not tall, or handsome, he was not known to be a gallant warrior on the battlefield before the advent of Islam. His personal attributes appeared so contrary to the normal heroes of old.

Julaybib was an orphan, deformed and extremely short. He was brutally rejected by society because the people were more concerned with his physical appearance and status than integrity.

His story is significant and many lessons can be learnt from it. It shows us a lot about how a human being can be devalued based on superficial things. His life is an example and hope for souls filled with despondency because they do not measure up to the norms set by society. His story touches the hearts of many even today.

Julaybib was an orphan from Madinah and acquired his name before embracing Islam. His name means "small grown" in Arabic which denoted his physical appearance. He was extremely short and could be compared to a dwarf when considering today's definition. It is also noted that he was even described as "damim" in Arabic which means deformed, unattractive or of repulsive appearance. In addition to his physical appearance, another important factor in his mistreatment had to do with his lineage. Lineage was an essential part in the Arab society he lived in, just as it is still important today in many cases. One's lineage determined his or her status in the society. His physical appearance, and unknown lineage, made people shun and spurn him. He was an outcast which caused him much public humiliation and disgrace.

Facing such disdainful treatment, Julaybib was apparently a lonely soul yearning for love and compassion. As he was carrying the burden of prejudice on his shoulder from the time he was born, companionship, love and compassion became alien to him.

There were often times, a question as to whether this man would even taste any compassion or respect in his life. The question cleared with his acceptance of the Prophet Muhammad's message of Islam.

He became a devoted servant of Almighty Allah and beloved companion of Prophet Muhammad. He gained respect and affection from Prophet Muhammad, for his sincerity, integrity and strong Islamic belief. Julaybib earned the honor he yearned and became one of the most valued companions of the Prophet. Prophet Muhammad cared deeply for this soul. He was sensitive of Julaybib's needs, and this is evident from the hadith where the Prophet approached a man from the Ansar (Madinah Muslims who helped the Makkans when they emigrated to Madinah), seeking the hand of his beautiful daughter in marriage on behalf of Julaybib. The Islamic scholar, Imam Ahmad, has recorded this incidents in Julaybib life as follows:

The Prophet went to a man of the Ansar and said:"Give me your daughter for marriage."The man answered excitedly, "Yes, O Messenger of Allah , it would be an honor and a blessing."For which the Prophet said, "I do not want her for myself."The Ansari man asked, "Then for whom, O Messenger of Allah?"And the Prophet answered, "For Julaybib."When the Ansari man heard this, he was shocked and said, "O Messenger of Allah, let me consult her mother." So he went to the girl's mother (his wife) and told her, "The Messenger of Allah is proposing marriage for your daughter."The wife of the Ansari seemed overjoyed and said, "Yes, it would be a pleasure."The Ansari explained to his wife that the Prophet was not proposing to marry their daughter for himself but he is proposing on behalf of Julaybib.His wife was almost shaken and immediately responded, "What! Julaybib? No, by Allah, we will not marry her to him."

When the Ansari prepared to leave to meet the Messenger of Allah and mentioned to him his mother's disapproval, his daughter, a pious Muslim, asked her father, "Who is asking for my hand?"

Her mother told her that the Prophet was asking her hand on behalf Julaybib.

Their daughter instantly asked them, "Are you refusing to follow the command of the Messenger of Allah? Follow his command, for I will not come to any harm."

The following is illustrated in the book Companions of the Prophet by Abdul Wahid Hamid:

Hearing her daughter's word, the Mother's heart being filled with remorse said: "Stop my daughter, don't say another word indeed I have erred I repent and I repent a thousand times over for as of this moment their is no one who I would prefer for you than Julaybib."

The following day the marriage was in place, Uthman and Ali, two of the Prophet's Companions, presented Julaybib a gift of money to help arrange the wedding reception, and to purchase necessary accommodation.

So the Prophet married the beautiful daughter of the Ansari to Julaybib who was once rejected by the whole society. The attitude of the daughter of the Ansari was that of a true believer.

The daughter's attitude shows her confidence of a Muslim woman who could not be influenced by the whims of the society. Unlike the parent's of today's world who are more concerned about status and money, her parents' reaction to her approval explains how Islam does not pressure a woman nor does it disregard her right to choose her husband.

Islam gave the happiness Julaybib deserved and he lived happily together with his beautiful wife until he was martyred.

The following hadith is another proof that Julaybib was indeed dearly loved and valued by Prophet Muhammad:

...After a battle, the Prophet asked his Companions:

"Is anyone missing amongst you?"

They said: "So and so and so."

He asked them again: "Is there anyone missing amongst you?"

They answered: "So and so and so."

He asked them for the third time: "Is there anyone missing amongst you?"

They said: "No."

Thereupon the Prophet said:

"But I see that Julaybib is missing."

The Companions searched for him amongst those who had been killed and found him by the side of seven enemies whom he had killed. He had been killed. The Prophet came there and stood by his body and said:

"He killed seven people. Then his opponents killed him. He is mine and I am his."

He then placed him upon his hands and there was none else to lift him but the Prophet Muhammad. Then the grave was dug for him and he was placed in it. ( SahihMuslim)

The man whose life was filled with despair and struggles won the hearts and admiration of many through his pure intentions, traits, and love for Islam and the Prophet. It is really amazing to note how this man of small stature managed to hold a sword and kill his opponent. He was able to accomplish much chivalry through the Prophet's encouragement.

There are so many lessons to be learnt from Julaybib's life. His story is a reflection of Islam. Islam ended his desolate world of disparagement.

A Question Which Led to Light

On a foggy chilly evening, my son of 5 years asked me "Where is God( Allah)?" while I was getting ready to prepare him some hot chocolate. When my son uttered these three words, memories flushed into my mind, of the days when I thought I knew where Allah, The Most High, was. "Allah is everywhere" would have been my answer to this question if I was still “in those days” where I lacked enough knowledge to know the answer to such an important question.

---Rushing out of the car to get to the seminar which had already started, I noticed a banner with the question "Where is God?" I quickly glanced at the question and went straight into the seminar room where there was a lecture on "Oneness of God or Islamic Monotheism". I was eager to attend this class as I realized that I needed to know about Monotheism before learning other aspects of the Islamic faith. The first and foremost command for the prophet from, God, Almighty, was to propagate Monotheism. No other pillar of the religion or any laws were revealed during the time when the prophet's mission started. It was only after principle of Tawheed was deeply instilled in the hearts of the Muslims, were other pillars or laws of Islam were revealed.
Several verses of the Qur’an were quoted by the alim to prove that Allah is the Most Pure and is in a place which is incomprehensible to a human’s mind. The verses also explained that Allah is on His Throne, which cannot be comprehended by the human mind. He is separated ( not inside any of His creation) from His creations, and it is His knowledge and power that encompasses everything everywhere.

There were a few students who felt that this is a subject which should be left alone and not dealt with. They said “This belongs to the Unseen and should be left alone.” They quoted Hadith from Prophet Muhammad, which said that it is best to say Allah knows the best when questioned about Unseen, to justify their point. I felt that Allah is the most Just and He will judge us according to our Knowledge, but can we be lazy and give ignorance as an excuse to not to know the first basic fundamental of the faith? Tawheed is the most essential aspect towards being a Muslim. Hence, I felt it was necessary for me to study the first, and foremost part of Islam – Tawheed.
When the verses were quoted, immediately, few stood up from the audience and referred a verse which says Allah is closer to us than the jugular vein (50:16). This is one of the verse, the people, who says Allah is everywhere in everything, use to justify their claim. This verse does not mean Allah is near us physically or within us, but His Knowledge is closer to us than the life vein. When there are differences of opinion in the religious affairs, Allah orders us to refer to His book (Qur'an) and Sunnah ( tradition) of the prophet .

"And when you differ in anything among yourselves, refer it to Allaah and His Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day." (An-Nisaa' 4:59)

The following are many verses in the Quran and hadith which explicitly explains where Allah is:

"Do you feel secure that He, Who is fis-samaa'(above in the heavens), will not cause you to be swallowed up by the earth. Or do you feel secure that He, Who is fis-samaa' (above in the heavens) will not send against you a violent tornado (with showers of stones)?" (Al-Mulk 67:16-17)

Even from the Sunnah, we see that this is clear. (Sunnah of the prophet is an explanation to the Qur'an.)

Muawiyah bin Al-Hakam As-Salmi said:
"I had a slave-girl who used to herd sheep for me. One day I discovered that a wolf had killed one of her sheep, and I'm a man from the children of Adam, I get upset like they get upset, and I slapped her in the face. Then I went to the Prophet who impressed upon me the seriousness of my act. I said, 'O Messenger of Allah, should I not set her free?' He said, 'Bring her to me.' He asked her, 'Where is Allah', She said, 'He is above the heavens.' He said, 'Who am I?' She said, 'You are the Messenger of Allah.' He said, 'Free her, for she is a believer.' (Sahih Al- Muslim and Abu Dawud)
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn Al-As related that the Messenger said, "Allah grants mercy to the merciful. Be merciful to those who are on the earth, (then) He Who is fis-Sama (above the heavens) will be merciful to you." [Abu Dawood & At-Tirmidhi]

Beyond Us
I felt a need to write about this topic because of the prevalent notion about Allah being everywhere in everything. In one of the masjid I attended, this message was conveyed to new Muslims!
There are many who might disagree with my understanding of this important question. According to my understanding, Allah is the Almighty and He is nothing like His creations, and His creations are nothing like Him. Allah does not have to be everywhere and everything to love us or hear our prayers. "Allah is everywhere in everything" did not make sense to me because Allah is the Most Pure.

My understanding is "He is the most Powerful, Pure. His knowledge is everywhere." The other day, someone was talking about the Social Security Number (SSN) system in the US. He said, "Oh yes, even when we take the SSN, government agents are not physically present with each and every citizen or resident. By assigning the SSN, they are able to keep a check on the individuals. When a human have this kind of power, imagine the power of Allah." I would not compare Allah's power to human power as His Power is beyond our understanding. Allah does not have to be in us to know everything; He is in a pure place that is beyond our imagination.
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Conclusion:

Relief and gratitude encompassed my heart, as He chose me to attain this knowledge and for having guided me.

At-Tirmidhi, one of the great scholars of Hadith, said,
He [Almighty Allah] is above the Throne as He described in His Book. His Knowledge, Power, and Lordship are everywhere. (Al-Fatawa by Ibn Taymiyah)

With this knowledge, I was able to answer my little son and give him the right knowledge about our Creator. All Praises be to the Almighty.
Indeed, Allah is above His seven heavens, above His 'Arsh, and He is nothing like His creation and His creations are nothing like Him.

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©Amatullah Abdullah

The Houston Rockets unveiled a monument to honor the outstanding achievements of Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon,

By Amatullah Abdullah, Iqra Newspaper

The Houston Rockets unveiled a monument to honor the outstanding achievements of Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon, on April 11, 2008. The ceremony took place outside of the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Olajuwon retired after 18 successful years in basketball. He was selected as one of seven basketball icons to be honored by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. There was something different about his Hakeem's monument. Instead of a towering statue with his image frozen in time, in keeping with his Islamic principals, the bronze monument displayed a huge image of Olajuwon's retired jersey number 34.

( Read full article by clicking here : http://iqranewspaper.com/Articles/85A9640C-9582-46B6-965B-77DA1082F490.html)

Why you should market to Muslims?

Recent studies have indicated that Muslims are one of the largest emerging niche markets in the United States, $170 billion strong. Many companies have totally ignored this market, however this is changing. (More)

Life In Occupied Palestinian : A presentation or movie by Anna a Jewsih American

How to make turkey

Assalaamualaikum,

My friend Karema, who is an American wanted to cook a traditional American dish - Turkey. I have never cooked a turkey before and I was all excited. She instructed me how to prepare the turkey and guided me step by step. It was fun and a new experience for me. I couldn't wait to call my parents in India and let them know I cooked a whole turkey!. We had video taped the whole things and you can view it by clicking here: " How to Make a Turkey"

Cook the Turkey and let me know how it turns out!. Enjoy!

Orchids: Aren't they full of grace and elegance

Orchids

!

Orchids are one of the most beautiful flowers I have seen. It is so amazing when we think about the beautiful creation of God! This was an orchid , which I saw at whole foods and got it as a special gift for my friend who is a nature lover. Subhan Allah! it is so beautiful to see its bud bloom one by one. This is a picture whick I took last week. There are three more buds to bloom!

A little about Orchids:

The term 'orchid' derives from the Greek ορχις orchis, The word "orchis" was first used by Theophrastos (372/371 – 287/286 BC), in his book "De historia plantarum" (The natural history of plants). He was a student of Aristotle and is considered the father of botany and ecology.

Orchids are cosmopolitan in distribution, occurring in every habitat, except Antarctica and deserts. The great majority are to be found in the tropics, mostly Asia, South America and Central America. They are found above the Arctic Circle, in southern Patagonia and even on Macquarie Island, close to Antarctica.

Orchid Care tips:

http://www.beautifulorchids.com/orchids/orchid_care_tips/faq/frequently_asked_questions.html

http://pubs.caes.uga.edu/caespubs/horticulture/orchids.html

at 12:45 AM 0 comments

Highway 59 Blogging in Houston

About This Video:

Mini film about Highway 59 weekly protest in Houston Texas. The group wants fellow Americans to truly see what is really going on in Palestine as well as bring to light the amount of U.S. tax payers dollars going towards the state of Israel to fund the current Apartheid System of ethnic cleaning of the Muslims and Christian Palestinians. The media has banned any open discussions about this topic.

Need Research Team for Deen Media Inc

Iqra! Newspaper (a part of Deen Media Inc.) is looking for a team of up to 5 researchers for an upcoming book project. Team members will be assigned to the book project, but also might be called on to work in a support capacity for Iqra! Newspaper and our media watch program.

Proposed payment:
Pay $10 - 15 hourly or we will pay one flat fee per project. We are still working on the pay issues.

How the team will be divided:

Research: Book Project only
Research: Flexible (Miscellaneous projects)
Research: Media Watch

A Team Leader will be assigned to the group

Main Project: "The Invisible Media"

Background:

Sr. Karema, (chief editor , Iqra Newspaper) says:
I recently started working on a revision of an article titled "The Invisible Muslim Media." The pages kept increasing as I began to do my own research. The article reached 8 pages for part 1, and 6 + pages for part 2. I told sis Amatullah "I am writing and writing and just can't seem to stop." At this point I realized I had a book on my hands.

Requirements:

You must have a passion for research and reliable internet connection. Experience is a plus.

Those interested, please e-mail your CV along with a writing sample to amatullah.abdullah@iqranewspaper.com

For more information, write to: mail@iqranewspaper.com

Mother: A Soul to be Cherished

A woman fully attains womanhood when she becomes a mother. Mother is a beautiful word, incomparable beyond means! Regardless of the language used to say it, the beauty of the word ‘Mother’ never dies. In Islam the status of women is unambiguously unique and bears no comparison to any other depiction with regard to women, particularly mothers, in any faith known to mankind.

A mother's love for her unborn child is generally instinctive from the time she learns of her pregnancy. A mother loves and tries all that she can to keep the baby away from harm even before the baby’s arrival. She is ready to risk her life to shield her baby from harm. She is more concerned about the life, which came out of her than her own..

When a mother feeds her baby, she is ready to forgo her comfort and sleep for the baby. A mother sacrifices her comfort and sleeps when she is feeding her baby. This proves she is more concerned about her child than herself. A mother’s worth cannot be measured and her sacrifices for her child are inexhaustible. That is why Islam stresses so much on the importance of a mother.

"We have enjoined on man kindness to his parents; in pain did his mother bear him, and in pain did she give him birth" (46:15)

The following statements of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) refers to the apparent gentleness of mothers and the respect that ought to be paid to them, for in a patriarchal (before Islam), the focus was mainly on the man in his years of strength.

The Prophet Muhammad said, “Paradise lies at the feet of your mother” (Ahmad, Nasai).

Narrated by Abu Huraira:A man came to Allah's Apostle and said, "O Allah's Apostle! Who is more entitled to be treated with the best companionship by me?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man said. "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man further said, "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your mother." The man asked for the fourth time, "Who is next?" The Prophet said, "Your father." [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

Narrated by Asma bint Abu BakrDuring the period of the peace treaty of Quraish with Allah's Apostle, my mother, accompanied by her father, came to visit me, and she was a pagan. I consulted Allah's Apostle, "O Allah's Apostle! My mother has come to me and she desires to receive a reward from me, shall I keep good relation with her?" He said, "Yes, keep good relation with her." [Sahih Al-Bukhari]

Every human, as a child , yearns for a mother’s touch and affection but the moment one walks into adolescence one tends to take their mother for granted. If they utter any word against our wish, we start to look at them as a rival instead of realizing that they are trying to protect us and guide us. We seem to forget all that they did right from the time Allah put us in their womb. I completely realized my mother’s worth only after I had a child. Can we imagine what or how our lives would have been without our mother? What would we have done? Who would have changed our diapers? Who would have fed us? Who would have kissed us ? Who would have hugged us? Who would have comforted us when we are going through hardship?…

Our Prophet Muhammad’s beloved mother, Amina, passed away when he was barely six years. His mother took him from his foster mother with the hopes of showering love and affection to her wonderful child. But he was not destined to enjoy the warmth, love and affection of his mother. Just imagine what that tender heart would have felt? With how much hope and dreams he would have left with his mother from his foster mother Halima. Just imagine how much he would have missed his beloved mother.

Reading Prophet’s Muahmmad childhood life would bring tears to people’s eyes.

**Even after losing his mother at such a tender age his perseverance never died. He bore everything patiently. Whenever He visited the grave of his beloved mother, tears used to stream down through his cheeks. Off and on he remembered his gentle mother on memorable occasions.

It is fard (obligation) for every Muslim to seek forgiveness for our parents and to pray for their well-being .

"Thy Lord hath decreed that ye worship none but Him, and that ye be kind to parents. Whether one or both of them attain old age in thy life, say not to them a word of contempt, nor repel them, but address them in terms of honour. And out of kindness, lower to them the wing of humility, and say: ‘My Lord! bestow on them Thy Mercy even as they cherished me in childhood' "(17:23-24).

We have the privilege of enjoying the warmth and affection of our mothers right from our childhood and still lack gratitude for this wonderful soul, which our Creator blessed us with. We should be thankful to Allah for giving us this wonderful opportunity to be with our mother and take pleasure in her affection. Let us acknowledge this blessing and do our best for this beautiful soul. Indeed mothers are the souls to be cherished!

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Copyright Amatullah Abdullah

Racism in the Ummah?

Note: Caste System is still prevalent in India today (Though the Indian Government has otlawed the Caste system. )

It was lunch break. Shalini (of person belonging to the highest caste in hindu caste system) took out the vegetables from her lunch basket she usually carried to work. Anu a new employee and a colleague, asked Shalini for a cup with which to drink some water. Shalini held out a cup to Anu ( considered to be the lowest caste or "untouchables"), with her facial expression changing at once. When Anu left the room to get her basket, Shalini mumbled, "If I were not in a work environment, I would prefer not to let anyone use my utensils." Hearing this, my head joggled in disappointment. The thought of racism disgusted and saddened me. For me, it was definitely not acceptable to see this attitude from someone who works side by side with me.

When I arrived home, the mumbled comment echoed in my mind. I was thinking about the beautiful religion Islam and our Muslim brothers and sisters. My heart said, al-hamdu lillah, I am Muslim and there is no such thing as a caste system, but my mind jolted.

---From the dawn of time, even before man was created, Allah (swt) created the Angels, and Jinn. Angels were made out of light and Jinn were made out of smokeless fire. Adam, the first human, was created from clay. When Allah ordered both Angels and Iblis to prostrate to Adam, the Iblis refused, out of arrogance thinking himself (made from fire) to be better than Adam (made from clay).

"And (remember) when We said to the Angels: 'Prostrate yourselves to Adam', and they all prostrated except Iblis. He refused and was proud and was one of the disbelievers" (Qur'an 2:34)

"(Allah) said: 'What prevented you (Iblis) that you did not prostrate?' Iblis said; 'I am better then him, you created me from fire and you created him from clay'" (Qur'an 7:12)

Man has undeniably fallen prey to Shaytan by adopting the attribute of pride and arrogance leading to racism.

Many Muslims of today believe that racism does not exist in our communities. We often hear how “there is no racism in Islam” and “Islam is a religion of tolerance and equality,” yet racism can be found in our Ummah unfortunately. Some forms of racism can be overt and others subtle all leading to un-Islamic behaviour. Racism in action causes individuals to develop into hostilities and superiority complexes against others based on many factors: skin colour, ethnicity, and nationality. Not only does it cause hurt and pain to individuals, it causes fitnah which divide and weakens our communities.

Racism and Islam is an oxymoron. The two just do not fit together. There are numerous stories of racism during the Prophets (pbuh) time. During jahiliyah period (Pre-Islamic), racism dominated many parts of the Arab world in different forms such as tribalism, cultralism, etc. After Islam entered into people’s lives, life started changing for many who were considered inferior.

Bilal, was an esteemed sahabah. He was the first Muazzin to perform the first call to prayer. This was great honor, when considering his humble background. He was a slave before coming a Muslim, tall, dark brown with thick coarse hair and thin cheeks. Imagine the uproar in today’s time if an immigrant worker appointed to be the Speaker of the House on Capitol Hill in Washington. It would seem shocking an odd. There were also shock waves in Bilal’s time. His position brought out the inner prejudices in people.

He lived during the time when tribalism and racism was at its peak. There were many wars and inter fighting among different tribes. Arabs considered themselves to be superior to Africans. The society was based on a tribal system. Anyone outside of the protection of their own tribe faced the harshness of a volatile world. Just as other societies were rules by the caste system, a person was identified by the tribe or caste they were born into. A person born into slavery, lived the life as a slave.

Islam gave individuals their equality. Because in Islam all people were considered equal. Regardless of race, skin colour and nationality.

"O' mankind, We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another. Indeed the most honourable of you in the sight of Allah is the one with the most piety"
(Qur'an 49:13)

Many other sahaba kife changed because of Islam. Julaybib (r.a.) was one of them. Julaybib means small grown, the name indicated his stature being small and short. He was also described as being “damin”which means ugly, deformed, and of repulsive appearance. In addition, he was considered more inferior because his lineage was not known. This was a great disability in the Arab society in which he lived. Arabs usually placed a great deal of importance on family and tribal connections. He was always ridiculed and shunned by the society because of his disability. Some of them would not let him enter into their homes. A man called Abu Barzah of Aslam tribe once told his wife, “Do not let Julaybib enter among you, if you do, I shall certainly do something terrible against him.” He could not expect any compassion support or help from the society. At this time one might have wondered if there was any hope for Julaybib being treated with respect and consideration as an individual and a man. The noble Prophet gave him help confidence and encouragement. He was able to perform acts and make supreme sacrifice and deserve the commendation of the Prophet (saw) Prophet said “he is of me and I am of him.” ( extracted from Companions of the Prophet by Abdul Wahid Hamid)

In spite of all the anti racist elements in Islam, Muslims have marred by individual behaviour, which is contrary to the ideals of Islam. Different forms of racism exist in today’s time: tribalism, culturalism and .xenophobia. Some Muslims are uptight and prejudiced about other Muslims who are from different culture or nationality.

Rabiah* , an Indian living in the UK who is having problems finding the right man for marriage, feels that if her family were not so strong about their culture, she would be married right now. She says that her parents are finding it difficult to find a good brother [groom] as "most of them want a dower from the bride's family." Rabia says, "There is a good brother-in-Islam from the UK who approached me for marriage and he said he would pay a mahr (dower), but my father was insistent about me getting married to an Indian and told me that he would rather borrow money from people to pay the dower to someone from my culture than to get married to a European."

It is very unfortunate that Muslims, to whom Allah has given and shown the perfect way of life, should ignorantly mimic the behaviors of those who choose not to follow Allah's guidance.

This day have I perfected for you your religion and completed My favor on you and chosen for you Islam as a religion; but whoever is compelled by hunger, not inclining willfully to sin, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful. (Al-Ma'idah 5:3)

Prophet Muhammad in his last sermon, which was the final admonition, warned the people:

All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over a white - except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not therefore do injustice to yourselves. Remember one day you will meet Allah and answer your deeds. So beware: do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.

Muslims should be the first to openly discuss and expose issues of racism. It is counter productive to treat racism as if it does not exist. The Prophet has cautioned Muslims in his last sermon, that racism is against Islam yet still today we hear stories such as the incident above. Racism is like a cancer in our society. It eats us at the core. Much fitnah in our community is attributed to cultralism and racism which often times goes hand in hand. This disease has impaired progress in many communities. We must come up with solutions that meets this problem head on.

We can try various methods to fight racism. First and foremost we should gain knowledge about Racism and accept and admit that Racism does exist in our society. As Muslims we should learn about other cultures, people, and nationalities. We should first start within our own communities learning about contributions various ethnic groups have made. We should encourage multi ethnic gatherings in the Masajid and no one group should dominate over the other. It is important to start by exposing our youth to diversity. We should ensure fairness and equality when selecting speakers, board members, imams, leaders within our community and put an end to board of directors of the Masjids totally controlled by one group. The leaders should try to concentrate on the welfare of the Ummah and avoid political fitnah. We should constantly be reminded about what the Quran and Sunnah says about racism and justice in khutbahs and halaqahs.

"O ye who believe! stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well- acquainted with all that ye do." (Qur'an, 4:135)

Let there arise out of you
A band of people
Inviting to all that is good,
Enjoining what is right,
And forbidding what is wrong:
They are the ones
To attain felicity.'
(Qur'an 3 : 104)

* Names changed to protect privacy

© Amatullah Abdullah
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