“Tribalism is a pernicious belief that has afflicted all human societies in every time period, originating in the worship of idols and reconstructing itself into many ideological forms throughout the ages.
Allah has commanded us to uphold justice with all other human beings regardless of their race, religion, lineage, status, or identity.
Allah said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًا فَاللَّهُ أَوْلَىٰ بِهِمَا فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا الْهَوَىٰ أَنتَعْدِلُوا
O you who believe, be persistently standing firm in justice as witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. Follow not your desires, lest you not be just.
Surat al-Nisa 4:135
Love for one’s people is normal and healthy, if it leads to good deeds. But such love that comes at the expense of justice is no praiseworthy love at all.
Wathila ibn Al-Asqa’ reported: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, is it part of tribalism that a man loves his people?” The Prophet said:
لَا وَلَكِنْ مِنَ الْعَصَبِيَّةِ أَنْ يُعِينَ الرَّجُلُ قَوْمَهُ عَلَى الظُّلْمِ
No, rather it is tribalism that he supports his people in wrongdoing.
Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 3949, Grade: Hasan
Tribalism by this definition has been rejected by Islam in the harshest terms. Tribalism is a form of “blind following” whose adherents live in “ignorance,” an allusion to the pre-Islamic worship of idols.
Aisha RA reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
إِنَّ أَعْظَمَ النَّاسِ فِرْيَةً لَرَجُلٌ هَاجَى رَجُلًا فَهَجَا الْقَبِيلَةَ بِأَسْرِهَا
Verily, the greatest liar among people is a man who insults another man by disparaging the entire tribe.
Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 3761, Grade: Sahih
In another narration, the Prophet said:
إِنَّ أَعْظَمَ النَّاسِ جُرْمًا إِنْسَانٌ شَاعِرٌ يَهْجُو الْقَبِيلَةَ مِنْ أَسْرِهَا
Verily, the greatest criminal among people is a poet who disparages the entire tribe.
Source: al-Adab al-Mufrad 870, Grade: Sahih
If we accept blanket indictments of an entire group, then we are making a claim of collective guilt that will ultimately lead to collective punishment, and collective punishment is a crime of war. Islam rejects collective guilt and punishment, in words and deeds, because innocent people may never be held accountable for the crimes of others.
Allah said:
وَلَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ إِلَّا عَلَيْهَا وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ
No soul earns anything except it is upon itself, and none shall bear the burdens of another.
Surat al-An’am 6:164
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
وَلَا يُؤْخَذُ الرَّجُلُ بِجَرِيرَةِ أَبِيهِ وَلَا بِجَرِيرَةِ أَخِيهِ
No man is to be punished for the crimes of his father or his brother.
Source: Sunan al-Nasā’ī 4131, Grade: Sahih
Allah has commanded us to uphold justice with all other human beings regardless of their race, religion, lineage, status, or identity.
Allah said:
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا كُونُوا قَوَّامِينَ بِالْقِسْطِ شُهَدَاءَ لِلَّهِ وَلَوْ عَلَىٰ أَنفُسِكُمْ أَوِ الْوَالِدَيْنِ وَالْأَقْرَبِينَ إِن يَكُنْ غَنِيًّا أَوْ فَقِيرًا فَاللَّهُ أَوْلَىٰ بِهِمَا فَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا الْهَوَىٰ أَنتَعْدِلُوا
O you who believe, be persistently standing firm in justice as witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. Follow not your desires, lest you not be just.
Surat al-Nisa 4:135
Love for one’s people is normal and healthy, if it leads to good deeds. But such love that comes at the expense of justice is no praiseworthy love at all.
Wathila ibn Al-Asqa’ reported: I said, “O Messenger of Allah, is it part of tribalism that a man loves his people?” The Prophet said:
لَا وَلَكِنْ مِنَ الْعَصَبِيَّةِ أَنْ يُعِينَ الرَّجُلُ قَوْمَهُ عَلَى الظُّلْمِ
No, rather it is tribalism that he supports his people in wrongdoing.
Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 3949, Grade: Hasan
Tribalism by this definition has been rejected by Islam in the harshest terms. Tribalism is a form of “blind following” whose adherents live in “ignorance,” an allusion to the pre-Islamic worship of idols.
Aisha RA reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
إِنَّ أَعْظَمَ النَّاسِ فِرْيَةً لَرَجُلٌ هَاجَى رَجُلًا فَهَجَا الْقَبِيلَةَ بِأَسْرِهَا
Verily, the greatest liar among people is a man who insults another man by disparaging the entire tribe.
Source: Sunan Ibn Mājah 3761, Grade: Sahih
In another narration, the Prophet said:
إِنَّ أَعْظَمَ النَّاسِ جُرْمًا إِنْسَانٌ شَاعِرٌ يَهْجُو الْقَبِيلَةَ مِنْ أَسْرِهَا
Verily, the greatest criminal among people is a poet who disparages the entire tribe.
Source: al-Adab al-Mufrad 870, Grade: Sahih
If we accept blanket indictments of an entire group, then we are making a claim of collective guilt that will ultimately lead to collective punishment, and collective punishment is a crime of war. Islam rejects collective guilt and punishment, in words and deeds, because innocent people may never be held accountable for the crimes of others.
Allah said:
وَلَا تَكْسِبُ كُلُّ نَفْسٍ إِلَّا عَلَيْهَا وَلَا تَزِرُ وَازِرَةٌ وِزْرَ أُخْرَىٰ
No soul earns anything except it is upon itself, and none shall bear the burdens of another.
Surat al-An’am 6:164
Abdullah ibn Mas’ud reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:
وَلَا يُؤْخَذُ الرَّجُلُ بِجَرِيرَةِ أَبِيهِ وَلَا بِجَرِيرَةِ أَخِيهِ
No man is to be punished for the crimes of his father or his brother.
Source: Sunan al-Nasā’ī 4131, Grade: Sahih