Islamophobia
A Movement against the spread of Islam
بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
A phobia has been defined as a persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it,despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous, or its a strong fear or dislike, or aversion. When checking the various kinds of phobia some people suffer from it’ll amaze you that they range from being afraid of water, mirrors or even working (1)
Islam is the religion sent to all of the Messengers in the general meaning, but more specifically as given to Muhammad. It refers to the belief that five pillars are obligatory; the testimony of absolutely ONE deity worthy of worship and that’s Allah, His final Messenger is Muhammad (ﷺ), to establish the prayers, to fast in the month of Ramadan, to pay the zakah, and to travel to Hajj. Islam has six tenets of faith; Muslims believe in Allah as God, His Angels, the scriptures sent to the Prophets, accept all of the Messengers, believe in Angels, recognize there is a Judgment Day, and testify the there is fate; which we must accept either good or bad.
That is Islam is in the least amount of words; hence attaching phobia to it has to be defined as a person afraid its tenets, or any person who accepts and believes in them.
The media-driven fear, racial hatred, and hostility toward Islam and the Muslims were created by a standard image of linking Muslims and their religion to all acts of terrorism today. This has resulted in discrimination and the bias profiling of Muslims in social and civic life. This form of stereotyping existed in the three continents of Asia, Europe, and Africa during the time of the Prophet. Many conclusions were drawn from his message and teachings from people of propaganda.
Allah sent Muhammad with the message of Islam as a mercy to everything created. He said: “And We have sent you (O Muhammad[ﷺ] ) not but as a mercy for the ‘Alamin (mankind, jinns and all that exists).”
The state of the people during the time Islam appeared is similar to what we witness today. People in Persia were Zoroastrians, while in some other regions Christianity and Judaica were more prevalent, except in Mecca where paganism was dominant. In China and Japan Buddhism was the religion of the state.
The fact the Muhammad appeared on the scene inviting people to worship One God only represented the reality that they needed to change their belief and behaviors; which are among two of the most difficult things to change in a human being. By nature, people tend to feel troubled when it comes to change. People go through two crucial cycles that require a caller to have patience. The first is denial, and then anger and resistance. The feeling of people who reject Islam are connected to their status and threat of the things they did to get where they are incorrect, and thus would require change; so they create a phobia for themselves.
Take Fir’aun, for example, Allah said: Fir’aun (Pharaoh) said: “Leave me to kill Musa (Moses), and let him call his Lord (to stop me from killing him)! I fear that he may change your religion, or that he may cause mischief to appear in the land!“[2]
Fir’aun was afraid people would realize he wasn’t the great almighty with the entire power.
Ponder over the fear of Queen of Sheba.
Allah said: She said: “Verily! Kings, when they enter a town (country), they despoil it, and make the most honourable amongst its people low. And thus they do.. “But verily! I am going to send him a present, and see with what (answer) the messengers return.”So when (the messengers with the present) came to Sulaiman (Solomon), he said: “Will you help me in wealth? What Allah has given me is better than that which He has given you! Nay, you rejoice in your gift!”[Then Sulaiman (Solomon) said to the chief of her messengers who brought the present]: “Go back to them. We verily shall come to them with hosts that they cannot resist, and we shall drive them out from there in disgrace, and they will be abased.”[3]
She was afraid of losing her might is Suleiman was to conquer her land.
Take the actions of the Pagans in Ahqaf into consideration. Allah said: They said: “Have you come to turn us away from our aliha (gods)? Then bring us that with which you threaten us, if you are one of the truthful!”[4]
Plainly put the ideology of Islamophobics isn’t anything new and goes back to where it started with the Messenger, Nuh and up to the last Messenger, Muhammad (صلى الله عليه سلم)
The Prophet [ﷺ] and his companions were patient in calling to Allah’s Religion with all of the abuse and torture they faced. Ibn Ishaq said: “Every Arab tribe abused, imprisoned, and even cut off the companions’ food and water supply.”
Islamophobia during the time of the Prophet meant everyone who followed him were to be met with physical abuse until they left Islam or followed the status quo. Ibn Al-Qayyim said: Allah protected the Prophet through his uncle, Abu Talib. However, there were companions who faced the consequences of Islamophobia during their lives and among them were;
- Uthman ibn ‘Affan
- Az-Zubair ibn ‘Al-Awam
- Zinirah
- Mus’ab Ibn Umair
- Bilal ibn Rabah
- Saeed ibn Zaid
- An-Nahdiya
- Al-Yasir
- Abu Fukhayha
- Suhaib Ar-Rumi
- Kabab ibn Ar-Rit
- Saeed ibn Abee Waqas
- Khalid Ibn Sa’eed (رضي الله عنهم اجمعين)
Uthman ibn ‘Affan (رضي الله عنه)
Uthman ibn ‘Affan’s uncle used and tie him in the hot sun and say to him, “ Are you abandoning the religion of your father for a newly invented religion?” By Allah, I won’t set you free until you leave Islam, but Uthman replied, “I swear by Allah I will never leave and when uncle saw that he was firm in his convictions, he set him free.
Zubair ibn Al-Awam (رضي الله عنه)
Zubair ibn Al-Awam’s uncle used to torture him by tying him to a mat then lighting a fire around it, saying, “ return to this disbelief.” Az-Zubair said: “Never.”
Zinirah ( رضي الله عنها)
Zinirah was a slave girl who Abu As-Sadeeq (رضي الله عنه) freed. After she was freed she lost her sight and the Quraysh used to say that Al-Lat and Al-Uza caused her to go blind. She denied it and swore by Allah that this wasn’t the reason, and later on her sight was returned. Before being set free she used to be tormented severely.
Mus’ab Ibn Umair (رضي الله عنه )
Was a handosme young man in Mecca whom his parents both loved dearly. They use to spend money on him so that he could wear the finest clothes. Mus’ab was imprisoned until the 1st migration to Ethiopia happened and after returning to Mecca his appearance changed a bit and his mother distanced herself from him.
Bilal ibn Rabah (رضي الله عنه )
Bilal’s slave master, Ummay ibn Khlaf used to drag Bilal to the public square in the middle of the day and have lie flat on his back then order that a huge boulder be placed on his chest. Ummay used to say to Bilal this is going to continue until you die or leave Islam and Bilal’s reply was , “ There’s only one God, there’s only one God.
Sa’eed ibn Zayd (رضي الله عنه )
Umar ibn Al-Khattab before becoming a Muslim was responsible for the torture of Sa’eed for the mere fact he was a Muslim.
An-Nahdiya (رضي الله عنه)
An-Nahdiya and her daughter were both tortured and Abu As-Sadeeq freed them both.
Al-Yasir (رضي الله عنهم )
Ammar ibn Yasir, his mother and father were those who were weak, and oppressed, and tortured in Mecca, and ordered to apostate. Abu Jahl was responsible for bringing them to the town square in the middle of the day when it was the hottest for torture. The Prophet (ﷺ) used to pass by them saying, “Remain patient family of Yasir, as you are guaranteed Jannah.”
Ammar’s mother, Summayah (رضي الله عنها) is considered the first martyr in Islam at the hands of Abu Jahl. Ammar was burned, drowned and tortured until he couldn’t take it no more, so he cursed the Prophet, and praised the idols of the pagans. This wore heavy on his chest so he visited the Prophet (ﷺ) crying and informed him of what did. The prophet (ﷺ) wiped the tears from his eyes and the verse was revealed. “Whoever disbelieved in Allah after his belief, except him who is forced thereto and whose heart is at rest with Faith but such as open their breasts to disbelief, on them is wrath from Allah, and theirs will be a great torment. ”[An-Nahl 106]
Abu Fukhayha (رضي الله عنه)
Bani Abdudar used to punish Abu Fukhayha in the middle of the day by placing a hot rock on his back while he was chained up.
Khalid ibn Sa’eed ibn Al-As (رضي الله عنه)
Khalid used to stay close to the messenger of Allah and pray in the valleys where no one could see him. Once this news reached Abu Uhayha he ordered that Khalid be brought up so that he could apostate. Khalid remained firm and said, “I’ll die as a Muslim and never leave Islam.”.
Abu Uhayha hit Khalid with a pole until it cracked on his head. After this Khalid was imprisoned. While incarcerated they didn’t serve him water or food and this lasted for about 3 days until he saw an exit and broke free and migrated to Ethiopia.
Suhaib Ar-Rumi (رضي الله عنه)
Suhaib ibn Ar-Rumi was among the companions of the Prophet who were tortured and oppressed in Mecca.
Sa’d ibn Abee Waqas (رضي الله عنه)
Sa’d ibn Abee Waqas wasn’t actually tortured physically, but rather he went through a mental torture. His mother vowed to boycott him and starve herself to death unless he apostate from Islam. Sa’d’s mother said you claim Allah adivses you to treat your parents with kindness, then what about me , am I not your mother ?! and I order you to leave Islam. Sa’d said remain firm and the people in the streets you to say to him, “ there’s the one who killed his mother.” After three days of her of hunger strike, sa’d went to his mother and said if you were given a 100 souls and did this to each soul, I would never leave Islam. When she saw he was adamant about his religion she ate and Allah revealed the verse.” And We have enjoined on man to be good and dutiful to his parents, but if they strive to make you join with Me (in worship) anything (as a partner) of which you have no knowledge, then obey them not.[ Al-Ankabut:8] and the verse “And We have enjoined on man (to be dutiful and good) to his parents.[Luqman:15]
Kabab ibn Ar-Rat (رضي الله عنه)
Kabab ibn Ar-Rat faced the most severe of punishment. He used to be punished by everyone who found out he was a Muslim in Mecca. He used to be placed in the fire and it would burn until it was said the fat of his body is what caused the fire to stop burning.[5]
These are some of the heartfelt stories of the companions who faced Islamophobia in their lives and remained patient. The solution to combat Islamophobia is found in the verses.
Allah said: O you who believe! When you meet (an enemy) force, take a firm stand against them and remember the Name of Allah much (both with tongue and mind), so that you may be successful.
And obey Allah and His Messenger, and do not dispute (with one another) lest you lose courage and your strength depart, and be patient. Surely, Allah is with those who are As-Sabirin (the patient ones, etc.).
Allah ordered those striving in his path with five things and any group of people that carry these five things will be successful against their enemies; regardless of their size and might.
- Take a firm stand
- Remember the Name of Allah much
- And obey Allah and His Messenger
- And do not dispute (with one another)
- And be patient.
Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “These five things are what build the dome of help. Whenever some of these things are non-existent then the help of Allah is weakened equivalently to what’s lacking. On the other hand, when all of these things exist the strength of them, aides, each other. Therefore he becomes a force to reckon with by Allah’s help. When the companions lived they had all of these five things mentioned and no nation could stand up against them. They conquered the world and established Islam. The nations that came after them differed and became weak until the point of what we are witnessing today.[6]
In closing, I’d recommend that our brothers, sisters, children enroll in some self-defense classes. For example, Brazlian Ju-Jit-Su, Krav Maga, Hapkido and MMA. Moreover, for sisters, then I strongly advise that they travel in groups and if they are alone, then come home at respectable hours of the night, and be vigilant of your surroundings. We ask Allah for his protection.
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Prepared and compiled by
Abu Aaliyah Abdullah ibn Dwight Battle
Doha, Qatar 1439©
[1] http://phobialist.com/
[2] Ghafir :24
[3] An-Naml; 34-37
[4] Al-Ahqaf:22
[5] Refer to :Al-Lu’lu Al-Mak’noon fi Seerah An-Nabi al-Ma’moon vol 1/pg 258-267
[6] Al-Furuseeyah/pg 326-327