The Islamic Position on Racial Discrimination
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Question:
Regarding the class differences we live with in our society here, under what is called Qabaili, Khudairi, Har, and San'at, this sickly view has destroyed many homes and ruined many marriages. It has also led to discord and conflict among the members of the same society in some areas. Your Eminence, we ask you to clarify to the holders of these beliefs the danger of this issue and its contradiction with the teachings of our noble religion?
Answer:
The Muslim community should move beyond these matters, reject them, and leave them behind, because of His saying (Exalted and Majestic is He): [Al-Hujurat: 13].
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions moved beyond these matters and set the finest examples for people in these issues. He (peace and blessings be upon him) married Fatimah bint Qays, who was a Qurayshi, to Usamah ibn Zayd, who was a freed slave. His father married Zaynab bint Jahsh, who was an Asadi and whose mother was his (peace and blessings be upon him) aunt. When Zayd divorced her, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took her, and Zayd was his slave and freed man. Likewise, Bilal married Zahriyah, the sister of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, and he was an Abyssinian freed slave.
These are matters that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them and grant them satisfaction) and our Prophet before them (peace and blessings be upon him) cared about in order to remove them, because the Arabs used to exalt these matters, and the Arabs refused to marry their daughters to the Mawala (clients) and the non-Arabs. But Islam came stating that there is no harm in that, and praise be to Allah.
That is, to marry a non-Arab, a freed slave, or what is called a Khudairi, which is one whose tribe is not known in the terminology of the people here in Najd. In some regions, one whose tribe is not known—whether he is Tamimi, Qahtani, Qurayshi, or such—is called a Khudairi. If his tribe is known, he is called an Arab. The Mawla is one who is freed and becomes a freed slave. The 'Ajam is one who is not from the Arabs, such as from the Romans, or from Persia, or from the Turks; he is called an 'Ajam.
What Islam brought is that there is no difference between these people if the religion is upright. So if an Arab marries a Turkish woman, or a Roman woman, or a Persian woman, or others, with the religion being upright, there is no harm. Or if he marries a freed woman who was once a slave and then was freed, or marries what is called a Khudairiyyah, or a Khudairi marries a Qurayshi woman, or the like, there is no harm in any of this. The important thing is taqwa (mindfulness of Allah) and faith, as He said (peace and blessings be upon him): : [Al-Hujurat: 13].
But some people may be hurt by this, because their group and relatives refuse it for them and say, "No." If he suffers harm from it, there is no objection to him refraining from it until he marries from among the Arabs if he is an Arab, or from his own group if he is a Roman or a non-Arab, if his group makes things difficult for him and hurts him. He should consider avoiding harm and preventing harm. These are matters in which a person, the wali (guardian), may be hurt if he is lenient with his groups. If there is harm, he should fear the harm and leave the thing that is more important to him in order to avert the harm.
Question: And he divorces her if he has already married her, meaning?
Answer: Divorce is a separate matter. If they are lenient with each other, otherwise they return to the court, but in the beginning.
Regarding the class differences we live with in our society here, under what is called Qabaili, Khudairi, Har, and San'at, this sickly view has destroyed many homes and ruined many marriages. It has also led to discord and conflict among the members of the same society in some areas. Your Eminence, we ask you to clarify to the holders of these beliefs the danger of this issue and its contradiction with the teachings of our noble religion?
Answer:
The Muslim community should move beyond these matters, reject them, and leave them behind, because of His saying (Exalted and Majestic is He):
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 most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْThe Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions moved beyond these matters and set the finest examples for people in these issues. He (peace and blessings be upon him) married Fatimah bint Qays, who was a Qurayshi, to Usamah ibn Zayd, who was a freed slave. His father married Zaynab bint Jahsh, who was an Asadi and whose mother was his (peace and blessings be upon him) aunt. When Zayd divorced her, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took her, and Zayd was his slave and freed man. Likewise, Bilal married Zahriyah, the sister of 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf, and he was an Abyssinian freed slave.
These are matters that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them and grant them satisfaction) and our Prophet before them (peace and blessings be upon him) cared about in order to remove them, because the Arabs used to exalt these matters, and the Arabs refused to marry their daughters to the Mawala (clients) and the non-Arabs. But Islam came stating that there is no harm in that, and praise be to Allah.
That is, to marry a non-Arab, a freed slave, or what is called a Khudairi, which is one whose tribe is not known in the terminology of the people here in Najd. In some regions, one whose tribe is not known—whether he is Tamimi, Qahtani, Qurayshi, or such—is called a Khudairi. If his tribe is known, he is called an Arab. The Mawla is one who is freed and becomes a freed slave. The 'Ajam is one who is not from the Arabs, such as from the Romans, or from Persia, or from the Turks; he is called an 'Ajam.
What Islam brought is that there is no difference between these people if the religion is upright. So if an Arab marries a Turkish woman, or a Roman woman, or a Persian woman, or others, with the religion being upright, there is no harm. Or if he marries a freed woman who was once a slave and then was freed, or marries what is called a Khudairiyyah, or a Khudairi marries a Qurayshi woman, or the like, there is no harm in any of this. The important thing is taqwa (mindfulness of Allah) and faith, as He said (peace and blessings be upon him): :
O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another
يَاأَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِنْ ذَكَرٍ وَأُنْثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُواBut some people may be hurt by this, because their group and relatives refuse it for them and say, "No." If he suffers harm from it, there is no objection to him refraining from it until he marries from among the Arabs if he is an Arab, or from his own group if he is a Roman or a non-Arab, if his group makes things difficult for him and hurts him. He should consider avoiding harm and preventing harm. These are matters in which a person, the wali (guardian), may be hurt if he is lenient with his groups. If there is harm, he should fear the harm and leave the thing that is more important to him in order to avert the harm.
Question: And he divorces her if he has already married her, meaning?
Answer: Divorce is a separate matter. If they are lenient with each other, otherwise they return to the court, but in the beginning.
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.