Your Children and Mine

There appears to be a notion that has been very much present in our current global society, and it is that different groups of people can be worth more or less than others. Recently we have seen how Central American immigrants have been treated at the American border. We have seen children -sometimes infants- ripped away from their families. Some say these aren’t our values, this isn’t who we are. History would disagree, and that is why Allah sent us Prophet Mohammed to guide us so.  

Abu Ayyub reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Whoever separates a mother from her child, then Allah will separate him from his loved ones on the Day of Resurrection.” [Al-Tirmidhī 1566]

Clearly from this hadith we can see and acknowledge that this isn’t okay, and most people would agree with this. I wanted to take this opportunity to remind readers that all these children are our children too. We have conditioned ourselves to focus more on one and not the other. The Muslim child, the Christian child, the black child, the white child, the orphan, and all in between are our children. I can’t look away or not react; if they are all of our daughters and sons, how can I say that one is less important than the other. Children from Iraq, Brazil, Palestine, Kashmir, Honduras, Haiti, anywhere and everywhere need our protection. If I looked up in the sky I would see one sun. This sun serves the entire planet that we all share. It does not discriminate. If there was truly a preferred race, wouldn’t the sun shine solely on their crops and not of the others?

The fact that I identify myself as a minority is a result of social conditioning; it is thinking with a colonized mind. The idea of races has no factual basis that can lead to any good, created only to serve racists enabling them to justify what they can do to others that they can’t to their own people. Dehumanizing one group and taking away from their humanity so they can feel better about theirs. The general population overall benefits from systematic racism practiced locally or abroad, so let us not pretend that we don’t butter our bread with the bullet.

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ 

“O people, We have created you male and female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily, the most noble of you to Allah is the most righteous of you. Verily, Allah is knowing and aware.” [Surah al-Hujurat 49:13]

The best of mankind is the one that is most noble to Allah , and has nothing to do with races or status or wealth, or worldly fame. We created these hierarchies to better serve us.

Systematic racism abroad looks more like murder than denying them rights. The reality is that I am tired of the pretense and the ongoing conditioning. I am done pretending that my daily routine and habits are somehow contributing or are a result of some sort of global tyranny. I am tired of the notion that filling up my car pays for bombs to be dropped on people with no shoes or socks. I am tired of pretending that it doesn’t eat away at my soul and heart.

Abu Nadrah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said in the final days of the pilgrimage: “O people, your Lord is one and your father Adam is one. There is no favor of an Arab over a foreigner, nor a foreigner over an Arab, and neither white skin over black skin, nor black skin over white skin, except by righteousness. Have I not delivered the message?” [Sahih Aḥmad]

On a moral note, something emphasized heavily in our Islamic teachings that should be uncontroversial, is the idea of universality. We should apply to ourselves the same standards we expect others to follow, maybe even more stringent.

The Prophet said: “When Allah wills some good towards the people of a household. He introduces kindness among them.” [Sahih Ahmad].

This in turn should be implemented to your children. Your children wait and see how you treat others regardless of race, wealth, and occupation. Then they will imitate that behavior; if there is kindness and love it will be reflected, and if there is a sense of superiority then that will be reflected too.

Omar advised, “Take account of yourselves before you are audited.”

Or as Ice Cube would say “Check yourself before your wreck yourself.” We need to start with ourselves, and work towards seeing no enemy in the mirror.

I speak to you from a comfortable setting, with a comfortable life alhamdulillah. I wake up everyday overwhelmed to be alive, and in a much better situation than the majority of the people on the planet. The weight in feelings keeps my pride and ego in check. The best action any group can immediately take to save these children on a larger scale, is to create a strong anti-war movement in your community. Bring this anti-war movement to your elected officials and local leaders. Look at your children, what if they were next?