In its early period, Islam broke down the idols which were in the garb of ancestral, tribal, national or linguistic division and established an Islamic unity. It included everyone residing in the east or west, black or white, Arab or non-Arab. This unity replaced all other unite sin the world. The westerners have found this Muslim unity disquieting to them and for the past few centuries have endeavoured to arise national sentiments among the Muslims and to break them up in geographical and ancestral divisions. The non-Muslims have no religion on whose platform they may gather all people, so they always fight for the defence of their tribe and ancestry. Or, they invite people to stand under the banner of nation or country.
Allah has put the Muslim above all these things. They wage Jihad only for Allah and Islam and they even, give up their nation and ancestry if these things hinder them in Jihad. We learnt this from the first hijra to Madinah and the battle-fields of Badar and Uhud.
There members of a family raised their swords against those of their own family members who were enemies of Allah and His Messenger (صلى الله عليه و سلم). If they had before them their country or tribe, they would not have fought as they did.
Today, Muslims too have become accustomed to raise national slogans and they wage Jihad for their country. We thank Allah that most of our youth do not think this way. They give their lives for Allah, not for their country. However, it has become customary to use the national slogan as an idiom and most of our poets and orators do it unwittingly. We must abstain from using such polytheistic words.
Definiton of the most important of the obligations of Islam
Al-Jihad P.g 11
Mufti Muhammad Shafi (rh) 6, Shawwal 1391 A.H
brothers and sisters,
