What is their name, what they wear, what they say, their language, their country, their race?

Whether their name is Robert or Abdullah?

Whether they wear a jacket or a robe?

Whether their discourse is polite or rude?

Whether their language is Arabic or English?

Whether their country is Saudi Arabia or America?

Whether their race is Turkish or Greek? …

Which will give us the right information about whether they are Muslims or infidels? There may be someone with the name Robert who has the best intentions, and there may be someone called Abdullah who is a loan shark or an adulterer. There are some people who wear overcoats and are not exposed to moral degeneration, while disbelievers nicknamed Abu Lahab[280] or Abu Jahl[281] wear robes. In the world’s media, we see clowns who specialise in polite speech, but we also know people of knowledge who inform the masses by conveying their true beliefs in a harsh style. In all times, while there are those who speak Arabic and are disbelievers, those who speak English and are Muslims have also been heard frequently. There has never been a belief unique to any country; on the contrary, beliefs have given birth to countries. As a race, Turks have Muslims, Christians and Atheists today and in the past, and when we go into the history of the Greeks, we can see that there are people of all faiths. These data show us that race, colour or language do not constitute a sufficient reason for determining people’s beliefs. For the sake of clarity and because it encompasses all other characteristics, we will dwell a little on race.

Race refers to a group of people who share common physical and physiological characteristics through heredity. These communities create their own values such as name, clothing, dialect or language within a certain area and live within the culture to which they are attached. Due to their ignorance, those who attribute the richness of culture to superiority are racist.

For example, a Scottish man is happy to wear a kilt[282] that was given to him as a gift. For a man of the Turkish race, the mere suggestion of it is often grounds for murder. As far as the skirt is concerned, wearing it or not wearing it cannot be a reason for superiority. To offer to an Eskimo a scarf worn by the Arab race is an act of persecution. To make an Arab wear the clothes of an Eskimo would perhaps cause his death. Because clothing styles are in harmony with the climate of the geography.

Commodities such as clothes that distinguish one race from another cannot be a reason for superiority. Even the fingerprint of one human being is not the same as another, so what distinguishing factor can make one community superior to another?… When we get down to the basics, it is clear that communities are descended from the same lineage. The entire human race began with Adam (as), continued with Noah (as), and began to multiply through his sons Sam, Yafes and Ham. In time, due to sociological, economic or geological reasons, they separate from each other and form different lineages. It is a difficult thing to accept that after centuries, a person comes out and makes a distinction between disbelievers and Muslims with the mentality of “I am of such and such race, you are not”. If there is a superior race that is recognised and accepted by those who believe in the Creator, the idea that Allah has willed this race to be superior would be a great slander against Allah. Because it is Allah (swt) who determines who is born, when and where, and what kind of descendants they are. If I am superior because I was created as a Japanese and inferior because I was created as an Arab, it means that Allah (swt) is the one who determines both superiority and inferiority. This would be slanderous as it would contradict Allah’s attribute of justice, “al-Adl”. This issue is the biggest mass problem of our age. This bias, which started with the first period of our lives, enters its final stage with the adoption of racism. This partiality is manifested in the forms of lower neighbourhood-upper neighbourhood, your team-my team, your hometown-my hometown, your lineage-my lineage and finally your race-my race[283]. The mechanisms of taking sides and defence that arise in the presence of this understanding bring people to an irreversible conclusion. The whole world has recently learnt the consequences of the German race’s claim of superiority quite well. The only thought in the world of humanity that solves this issue in a just manner is Islam. In Islam, in order to prevent discrimination, factionalism, wars, captivity, etc. as a result of racism, it has been ordered that superiority is only in taqwa and that people should be treated according to their beliefs, not their race.

Allah (swt) says:

O mankind, verily, We have created you from a male and a female, and We have made you into peoples and tribes so that you may be acquainted with one another. Verily, the most superior of you in the sight of Allah is the one who is the most advanced in taqwa (taqwa), not in race or lineage.

Taqwa means fear, avoidance, avoiding sins out of fear of Allah, and being meticulous in obeying Allah’s commands and prohibitions. A person who is meticulous in this way is called “muttaqi”.[285] Taqwa is the gathering and helping point that Allah Almighty has signalled for His believing servants. Another verse in the Holy Qur’an states: “Help each other in goodness and piety, and do not help each other in sin and transgression.”[286] It is also stated that taqwa has a broad social meaning. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.s.) explained that taqwa is a spiritual feeling based on the heart and that it occupies a wide place in all areas of social life.

The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said:

Do not envy one another. Do not envy each other and do not compete to increase the price of a good in order to put the other at a loss when you do not want to buy it yourself. Do not hate each other. Do not turn away from each other. And let not one of you enter into exchange upon the exchange of another. O servants of Allah! Be brothers with one another. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. A Muslim does not oppress a Muslim. When he is in need of help, he does not leave him alone and helpless. He does not despise and despise him. This is taqwa.” The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) repeated the phrase “this is piety” three times, each time pointing to his chest with his hand.[287]

This is the only formula that enables the dramas experienced in the history of mankind to be resolved at the root. Opposing this formula is the Jewish mentality. The Holy Qur’an challenges the Jewish mentality by recognising it as a mentality that considers everything permissible in the life of this world because they consider themselves a superior race and claim that they will not be punished in the Hereafter.

Allah (swt) says:

(Because of their claim of superiority) they said: “The Fire will never touch us except for the numbered days.” Say: “Have you taken a covenant from Allah – and Allah never breaks His covenant – or do you say against Allah what you do not know?” [288] If you claim that you alone are Allah’s guardians (friends and beloved servants) apart from mankind, then wish for death, if you are truthful (do so without hesitation).

Do not be misunderstood. This does not mean that the issue of lineage and descent is not important in Islam. There is no attribution[290] of superiority to race. Because superiority belongs only to Allah. And the grading of superiority is based on piety. However, in Islam, one who denies his lineage for a worldly reason is takfir[291]. When a person is subjected to injustice, attack and oppression, he must defend himself properly. The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) stated that repentance and martyrdom will not be accepted unless one turns away from this thought, and he cursed such people.

The Prophet (s.a.w.) said:

The one who attributes himself to anyone other than his father or the slave who attributes himself to anyone other than his master, may he be cursed by Allah, the angels and all mankind! Allah will not accept his repentance and good deeds, nor will He accept his ransom and obligatory rites! [292]

For this reason, racism or denying one’s own race is incompatible with Islam. Everyone should protect their descendants and live a life of taqwa by giving superiority to Allah. Languages, names, countries and races do not lead people to Islam on their own, and attributing superiority to people on the basis of them is an unbelief behaviour. Because what distinguishes a disbeliever from a Muslim is the knowledge and behaviour in life. If it is not the knowledge and behaviour of a person that points to his disbelief or Muslimness, why should some of us be worthy of going to heaven and some of us to hell, even though we live on the same planet, eat and drink the same things, love the same things, breathe the same air, and even come from the same lineage…

Allah (swt) does not love the disbelievers, He loves the Muslims. He will never forgive the disbelievers, but hopefully He will forgive the Muslims. Since there is a possibility of falling into heedlessness, it is necessary to think and decide very well before the death comes. Since there is a completed religion, if you are still one of the servants whom Allah (swt) dislikes, you are about to enter a path of no return. If a Muslim who says, “I believe in Allah (swt)” is as ignorant of the commandments of his religion as a disbeliever, and if his relations with his Creator are as bad as that of a disbeliever, why should he be treated differently in this world or in the Hereafter! If everything was over by saying “I believe”, we should call people who are unaware that they are polytheists unintelligent, not unconscious.

Why did Abu Lahab,[293] the uncle of the Holy Prophet, for example, fight on the other side until the last moment, when he should have announced the superiority of his lineage to the seven worlds by saying, “My nephew has been given prophethood by Allah!”? He, too, could have done what many ignorant Muslims understand religion to be today, which is to say, he could have said the Kelime-i Shahadah and then done what he wanted to do. People who do not adjust their rejections and acceptances in life according to their beliefs may think that Islam is only an acceptance, so they may characterise Abu Lahab’s not choosing Islam as stupidity. The truth is not like that at all. He knew very well what he was being invited to and did not accept it for his own benefit. He did not approach Islam like those who consider what Islam says is haram to be halal and yet consider themselves believers. While we treat those who know what they are invited to as scholars, Abu Lahab did not believe even though he knew what he was invited to. Because he was worried about his ego, position and sustenance. Muslims who were in heedlessness always treated these as a separate issue from their beliefs. Abu Lahab could not move freely within Islam to which he was invited, there were limits set for his ego. His ego always set its own rules. He was forbidden even to claim that he had a superior and honourable tribe. He owed his position to this. He had to reject all gods and accept Allah as the only god. He thought that his livelihood would suffer from this. For reasons such as these, Abu Lahab chose not to believe. By the way, when was the last time we were concerned about the love of authority, sustenance and self-examination?

We do not endeavour to compare anyone with Abu Lahab, nor would we. We are talking about the fine line between believing and living the belief and we endeavour to explain the importance of this. We examine the reasons for the actions of those who accepted the invitation despite not knowing the content of the invitation and those who did not accept it despite knowing it. At the end of this explanation, the best answer will be given by the verse that draws attention to the difference between “I have believed” and “I have become a Muslim”.

Allah (swt) says:

They said: “We have believed.” Say: “You have not believed, but we have become Muslims”. Faith has not yet entered your hearts. If you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not diminish anything from your deeds. Verily, Allah is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

When we look at the verse carefully, we see that in order to be among the true believers in Allah (swt), it is not enough to say that we believe, but there is a condition of obedience to Allah and His Messenger along with faith. In other words, it is reported that the binding element of faith is obedience. Finally, the verse emphasises that nothing will be diminished from our deeds if we obey.

Our deeds are all our actions that are in accordance with Allah’s pleasure. We perform our actions in this world with the hope of seeing the reward of our actions on the Day of Judgement. In the worldly life, sometimes we suffer a little pain, sometimes we find ingratitude in return, but we continue to do it without stopping for the sake of rewards, as we aim to gain Allah’s pleasure. Each of our actions will be recorded as a grade on our servant’s report card in the Hereafter.

The fact that the verse informs us that our deeds will not be diminished if they are conditional on obedience means that our deeds will be diminished when we are disobedient. It is very distressing to think what will happen in this case. In order to learn this in the best possible way, there are questions that need to be answered. “Whose deeds will be in vain? Why are the deeds wasted? What are the behaviours in which the deeds will be wasted? What needs to be done in order for the deeds not to be wasted?” The Holy Qur’an gives us the answers to these questions in the best way:

Whose deeds will be in vain?

Those who disbelieved and hindered from the way of Allah, (so Allah) has wasted their deeds.[295] And those who disbelieve. So they are subject to destruction. And (Allah) has made their deeds vain. [296]

Why do deeds become vain?

They followed that which displeases Allah and disliked that which pleases Him, so He made their deeds vain. [297] That is how it is, because they found ugly what Allah has revealed, so He made their deeds vain. [298]

What are the behaviours in which deeds will be wasted?

Those who hinder from the way of Allah, and those who oppose the messenger after the guidance has become clear to them and cause hardship, surely they cannot harm Allah with anything. (Allah) will make their deeds vain. [299]

What should be done so that the deeds are not wasted?

O you who believe, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and do not make your own deeds void.[300]

The wasting of one’s deeds also means that a Muslim is outside the circle of religion. The fact that those who disbelieve and those who hinder from the way of Allah are mentioned together gives us this proof. However, the verse reminds us that a Muslim can become a disbeliever and a disbeliever can become a Muslim one day, and that this depends on knowledge and behaviour in life.

Although we will already be subjected to a distinction in the Hereafter, the distinction between “believer and unbeliever” in the life of the world is necessary for the believer to form an identity. Those who do not recognise their friends and enemies, individually or socially, cannot prosper in the political and economic spheres, because unbelievers are enemies. Some of the enemies who hinder people from the path of Allah do not show their true faces until they achieve their goals. When they are not identified by the Muslim, they will appear as friends in every aspect of life and will continue their aim of turning away from the right path. The Qur’an informs us that they are not friends and their aim is only to cause trouble.

Allah (swt) says:

O you who believe, do not take those who are not of you as confidants. They endeavour to do you evil and harm, and they delight in that which will cause you hardship. Their enmity (and enmity) is outward from their mouths, but what they keep hidden in their hearts is greater. We have made clear to you Our verses, that you may have understanding.

As a result of bilateral relations in society, you may also be serving to the detriment of other Muslims. For this reason, recognising the enemy also means protecting the friend at the same time. Just as the one who cannot identify his enemy cannot choose his friend well, the one who does not identify his friend according to the Holy Qur’an can never identify his enemy. In the section titled “choosing a friend” in the chapter on the guidance of the intellect, sufficient explanations have been given, so we find it appropriate to conclude here. A Muslim is the one who obeys Allah without any share, who revives the Sunnahs of His Messenger, and who is grateful for the blessings he enjoys. It is necessary to weigh the faith of a person who knows about Paradise but does not fulfil the conditions to earn it, who knows about Hell but does not engage in behaviours that will prevent it, and who does not engage in any struggle with the nafs, the religion of Satan. To say “I am a Muslim” after not living such a life means that only a so-called “Islam” can be lived in heedlessness[302]. However, Islam means “surrender”.

We knew Allah, we did not obey without a share

We knew the Messenger, but we did not honour his Sunnahs

We knew the blessings, but we did not give thanks

In spite of everything, we said we are Muslims…

We knew heaven, we didn’t demand it

We knew fire, we were not afraid of it

We knew the devil, we didn’t struggle

In spite of everything, we said we are Muslims…

We said this is the mortal world, we have always collected goods

We saw the dead, we didn’t take a lesson

We quarreled among ourselves, we never asked about religion

In spite of everything, we said we are Muslims…

[280] Father of the flame

[281] Father of ignorance

[282] The type of skirt worn by Scottish men

[283] Appearance, appearance, appearance, emergence, occurrence

[284] Surat al-Hujurat, Verse 13

[285] Ragip al-Isfahani, al-mufredat fi Caribi al-Qur’an, Egypt 1961, p. 530

[Surah al-Ma’ida, verse 2

[287] Muslim; Birr, 32; Tirmidhi; Birr, 18; Ahmad b. Hanbal, II, p.325

[288] Surat al-Baqarah, Verse 80

[289] Surah Jumu’ah, Verse 6

[290] To bind, load, cost

[291] Being accepted as a disbeliever

[292] Ibn Ishaq, vol. 4, p. 253, Ibn Abdi Rabbih, vol. 4, p. 58

[293] His real name is Abduluzzâ b. Abdulmuttalib b. Hashim. Because of the blasphemous nature of his name, we have preferred to refer to him by his deserved title. After all, he is the servant of Allah, not of the idol Uzza.

[294] Surat al-Hujurat, Verse 14

[295] Surah Muhammad, 1st verse

[296] Surah Muhammad, Verse 8

[297] Surah Muhammad, Verse 28

[298] Surah Muhammad, 9th verse

[299] Surah Muhammad, Verse 32

[300] Surah Muhammad, Verse 33

[301] Surah Ali Imran, Verse 118

[302] Carelessness, lack of concern, indifference, forgetting Allah and His commands by following one’s nafs