Salafi Imam: We Must BELIEVE Arabs are “Master Race”
February 19, 2008
In part five of my series Why Blackamerican Muslims Don’t Stand For Justice, I mentioned the racist beliefs held and taught by one of the major leaders of the 1990’s Salafi Movement, Imam Abu Usamah Ath-Thahabi (a Blackamerican), that the Arabs are superior to the non-Arabs (or in other words: the Arabs are the “Master Race”) My purpose here is to show the insidious nature of this movement in promoting the RACIAL superiority of Arabs. And while the Salafis happen to be the only ones brazen (or foolish) enough to openly preach this swill, it is nevertheless a tightly held secret in many classical Islamic texts. These Salafis actually want to give this repugnant teaching the status of religious dogma. Needless to say, Abu Usamah’s email quoted below explains why so many brothers in that movement suffer from inferiority complexes and try to be Arab. This is what he wrote: below the fold
ARABS are BETTER than Non-Arabs… Alhamdulilah Was Salaatu Was Salaamu ‘Alaa Rasullilah: Before dealing with this topic, it should be noted that recognized scholars of the Sunnah differed amongst themselves in this issue. Therefore, people should be careful about the way they choose to deal with the person that has an opposing view to his. If a person takes an opposing view to what is correct and his mistake and faulty opinion is due to him simply being human but he made every effort to follow the truth, then clearly this person is not blameworthy!After offering up the above disclaimer, the acknowledged “difference of opinion” is further along in the piece repudiated on the authority of his Sheikh (not the Quran and Sunnah), who further adds quite demagogically that those who refuse to accept this divine “truth” are deviants in religion!
Sheikh-ul-Islam, Ibn Taymiyyah (ra) was of the opinion that Arabs ARE SUPERIOR (Afdal) than Non-Arabs and he claimed that this was the view that was held by the MAJORITY of the scholars - ‘Al-Jamhoor’- . He wrote: “And the MAJORITY of scholars are of the opinion that the Arab species is better (Afdal) than the Non-Arab (species) just as the nation of Quraish is better (Afdal) than the Non-Quraishite nations and (just as) the nation of Bani Haashim is better (Afdal) than the Non-Bani Haashim (nations).” Majm’u Al-Fataawa 19/29 He also wrote: “…This was the position of Imam Ahmed (ra) and the MAJORITY of Ahlul ‘Ilm.” Iqtidaa As-Siraatil-Mustaqeem 2/421 Also, refer to what he said in Majmu’ Fataawa 27/472.For great scholars of Ahmed ibn Hanbal and Ibn Taymiyyah’s caliber to advance such racist garbage is truly disheartening, nevertheless Ibn Taymiyyah claims it is the position of the “majority” of Muslim scholars. The question for us becomes; is it? Do the scholars of the large immigrant Muslim organizations like I.S.N.A, Q.S.S., C.A.I.R., M.A.S., I.I.I.T, etc, clandestinely subscribe to this noxious belief? Could this possibly explain why Blackamerican Muslims, at least from my observation over the years, are treated like second class citizens in every one of these groups? Is there a conspiracy to perfume and camouflage this reeking, ideological excrement just long enough to smuggle it passed unsuspecting and uninitiated Muslims? And doesn’t the Quran plainly attach the notion of superiority to taqwa (God consciousness) and completely reject any and all such theories of racial superiority? And what about that beautiful scene we fondly remember in the movie “The Message”, when during the Prophet’s final sermon he stated “know that there is no superiority of the Arab over the non Arab….except in the fear of God.” Further, what is the nature of this “Superiority” anyway? Is it that the Arabs are stronger or super human? Are they inherently more intelligent? Do they have a first class, guaranteed ticket to Paradise? What EXACTLY does superiority mean and why bring it to a people struggling to overcome their own feelings of INFERIORITY? Far from echoing the teachings of the Merciful Lord of all the worlds, it more resembles the rantings of Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
Unfortunately, when discussing the issue of the ‘Afdaliyyah’ or superiority of the Arabs over the ‘Ajamees’ (Non-Arabs), many people fail to do justice to this hotly debated topic. Muslims – including students of knowledge - tend to tenaciously cling to the fringes of the two extremes and they find it extremely difficult to remain fair, just and balanced!