No Chauvinism in Islam Islam's first step in this direction was to reduce every kind of group chauvinism to dust, forbidding the Muslim to revive any of the disputes of such chauvinism or to summon others toward it. The Prophet (peace be on him) declared himself free of responsibility for anyone who practices it, saying, He who calls others to group chauvinism does not belong to us; he who fights for the sake of group chauvinism does not belong to us; and he who dies upholding group chauvinism does not belong to us. (Reported by Abu Daoud.)There is no special distinction for a certain color of skin, a particular race of mankind, or a special region of the earth. The Muslim is forbidden to be a partisan of one race against another, one people against another, or one country against another. It is not permissible for a believer in Allah and the Last Day to support his people without regard for whether they are right or wrong, just or unjust. Wathilah bin al-Asq'a narrated, "I asked, 'O Messenger of Allah, what is chauvinism?' and he replied, That you should help your people in wrongdoing." (Reported by Abu Daoud.)And Allah Ta'ala says: O you who believe, be steadfast in justice, as witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves or parents or kindred. (4:135) ...And do not let hatred of (other) people cause you to deviate from justice. (5:9 (8)) "Help your brother, whether he is the oppressor or the oppressed," was a well-known proverb in pre-Islamic jahiliyyah which people used to take literally. The Prophet (peace be on him) changed its meaning in a subtle fashion. After the faith was firmly established in the hearts of his Companions, he once repeated this proverb to them. They were shocked, saying, "O Messenger of Allah, we know how to help the oppressed, but how can we help the oppressor?" He replied, "Stop him from wrongdoing; that is helping him." (Reported by al-Bukhari.)We know from these statements that a call toward nationalism or racism is a call of jahiliyyah, and Islam, its Prophet (peace be on him), and its Book have totally rejected it. Islam does not recognize any loyalty other than to its belief, any relationship other than that of its brotherhood, or any differentiation among human beings other than on the basis of belief and unbelief .Even though he may be a fellow countryman, a relative, or one's own blood brother, the unbeliever who shows hostility to Islam is an enemy to the Muslim. Says Allah Ta'ala: Thou wilt not find any people who believe in Allah and the Last Day loving those who resist Allah and His Messenger, even if they are their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred....(58:22)O you who believe, do not take your fathers or your brothers as friends if they love unbelief more than faith....(9:23)
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