A advice that I would give is that nationalism should be avoided by all means. I think its a big problem nowadays and we fall into without knowing. We as muslims should be focusing on unity instead of divisions.
Allah says in the Qur’an:
And He warned:
And even worse is the tribalism that we as somalis have between each other, Hating each other simply because that person is that tribe or this tribe. Killing and harming each other for this is low IQ. Especially as muslims.
He also said:
This was said when the Muhajirun and Ansar almost fought over their group identities. The Prophet ﷺ instantly stopped them, calling it a rotten call — meaning it smells of Jahiliyyah.
Salafi scholars such as Shaykh Ibn Baz and Shaykh al-Albani clarified that modern nationalism — where people prefer their nation over the Ummah — falls under the same prohibition. Whether you call to Somali pride, Arab superiority, or Pakistani unity, the root is asabiyyah, and the Prophet ﷺ warned that it leads to destruction.
he Deen Came to Abolish Lineage Superiority
Islam erased the hierarchy of blood and tribe. The Prophet ﷺ said:
In another narration:
From the Salafi perspective, this hadith is a foundation — your nationality, language, and color hold no weight in Islam. Only taqwa matters. Nationalism reverses this by reintroducing pride based on race and territory.
One of the principles of Salafi creed is al-walā’ wal-barā’ — loving and hating for the sake of Allah. This principle shapes the Muslim’s loyalty.
Allah says:
Nationalism twists this concept — making people love others merely because they share a nationality, even if those people mock Allah or reject Islam. It also makes them despise Muslims of other lands, which directly opposes wala’ wal-bara’.
After the fall of the Khilafah in 1924, colonial powers like Britain and France carved the Muslim lands into artificial “nations.” Instead of being one body, the Ummah was split into pieces — each given a flag, a border, and a fake sense of identity.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) said:
From the Salafi view, this global breakup was not only political but ideological — it planted love for the flag instead of Tawheed. Muslims began to fight each other in the name of “patriotism,” forgetting that Allah called them one Ummah.
Once nationalism enters the heart, it breeds arrogance, racism, and division. You see people saying “Somalis first,” “Egyptians first,” or “Our country before others.” This contradicts the Qur’anic concept of Ummah Wahidah (One Community).
The Prophet ﷺ described the Ummah as:
But nationalism turns the body into competing limbs. It makes one Muslim bleed while another watches, saying, “That’s their country, not ours.”
A Muslim’s identity is not tied to flags or passports. Islam does not recognize “Somali Islam” or “Saudi Islam.” There is only Islam.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
The Salafi da‘wah emphasizes that your wala’ should be for the Muslim wherever he is — whether he speaks your language or not. The bond of Tawheed is stronger than blood.
When nationalism spreads, the heart forgets that guidance, not geography, defines the believer. The Prophet ﷺ warned:
Nationalism revives the first two: pride in ancestry and slandering others’ lineage. From a Salafi perspective, this is not a minor issue — it’s a return to pre-Islamic ignorance.
The only cure is to rebuild allegiance on Tawheed and the Sunnah. When the heart’s love and loyalty return to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, false attachments fall away.
Allah says:
To the Salafi, this ayah explains our current state — Muslims divided, corrupted, and powerless because their unity is built on nationalism instead of faith.
Allah says in the Qur’an:
And He warned:
And even worse is the tribalism that we as somalis have between each other, Hating each other simply because that person is that tribe or this tribe. Killing and harming each other for this is low IQ. Especially as muslims.
He also said:
This was said when the Muhajirun and Ansar almost fought over their group identities. The Prophet ﷺ instantly stopped them, calling it a rotten call — meaning it smells of Jahiliyyah.
Salafi scholars such as Shaykh Ibn Baz and Shaykh al-Albani clarified that modern nationalism — where people prefer their nation over the Ummah — falls under the same prohibition. Whether you call to Somali pride, Arab superiority, or Pakistani unity, the root is asabiyyah, and the Prophet ﷺ warned that it leads to destruction.
he Deen Came to Abolish Lineage Superiority
Islam erased the hierarchy of blood and tribe. The Prophet ﷺ said:
In another narration:
From the Salafi perspective, this hadith is a foundation — your nationality, language, and color hold no weight in Islam. Only taqwa matters. Nationalism reverses this by reintroducing pride based on race and territory.
One of the principles of Salafi creed is al-walā’ wal-barā’ — loving and hating for the sake of Allah. This principle shapes the Muslim’s loyalty.
- Loyalty (wala’) is to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers.
- Disavowal (bara’) is from kufr, shirk, and those who oppose Islam.
Allah says:
Nationalism twists this concept — making people love others merely because they share a nationality, even if those people mock Allah or reject Islam. It also makes them despise Muslims of other lands, which directly opposes wala’ wal-bara’.
After the fall of the Khilafah in 1924, colonial powers like Britain and France carved the Muslim lands into artificial “nations.” Instead of being one body, the Ummah was split into pieces — each given a flag, a border, and a fake sense of identity.
Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyyah (رحمه الله) said:
From the Salafi view, this global breakup was not only political but ideological — it planted love for the flag instead of Tawheed. Muslims began to fight each other in the name of “patriotism,” forgetting that Allah called them one Ummah.
Once nationalism enters the heart, it breeds arrogance, racism, and division. You see people saying “Somalis first,” “Egyptians first,” or “Our country before others.” This contradicts the Qur’anic concept of Ummah Wahidah (One Community).
The Prophet ﷺ described the Ummah as:
But nationalism turns the body into competing limbs. It makes one Muslim bleed while another watches, saying, “That’s their country, not ours.”
A Muslim’s identity is not tied to flags or passports. Islam does not recognize “Somali Islam” or “Saudi Islam.” There is only Islam.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen said:
The Salafi da‘wah emphasizes that your wala’ should be for the Muslim wherever he is — whether he speaks your language or not. The bond of Tawheed is stronger than blood.
When nationalism spreads, the heart forgets that guidance, not geography, defines the believer. The Prophet ﷺ warned:
Nationalism revives the first two: pride in ancestry and slandering others’ lineage. From a Salafi perspective, this is not a minor issue — it’s a return to pre-Islamic ignorance.
The only cure is to rebuild allegiance on Tawheed and the Sunnah. When the heart’s love and loyalty return to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, false attachments fall away.
Allah says:
To the Salafi, this ayah explains our current state — Muslims divided, corrupted, and powerless because their unity is built on nationalism instead of faith.
