How should we respond to the unjust killing of African-

Americans by the police in the USA?

abukhadeejah.com/how-should-we-respond-to-the-unjust-killing-of-african-americans-by-the-police-in-the-
usa

Abu Khadeejah Abdul-Wahid 8 June 2020

Answered by Abu Khadeejah Abdul-Wāhid

Assalāmu ‘alaikum,

May Allah reward you for your question. There is no doubt that oppression against a
person or a group of people is something that opposes Islam and is totally forbidden in
our Religion.[1]

Muslims are commanded with justice in all affairs.[2] As for racism, then it is
condemned by Allah and His Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam).[3] America is a
society that is riddled with injustice, immorality and disobedience to Allah. The greatest
crime and injustice being the abandonment and rejection of the worship of Allah and
His guidance. [4]

And it is expected, that based upon this rejection of worship and guidance, other
injustices will naturally follow.[5] This was also the case in Makkah (in Arabia) in the
time before Islam where there were great injustices such as racism, tribalism, burying
of baby girls alive, murder, fornication, robbery, usury, intoxication, and so on.

But once they accepted Islam, worshipped Allah alone, followed the guidance of the
Quran and the Messenger (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam), these injustices were removed,
wrongdoers were punished and society flourished, safe and free from oppression.[6]

And this is why we openly reject the type of da’wah and ideology that aids in the
destruction of Islam and Islamic morals.

Furthermore, if street protests were permitted in Islam, then precedence would be

given to protect the rights of Muslims (of all colours). But protesting is not from the
legislated means of rectification in Islam and it is harām (prohibited).

And even worse, that a Muslim should protest alongside immoral people for causes that
1/5
are un-Islamic such as supporting the morally corrupt and irreligious agenda of the
organisation, “Black Lives Matter” which states on its website under the section, What
We Believe:

“All Black lives matter, regardless of actual or perceived sexual identity, gender
identity, gender expression, economic status, ability, disability, religious beliefs
or disbelief…

[We] do the work required to dismantlecisgender[7] privilege and uplift Black

trans folk, especially Black trans women[8] who continue to be disproportionately
impacted by trans-antagonistic violence…

We make space for transgender[9] brothers and sisters to participate and

lead…”

No — that is not what the eradication

of racism and oppression means to
me as a Muslim, or to any right-
minded person of any colour.

And that’s their agenda in the end —

the dissolution of Faith, Religion and
God-given morality. “Black Lives
Matter” is a vehicle to a greater goal.

They know we are outraged at the

oppression of people of colour (and
African-Americans in particular), so
they schemed a plan to rope in an
entire race into their deviated agenda.

So we respond to these false calls with the call to Islam ―the religion and way of life that
will truly set people free.[10] We invite people to the worship of Allah and to the path of
the Prophet Muhammad (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) and to true brotherhood.

Footnotes:

[1] Oppression is forbidden in the Qur’an and the Prophetic Sunnah. Allah (the Most
High) stated: “O my servants, indeed I have made oppression unlawful for
Me and unlawful for you, so do not commit oppression against one
another.” (Sahīh Muslim, no. 2577)

The Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “Oppression will be layers of

darkness on the Day of Resurrection.” (Bukhāri, no. 2447; Muslim, no. 2579)

2/5
The Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “You should fear the supplication of
the oppressed person because there is no barrier between it and Allah.”
(Bukhāri, no. 2448)

The Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “Whoever has oppressed another
person concerning his reputation or anything else, he should beg his
forgiveness today before that Day comes when there will be neither Dinārs
nor Dirhams (no currency as compensation).” (Bukhāri, no. 2449)

[2] Justice in Islam extends to every sphere of Muslim life. Allah (the Most High) said:
“Indeed, Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and
forbids immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you
that perhaps you will be reminded.” (An-Nahl: 90)

[3] Islam is a religion that judges people on their piety, righteous deeds and manners
and not the colour of their skin, form or gender. The Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi
wasallam) said: “O people! Indeed your Lord is One and your father is one
(Adam). Verily, the Arab is no better than the non-Arab, and the non-Arab
is no better than the Arab, and a white person is no better than a black
person, and a black person is no better than a white person ― except that
the better person is the one who is dutiful and fears Allah. Have I conveyed
the message?” They replied: “Indeed Allah’s Messenger has conveyed the
message.” (Reported by Ahmad, no 22978 and authenticated by Al-Albāni in
Saheehah, 6/199)

Every Muslim who fears Allah despises racism. There was no racism among the
Companions of the Prophet. One of the closest Companions of the Prophet (salallāhu
‘alaihi wasallam), Abdur-Rahmān bin ‘Awf (may Allah be pleased with him) married his
sister to Bilāl bin Rabāh the one who called the Muslims to prayer (may Allah be
pleased with him)― she was a Quraishi Arab woman and Bilāl was a freed
black slave from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) but that made no difference. Islam gives
honour to all that embrace it.

Allah (the Most High) said: “O mankind, indeed We have created you from
male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one
another. Indeed, the noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the most
righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” (Al-Hujurāt: 13)
Shaikh Ibn Bāz said: “Allah has made clear in this verse that no one has distinction over
another, nor virtue over another in the sight of Allah except due to taqwā, or piety. The
noblest of people with Allah are the most righteous, dutiful and God-fearing. The
Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) was asked regarding the noblest of people, so he
replied: “They are the most righteous of them.” (Bukhāri no. 3353, Muslim no.
2378)”

3/5
The Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “Allah, Most High, has removed
from you the pride of the pre-Islamic period and its boasting in ancestry. A
person is either a pious believer or a miserable sinner. You are all children
of Adam, and Adam came from clay. Let the people stop boasting about
their ancestors and tribes. They are the fuel of Hell or they will have less
worth with Allah than the beetle which rolls dung with its nose.” (Abu
Dawud, no. 5116 declared authentic by Al-Albāni)

Allah (the Most High) said: “And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and
the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Indeed in that
are signs for those of knowledge.” (Ar-Rūm: 22)

[4] Allah (the Most High) said: “And recall when Luqman said to his son when he was
advising him: ‘O my son! Join not in worship others with Allah. Verily!
Joining others in worship with Allah is indeed a great injustice.’” (Luqmān:
13)

[5] Allah (the Most High) said: “But whosoever turns away from My Reminder
(i.e. neither believes in the Quran nor acts on its orders) verily, for him is a
life of hardship, and We shall raise him up blind on the Day of
Resurrection.” (Tāhā: 124)

[6] Allah relays the story of the Prophet Noah (Nūh) that he stated: “I said to my people:
‘Ask forgiveness from your Lord, for verily, He is Oft-Forgiving. He will
send rain to you in abundance, and He will give you increase in wealth and
children and provide for you gardens and provide for you flowing rivers.
What is the matter with you, [that you do not fear Allah] and you hope not
for His reward.’” (Nūh: 10-13)

The Prophet (salallāhu ‘alaihi wasallam) said: “Do not associate anything with
Allah in worship, even if you are cut and burned. Do not neglect any
prescribed prayer deliberately, for whoever neglects it deliberately no
longer has the protection of Allah. And do not drink wine, for it is the key to
all evil.” (Ibn Mājah, no. 4043)

[7] Cisgender: a person whose sense of personal identity and gender corresponds with
their birth sex. So they wish to “dismantle” any “privileges” associated with this
biological reality.

[8] Trans woman: An adult who was born male but whose gender identity is female.

[9] Transgender is a term used by people who describe their gender differently from the
sex they were biologically born with. So, a female decides to identify as a man, or a male
decides to identify as a woman.

4/5
[10] Allah (the Most High) stated: “Whoever desires a religion other than Islam,
then it will never be accepted from him and in the Hereafter, he will be
among the losers.” (Āli ‘Imrān: 85)

Islam calls people from the worship of created beings to the worship of the Creator
alone; from the narrowness of this world to the expanse of this world and the vastness
of the Hereafter; from the oppression of man-made ideologies to the justice of Islam.
This is true liberation and a return to the innate nature (fitrah) with which mankind was
created.

5/5