Are we British first or Muslim first? This question is being used regularly to disguise pushing ideas of British nationalism on Muslims in Britain so that the ‘British’ nametag is attached to their identities without them truly understanding its full implications. The aim of this is to subtly attack the concept of Ummah (the global Islamic Community) so that Muslims become separated from being concerned about the affairs of Muslims around the world and think only about British interests and affairs first, even though the Prophet (saw) said: “He who wakes up in the morning and does not think of the affairs of the Muslims is not one of us” [sahih muslim]
Muslims believe in ultimate sovereignty to God (Allah) first above all things, thus we are always Muslims first; we were even created Muslim first! (This is the ‘fitrah’- human nature of man). It is commanded by Allah (swt) for Muslims to take care of their Ummah as their family and first responsibility above all others. This does not mean they do not care for the problems of others, because Islam has obliged Muslims to be concerned for all human suffering and problems that occur all over the world, whether to Muslims or non-Muslims. It just means that Muslims cannot be nationalistic- since nationalism is based upon identifying yourself with a nation that represents your interests and making these interests as your own, whether they are haram or halal. So e.g. supporting the British troops in Iraq as ‘our’ boys is demanded of people calling themselves British, while supporting the Iraqi freedom fighters could be seen as a ‘betrayal’ of Britain even though the Iraq war is unjust.
Islam has commanded that the Muslim Ummah’s first and foremost interests must be only Islam (which includes justice and truth).This includes the submission to God and the comprehensive establishment of Islamic political and spiritual solutions in life’s affairs which aims at resolving all problems facing humanity today. Therefore the Ummah differs in what it defines its interests to be and what it considers beneficial in a manner completely different from all other nations e.g. different from Britain which follows capitalist ideas of self-interest and self-benefit. How then can Muslims ever perceive Britain and ‘Britishness’ as representing them?!
The early Muslims who were told by the Prophet (saw) to escape from pagan persecution to Abyssinia, and who took the covenant of peace with its righteous king, did not become ‘Abyssinians’, nor did they take this as their identity, nationality or cause. Rather they lived in peace with the inhabitants of Abyssinia and returned back to Arabia when a community under a state for Islam was established by the Prophet (saw)-the Islamic State of Medina, and it became safe for Muslims to live in Arabia again.
This clearly shows that the only state that can truly represent the Ummah is a state that is based only upon the same beliefs, ideals and purposes as the Ummah- i.e. the Islamic Khilafah state. This being said, it does not mean the Ummah living in the west cannot interact with and help the community they live in and be good examples of Islam to the nonmuslims, but only upon issues which are common and halal- like e.g. business (but cannot not engage in interest- since this is against Islamic laws of economic responsibility and justice).
Why is it that here in Britain, the death of 57 people on 7/7 is publically mourned but not the death of 100,000 Iraqis? The answer is simple; the 57 killed were British whereas the 100,000 Iraqis killed were not. This is because the reality of nationalism is that it has caused most of the worlds conflicts and problems due to the fact that it divides people from one another’s empathy and makes people prioritise their interests over others.
Islam came to dismantle all these barriers that exist between the sons of Adam, thus Muslims do not recognise nationalism- that is why we wish to solve the problems of all peoples and nations by inviting them to a better way of life than the one there are currently living and suffering under. Thus Islam is inclusive and not exclusive because it seeks to ultimately solve the problems of all peoples and nations, Muslim and non-Muslim.
Lastly, some have described the Ummah as a ‘Spiritual Community’ only, this relegates it and Islam to merely being a set of religious worship practises. This contradicts reality, since it is well known that Islam is a comprehensive way of life with a Political Dimension and set of solutions emanating from it. Thus Nationalism divides man from man, and separates him from thinking about the needs of his fellows. It is inhumane and prohibited for Muslims to believe in: The Prophet Muhammed (saw) said: “He is not one of us (i.e. a Muslim) who calls for Asabiyyah, (tribalism/nationalism) or who fights for ‘Asabiyyah or who dies for ‘Asabiyyah.” [Abu Dawud]. Therefore it is clear that we can only call ourselves by the identity given to us by our Lord and creator- Muslim (those who submit to Allah [swt]).
