In the name of Allaah, Most Beneficent and Most Merciful
All Muslims are brothers to one another.
Allah Ta`ala says,
The Believers are but a single brotherhood(Surah Hujurat; verse 10)
Some have come from Africa and others are here from London, some from Baluchistan, another is from Punjab, and another from Sindh. Everyone is from some place but I consider everyone here my brother.
Allah Ta`ala says,
“And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the variations in your languages and colors.” (Surah Rum; 22)
If someone happens to disrespect or look down upon the signs of Allah, this is in actuality a very grave sin and the person who commits this act is an extremely foolish individual.
Many prominent, so-called “educated” people have hatred in their hearts for others due to differences in race & language.
People do not understand the reality of SIN! If someone does not accept a sign of Allah, then this is disbelief.
Unfortunately, the condition of people today is such that if someone happens to speak the Punjabi or Sindhi language, amongst Urdu speaking people, then the Urdu speaking people laugh and ridicule them for the difference in language.
Urdu is a nice language but to consider it superior and more virtuous than every other language is not permissible; in actuality, it is not permissible to look down upon any language.
One should not look down upon the English language either. If a person from England accepts Islam, then what language will he speak? Obviously, he will be speaking the English language; therefore, consider all languages and dialects to be good and a manifestation of Allah’s greatness.
If you were born in England, you would have grown up speaking English. If you were born in Punjab, you would have spoken Punjabi, and if you were born in Sindh, then you would have spoken Sindhi. Considering this, would you look down upon on the language you were born with? Thus, we should not discriminate against any language.
When we had traveled to Bangladesh, we never disrespected or looked-down upon any Bangladeshi person. It is for this reason that all the Bangladeshis fell in love with me. I do not have any nationalism or racial pride in me. To find a person who does not have any nationalism or racism in his heart, in this day and age, is very difficult. Look at how many Punjabi friends I have. I get enjoyment from listening to their Punjabi language.
Analyze the condition of your heart. Continue to do so until no iota of prejudice remains.
Language and Color: Two great signs of power of Allah
In one battle, there was a person who was fighting with great chivalry and bravery. One Sahabi praised his courageousness in front of the Prophet (sallellaho alaihe wa sallam) due to which the Prophet (salellaho alaihe wasallam) commented that he is a Jahannami (a man destined for Hell). On hearing this comment that Sahabi became curious as to why he was a Jahannami, so he decided to follow him and observe his actions.
Through observation, the Sahabi noticed the person was extremely injured. That person could not tolerate the pain anymore, so he ended his own life with his sword. The Sahabi returned to the Prophet (salellaho alaihe wasallam) and inquired about this whole occurrence, to which the Prophet (salellaho alaihe wasallam) said, “This person was not fighting in the cause of Allah, rather he was fighting in order to make a name for his people and tribe.”
So understand that racial and tribal prejudice is an evil characteristic that leads to Hell-fire. Looking down upon other people’s languages and skin color is tantamount to leading oneself to Hell.
Spread this message. There will be great benefit in it. In these times that we are living in, there is great need to propagate this message everywhere. Every Muslim must propagate it. Never look down upon any language, race, or skin color. To look down upon someone because of language or color indicates that a person is in disagreement with the signs of Allah.
Since many people are present in this gathering you should all convey this message: That from the signs of Allah are the variations of your languages and colors. People honor their father’s signs when they see them; to such an extent, that it moves them to tears through the remembrance of their beloved father. Now think of how unbecoming and worthless it is of the one who makes the signs of Allah a cause of dispute and dissension.
All the Muslims in the world are brothers regardless of whether they are from London or Uganda. Allah has created humanity black and white; they have not created themselves like that. Allah is the sole Creator. The variations in color & language are from the signs of Allah. Anyone who does not submit and bring faith in any signs of Allah, he is in actuality repudiating the Qur’an Majeed.
Listen to something new; something that you might only hear from me. One night while I was on a journey in Malawi, I was awakened at two O’clock in the morning to the sound of a dog barking. I thought to myself, how interesting it is that the dog here in Malawi barks in the same language as the dogs in Karachi. Dogs, cats, and animals from every country in the world communicate in the same “language”. The dog in England does not say, “I am a dog”. Neither does the cat in England say, “I am a cat”. Rather in every country cats say, “Meow”.
The languages of humankind however are different and vary from country to country and location to location. What is the reasoning and wisdom behind this difference?
Allah Ta’ala inspired my heart such that the wisdom behind this difference is that Allah created human race for the sake of His recognition. For this reason, He brought about variations in the languages so that they may ponder over the wonders of His unique power in the many languages He has created.
Allah Ta’ala says:
“And from His signs are the creation of the heavens and the earth and the variations in your languages and colors…” (Rum; 22)
The differences and variations in your languages and colors are from amongst the signs of Allah Ta’ala; these signs are not bestowed to animals. These animals do not have the capability of recognizing Allah. If animals would have been capable of Allah’s recognition then the cats in England would have spoken English, the cats in Pakistan would have spoken Urdu, and the cats in Bangladesh would have spoken in Bangla. Nevertheless, the reality of the matter is that all the animals of the world communicate alike.
Humankind, however, has been created for the lofty purpose of recognizing Allah Ta`ala, though the His creation of the different colors and languages. It is very unfortunate that due to our ignorance, we have made these things a means by which we discriminate against others and consider ourselves superior saying, “I am white, and he is black…”
One should understand that the wisdom behind the creation of the different languages and colors is not to bring about hatred and enmity, but rather, to create love and recognition.
If a father leaves behind object of remembrance for his children’s sake, will that object bring about good memories or will it create enmity and hatred between each other?
Allah Ta`ala is telling us that our differences in language and color is His sign. It is a means by which we can remember Him. Now instead of making this an opportunity to recognize our Creator and show gratitude to Him, we are instead quarreling amongst ourselves and making this a means of gaining superiority over others.
This is why in another place Allah Ta’ala has said:
Verily, the most honorable and virtuous of you are the ones who fear Allah the most. (Hujurat; 13)
Your virtue and honor is not in your languages and colors, it is in fear of Allah. He who possesses more fear and obedience to His Creator, then he will be more honored and virtuous in the sight of Allah Ta`ala.
Prejudice: A sign of Kufr
Just today, Allah Ta`ala inspired me with great knowledge. To look down upon any language from the heart or to express any hatred through the tongue is an act which may lead to kufr.
On the same note, once in Thana Bhawan, Hazrat Thanwi (may Allah have mercy upon him) read the letter of someone who came from Bangladesh in which the person wrote:
“I have the habit of laughing a lot; please give me the remedy for this…”
[Note: Because Urdu is not the mother tongue of the people of Bangladesh, he had written this statement in a distorted and ineloquent manner that exposed the writer’s being foreign and unacquainted with the language.]
This prompted someone from Hazrat’s majlis to comment:
“Sounds like it’s a Bengali to me!”
Hazrat Thanwi (rahmatullah alaihe) immediately retorted:
“From this statement of yours, I sense the stench of Tahqeer, as if you are trying to degrade or look down upon the people of Bangladesh. Therefore immediately go and renew your faith by rereading the kalima over again and perform two rakaats prayer of repentance.”
So the reason it is forbidden to look down upon anyone’s language is because Allah Ta`ala has said:
“And from His signs are the differences of your languages and colors…”
These differences in language are actually a means of the recognition of Allah Ta`ala.
I was in the African country of Malawi and one early morning, there was a dog barking. I said to my friends there, that because Allah Ta`ala has not created the animals for the attainment of His recognition, thus the language of animals throughout the world is one. Whether the dog is from Pakistan, Africa, U.S, or U.K, then regardless of where it is from it is going to make a barking sound. And regardless of where the cat is from, it will say “MEOW.”
But the languages of mankind is different because He has created them as a manifestation of His signs and for the noble objective of His recognition.
In order for humankind to recognize the power of Allah in the various languages He has created. Thus looking down upon someone’s language or skin color, one is in danger of losing one’s Imaan.
Someone looked at a dwarf and started to laugh, so the dwarf said to him, “Are you laughing at the pot, or the potter?” To laugh at the utensil is actually to laugh at the utensil-maker. To ridicule the object someone has made is tantamount to ridiculing the maker of that object.
The above-mentioned incident of the reviver of his time, Hakim ul Ummah (rahmatullah alaihe) supplemented to the above-mentioned verse, supports my view. Regardless of a person’s race or language, every human being has the potential to become the friend of Allah.
If he embraces Islam and continues to fear Allah (by abstinence from all sins) then he has become a friend of Allah. It is not permissible to look down on such an individual. Unfortunately, Shaytaan puts hatred & contempt in the heart for other languages in such a way that a person does not even perceive it. One should particularly be aware of this fact and not allow the hatred of anyone creep into the heart.
Therefore, due to the differences in language & color, to think oneself inferior or superior is an act of kufr.
Just imagine if Rasulullah (salellaho alaihe wasallam) were to be present now then he would obviously be speaking Arabic. Nevertheless, he would have a translator in every language to convey his message. His message would be conveyed in every language. Therefore, every language is our language.
Likewise, a scholar of religion needs to be knowledgeable in various languages in order to teach and convey the message of Islam; therefore, do not look down upon any language. Looking down upon any language has the stench of kufr in it.
To hate or look down upon a majestic sign of Allah is actually nothing but kufr. Hatred for others because of language and color is an act of disbelief.
All languages are a sign of Allah’s power. This is why it is KUFR to think low of a sign of Allah or to degrade it or consider it inferior.
Regardless of what language it is; whether it is English, Persian, Arabic, Bangali, Urdu, or Pashto, all are signs of Allah’s power and greatness. To consider any sign of Allah as contemptible is kufr.
Prejudice, nationalism, and sectarianism; saying ‘so and so’ is from there and ‘so and so’ is from such and such place, therefore he is better, these are all signs of kufr and a sign of being deprived of Paradise.
Those people who are headed towards paradise are pure from prejudices because in Paradise there are no differences of language and color. There are no provinces or districts in Paradise. Everyone’s language will be Arabic there. If someone argues that he does not know Arabic because he never learned it, then to him we would say that in the Hereafter, Allah Ta`ala will inspire all people with the understanding of that blessed language.
Recognition is the sole purpose and not pride and prejudice
Allah Ta`ala says,
We have created you from one man and woman; i.e. Adam & Hawwa (alayimus salaam), and We have made you into different tribes & nations so that you may recognize one another. (Surah Hujurat: 13)
These tribal and national differences are not supposed to bring about pride and supremacy over others, rather it is so that you may recognize one another.
Instead of recognition and identification, mankind has made this a reason to claim virtue and supremacy over others. Those people that are of a certain tribe or family lineage consider people from another tribe to be inferior and lowly. From this verse, we have understood the following that it is ignorant to have pride and arrogance in one’s family lineage, tribe, or name. In actuality, this opposes the purpose of recognition.
Pride and arrogance is forbidden because Allah’s purpose behind different nations & tribes is so that we may recognize one another and identify that ‘so and so’ is from this nation and ‘so and so’ is from that tribe, etc.
Family lineage and tribal roots is not a means of proving one’s nobility. Nobility and greatness lies in the fear and obedience of Allah. In this same verse, Allah Ta’ala continues saying
The noblest in the sight of Allah is the one who fears Allah the most. (Surah Hujarat: 13)
The one who is more fearful of his Lord will be the most noble in His Sight.
From the book: Racial Prejudice and its cure by Maulana Hakeem Akhthar sab (www.khanqah.org)