Nationalism vs Ummah.pptx one nation vs one ummah

Presented in 49th annual ICNA Convention, Baltimore, MD. It defines nationalism vs concept of Ummah in Islam. It talks about pitfalls of the concept of nationalism and blessings of the concept of Ummah.

1. Nationalism & its pitfalls One nation vs One Ummah

2. Relevant points to be discussed Introduction Concept of Ummah in Islam What is meant by nationalism Relevance of topic to today’s context Emergence of nationalism in the modern world Nationalism in the Islamic context Potential conflicts it can create Examples how nationalism has affected Muslim communities globally and locally in America

3. Quran’s universal declaration يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍۢ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ شُعُوبًۭا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓا ۟ ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتْقَىٰكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌۭ ١٣ O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may ˹get to˺ know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware. Surah Hujurat,49: 13

4. AL- Anbiya 21:92-93 إِنَّ هَـٰذِهِۦٓ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ وَأَنَا۠ رَبُّكُمْ فَٱعْبُدُونِ ٩٢ O prophets!˺ Indeed, this Ummah of yours is ˹only˺ one, and I am your Lord, so worship Me ˹alone وَتَقَطَّعُوٓا۟ أَمْرَهُم بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ كُلٌّ إِلَيْنَا رَٰجِعُونَ ٩٣ Yet the people have divided it into sects. But to Us they will all return.

5. Meaning of word Ummah in this verse Ummah is a universal community of believers: bound together with a common belief and purpose , to obey Allah (SWT ) with a common goal to advance the cause of Islam : a- Witnessing truth of Islam b- Forbid evil and enjoin good c- Establish Islam in words/practice d- Achieve success in both worlds

6. Baqarah, 2:213 كَانَ ٱلنَّاسُ أُمَّةًۭ وَٰحِدَةًۭ فَبَعَثَ ٱللَّهُ ٱلنَّبِيِّـۧنَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ وَأَنزَلَ مَعَهُمُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبَ بِٱلْحَقِّ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ ٱلنَّاسِ فِيمَا ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ ۚ وَمَا ٱخْتَلَفَ فِيهِ إِلَّا ٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُوهُ مِنۢ بَعْدِ مَا جَآءَتْهُمُ ٱلْبَيِّنَـٰتُ بَغْيًۢا بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ فَهَدَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لِمَا ٱخْتَلَفُوا۟ فِيهِ مِنَ ٱلْحَقِّ بِإِذْنِهِۦ ۗ وَٱللَّهُ يَهْدِى مَن يَشَآءُ إِلَىٰ صِرَٰطٍۢ مُّسْتَقِيمٍ ٢١٣ Humanity had once been one community ˹of believers before they lost faith˺. Then Allah raised prophets as deliverers of good news and as Warners and revealed to them the Scriptures in truth to judge among people regarding their disputes. And no one disputed the Scriptures except the very people who received them after clear proofs had come to them—out of jealousy. Then Allah, by His grace, has guided the believers to the truth regarding those disputes. And Allah guides whoever He wills to the Straight Path.

7. Prophet Mohammad (SAW) declaration In Makkah on Victory Day The Messenger of Allah ﷺ spoke while entering Makkah as victor and said : « يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّ اللهَ تَعَالَى قَدْ أَذْهَبَ عَنْكُمْ عُبِّيَّةَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَتَعَظُّمَهَا بِآبَائِهَا، فَالنَّاسُ رَجُلَانِ: رَجُلٌ بَرٌّ تَقِيٌّ كَرِيمٌ عَلَى اللهِ تَعَالَى، وَرَجُلٌ فَاجِرٌ شَقِيٌّ هَيِّنٌ عَلَى اللهِ تَعَالَى، إِنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ يَقُولُ: يأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَى وَجَعَلْنَـكُمْ شُعُوباً وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَـرَفُواْ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عَندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَـكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ » O people! Allah the Exalted has removed from you the slogans of Jahiliyyah and its tradition of honoring forefathers. Men are of two types: 1- A man who is righteous, fearful of Allah and honorable to Allah, or 2-A man who is vicious, miserable and little to Allah the Exalted. Verily, Allah the Exalted and Most Honored said: ( He recited Ayah 13 of Surah Hujurat )

8. Mission of this Ummah Be witness to the mankind for truth of Islam . وَكَذَٰلِكَ جَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ أُمَّةً وَسَطًا لِّتَكُونُوا۟ شُهَدَآءَ عَلَى ٱلنَّاسِ وَيَكُونَ ٱلرَّسُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ شَهِيدًا ۗ Thus, we made you Ummah Wasat (just and the best) nation, that you be witnesses over mankind and the Messenger (Muhammad ) be a witness over you. (2:143)

9. Mission of Ummah- Enjoin good and forbid evil كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِٱلْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ ٱلْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ ءَامَنَ أَهْلُ ٱلْكِتَـٰبِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًۭا لَّهُم ۚ مِّنْهُمُ ٱلْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ ٱلْفَـٰسِقُونَ ١١٠ " You are the best community (Ummah) raised up for (the benefit of) humanity; enjoining what is right and forbidding what is wrong and believing in God…" (Quran 3:110)

10. Mission of Ummah- Establish Deen شَرَعَ لَكُم مِّنَ ٱلدِّينِ مَا وَصَّىٰ بِهِۦ نُوحًا وَٱلَّذِىٓ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَيْكَ وَمَا وَصَّيْنَا بِهِۦٓ إِبْرَٰهِيمَ وَمُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰٓ ۖ أَنْ أَقِيمُوا۟ ٱلدِّينَ وَلَا تَتَفَرَّقُوا۟ فِيهِ He has appointed for you the same Way of life which He had ordained for Noah and which (O Muhammad) We have now revealed to you; and which We had already enjoined on Abraham and Moses and Jesus, stressing: "Establish this Way and be not divided in it. (Shura:13)

11. Relations amongst Muslims in Ummah Declaring Shahada entitles to be member of the Muslim Ummah. Muslims are brothers and sisters like one family . They work as one body with a spirit of cooperation, good will, empathy and unity. 

12. What is nationalism? Nationalism is the doctrine of  asserting  the interests of one's own nation , tribe , ethnicity  as separate and superior from the interests of other nations. It can result in oppressive pride, envy, ego, injustice, exploitation, erratic emotion, divisive mindset, and destructive behavior,   It starts with patriotism , love of country or the nation . C hauvinism . E xaggerated ,  passionate , or  fanatical  devotion to a national, tribal or ethnic c ommunity Tribalism is the ancestor of nationalism. It was the key factor why pagan Arabia was violent and brutal .

13. Nationalism vs Globalism Nationalism is understood to be focused on the ‘ cultural unit of the nation .’ This changed in Europe after the Protestant Reformation. The state became more reliant on the people who resided within the nation instead of outside forces like the Catholic Church . Soon, nationalism and self-determination became integral parts of the view of democracy . Globalism is operation or planning of economic and foreign policy on a global basis & treating the whole world as a proper sphere for political influence Nationalists place large emphasis on national interests and needs before global

14. Ethno-Nationalism Nationalism with ethnocentric (and in some cases an ethnocratic) approach to various political issues related to national affirmation of a particular ethnic group . C ampaign of “ America First ” and “ Make America Great Again ” are set in a very distinctively Ethno-nationalist direction. D efinition of “ American” excludes quite a few groups of peopl e who live in the United States. This is called ethnonationalism. E thnonationalist tactics employed by this campaign include fascination with the border wall between the United States and Mexico, the Muslim ban, and the active separation of families along the Mexican border . Similarly, a rise in white nationalism has occurred , encouraged by this campaign

15. Ummah Vs Nationalism Ummah in Islam Islam is from Allah (SWT), Creator of the universe and promotes divine values. Islam’s call is universal. Ummah is a global construct based on adherence to divine values, beliefs and actions derived from revealed texts of Quran and Sunnah Islam differentiates based on faith, piety and merit Nationalism Nationalism is from the people and promotes values of its dominant ethnicity/group/country. Nationalism is for its people . Racism, nationalism, aristocracy, tribalism etc. these secular constructs are based on a sense of belonging to a biological, geographical and/or ethnic group Nationalism differentiates based on ethnicity, country

16. Ummah Nationalism Ummah prioritizes interests of Islamic texts (implementation and practice) achieving divine justice, equity and fairness Ummah supports reason, proportionality and evidence Ummah prioritizes merit and piety in people Ummah gives everyone with proven merit and uprightness an equitable opportunity to job and income Nationalism prioritizes interests of monetary profit, empowerment of its dominant ethnicity/group and enforcement of its ethno-cultural influence Nationalism supports emotional bias, collective demonization, collective punishment and propaganda Nationalism prioritizes the men and women of its dominant ethnicity/group Nationalism only prioritizes the people and businesses of its dominant ethnicity/group

17. Ummah Nationalism Ummah is based on balanced emotion, absolute reason and devoted spirituality Ummah is the brotherhood of faith and divine values Ethics and morals in Islam are totally based on Quran, Sunnah and actions of Sahaba including Ahl Bayt Islam obligates selfless altruism Nationalism is based on deviant extremist emotion, irrationalism and ancestral veneration Nationalism is the brotherhood of skin color and shared ethnic traits of language and ethnic culture Ethics and morals in nationalism is based on whatever empowers the ethnicity and its people irrespective of the means and ends Nationalism demands selfish Darwinian moral adherence

18. Ummah Nationalism In Islam Justice transcends ethnicity, map or jurisdiction Islam sees foreigners under it as equal because foreigner s must pay Islamic taxes and adhere to Islamic law Islam rejects nationalism, racism, tribalism, secularism and aristocracy starting in the minds, beliefs and words, and then action when opportunities arise or created In Nationalism justice is limited and often impeded by slogan of national interest and ethnic empowerment. Nationalism sees foreigners under it as exploitable opportunity Nationalism rejects Islam or pollutes it by trying to make Islam nationalist.

19. Relevance of this topic In today’s context N ationalism has replaced neoliberalism (a political approach that favors free-market capitalism, deregulation, and reduction in government spending.) In the past 30 years, economics drove political decision-making, now politics is determining economic decisions C ountry after country  weaponising their trade , technology, industry and competition policies. M utually beneficial commerce is being replaced by the zero-sum rivalries of “I win, you lose” M ovements such as “America first”, “China first”, “India first” and “Russia first”, “my tribe first”, threaten to descend into an us versus them geopolitics of “my country first and only”. Freezing the central bank reserves of hostile regimes and limiting access to  global payments systems , trade, technology , capital wars are set to intensify .

20. Nationalism Across the Globe  After 2016, there was a large  rise  in nationalist sentiment across the world. In the Us 2020 election fueled nationalism with the slogan “America First.” In Germany, the nationalist AfD (Alternative for Deutsc hland ) a major party in Spain right-wing populist Vox has become prominent party. N ationalist leaders have come forward in China , the Philippines , and Turkey. These exclusionary nationalists could be potentially very dangerous for the perceived “outsiders ” or foreigners. .

21. Some benefits of Nationalism Promote buying and selling of domestic products, R ecruitment in the military G eneral patriotism . It is motivator of a shared identity connected to a country In Korea and Taiwan officials were able to implement the Japanese inspired top-down nationalist model that greatly encouraged growth.

22. Pitfalls of Nationalism N ationalism can also encourage exclusion . In Europe, imperialism and colonization justified by nationalism. In post colonial period, they completely control countries in Africa and in Asia , During World War II, Adolf Hitler employed nationalist techniques in order to secure his base and rationalize his tactics as in the best interest for Germany. Nationalist sentiment establishing one group to be the rightful citizens of a country, is dangerous in an increasingly globalized world

23. When is  nationalism  negative and create conflicts ? Extreme Ethno- nationalis m with “ us versus them” mentality is often rooted in ideas of racial and national superiority. It led to World War I . Nazi Germany , led by Hitler and his belief in Aryan (essentially white Germanic) racial superiority or ethnocentric nationalism—led to World War II . European Union  (EU) was made for regional security and prosperity over solely national interests by binding countries together But recently, a rising tide of  nationalism   has led countries to once again question such partnerships.

24. Conflicts created Russia is at war with Ukraine , under claims to support for  ethnic Russians living in the country . Exclusive  nationalism : ( only people who meet certain criteria are citizens) . In Saudi Arabia, all Muslim residents cannot become citizens. China has forced over one million  Uighur Muslims into detention centers , where detainees are made to learn Mandarin, renounce Islam, and pledge loyalty to the Chinese government.

25. Conflicts created by Nationalism India’s Hindu nationalists in India,   in power under BJP reject the country’s founding vision as a secular, multicultural society. They advocate preferential treatment for Hindus at the expense of the rights of some two hundred million Muslim Indians. N ationalism   has led to  genocide , the targeted mass killing of a specific group of people. In Buddhist Myanmar,  Muslim Rohingya have faced decades of persecution . Since 2017   government with extremist Buddhists carried out brutal genocidal campaign   against the ethnic Muslim minority. This violence forced hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to flee into neighboring Bangladesh.

26. Ethnic cleansing by ethno-religious nationalists Yugoslavia. Genocidal mass killing of Muslims took place in the hands of Serbs in Bosnia/Herzegovina. Nationalism and genocidal cleansing resulted in the creation of six states from former Yugoslavia: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia There is continued brutal genocidal campaign against indigenous Palestinian population since 1948. World is witnessing mass killing by lethal weapons and by food and water deprivation in Gaza and West Bank.

27. Economic nationalism This promotes domestic control of the economy, Purpose is to protect jobs and minimize imports . F ree international trade is opposed . L ocal industries are supported against foreign competition,  G overnments often implement protectionist policies , including  tariffs , subsidies, and import quotas.

28. Nationalism in Islamic Context يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُوا۟ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِى خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفْسٍۢ وَٰحِدَةٍۢ وَخَلَقَ مِنْهَا زَوْجَهَا وَبَثَّ مِنْهُمَا رِجَالًۭا كَثِيرًۭا وَنِسَآءًۭ ۚ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِى تَسَآءَلُونَ بِهِۦ وَٱلْأَرْحَامَ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ كَانَ عَلَيْكُمْ رَقِيبًۭا ١ “O humankind! Be mindful of your Lord who has created you from a single soul, and created from that soul its mate, and has brought forth from them multitudes of men and women” (4:1). Humanity has a common ancestry , which creates inseparable bonds between us . Islam does not sanction schemes, such as conflicting nationalisms, that negate or trivialize those bonds.

29. Equality as humans is fundamental value فَٱسْتَجَابَ لَهُمْ رَبُّهُمْ أَنِّى لَآ أُضِيعُ عَمَلَ عَـٰمِلٍۢ مِّنكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ أَوْ أُنثَىٰ ۖ بَعْضُكُم مِّنۢ بَعْضٍۢ ۖ ١٩٥ And their Lord accepted their prayer, and answered them, ‘I will never allow the work of any of you, male or female, to be lost. You are of one another ’” (3:195). Islam promotes that fundamental worth of all humans transcends the divisions of race and gender . Understanding this equality is central to an understanding of how Islam approaches the issue of nationalism. Roles and responsibilities may differ but equality in honor, dignity and status do not.

30. Islam recognizes differences amongst humans وَمِنْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ خَلْقُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ وَٱخْتِلَـٰفُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَٰنِكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ فِى ذَٰلِكَ لَـَٔايَـٰتٍۢ لِّلْعَـٰلِمِينَ ٢٢ “And among His signs is the creation of the heavens and earth and the variation of your languages and colors . Surely in this are signs for those possessing knowledge” (30:22). Islam recognizes the validity of national, racial, tribal, ethnic, and cultural differences , Islam views them as signs of God’s creative power , not as the foundation for the creation of mutually destructive political agendas

31. Differences amongst humans are no reason for superiority Concept of universal one Ummah supersedes the division of humans into their respective : nations, tribes, cultural and ethnic identity groups, possessors of distinct historical missions, These distinctions should not constitute the basis for the creation of destructive, mutually exclusive, potentially belligerent agendas . T hese distinctions are never basis for any claims of superiority . Allah/God reminds us that these differences, informed by the accident of birth, exist as a means for our mutual recognition as well as a display of the creative power of God. 

32. Universality of the Prophet Mohammad’s message leading to universal Ummah and state The nations, prior to the advent of the Prophet Muĥammad ﷺ , were addressed by prophets sent specifically to them. قُلْ يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنِّى رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ إِلَيْكُمْ جَمِيعًا ٱلَّذِى لَهُۥ مُلْكُ ٱلسَّمَـٰوَٰتِ وَٱلْأَرْضِ ۖ لَآ إِلَـٰهَ إِلَّا هُوَ يُحْىِۦ وَيُمِيتُ ۖ O’ People! I am the messenger of God unto you all!’” (7:158). It is emphasizing the universality of the mission of the Prophet Muĥammad ﷺ by presenting it in contradistinction to the earlier messages. This message resulted in a unified Islamic state integrating the entirety of the known world to an extent unprecedented in history. 

33. Patriotism and Islam Patriotism (Love for the motherland without prejudice ) is a great Sunnah of our beloved Prophet Muhammad (SAW). 2 Ahadith: 1-Abdur-Rahman bin Awf (Ra) narrated that ‘Abdullah bin ‘ Adiy bin Hamra ' said to him: "I saw the Prophet (SAW), when he was on his she-camel, standing in Al- Hazwarah (a place in Makkah) saying: ‘By Allah, you are the best land of Allah and the dearest of the lands of Allah to me. By Allah, had I not been expelled from you I would never have left." (Ibn Majah ). 2-From Ibn Abbas R.Anhuma , the Prophet PBUH spoke to Mecca: مَا أَطْيَبَكِ مِنْ بَلَدٍ، وَأَحَبَّكِ إِلَيَّ، وَلَوْلَا أَنَّ قَوْمِي أَخْرَجُونِي مِنْكِ مَا سَكَنْتُ غَيْرَكِ " How sweet of a land you are and how dear you are to me, and if it were not that my people expelled me from you, I would not have lived in other than you." Sunan al-Tirmizi (3926 After migrating to Madinah, the Prophet (SAW) loved Madinah but didn't forget Makkah.

34. How has nationalism / tribalism affected Muslims in America? Despite the noble teachings of Islam, tribalism, in a disturbing sense, seems to thrive far too well in Muslim communities, both locally in America and at international levels . T hese tribalist mentalities and behavior are hampering the advance of the Muslim community By tribalism and tribalist mentality, I mean the way of life and the mentality that characterized our "tribal" ancestors B efore civilization emerged, people used to live in small tribal groups, using primitive stone tools to hunt for and gather foods. T he tribal society was clannish, mutually isolated, closed and antagonistic in matters of territorial dispute.

35. Multiple forms of tribalism E thnic tribalism, I deological/political tribalism, R eligious tribalism, and even global tribalism. E arly tribal societies were mutually isolated, closed, and "unintelligent," P resent "global village" due to the new technologies is also ironically retribalizing humanity because there is an absence of reasoned moral action.

36. Tribalism amongst Muslims in US I n the U.S. community integrates Muslims of various nations and "tribes" from all over the world , T he tribalist mentality has bred tension or souring social interaction . ﴿فَتَقَطَّعُوا أَمْرَهُم بَيْنَهُمْ زُبُرًا ۖ كُلُّ حِزْبٍ بِمَا لَدَيْهِمْ فَرِحُونَ﴾ [ المؤمنون: 53] But the people divided their religion among them into sects - each faction, in what it has, rejoicing. This has retarded the growth of development projects in many Muslim communities.

37. Failure of Muslims at global level Muslims have failed to throw off the legacy of tribalism and nationalism . Throughout the world, ethnic, regional or national ties appear to be adhered by Muslims. They have failed to forge a much-needed unity and common stance on international issues . They haven't been able to develop a common market of the Muslim world Have failed miserably to defend the rights of Muslims everywhere

38. K ey to detribalizing the Muslim community and form unified Ummah وَٱعْتَصِمُوا ۟ بِحَبْلِ ٱللَّهِ جَمِيعًۭا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا۟ ۚ وَٱذْكُرُوا ۟ نِعْمَتَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْكُمْ إِذْ كُنتُمْ أَعْدَآءًۭ فَأَلَّفَ بَيْنَ قُلُوبِكُمْ فَأَصْبَحْتُم بِنِعْمَتِهِۦٓ إِخْوَٰنًۭا وَكُنتُمْ عَلَىٰ شَفَا حُفْرَةٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلنَّارِ فَأَنقَذَكُم مِّنْهَا ۗ كَذَٰلِكَ يُبَيِّنُ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمْ ءَايَـٰتِهِۦ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ ١٠٣ And hold firmly together to the rope of Allah 1  and do not be divided. Remember Allah’s favor upon you when you were enemies, then He united your hearts, so you—by His grace—became brothers. And you were at the brink of a fiery pit, and He saved you from it. This is how Allah makes His revelations clear to you, so that you may be ˹rightly˺ guided. Ale-Imran,3:103

39. Hold fast to the rope of Allah (Quran) “Hold fast together to Allah’s rope" implies that hold fast to Quran . E xert your utm ost to establish it and co-operate with one another for its service I f you loose grip to this rope of Allah, you will be divided into sections and sub-sections, like the communities of the former Prophets. As a consequence, disgrace will be faced both in this world and in the Next.