Fathwa, - Muslims living by ethnic groupings; exclusively

Question
Is it possible for Muslims to group according to their ethnic group
and serve Islam and Muslims? What is the limit of the rights
ethnicity? If one ethnic group is the majority and Muslim, but is
cannot given the right status in the country and is oppressed by the
minority, under these condition is it forbidden if they organize
according to their ethnic group to get rid of these conditions and
live Islamic life, ruled and governed by Muslims? In connection to
this when I hear the terms like 'Arab league", "Arab Mujahiddin",
etc., is it permissible to have such organizations and other Islamic
ethnic-based military, political organization? The other issue in
connection to ethnicity is I hear some people claiming that" we will
not marry out of our ethnic group because the prophet never married
except ethnic Arabs and as we know if is not prohibited not to marry
out of your ethnic group, or marrying only from your ethnic group, we
know Islam made no discrimination in ethnicity making one higher than
the other but differ us only to know and live side by side isn't it?"
I want you answer all these in detail with all evidence from Qur'an
and Hadith in both Arabic and English language because I want to
discuss these issues with them. They made me confused and I want to
know the truth. Please send me soon with satisfying answer and
explanation!
Answer
Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and
peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and
Companions.
Know that Allah wants the Muslims to be one community even if their
lands, races, nationalities, colours and languages differ. Allah Says
)interpretation of meaning(: }Truly! This, your Ummah ]Sharia or
religion )Islâmic Monotheism([ is one religion, and I am your Lord,
therefore worship Me )Alone(.{]21: 92[. Allah also Says
)interpretation of meaning(: }The believers are nothing else than
brothers )in Islamic religion(.{]49: 10[. He also Says: }The
believers, men and women, are Auliya )helpers, supporters, friends,
protectors( of one another.{]9: 71[.
The Prophet )Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam( said,"The example of the
believers as regards their mutual love and affection is like that of a
single human body. If any of its parts aches, all other parts share in
the sleeplessness and fever".
He also said,"Muslims are equal as regards their blood, and they are
united against their opponents".
This unity that Allah wants necessitates that the Islamic brotherhood
be the strongest handhold around which all Muslims should unite and
under whose shade they should join hands. This is because the Muslims
are a nation established on the Islamic belief of Monotheism and in
the brotherhood of faith.
This does not however cancel the specialities and peculiarities of
each people. Every people have their own peculiarities and this is a
nature upon which Allah Created men. Allah Says )interpretation of
meaning(: }O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female,
and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another.
Verily, the most honourable of you with Allâh is that )believer( who
has At-Taqwa ]i.e. one of the Muttaqûn )pious(...{]49: 13[.
There is no objection if people of the same race come together and
help one another in the cause of truth and righteousness. The Prophet
)Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam( used to give each clan a banner under
which they fought, in order to increase their enthusiasm and bravery.
Ibn Hajarsaid in his book "Al-Isaabah":'there was a banner for each
clan'. But these clans are under the larger Islamic camp. If this
cooperation among members of each clan is in the interest of Islam and
the Muslims, it is not objectionable as long as it does not lead to
racial bigotry that counters the Islamic brotherhood. If it leads to
negative effects in the unity of the Muslims, it becomes useless. This
is the meaning of the Word of Allah: "The most honourable among you in
the sight of Allah is the most pious".
Faith and piety supersede all other considerations and all
relationships should lie within the comprehensive Muslim brotherhood.
If any relationship negates Islam, Islam will wage a relentless war
against it. The Prophet )Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam( said,"Whoever
fights under a blind banner out of rage in support of a race or in
order to call to racialism and he is killed, such a person dies in a
state of ignorance"]Reported by ImamMuslim[.
The Messenger of Allah )Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam( said in
condemnation of calls like these,"Leave it, for it stinks". ]Reported
by ImamsAl-BukhariandMuslim[.
Ibn Taymiyahsaid,'chapter about making distinctions among the Muslims,
in a way not enjoined by Allah and His Messenger'. Making distinction
among Muslims and scorning them in a way not sanctioned by Allah or
His Messenger like calling a man 'Shakili' or 'Farfandi'. These are
false names for which Allah has not revealed any proof to support
them. Any Muslim who is called by these names should say: I am neither
Shakili nor Farfandi. I am rather a Muslim who follows the Book of
Allah and the Sunnah of His Messenger. The names by which people can
be called are those that indicate an affinity to a school of Fiqh like
Hanafi, and Maliki, or those that indicate an affinity to a Sheikh
like Al-Qadiri and Al-Adawi, or those that indicate an affinity to
clans like Al-Qaysi and Al-Yameni or those that indicate an affinity
to cities like Ash-Shami, Al-Iraqi and Al-Misri. Nobody should however
scorn any Muslim with these names, nor take people as friends or
enemies on account of these names. In fact, the most honourable of all
people in the sight of Allah is the most pious from each group.
Since the most honourable among the people in the sight of Allah is
the most pious of them, it should be so in the sight of the people as
well. That is why the Prophet )Sallallahu Alaihi wa Sallam( said,"If a
person whose religion and conduct pleases you asks for the hand of
your daughter in marriage, you should marry him. If you do not do it,
there will be much temptation on the earth and great
corruption"]Al-Tirmizi[. The criteria for accepting or rejecting a man
here is religion and conduct. If this condition is missing, there will
be great corruption.
Al-Mubaarak Purisaid in his commentary on the above Hadith,'if you do
not do it'. This means,'If you do not give your daughter in marriage
to him with whose religion and conduct you are pleased, and you only
ask for mere nobility of birth, beauty or wealth, there will be
widespread corruption. This is because, if you do not give her in
marriage but to a wealthy man or a famous man, many of your women may
remain without husbands and many of your men will remain without wives
and this situation can lead to fornication'.
All the above, does not however mean that no consideration should be
given to wealth and nobility and other qualities.
Al-Khattabisaid,'suitability is considered )in marriage( in the
opinion of most scholars. This suitability is in four things: )1(
Religion )2( Freedom from slavery )3( Lineage )4( Profession. Some
scholars recognize freedom from bodily defects while some recognize
wealth'.
These things are recognized and considered because they help in
perpetuating and stabilizing the marital life, which is the purpose of
marriage in Islam. Allah Says )interpretation of meaning(: }And among
His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among
yourselves, that you may find repose in them,...{]30: 21[.
Allah knows best.