Prejudice and Islam, Muslims and Racism, Asabiyyah is a Disease of the Soul

So you think you are superior to others because you belong to a
different ethnic group, or you speak a different language, or you are
from a different country or you belong to a specific family, group,
clan or race.
And you will support others on the basis of their language, ethnicity,
relationship, origin.even though they do injustice, commit crimes, in
the name of tribalism, racism, nationalism or any other ism, other
than their moral superiority, good qualities or for justice.
And you will not help or support other human beings because they do
not belong to 'your' group, country, clan, race, family. Even though
they are oppressed, denied their rights, they deserve to be supported,
they are on truth.
Are you aware that this type of fanatic behavior is known as Asabiyyah
or Prejudice?
Do you know what Islam says about Asabiyyah or Prejudice?
The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Whosoever possesses in his heart
Asabiyyah even to the extent of a mustard seed, God will raise him on
the Day of Resurrection with the (pagan) Bedouins of the Jahiliyyah
(the pre-Islamic era)."
Imam Jafar Sadiq (as) said: "Whosoever practices Asabiyyah (against
someone), Allah (SWT) shall wrap around him a fold of Fire."
Imam Ali (as) said: "Almighty Allah (SWT) will punish six groups of
people for six kinds of sins: .He will punish the Arabs for
Asabiyyah..."
The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "One who calls towards Asabiyyah is
not from us, one who fights for Asabiyyah is not from us and the one
who dies on Asabiyyah is not from us."
The Prophet Muhammad (saw) said: "Best among you is the person who
defends his tribe till they do not commit a sin."
Imam Ali (as) said: "If it becomes unavoidable for you to be among
those who practice Asabiyyah, then do Asabiyyah to uphold the truth
and support of the oppressed."
Imam Ali (as) said: "The one whose deeds lower him, his family
background or ancestry cannot elevate him."
Thus, remember that the superiority is only on the basis of pure
intentions and sincere and lofty deeds. Asabiyyah is a dangerous
condition for an individual and the society. It is an evil trait,
inspired by satanic forces. One must ponder seriously about its
consequences in this world and hereafter.
A true believer annihilates his own will in the Will of his Lord. He
is free from all traces of ignorant Asabiyyah's and thick and dark
curtains of blind Asabiyyah's would not obstruct his vision.
When called to deliver justice and utter the word of truth, he puts a
firm foot on the head of all associations and ties, sacrificing all
ties of kinship and customary affinities at the altar of the aims and
orders of his Lord. He supports truth and justice under all
circumstances.
So if you love or hate someone, or support or are against a group of
individuals or a nation, think wisely for a while, what has motivated
you for it. If it is other than promoting truth and justice or help of
oppressed or preventing aggression and tyranny, than give up your
support of the people you are associated with. It will be certainly
difficult for you to take a bold step and give up love, friendship,
and affinity of your relatives, friends and colleagues. But your
decision to give up blind Asabiyyah will not only save you from the
fire of hell, but also motivate others to do the same.

Hatred in Islam, Diseases of the Soul, Islam and Hate, Human Vices, Hatred (Nafrat)

In the time of a caliph, a rich man bought a slave whom he treated,
from the beginning, like a gentleman, giving him the best of food and
clothes, and money exactly like his own child or even more lavishly.
But the slave noticed that his master always felt uneasy.
Eventually the rich man made up his mind to set him free and provide
him with some capital. One night as they were sitting together, the
master said: "Do you know why I have treated you so well?" The slave
asked the reason. The master said: "I have one request to make which
if you fulfill, you would enjoy all I have given and will give you!
But if you refuse, I will be discontented with you." The slave said:
"I will obey whatever you ask. You are my benefactor who has given me
my life." The master said: "You must promise me in good faith to do
it, for I am afraid you may refuse it."
The slave said: "I promise to do what you want." The master said: "My
proposal is that you must behead me at a specific time and place." The
slave exclaimed: "What? How can I do that?" The master said: "That is
what I desire." The slave said: "That is impossible." The master said:
"I have got your promise. You must do it."
One midnight, he awakened the slave and gave him a sharp knife and a
bag full of money and climbed up a neighbor's roof, and told the slave
to behead him there and then go wherever he liked. The slave asked the
reason for such an act. The rich man answered: "I hate this one man
and prefer death to seeing his face. We have been rivals but he, my
neighbor has gone ahead of me and excels me in everything, and I am
burning with hatred. I desire my neighbor to be jailed for this fake
murder and this idea is a relief to me. Everyone knows him to be my
rival, and so my neighbor will be condemned to death for this act."
The slave said: You seem to be a foolish man and deserve this death."
So he beheaded the rich man and ran away, His rival neighbor was
consequently arrested and imprisoned, but no one believed that he
would have killed his rival on his own roof. It had become a mystery.
At last, the slave felt a prick of conscience, went to the authorities
and confessed the truth. When they understood the matter, they freed
both the slave and the neighbor.
This is a fact that Hate is a disease of the soul. The Noble Qur'an
says in Chapter "The Sun" (Shams 91:9-10). "He will indeed be
successful who purifies it, and he will indeed fail who corrupts it."
Thus, the first proposal of the Noble Qur'an is purification of the
self from ailments, complexes, ignorance, deviations and
metamorphoses.
You could have heard that in the past there were people who, because
of excess of sins, were cursed by the Prophets of their time and were
thus metamorphosed, that is, they were transformed into animals such
as a monkey, a wolf, a bear etc.
Someone said: "We had made a pilgrimage to Makkah along with Imam
Sajjad (as)and when we looked down at the Desert of Arafat it was full
of Hajis (pilgrims). There were so many of them that year. The Imam
Sajjad said: "There is much uproar, but few are true Hajis
(pilgrims)." The man says: "I don't know how Imam Sajjad gave me the
insight, but when Imam Sajjad asked me to look down again, I saw a
desert full of animals, like that in a zoo, among whom a few human
beings were moving about." The Imam Sajjad told him how things looked
to those who had a clear sight and were concerned with the inward
concept of things.

Most Likable Salat

The Messenger of Allah (sal Allahu alaihi wa sallam) said: "The most
likeable Salat of a woman to Allah is the one which she offers in her
house privately and in a dark place." [Ibn Khuzaimah]
Praying in privacy secludes her from distractions and allows her to
focus on her communication with Allah (subhana wa ta'ala). It is also
easier for women not to have to leave their houses or walk through
men. It may be burning hot or freezing cold outside but she does not
have to brave the weather to get the same reward as men. She doesn't
have to drag small children along, nor leave them with baby-sitters
with going back and forth from the Masjid as men are required to do.
The role Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) requires men to play in society is
different. They have to handle the work outdoors and work to provide
for themselves as well as their families. The role Allah (subhana wa
ta'ala) has given to women is to make the home a comfortable and
welcoming place where her children can grow up to love Allah, His
Prophet and Islam, and live peacefully.
This Hadith is a special blessing for women given the nature of their
responsibilities at home and with (especially small) children. All
praise is due to Allah the Most Merciful that He rewards women even
more to do what is more convenient for them and their households.

If a woman marries more than one husband, which one will she be with in Paradise?

Praise be to Allaah.
There are three scholarly opinions on this matter:
That she will be with the one who was best in character and conduct
with her in this world;
That she will choose between them;
That she will be with the last of her husbands.
The best and most correct of these views is the third one, concerning
which there is a hadeeth attributed to the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) (marfoo'): "Any woman whose husband
dies and she marries someone else after him, she will be with the last
of her husbands." This was classed as saheeh by Al-Albaani (may Allaah
have mercy on him) in Saheeh Al-Jaami', 2704, and in Al-Silsilah
al-Saheehah, 1281.
This is by way of general response to the question. A detailed
discussion of the evidence for the three points of view follows:
The evidence for the first view:
Al-Qurtubi said:
Abu Bakr ibn al-Najjaad said: Ja'far ibn Muhammad ibn Shaakir told us,
'Ubayd ibn Ishaaq al-'Attaar told us, Sinaan ibn Haaroon told us, from
Humayd from Anas: that Umm Habeebah the wife of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) said: "O Messenger of Allaah, if a
woman had two husbands in this life, then they all died and came
together in Paradise, with which of them would she be – the first or
the last?" He said: "With the one whose attitude and conduct with her
was best, O Umm Habeebah; a good attitude brings one the best of this
world and the Hereafter."
(Al-Tadhkirah fi Ahwaal al-Mawtaa wa'l-Aakhirah, 2/278).
I say: this hadeeth is da'eef jiddan (very weak), and has two things
wrong with its isnaad: 'Ubayd ibn Ishaaq al-'Attaar and Sinaan ibn
Haaroon. The former is da'eef jiddan, and the latter is da'eef.
The views of the 'ulamaa':
It was reported that Yahyaa ibn Ma'een said: 'Ubayd ibn Ishaaq
al-'Attaar is nothing (i.e., what he says is not to be taken into
account).
Abu Haatim al-Raazi said: we think that he is a good person, but he is
not very reliable and there are some odd things in his ahaadeeth.
In al-Du'afaa' wa'l-Matrookeen by al-Nasaa'i (p.72), it says: his
hadeeth is matrook (to be ignored, not accepted).
Al-Dhahabi said: he was classed as da'eef (weak) by Yahyaa.
Al-Bukhaari said: he has some some munkar ahaadeeth. Al-Azdi said: his
hadeeth is matrook. Al-Daaraqutni said: (he is) da'eef. Abu Haatim, on
the other hand, accepted him! Ibn 'Udayy said: in general his ahadeeth
are munkar.
(Meezaan al-I'tidaal, 5/24)
Ibn 'Udayy said in al-Kaamil (5/347): this hadeeth is one of his
munkar reports. And he said: most of what he reported is either munkar
with regard to the isnaad (chain of narrators) or munkar with regard
to the matn (text of the hadeeth).
With regard to Sinaan ibn Haaroon:
Ibn Hibbaan said:
His ahaadeeth are very munkar, he narrated munkar reports from al-mashaaheer.
Yahyaa ibn Ma'een said: the hadeeth of Sinaan ibn Haaroon al-Burjami
are nothing (are not to be accepted).
(Al-Majrooheen, 1/354)
al-'Aqeeli mentioned him in al-Du'afaa' (2/171) and mentioned this
hadeeth narrated by him.
= Therefore, this hadeeth is not valid to be used as evidence. It is
da'eef jiddan (very weak), so this opinion does not count.
The second view
which is that a woman will choose between her husbands.
I could not find any evidence for those who state this.
In al-Tadhkirah fi Ahwaal al-Mawtaa wa'l-Aakhirah (2/278), this matter
is mentioned, then the author says: and it is said that she will have
the choice, if she had a husband."
Al-'Ajlooni said: … and it was said that she will be with the best of
them in character and conduct, and it was said that she will have the
choice. (Kashf al-Khafaa', 2/392).
This is the view regarded as most correct by Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen
(may Allaah preserve him), as stated in his Fataawaa, 2/53)
The third view
This view is supported by plenty of evidence:
Imaam al-Tabaraani said:
3130 Bakr told us, he said, Muhammad ibn Abi'l-Sirri al-'Asqallaani
told us, he said, al-Waleed ibn Muslim told us, he said, Abu Bakr ibn
'Abd-Allaah ibn Abi Maryam told us, from 'Atiyah ibn Qays al-Kilaa'i
who said: Mu'aawiyah ibn Abi Sufyaan proposed marriage to Umm
al-Darda' after Abu'l-Darda' had passed away. Umm al-Darda' said: I
heard Abu'l-Darda' say: I heard the Messenger of Allaah (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) say: any woman whose husband dies and
she marries someone else after him, she will be with the last of her
husbands, and I would not choose you over Abu'l-Darda'. So Mu'aawiyah
wrote to her (saying), you have to fast, for it is a protection.
(al-Mu'jam al-Awsat, 3/275)
I say: there are two problems with this hadeeth: the fact that Abu
Bakr ibn Abi Maryam is da'eef, and the fact that al-Waleed ibn Muslim
did not clearly state haddathanaa ([So and so] told us) in the rest of
the isnaad.
The views of the 'ulamaa':
Ibn Hibbaan said:
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Maryam was one of the best of the people of al-Shaam,
but he had a bad memory and would narrate things about which he was
obviously confused. The problem is not so bad that everything he
narrated deserves to be rejected (matrook), but neither is he so
trustworthy that what he says can be taken as evidence. In my view his
reports should not be used as evidence if the isnaad is only through
him. (al-Majrooheen, 3/146)
The tadlees (deception) of al-Waleed ibn Muslim is well known. His
tadlees gives the impression that all the narrators are equal, by
inserting the nameof a da'eef narrator between the names of two thiqah
(trustworthy) narrators. Hence the scholars stipulated that the
reports of narrators of this type can only be accepted if they clearly
state "haddathanaa" ([So and so] told us) in every stage of the isnaad
after their name is mentioned.
(See: al-Tabyeen li Asmaa' al-Mudalliseen, by Sabt Ibn al-'Ajami, p.
235; and Tabaqaat al-Mudalliseen, by al-Haafiz ibn Hajar, p. 51)
Imaam Abu'l-Shaykh al-Asbahaani said:
Ahmad ibn Ishaaq al-Jawhari told us, he said, Ismaa'eel ibn Zaraarah
told us, he said, Abu'l-Maleeh al-Raqqi told us from Maymoon ibn
Mahraan from Umm al-Darda' from Abu'l-Darda' that the Prophet (peace
and blessings of Allaah be upon him) said that a woman will be with
the last of her husbands.
(Tabaqaat al-Muhaaditheen bi Asbahaan, 4/36)
I say, the men of the hadeeth (isnaad) are thiqaat mashhooroon
(trustworthy and well known), apart from Ahmad ibn Ishaaq al-Jawhari,
for whom I cannot find any biographical details apart from the fact
that Abu'l-Shaykh himself stated that this was one of his hasan
ahaadeeth.
If this is indeed the case, then this is the best isnaad concerning
this matter. And Allaah knows best.
Al-Khateeb al-Baghdaadi said:
4803 Samurah ibn Hajar Abu Hajar al-Khurasaani went and settled in
Al-Anbaar, where he narrated from Hamzah ibn Abi Hamzah al-Nusaibi and
'Ammaar ibn 'Ata' al-Khurasaani and al-Rabee' ibn Badr; Ishaaq ibn
Bahlool al-Tanookhi narrated from him, he informed us, 'Ali ibn Abi
'Ali told us, Abu Ghaanim Muhammad ibn Yoosuf al-Azraq told us, my
father told us, he said, my grandfather told us, Samurah ibn Hajar Abu
Hajar al-Khurasaani told us from Hamzah al-Nusaibi from ibn Abi
Maleekah from 'Aa'ishah that the Prophet (peace and blessings of
Allaah be upon him) said:
"A woman will be with the last of her husbands."
(Taareekh Baghdaad, 9/228)
I said, this hadeeth is da'eef jiddan (very weak); it includes Hamzah
al-Nusaibi, who is da'eef jiddan.
The views of the 'ulamaa':
Imaam al-Nasaa'i said:
The hadeeth (of Hamzah ibn al-Nusaibi) is to be rejected (matrook).
(al-Du'afaa' wa'l-Matrookeen, p. 39)
Ibn al-Jawzi said:
Ahmad said: the hadeeth (of Hamzah ibn al-Nusaibi) is to be rejected
(matrooh). Yahyaa said: he is nothing, he is not even worth a penny.
Al-Bukhaari and al-Raazi said: his hadeeth is munkar. Al-Nasaa'i and
al-Daaraqutni said: the hadeeth (of Hamzah ibn al-Nusaibi) is to be
rejected (matrook). Ibn 'Udayy said: he fabricates ahaadeeth. Ibn
Hibbaan said: he is the only thiqah (trustworthy) narrator who
transmitted fabricated ahaadeeth and it looks as if he is deliberately
narrating them; it is not permissible to report from him.
(al-Du'afaa' wa'l-Matrookeen by Ibn al-Jawzi, 1/237)
Al-Bayhaqi said:
Muhammad ibn 'Abd-Allaah al-Haafiz informed us, Abu'l-'Abbaas Muhammad
ibn Ya'qoob told us, Yahyaa ibn Abi Taalib told us, Ishaaq ibn Abi
Taalib told us, Ishaaq ibn Mansoor told us, 'Eesaa ibn 'Abd al-Rahmaan
al-Sulami told us, from Abu Ishaaq from Silah from Hudhayfah (may
Allaah be pleased with him), that he said to his wife, "If you want to
be my wife in Paradise, do not marry anyone after I die, for in
Paradise a woman will be with the last of her husbands in this world.
This is why Allaah forbade the wives of the Prophet (peace and
blessings of Allaah be upon him) to marry anyone after he died,
because they will be his wives in Paradise." (al-Sunan, 7/69)
I say: the isnaad includes Abu Ishaaq al-Subay'i, who is mudallis and
may mix things up, so the report is da'eef.
The views of the 'ulamaa':
See: Man rumiya bi'l-Ikhtilaat by al-Taraabulsi (p. 64) and Tabaqaat
al-Mudalliseen by Ibn Hajar (p. 42).
It was classed as da'eef by al-'Allaamah al-Shaykh al-Albaani (may
Allaah have mercy on him) in al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (1281).
A report narrated by Ibn 'Asaakir (19/193/1) from 'Ikrimah:
Asmaa' bint Abi Bakr was married to al-Zubayr ibn al-'Awwaam, who was
strict with her. She came to her father and complained to him about
that, and he said: O my daughter, have patience, for if a woman has a
righteous husband, then he dies, and she does not marry anyone after
him, they will be joined together in Paradise.
Shaykh al-Albaani (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
The men of this report are thiqaat (trustworthy), but there is Irsaal
( a break in the chain), because 'Ikrimah never met Abu Bakr, but he
may have heard this report from Asmaa' bint Abi Bakr. And Allaah knows
best.
Al-Silsilah al-Saheehah, 3/276.
Conclusion
The view that a woman will be with the husband who was best in
character and conduct with her in this world has no saheeh evidence to
support it.
The view that a woman will have the choice of whichever husband she
wishes to be with has no evidence to support it at all.
The view that she will be with the last of her husbands is the view
that is most likely to be correct, because the hadeeth of Umm
al-Dardaa' is likely to be hasan and marfoo' (attributed to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)). It is supported
by the reports of Hudhayfah and Asmaa' which are mawqoof (their
isnaads stop at the Sahaabi and are not directly attributed to the
Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)). They are fit to
be taken as a corroboration of the marfoo' report and as proof that
there is a reasonable basis for this view.
The hadeeth was classed as saheeh by al-'Allaamah Shaykh al-Albaani in
al-Silsilah al-Saheehah (1281).
In any case, we prefer it to mere opinion.
And Allaah knows best.
O Allaah, bestow Your blessings and peace upon Muhammad and his family
and companions.