This excerpt is taken from Dr. Yusuf al-Qaradawi's book Halal and Haram in Islam, translated into Urdu by Muhammad Tahir Naqqash.
Jihad Against Imitation of Jahiliyyah
Just as Islam waged war against the ancient Jahiliyyah beliefs and superstitions because these things are extremely dangerous for reason, ethics, and human behavior, similarly, it also waged jihad against the imitation of Jahiliyyah, which was based on tribalism, pride, arrogance, and tribal honor.
There is No Tribalism in Islam
In this regard, Islam took the very first step of burying all forms of tribalism and declared it forbidden to evoke and call towards feelings of tribalism.
The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
ليس منا من دعا إلى عصبية وليس منامن قاتل على عصبية وليس منا من مات على عصبية
"Whoever calls towards tribalism is not one of us, whoever fights on the basis of tribalism is not one of us, and whoever dies on the basis of tribalism is not one of us."
Reference: Abu Dawood, Book of Manners, Chapter on Tribalism, Hadith: 5121 - and its chain is weak
Islam does not support discrimination between humans on the basis of color, nation, or geographical region. It is not permissible in Islam for a Muslim to act out of national or patriotic bias, supporting their own nation in both right and wrong, justice and oppression.
Sayyiduna Wathilah bin Asqa’ (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
قلت يارسول الله ما العصبية؟ قال : أن تعين قومك على الظلم
"I asked: O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), what is tribalism? He replied: It is that you help your own people even in matters of oppression."
Reference: Abu Dawood, Book of Manners, Chapter on Tribalism, Hadith: 5119 - and its chain is weak
Allah Almighty says:
أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ
"O you who have believed! Be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives."
Reference: Surah An-Nisa: 135
وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا
Reference: Surah Al-Ma'idah: 8
"Let not hatred of a people prevent you from being just."
And the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
انصر أخاك ظالما أو مظلوما قالوا يارسول الله ! هذا ننصره مظلوما فكيف ننصره ظالما، قال تمنعه من الظلم فذلك نصره
"Help your brother, whether he is an oppressor or oppressed." The Companions asked: O Messenger of Allah, we will help if he is oppressed, but how do we help if he is an oppressor? He said: Preventing your brother from oppression is indeed helping him."
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Oppressions, Chapter: Helping your brother whether oppressor or oppressed, Hadith: 2444, Hadith: 6952
It is clear from this that any call given to Muslims to create national or group tribalism among themselves, such as patriotism or nationalism, is a call of the ancient ignorance (Jahiliyyah), from which Islam, its Messenger, and its Book are free. Islam neither advocates nor practices establishing allegiance relations with those who hold other beliefs, nor does it support discrimination among people on any basis other than disbelief and faith. The enemy of Islam and the disbeliever is also the enemy of Muslims, even if he is their own brother.
Allah Almighty says:
لَّا تَجِدُ قَوْمًا يُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ يُوَادُّونَ مَنْ حَادَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ وَلَوْ كَانُوا آبَاءَهُمْ أَوْ أَبْنَاءَهُمْ أَوْ إِخْوَانَهُمْ أَوْ عَشِيرَتَهُمْ
"You will never find a people who believe in Allah and the Last Day having affection for those who oppose Allah and His Messenger, even if they were their fathers or their sons or their brothers or their kindred."
Reference: Surah Al-Mujadila: 22
Color and lineage have no importance
It is narrated in Sahih Bukhari that Sayyiduna Abu Dharr رضي الله عنه and Sayyiduna Bilal al-Habashi رضي الله عنه exchanged harsh words in anger. Abu Dharr رضي الله عنه, in anger, said to Bilal رضي الله عنه: O offspring of a black person! Sayyiduna Bilal رضي الله عنه complained about this to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said to Abu Dharr رضي الله عنه: Did you insult his mother? The spirit of ignorance still remains in you.
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Faith, Chapter on Sins from the Commands of Ignorance, Hadith: 30 6050 - Muslim, Book of Faith, Chapter on Feeding a Slave from What One Eats, Hadith: 1661, and there is no mention of Bilal رضي الله عنه there
It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Dharr رضي الله عنه that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said: Look at yourselves, for you have no superiority over the red or black people except through piety.
Reference: Musnad Ahmad: 158/5
And the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said:
كلكم بنو آدم وآدم خلق من تراب
“You are all the children of Adam, and Adam was created from dust.”
Reference: Majma' al-Zawa'id: 86/8, citing Al-Bazzar: 3583, 2044 and Al-Tabarani in Al-Awsat: 4746
Thus, Islam has declared it forbidden for any Muslim to boast about lineage and ancestry following the desires of ignorance and to praise their forefathers. What is the status of lineage and family when the origin of all is one? And even if the status of lineage is accepted, what superiority does a person have in being born of this father or that father? Or what fault does he have in it?
The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم himself warned those who take pride in their ancestors very sternly to stop boasting about their forefathers. Those forefathers who have died and become the coal of Hell, otherwise, they would be more despicable than filth-eating worms. Allah has erased the pride of ancient ignorance and the way of boasting about forefathers. Now a person is either a pious believer or a wretched sinner. All are children of Adam, and Adam was created from clay.
Reference: Musnad Ahmad: 361/2, Abu Dawood, Book of Manners, Chapter on Boasting about Lineage, Hadith: 5116; Tirmidhi at the end of the book, Hadith: 3950, 3956; Bayhaqi in Sunan al-Kubra: 10/232
This hadith contains a great lesson for those who boast about their ancient ancestors and the champions of Arab and non-Arab ignorance like Pharaoh and Khosrow, while their reality, according to the Prophetic statement, is nothing more than coal of Hell. At the Farewell Pilgrimage, when thousands of people were attentively listening to the message of Islam, the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم declared some fundamental principles in his sermon:
يا أيها الناس إن ربكم واحد، ألا لا فضل لعربي على عجمي ولا لعجمي على عربي ولا لأحمر على أسود ولا لأسود على أحمر إلا بالتقوى، إن أكرمكم عند الله أتقاكم
“O people! Your Lord is one. Listen, no Arab has superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have superiority over an Arab; neither the white has superiority over the black, nor the black over the white, except by piety. The most honored in the sight of Allah is the most pious among you.”
Reference: Bayhaqi in Shu'ab al-Iman: 4/289, Hadith: 5137 from Jabir, and the wording is his; and in this chain some who do not know have said Ahmad in Musnad: 5/411 and Abu Nu'aym in Al-Hilya 3/100
To Recite Elegy
Mourning loudly, wailing, lamenting excessively, and exaggerating in expressing grief at someone's death are imitations of the ways of ignorance (Jahiliyyah), which Islam strongly opposes. Islam teaches its followers that death is actually the transition from this world to the next, not complete annihilation or extinction. It should be remembered that neither lamenting nor wailing can bring the dead back to life, nor can it avert the divine decree. Therefore, a believer should face death just as he faces other calamities—with patience and accountability. He should take a lesson from it and hope for an eternal meeting in the Hereafter, and his tongue should utter these words:
إِنَّا لِلَّهِ وَ إِنَّا إِلَيْهِ رَاجِعُونَ
“We belong to Allah and to Him we shall return.”
Reference: (Surah Al-Baqarah: 156)
If he adopts the ways of the people of ignorance, it will be an evil and forbidden act, and Allah and His Messenger are free from it. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said:
ليس منا من لتم الخدود وشق الجيوب ودعا بدعوى الجاهلية
“He is not one of us who tears his clothes, scratches his face, and raises the call of Jahiliyyah.”
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Funerals, Chapter: Not one of us who tears his clothes, Hadith: 1294; Muslim, Book of Faith, Chapter: Prohibition of slapping cheeks, Hadith: 103
It is not permissible for a Muslim to wear mourning clothes, abandon adornment, or change his usual dress and appearance to express grief. However, it is obligatory for a wife to observe mourning for her husband for four months and ten days, as this is a requirement of fulfilling the rights of marriage and shows respect for the sacred bond that united them. Therefore, she should refrain from displaying adornment and should not cause those who come to offer condolences to look at her with pity. But if the deceased is someone other than the husband, such as a father, son, or brother, then it is not permissible for a woman to mourn for more than three days.
Imam Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him) narrated from Zainab bint Abi Salmah (may Allah be pleased with her) who narrated from Sayyida Umm Habibah (may Allah be pleased with her) that when her father Abu Sufyan (may Allah be pleased with him) passed away and when Zainab bint Jahsh’s brother passed away, each of them applied perfume and said, “By Allah, I did not need perfume, but I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say:
لا يحل لامرأة تؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر أن تحد على ميت فوق ثلاث ليال إلا على زوج أربعة أشهر وعشرا
“It is not permissible for a woman who believes in Allah and the Last Day to mourn for more than three days for anyone except her husband, for whom she should mourn for four months and ten days.”
Reference: Bukhari, Book of Divorce, Chapter: The period of mourning for the deceased husband is four months and ten days, Hadith: 5334, 5335; Muslim, Book of Divorce, Chapter: Obligation of mourning in the case of death, Hadith: 1486, 1487
This mourning is obligatory for the wife, and she should never be negligent about it. A woman came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and said that her daughter's husband had died and her eyes were in pain; she asked if she could apply kohl. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said: No.
Reference: Bukhari, previous reference, Hadith: 5336; Muslim, previous reference, Hadith: 1488
This statement of the Prophet (peace be upon him) indicates that beautification and adornment are forbidden during the mourning period, but crying without lamentation and without shouting is not sinful; rather, it is a natural matter.
Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) heard the cries of some women mourning Sayyiduna Khalid ibn Walid (may Allah be pleased with him). Some people wanted to stop them, but Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Let them cry for Abu Sulayman, provided they do not throw dust on their heads or cry out loudly.
Reference: Al-‘Ilaqah al-Bukhari in the Book of Funerals, Chapter: What is disliked about wailing over the dead, Hadith: 1291; also connected in Al-Tarikh al-Saghir: 1/46 and in the manuscript page: 26; narrated by Al-Hakim: 3/297; Al-Bayhaqi: 4/71
