Huqul al-Nakhl

We have many people struggling to get married but even beyond that we have people trying to justify their skin colour, heritage, race and nationality with the overwhelming immigrant muslim community’s perception of them- especially those who are Muslims born in America to non-Middle Eastern families.

There is a serious problem and I believe it must be addressed soon and head on. The communities as a whole must be told that racism and prejudice based on class, nationality or any other prejudice is incorrect. Telling people that they should not marry converts is not correct. Telling people that they should only marry within their culture is not correct as a general statement. These issues must be dealt with on an individual basis but the larger picture- the overwhelming prejudice in some communities is a large backward step for the Ummah.

I wanted to share a brief comment from an African American brother who is very close to me. He was born sunni and converted to shi’ism at 15 years old. He has been trying to get married for 6+ years and is now 25 and in dental school with an industrial engineering degree. He has memorized much of the Qur’an and is extremely intelligent. However he has been rejected time and time again for marriage from parents because, and only because, of his skin colour- even when the sister agreed and was hoping to marry him. Here are his feelings he shared with me:

In all honestly, I’m tired of this game…Immigrant Muslims come here enjoy this country while bashing it all the time and (insert explicit word for defecation here) on us, the Muslims here…They treat us like we are criminals or kafirs even…I’m through…This isn’t an ummah…Its not a brotherhood…Loyalty to family, tribe, and ethnicity is paramount to these people…I honestly feel like the immigrants should go back to their home countries and focus on fixing the problems there instead of coming here and being hypocrites…Other Shaykhs have said racist things on calls…I’m done with all of it…And I will be a witness against them on the day of Judgment Insha Allah…

I believe if we all banded together and decided to confront these poisonous issues together, head on, with CLARITY and PERSISTENCE then Allah will change the believer’s hearts and help us stay away from hypocrisy in our deen. I think this should also been done on individual bases too where we talk with individuals about these issues and exalt the righteous and forbid the evil and satanic. There must be a pro-active way to bring communities together, just as the Prophet (may Allah bless him and his progeny) brought tribes together. We should realize that most of the children of immigrants do not hold extremely traditional outlooks and even are very happy to marry cross-culturally. It is often the parents and elders who forbid these actions- and often with terrible excuses, sometimes racist and nationalist in nature. Every day my brothers and sisters are getting hurt because of backward mindsets…

The Holy Prophet (p.b.u.h.) said: “He who hurts a Muslim believer, surely he has hurt me.”

Bihar-ul-Anwar, vol. 67, p. 72

Be part of the solution, inshaAllah….

Imam Amir-ul-Mu’mineen Ali (a.s.) said: “May Allah have mercy upon the person who services a right and removes a wrong, or refutes an injustice and establishes justice.”

Qurar-ul-Hikam, p. 181

With Peace, Hope, and Blessings,
Your brother in Islam,

TC