In a world still deeply divided by race, nationality, ethnicity, and group loyalty, Islam offers a powerful alternative—a vision of humanity rooted not in bloodlines but in taqwa (God-consciousness). One of the greatest diseases that has crept into our ummah and continues to tear communities apart is ʿaṣabiyyah, or tribalism. Islam came to destroy it, yet we continue to resurrect it in different forms. This essay is a call back to the foundation of our deen: unity upon truth, justice, and the worship of Allah alone.
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said clearly:
“He is not of us who calls to ʿaṣabiyyah, or fights for ʿaṣabiyyah, or dies upon ʿaṣabiyyah.”
(Abu Dawood – Sahih)
This hadith is not merely a rejection of tribal pride, but a warning: blind loyalty to one’s people, race, or group—especially when it leads to injustice or arrogance—is not from Islam.
The Qur’anic Vision of Brotherhood
Allah reminds us in the Qur’an:
“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 noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.”
(Surah Al-Hujurat 49:13)
This verse doesn’t deny the existence of tribes or races—it puts them in their place. Our differences are not reasons for division or superiority, but opportunities to recognize, connect, and learn. Nobility is not in lineage or color but in character and God-consciousness.
When the Prophet (ﷺ) conquered Makkah, he stood before a people who had once expelled him and declared:
“O people! Allah has removed the pride of the pre-Islamic period and its boasting in ancestors. All of you are from Adam, and Adam is from dust.”
(Sunan Abi Dawood)
This was not just a statement—it was a revolution. It shattered the very backbone of Arab tribal supremacy at the time and replaced it with something far greater: submission to Allah.
The Four Imams: Truth Over Loyalty
The great scholars of Islam also stood firmly against unjust loyalty. Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam al-Shafi’i, and Imam Ahmad were all united on one thing: truth over everything. When they were asked about differing opinions, each one of them emphasized that if the Prophet (ﷺ) said something, then that is the position to take, even if it contradicted the opinion of their own school or teacher.
This is the essence of Islam—submission. Not to personalities. Not to ethnic groups. Not to ideologies. But to the truth of Allah and His Messenger.
Imam Shafi’i said:
“If you find a statement from me that contradicts the authentic Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ), then throw my statement against the wall.”
How can we then cling to blind loyalty to our group, culture, or ideology over the teachings of Islam?
Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim: Unmasking ʿAṣabiyyah
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah warned that ʿaṣabiyyah leads people to support the wrongdoer over the oppressed, simply because he is “one of us.” In his Minhāj al-Sunnah, he explains that this type of loyalty contradicts Islam at its core.
He said:
“Whoever supports his people in oppression, then the bond that binds him to Allah and His Messenger has been broken.”
Similarly, his student Ibn al-Qayyim wrote in Madarij al-Salikin that one of the greatest barriers between the servant and his Lord is blind allegiance to anything other than the truth. He said that natural love for one’s people is not condemned—but when it turns into arrogance, injustice, or rejection of truth, it becomes a disease.
A Call to True Brotherhood
True Islamic brotherhood is not built on flags, last names, skin color, or party lines. It is built on iman, taqwa, and mutual concern for one another.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Let us love truth and justice for others, even if it is against our own selves or our own people. Let us abandon the slogans and labels that divide us and return to what unites us: La ilaha illa Allah.
This is not just an ideal—it’s a command. Allah says:
“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin…”
(Surah An-Nisa 4:135)
In Conclusion: Come Back to Islam
The beauty of Islam is that it frees us—from tribal chains, from racial arrogance, from unjust nationalism, from the prison of ego. Islam calls us to something better: unity under the banner of tawheed.
So let us abandon all forms of ʿaṣabiyyah. Let us correct ourselves, our communities, and call others to the purity of Islam. When we do that, we won’t just revive our faith—we’ll revive our strength as an ummah.
Come back to the truth. Come back to justice. Come back to Islam.
The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) said clearly:
“He is not of us who calls to ʿaṣabiyyah, or fights for ʿaṣabiyyah, or dies upon ʿaṣabiyyah.”
(Abu Dawood – Sahih)
This hadith is not merely a rejection of tribal pride, but a warning: blind loyalty to one’s people, race, or group—especially when it leads to injustice or arrogance—is not from Islam.
The Qur’anic Vision of Brotherhood
Allah reminds us in the Qur’an:
“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 noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.”
(Surah Al-Hujurat 49:13)
This verse doesn’t deny the existence of tribes or races—it puts them in their place. Our differences are not reasons for division or superiority, but opportunities to recognize, connect, and learn. Nobility is not in lineage or color but in character and God-consciousness.
When the Prophet (ﷺ) conquered Makkah, he stood before a people who had once expelled him and declared:
“O people! Allah has removed the pride of the pre-Islamic period and its boasting in ancestors. All of you are from Adam, and Adam is from dust.”
(Sunan Abi Dawood)
This was not just a statement—it was a revolution. It shattered the very backbone of Arab tribal supremacy at the time and replaced it with something far greater: submission to Allah.
The Four Imams: Truth Over Loyalty
The great scholars of Islam also stood firmly against unjust loyalty. Imam Abu Hanifa, Imam Malik, Imam al-Shafi’i, and Imam Ahmad were all united on one thing: truth over everything. When they were asked about differing opinions, each one of them emphasized that if the Prophet (ﷺ) said something, then that is the position to take, even if it contradicted the opinion of their own school or teacher.
This is the essence of Islam—submission. Not to personalities. Not to ethnic groups. Not to ideologies. But to the truth of Allah and His Messenger.
Imam Shafi’i said:
“If you find a statement from me that contradicts the authentic Sunnah of the Prophet (ﷺ), then throw my statement against the wall.”
How can we then cling to blind loyalty to our group, culture, or ideology over the teachings of Islam?
Ibn Taymiyyah and Ibn al-Qayyim: Unmasking ʿAṣabiyyah
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah warned that ʿaṣabiyyah leads people to support the wrongdoer over the oppressed, simply because he is “one of us.” In his Minhāj al-Sunnah, he explains that this type of loyalty contradicts Islam at its core.
He said:
“Whoever supports his people in oppression, then the bond that binds him to Allah and His Messenger has been broken.”
Similarly, his student Ibn al-Qayyim wrote in Madarij al-Salikin that one of the greatest barriers between the servant and his Lord is blind allegiance to anything other than the truth. He said that natural love for one’s people is not condemned—but when it turns into arrogance, injustice, or rejection of truth, it becomes a disease.
A Call to True Brotherhood
True Islamic brotherhood is not built on flags, last names, skin color, or party lines. It is built on iman, taqwa, and mutual concern for one another.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said:
“None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.”
(Bukhari and Muslim)
Let us love truth and justice for others, even if it is against our own selves or our own people. Let us abandon the slogans and labels that divide us and return to what unites us: La ilaha illa Allah.
This is not just an ideal—it’s a command. Allah says:
“O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin…”
(Surah An-Nisa 4:135)
In Conclusion: Come Back to Islam
The beauty of Islam is that it frees us—from tribal chains, from racial arrogance, from unjust nationalism, from the prison of ego. Islam calls us to something better: unity under the banner of tawheed.
So let us abandon all forms of ʿaṣabiyyah. Let us correct ourselves, our communities, and call others to the purity of Islam. When we do that, we won’t just revive our faith—we’ll revive our strength as an ummah.
Come back to the truth. Come back to justice. Come back to Islam.
