Fatwa ID: 07148
Answered by: Alimah Saleha Bukhari Islam
Question:
I have heard in Islam we are supposed to love Arabs. I was wondering, who are considered arabs? Is it merely speaking arabic make you one?
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
Answer:
Humankind descended from Adam and Hawa (ah), and Adam was created from dust and Hawa from him and so we are all descendants of Adam (as). Thus, love is encouraged towards all of Allah’s creation and especially encouraged between Muslims for the sake of Allah, and to strengthen the brotherhood and sisterhood ties in Islam.
There is a Hadith collection stating love for the Arabs that is reported with a very weak chain. Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas (ra) narrated that Rasulullah (ﷺ) said:
‘Love the Arabs for three reasons: Because I am an Arab, The Quran is in Arabic and the language of Jannah is Arabic’.
[Mustadrak Hakim, vol4 pg87; Al Mu’jamul Kabir, Hadith: 11441; Shu’abul Iman, Hadith: 1364; Mishkaat vol.2 pg.553] 1
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was born to a noble family of Arab lineage, and the Quran was revealed in Arabic, the language of Jannah. Therefore, just as we have respect for His family i.e. the Sayyids, then we also have respect for the Arabs due to our Prophet’s ﷺ affiliation to them. Just as we desire to eat what He ate, dress as He dressed, behave as He did, then we also desire to love what He loved.
Nevertheless, we need to understand that one’s lineage or characteristics maybe relevant to the world and it’s people but in comparison, superiority is that which counts in the hereafter. Allah ﷻ words are the truth, and there is no doubt in the Quran:
‘O mankind, indeed, We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted’ [al-Hujurat, 49:13] 2
Allahﷻ informs us that the superiority of people or a nation over others is measured and recognised by the strength of their righteousness, through their faith (eeman) and mindfulness of God (taqwa). The one who closely follows what Allah has enjoined and refrains from what Allah has forbidden is considered far superior in the eyes of Allah.
Only Allah (عز و جل) knows best.
Written by Alimah Saleha Bukhari Islam
Checked and approved by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
1 عن ابن عباس قال : قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : ” أحبوا العرب لثلاث : لأني عربي والقرآن عربي وكلام أهل الجنة عربي ” . رواه البيهقي في ” شعب الإيمان “(مشكاة #5997)
2 يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَـٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍۢ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَـٰكُمْ شُعُوبًۭا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓا۟ ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتْقَىٰكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌۭ ١٣
