Coran, hadith et savants : Le Racisme: Difference between revisions

Many passages of the Qur'an and the hadith call for the equality of all peoples in Islam. Yet at the same time, Islamic scriptures contain agitation against the Jews which would be considered today to be anti-Semitism (see [https://wikiislam.net/wiki/Islamic_Antisemitism Islamic anti-Semitism]), and the Arabs and their language are given a superior place in the eyes of Allah and the tradition. Derogatory descriptions of black people, Ethiopians in particular, are found in sahih hadiths. Furthermore, overt racism against black people and Arab supremacism - the latter in the form of doctrine - are found in the works of many highly regarded Islamic scholars. All in all the picture of race, ethnicity, and what may be called "race-relations" is a complicated one in the Islamic tradition.  

{{Quote|1=[http://www.altafsir.com/Tafasir.asp?tMadhNo=0&tTafsirNo=86&tSoraNo=49&tAyahNo=13&tDisplay=yes&UserProfile=0&LanguageId=2 altafsir.com]|2=(O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female") [49:13]. Said Ibn 'Abbas: "This was revealed about Thabit ibn Qays when he made a remark about the man who did not make room for him to sit: 'What, the son of so-and-so [referring to his mother]'. The Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, said: 'Who mentioned that woman?' Thabit stood up and said: 'I did, O Messenger of Allah!' The Messenger said to him: 'Look at the faces of those present'. And when he looked, he asked him: 'What do you see?' He said: 'I see white, red and black people'. The Prophet said: 'Well, you are not better than any of them unless it be through [the good practice of] religion and God-fearingness'. Allah, exalted is He, then revealed this verse". Muqatil said: "On the day Mecca was conquered, the Messenger of Allah, Allah bless him and give him peace, ordered Bilal to climb on the roof of the Ka'bah and perform the call to prayer. 'Attab ibn Asid commented on this: 'Praise be to Allah, that Allah has taken my father to Him and made that he did not see this day'. Al-Harith ibn Hisham said: 'Did Muhammad not find any other caller to prayer except this black raven?' Suhayl ibn 'Amr said: 'Allah willing, he will change him'. Abu Sufyan, on the other hand, said: 'I am not going to make any comment; I am afraid that the Lord of heaven will divulge what I say!' Gabriel, peace be upon him, went to the Prophet, Allah bless him and give him peace, and informed him about what they said. The Prophet summoned them and asked them about what they said and they admitted it. Allah, exalted is He, then revealed this verse warning them against boasting about their lineages and abundance of wealth and against looking down on the poor".}}

{{quote|1=[http://dailyhadith.abuaminaelias.com/2011/12/30/farewell-sermon-your-lord-is-one-your-father-is-one-your-lives-are-sacred/ Musnad Aḥmad 22978]|2= Abu Nadrah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said during the middle of the day at the end of the pilgrimage,“O people, your Lord is one and your father Adam is one. There is no virtue of an Arab over a foreigner nor a foreigner over an Arab, and neither white skin over black skin nor black skin over white skin, except by righteousness. Have I not delivered the message?” They said, “The Messenger of Allah has delivered the message.”}}

Unfortunately as we shall see in the following sections, such sentiments are somewhat undermined by some other sahih hadiths where we find prejudice against some Arab groups, and black people are used as negative imagery. In addition, many classical and modern Islamic scholars of high repute are guilty of promoting explicitly racist attitudes.  

===In the Quran===

{{Quote|{{quran|49|13}}|O mankind! Lo! We have created you male and female, and have '''made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another'''. Lo! the noblest of you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct. Lo! Allah is Knower, Aware.}}

{{Quote|{{quran-range|3|33|34}}|'''God had chosen [''istafa''; lit. "taken 'the best' from"<ref>[http://ejtaal.net/aa/#hw4=h619,ll=1750,ls=h5,la=h2468,sg=h604,ha=h412,br=h554,pr=h93,aan=h337,mgf=h517,vi=h225,kz=h1360,mr=h364,mn=h783,uqw=h934,umr=h614,ums=h516,umj=h459,ulq=h1085,uqa=h249,uqq=h195,bdw=h524,amr=h371,asb=h550,auh=h897,dhq=h318,mht=h517,msb=h138,tla=h65,amj=h450,ens=h893,mis=h1231 Lane's Lexicon اصطفاه]</ref>]''' Adam and Noah and '''the families of Abraham and 'Imran in preference to others.''' They were '''descendants of one another'''; and God hears all and knows everything.}}

{{Quote|{{quran|5|64}}|'''The Jews say: "Allah's hand is tied up." Be their hands tied up and be they accursed for the (blasphemy) they utter.''' Nay, both His hands are widely outstretched: He giveth and spendeth (of His bounty) as He pleaseth. But the revelation that cometh to thee from Allah increaseth in most of them their obstinate rebellion and blasphemy. Amongst them we have placed enmity and hatred till the Day of Judgment. Every time '''they kindle the fire of war''', Allah doth extinguish it; but '''they (ever) strive to do mischief on earth.''' And Allah loveth not those who do mischief.}}{{Quote|{{quran|17|4}}|We announced to the children of Israel in the Book: '''"You will surely create disorder twice in the land, and become exceedingly arrogant."'''}}{{Quote|{{quran|62|6}}|Say: '''"O you Jews, if you claim that you are the favourites of God apart from all men, then wish for death, if you speak the truth.'''}}

{{Quote|{{bukhari|4|56|711}}|Narrated Abu Dhar: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, '''"If somebody claims to be the son of any other than his real father knowingly, he but disbelieves in Allah, and if somebody claims to belong to some folk to whom he does not belong, let such a person take his place in the (Hell) Fire."'''}}

{{Quote|{{Al Tirmidhi||6|46|3931}}|Narrated Samurah bin Jundab: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: '''"Sam was the father of Arabs, Yafith was the father of Romans, and Ham was the father of Ethiopians."''' <br>Grade: Da'if (Darussalam)}}

{{Quote|1=[https://islamweb.net/ar/library/index.php?page=bookcontents&ID=22393&idfrom=0&idto=0&flag=1&bk_no=6&ayano=0&surano=0&bookhad=0 Musnad Ahmad 22978]|2=Abu Nadrah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said in the final days of the pilgimrage: "O people, your Lord is one and your father Adam is one. '''There is no favor of an Arab over a foreigner, nor a foreigner over an Arab, and neither white skin over black skin, nor black skin over white skin, except by righteousness.''' Have I not delivered the message?" <br> Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Arna’ut}}{{Quote|{{Al Tirmidhi||6|46|3955}}|Narrated Abu Hurairah:

that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "'''People should stop boasting about their fathers who have died, while they are but coals of Hell, or they will be more humiliated with Allah than the dung beetle who rolls dung with his nose.''' Indeed Allah removed Jahiliyyah from you, and its boasting about lineage. [Indeed a person is either] a pious believer, or a miserable sinner. And '''people are all the children of Adam, and Adam was [created] from dust.'''" <br>Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)}}

Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)}}

{{Quote|{{Muslim|30|5653}}|Wathila b. al-Asqa' reported:

that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: '''"Whoever cheats the Arabs, he will not be included in my intercession, and my love shall not reach him."'''  <br>Grade: Da'if (Darussalam)}}{{Quote|{{Muwatta|45||17}}|Yahya related to me from Malik from Ismail ibn Abi Hakim that he heard Umar ibn Abd al-Aziz say, "One of the last things that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said was, ''''May Allah fight the jews and the christians.''' They took the graves of their Prophets as places of prostration. '''Two deens shall not co-exist in the land of the Arabs.''''"}}{{Quote|Ibn Sa'd, Vol. 1, p. 12| Ali Ibn Abi Talib, said: Verily the Prophet said: God divided the earth in two halves and placed (me) in the better of the two, then He divided the half in three parts, and I was in the best of them, then '''He chose the Arabs from among the people''', then He chose the Quraysh from among the Arabs, then He chose the children of ‘Abd al-Muttalib from among the Banu Hashim, then he chose me from among the children of ‘Abd al-Muttalib, and from them he chose me.<ref>Ibn Sa'd, Abu Abd Allah Muhammad. Kitab al-Tabaqat, vol i. Translated in English by S. Moinul Haq, Kitab Bhavan, 1784, Kalan Mahal, Daraya Ganj, New Delhi, India, 1972, p12.</ref>}}{{Quote|Ibn Taymiyya, Vol. 31, pp. 376-377|"A man married a maid-slave who bore him a child. Would that child be free or would he be an owned slave?" "Her child whom she bore from him would be the property of her master according to all the Imams (heads of the four Islamic schools of law) because the child follows the (status) of his mother in freedom or slavery. If the child is not of the race of Arabs, then he is definitely an owned slave according to the scholars, but the scholars disputed (his status) among themselves if he was from the Arabs - whether he must be enslaved or not because '''when A'isha (Muhammad's wife) had a maid-slave who was an Arab, Muhammad said to A'isha, `Set this maid free because she is from the children of Ishmael.''''"}}

{{Quote|{{Bukhari|4|56|704}}|Narrated Muhammad bin Jubair bin Mut`im: That while he was with a delegation from Quraish to Muawiya, the latter heard the news that `Abdullah bin `Amr bin Al-`As said that there would be a king from the tribe of Qahtan. On that Muawiya became angry, got up and then praised Allah as He deserved, and said, "Now then, I have heard that some men amongst you narrate things which are neither in the Holy Book, nor have been told by Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). Those men are the ignorant amongst you. Beware of such hopes as make the people go astray, for I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, ''''Authority of ruling will remain with Quraish, and whoever bears hostility to them, Allah will destroy him''' as long as they abide by the laws of the religion.' "}}{{Quote|{{Bukhari|4|56|705}}; see also {{muslim|20|4476}}|Narrated Ibn `Umar: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, '''"Authority of ruling will remain with Quraish, even if only two of them remained."'''}}{{Quote|{{muslim|20|4473}}|It has been narrarted on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:  

'''People are subservient to the Quraish''': the Muslims among them being subservient to the Muslims among them, and the disbelievers among the people being subservient to the disbelievers among them.}}{{Quote|{{muslim|20|4475}}|It has been narrated on the authority of Jabir b. 'Abdullah that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:  

'''People are the followers of Quraish in good as well as evil'''}}{{Quote|{{muslim|20|4477}}|It has been narrated on the authority of Jabir b. Samura who said: I joined the company of the Prophet (ﷺ) with my father and I heard him say: '''This Caliphate will not end until there have been twelve Caliphs among them'''. The narrator said: Then he (the Holy Prophet) said something that I could not follow. I said to my father: What did he say? He said: He has said: '''All of them will be from the Quraish.'''}}{{Quote|{{muslim|20|4480}}|It has been narrated on the authority of Jabir b. Samura who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: '''Islam will continue to be triumphant until there have been twelve Caliphs.''' Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said something which I could not understand. I asked my father: What did he say? He said: He has said that '''all of them (twelve Caliphs) will be from the Quraish'''.}}{{Quote|{{bukhari|4|56|801}}|Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "'''This branch from Quraish''' will ruin the people." The companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) asked, "What do you order us to do (then)?" He said, '''"I would suggest that the people keep away from them.'''''}}{{Quote|{{Al Tirmidhi||6|46|3905}}|Narrated Sa'd: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: '''"Whoever wishes to humiliate the Quraish then Allah will humiliate him."''' <br>Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)}}

{{Quote|{{Bukhari|4|56|703}}|Narrated Abu Huraira:

I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "'''Pride and arrogance are characteristics of the rural bedouins''' while calmness is found among the owners of sheep. Belief is Yemenite, and wisdom is also Yemenite i.e. the Yemenites are well-known for their true belief and wisdom)." Abu `Abdullah (Al-Bukhari) said, "Yemen was called so because it is situated to the right of the Ka`ba, and Sham was called so because it is situated to the left of the Ka`ba."}}{{Quote|{{Bukhari|4|56|702}}|Narrated Abi Mas`ud: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "From this side from the east, afflictions will appear. '''Rudeness and lack of mercy are characteristics of the rural bedouins''' who are busy with their camels and cows (and pay no attention to religion). Such are the tribes of Rabi`a and Mudar."}}{{Quote|{{Al Tirmidhi||6|46|3946}}|Narrated Abu Hurairah: "A man from Banu Fazarah gave a gift to the Prophet (ﷺ) of she-camel from his camels which they had taken at Al-Ghabah. So he reciprocated for it with something in return, but he was upset with it. So I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), upon [this] Minbar saying: ''''Indeed one of the men from the Bedouins gave me a gift so I reciprocated for it to the extent of what I had. Then he became very upset with me. By Allah! After my experience with this Bedouin man, I shall not accept a gift from anyone except from a Quraishi, Ansari, Thaqafi, or Dawsi.''''" <br> Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)}}{{Quote|{{Al Tirmidhi||6|46|3953}}|Narrated Ibn 'Umar: that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "O Allah bless us in our Sham! O Allah bless us in our Yemen." They said: "And in our Najd [the Najd is the land of the Bedouins]" He said: "O Allah bless us in our Sham! O Allah bless us in our Yemen." They said: "And in our Najd" He said: '''"Earthquakes are there, and tribulations are there." Or he said: "The horn of Shaitan comes from there."''' <br>Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)}}{{Quote|{{cite web|url=https://sunnah.com/abudawud/25/32 |title=Sunan Abu Dawud 25:32 |publisher= |author= |date= |archiveurl= |deadurl=no}} See also [https://sunnah.com/ibnmajah/13/60 Sunan ibn Majah 13:60].|Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Prophet said: '''The testimony of a nomad Arab against a townsman is not allowable.'''}}

{{Quote|{{Al Tirmidhi||6|46|3691}}|Narrated 'Aishah:

that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was sitting and we heard a scream and the voices of children. So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) arose, and it was '''an Ethiopian woman, prancing around while the children played around her'''. So he said: 'O 'Aishah, come (and) see.' So I came, and I put my chin upon the shoulder of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and I began to watch her from between his shoulder and his head, and he said to me: 'Have you had enough, have you had enough?'" She said: "So I kept saying: 'No,' to see my status with him. '''Then 'Umar appeared.'''" She said: '''"So they dispersed."''' She said: "So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: ''''Indeed I see the Shayatin among men and jinn have run from 'Umar.' She said: 'So I returned.''''"<br>Grade: Hasan (Darussalam)}}{{Quote|{{Bukhari|1|11|664}}, {{Bukhari|9|89|256}}, {{Bukhari|1|11|662}}|Narrated Anas bin Malik: The Prophet (ﷺ) said to Abu-Dhar, '''"Listen and obey (your chief) even if he is an Ethiopian with a head like a raisin."'''}}

<BR>{{citation|title=سيرة ابن هشام ت السقا|author1=ابن إسحاق|author2=ابن هشام|url=https://app.turath.io/book/23833|publisher=al-Maktabah al-Shamilah|volume=vol.1|page=521}}|I have heard that it was of him that the apostle said, ''''Whoever wants to see Satan let him take a look at Nabtal b. al-Harith!' He was a sturdy black man with long flowing hair, inflamed eyes, and dark ruddy cheeks.''' He used to come and talk with the Prophet and listen to him. He would carry what he had said to the hypocrites. Nabtal said, 'Muhammad is all ears. If anyone tells him something he believes it.' Allah sent down concerning him: 'To those who annoy the Prophet and say that he is all ears, say, 'Good ears for you.' For those who annoy the Apostle there is a painful punishment."}}{{Quote|{{citation|pages=471-472|title=The Sealed Nectar: Biography of the Noble Prophet|url=https://archive.org/details/TheSealedNectar-Alhamdulillah-library.blogspot.in.pdf/page/n399/mode/2up|author=Saifur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri|page=399|publisher=Darussalam|year=1996|edition=1st}}|He [the prophet] sent Khalid bin al-Walid in Ramadan 8 A.H., to '''a spot called Nakhlah ‎where there was a goddess called Al-‘Uzza''' venerated by the Quraish and Kinanah . . . On ‎his return, the Prophet asked him if he had seen anything there, to which Khalid gave a ‎negative answer . . . He went back again and there '''he saw a black woman, naked with torn ‎hair. Khalid struck her with his sword into two parts.''' He returned and narrated the story ‎to the Prophet, who then confirmed the fulfillment of the task.‎}}{{Quote|{{citation|pages=471-472|title=The Sealed Nectar: Biography of the Noble Prophet|url=https://archive.org/details/TheSealedNectar-Alhamdulillah-library.blogspot.in.pdf/page/n399/mode/2up|author=Saifur-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri|page=400|publisher=Darussalam|year=1996|edition=1st}}|Sa’d bin Zaid Al-Ashhali was also sent in the same month and '''on the same mission to Al-‎Mushallal to destroy an idol, Manat''', respected by both Al-Aws and Al-Khazraj tribes. '''Here ‎also a black woman, naked with messy hair appeared wailing and beating on her chest. ‎Sa’d immediately killed her''' . . .‎}}{{Quote|{{Muslim|5|2334}}|'Ubaidullah b. Abu Rafi', the freed slave of the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him), said: When Haruria (the Khwarij) set out and as he was with 'Ali b. Abu Talib (Allah be pleased with him) they said," There is no command but that of Allah." Upon this 'Ali said: The statement is true but it is intentionally applied (to support) a wrong (cause). The Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him described their characteristics and I found these characteristics in them. They state the truth with their tongue, but it does not go beyond this part of their bodies (and the narrator pointed towards his throat). '''The most hateful among the creation of Allah is one black man among them (Khwarij). One of his hand is like the teat of a goat or the nipple of the breast.''' When 'Ali b. Abu Talib (Allah be pleased with him) killed them, he said: Search (for his dead body). They searched for him, but they did not find it (his dead body). Upon this he said: Go (and search for him). By Allah, neither I have spoken a lie nor has the lie been spoken to me. 'Ali said this twice and thrice. They then found him (the dead body) in a rain. They brought (his dead) body till they placed it before him (Hadrat 'Ali). 'Ubaidullah said: And, I was present at (that place) when this happened and when 'Ali said about them. A person narrated to me from Ibn Hanain that he said: I saw that black man.}}{{Quote|{{citation|title=The History of al-Tabari|trans_title=Ta’rikh al-rusul wa’l-muluk|volume=vol. II|ISBN=0-88706-313-6|year=1987|publisher=SUNY Press|author=al-Tabari (d. 923)|editor1=William M Brinner|url=https://archive.org/details/HistoryAlTabari40Vol/History_Al-Tabari_10_Vol/page/n435/mode/2up|page=267}}<BR>{{citation|title=تاريخ الرسل والملوك|author=أبو جعفر الطبري|url=https://app.turath.io/book/9783|publisher=al-Maktabah al-Shamilah|volume=vol.1 |page=97}}<BR> {{citation|title=سيرة ابن هشام ت طه عبد الرؤوف سعد|author1=ابن إسحاق|author2=ابن هشام|url=https://app.turath.io/book/7450|publisher=al-Maktabah al-Shamilah|volume=vol.2|page=67}}

|It is related by Damrah b. Rabi`ah-Ibn `Ata'-his father:Ham begat all those who are black and curly-haired, while Japheth begat all those who are full-faced with small eyes, and

====Other hierarchies, races, and tribes====

{{Quote|{{bukhari|4|56|718}}; see also {{Al Tirmidhi||6|46|3950}}|Narrated Abu Bakra: The Prophet (ﷺ) said, '''"Do you think that the tribes of Juhaina, Muzaina, Aslam and Ghifar are better than the tribes of Bani Tamim, Bani Asad, Bani `Abdullah bin Ghatafan and Bani Amir bin Sasaa?"''' A man said, "They were unsuccessful and losers." The Prophet (ﷺ) added, "'''(Yes), they are better''' than the tribes of Bani Tamim, Bani Asad, Bani `Abdullah bin Ghatafan and Bani Amir bin Sasaa."}}{{Quote|{{Bukhari|4|56|726}}; see also|Narrated Abu Hurairah (ra):

====Companions' views====

{{Quote|{{citation|publisher=al-Maktaba al-Shamila|title=Musannaf|author=Abd al-Razzaq al-Sanani|url=https://app.turath.io/book/13174|volume=6|page=152|chapter=Bab al-Akfa|trans_chapter=Chapter of Equivalence, no. 10324}}; translated in {{citation|author=Susan A. Spectorsky|title=Women in Classical Islamic Law|publisher=Brill|page=75|ISBN=978 90 04 17435 1|year=2010}}|'''‘Umar b. al-Khatṭāb said: “We forbid the private parts of noble women ̣to anyone except their equals.”'''}}

{{Quote|{{citation|author=Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah|title=Musannaf|volume=4|page=52|url=https://app.turath.io/book/9944|publisher=al-Maktaba al-Shamila|chapter=What was said regarding equivalence in marriage, no. 17701}}; translated in {{citation|author=Susan A. Spectorsky|title=Women in Classical Islamic Law|publisher=Brill|page=75|ISBN=978 90 04 17435 1|year=2010}}|Kathīr b. Salt said: '''“A mawlā of ours who married an Arab woman was brought before the Caliph, ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz … and he said, ʿAbū Kathīr’s mawlā has overstepped his limits.’”'''}}

{{Quote|{{citation|author=Susan A. Spectorsky|title=Women in Classical Islamic Law|publisher=Brill|pages=77-78|ISBN=978 90 04 17435 1|year=2010}}|In his ''Athar'', Shaybani quotes the first tradition above [‎“The Quraysh are each other’s equals, and the Arabs are each other’s equals. Among the ‎non-Arabs, whoever has two Muslim parents or grandparents are each other’s equal.”‎] approvingly and adds that '''if a woman ''does'' marry a man who is not her [racial and/or tribal] ‎equal, and her ''wali'' [legal male guardian] brings the matter to the qadi [Islamic judge], ‎the qadi ought to separate the couple.''' . . . Shaybani also notes that '''Abu Ḥanifa agrees''' that the ''qadi''

separates the couple.”‎}}{{Quote|{{citation|pages=31-32|author=Nimrod Hurvitz|publisher=Routledge|title=The Formation of Hanbalism|year=2002|ISBN=978-0-415-61641-6}}|‎['''Imam Ahmad Ibn Hanbal''' was asked] '''‘I have a ‎paternal first cousin who is an Arab. Shall I give her in marriage to a ''mawla'' (i.e., a non-‎Arab client)?’ [Ibn Hanbal] said, ‘No.’ The man said, ‘But she is sickly (''da’ifa'').’ Ahmad said, ‎‎‘Do not give her in marriage (to him).’''' [On another occasion, another man asked Ibn ‎Hanbal] about '''someone who marries off his daughter to a ''mawla''? He (Ibn Hanbal) ‎replied: I would separate them.''' Then he (Ibn Hanbal) said: '''An Arab (married to) an Arab ‎‎(is) suitable (''kaf’'') and Quraysh (married to) Quraysh (is) suitable (''kaf’'').''' Then he ‎‎(presumably the interlocuter) asked: '''What would you think if a ''Zangi'' (Negro) married ‎one of the offspring (''walad'') of Fatima [the daughter of Muhammad]? He (Ibn Hanbal) ‎disapproved of it, and said: that is the doctrine of the ''Shu’ubiyya'' [a Persian sect that ‎believed in racial egalitarianism].‎'''}}{{Quote|{{citation|author=Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri|title=Reliance of the Traveler|page=523|url=http://www.catheyallison.com/Reliance_of_the_Traveller.pdf|edition=Revised Edition|publisher=Amana Publications|translator=Nuh Ha Mim Keller|location=Beltsville|chapter=m4.0 A Suitable Match (Kafa'a)|year=1997|ISBN=978 0 915957 72 9}}|'''If the bride selects a suitor who is not a suitable match for her, the guardian [''wali''; male legal guardian] is not obliged to marry her to him.''' If she selects a suitable match but her guardian chooses a different suitor who is also a suitable match, then the man chosen by the guardian takes precedence if the guardian is one who may lawfully compel her to marry (def: m3.13(1)), while the one she selects takes precedence when the guardian may not lawfully compel her to marry (m3.13(2)). [...]

m4.2 '''The following are not suitable matched for one another: (1) a non-Arab man for an Arab woman (O: because of the hadith that the Prophet (Allah bless ‎him and give him peace) said, ‘Allah has chosen the Arabs above others.’‎'''}}

{{Quote|{{citation|author=Mohammed Tosir Miah|publisher=Darul Ifta Birmingham|url=https://islamqa.org/hanafi/daruliftaa-birmingham/19909|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111222936/https://islamqa.org/hanafi/daruliftaa-birmingham/19909|chapter=Fatwah 19909 (Hanafi Fiqh): Kafaah in Marriage}}|The Jurists have stated that '''among Arabs, a non-Quraishi male is not a match (Kuf) for a Quraishi woman, nor can any person of non-Arab descent be a match for a woman of Arab descent'''. For example, '''the Sayyids, whether Siddique or Farooque, Uthmaani or Alawi, or belonging to some other branch can never be matched by any person not sharing their lineage''', no matter his profession and family status. The Sayyids are suitable matches for one another, since they share descent from the Quraishi tribe. Thus, marriages between themselves are correct and permitted without any condition as appearing in Durrul Mukhtar:

The ruling relevant to non-Arabs is as follows: ‘'''An Ajmi (non-Arab) cannot be a match for a woman of Arab descent, no matter that he be an Aalim (religious scholar) or even a Sultan (ruling authority)'''‘. (Raddul Muhtar p.209 v.4)}}{{Quote|{{citation|author=Mufti Muhammad ibn Adam|location=Leicester|publisher=Darul Ifta|chapter=Fatwa 8559 (Hanafi Fiqh): Marriage Within One’s Caste|url=https://islamqa.org/hanafi/daruliftaa/8559| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111205740/https://islamqa.org/hanafi/daruliftaa/8559}}|It should be remarked here that '''all non-Arabs are considered a suitable match to each other (and for Arabs without a known and established lineage to one of the original Arab tribes, which is rare, as mentioned by Ibn Abidin) from a fiqhi ["jurisprudential" or "legal"] aspect'''. It could be so that a boy/girl from a different background altogether is a suitable match, rather than your cousin brother or sister. Students of sacred knowledge have a lot in common and it would be advisable to marry a fellow student from a different caste rather than your first cousin who doesn’t even have a clue what you are studying.}}

====Imam Malik====