Favouritism

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Favouritism
Anik
04/28/01 at 01:53:16
asalaamu alaikum,

as u guys can see, i'm a real eager-beaver when it comes to these little questions...

Is it right to favour a muslim over a non-muslim in aid situations? what about during settling disputes or taking sides?

I've seen ppl who are quick to help muslims but non-muslims, not so fast.  Any quotations on it? asalaamu alaikum. anik,.
Re: Favouritism
Lisha
04/28/01 at 06:55:25
walaikum salam,
I personally think it is not right to favour a muslim against a non-muslim in aid situations but  thats my own personal opinion!!

take care.
Re: Favouritism
Kathy
04/28/01 at 08:57:24
slm

One of the times I choose Muslim over non- is shopping. If I can buy a gift at Walmart or a brother's store- I always try to support a Muslim's business first.
Re: Favouritism
BrKhalid
04/28/01 at 09:48:57
Asalaamu Alaikum ;-)

[quote]what about during settling disputes or taking sides?[/quote]

"Allah doth command you to render back your Trusts to those to whom they are due; And when ye judge between man and man, that ye judge with justice: Verily how excellent is the teaching which He giveth you! For Allah is He Who heareth and seeth all things." [4:58]


According to the above verse there should be no favouritism when it comes to judging between Muslims and non Muslims in cases of dispute.
Re: Favouritism
Anik
04/28/01 at 13:39:29
A.A.

Kathy

alright so with like supporting a muslims business right,

how do u justify (if you do at all) helping one man eat his bread and butter rather than another?

cause sometimes i think it's right, and other times, it's like, if all the ppl started to say, help your own kind, or religious group or like-minded inidiviuals, some ppl in some places would be out of business.

But true, I do think like that sometimes and i just wanna find out if that's wrong or right.
a.a. anik,.

Re: Favouritism
Asim
04/28/01 at 16:12:56
Assalaamu alaikum,
[quote]
if all the ppl started to say, help your own kind, or religious group or like-minded inidiviuals, some ppl in some places would be out of business. [/quote]
Actually that is not true. If you have a closed self contained system then everyone would be taken care of. Like if you have one ummah then the poverty in one part of the world can be alleviated by the affluence in another. Think of this as a hierarchy of self contained systems, starting from the family, to the community, and the world.

So if everyone did their part in their domain of influence then no one would be left out.

Wasalaam.
Re: Favouritism
AbdulBasir
04/28/01 at 17:59:26
[quote]According to the above verse there should be no favouritism when it comes to judging between Muslims and non Muslims in cases of dispute.[/quote]

[slm]I agree with ;-)'s post, [i]'adl[/i] is due to all of the children of Adam, and this is stressed to us in the Qur'an, as he pointed out. ;-)'s post reminded me of this story related by Ibn Kathir about Ali RA, [i]when he was Khalif[/i]:

[color=blue]Ali ibn Abi Talib RA lost a coat of mail and later found it in the possession of a Christian. The matter was taken to the judge, who's name was Shurieh. Ali RA told the judge that the coat of mail was his and that he neither had sold it nor given it away.

When the judge asked the Christian about this complaint, he said "This coat of mail belongs to none other than myself, but I do not call the Amir-ul-Mumineen a liar." Shureih then asked Ali RA for witnesses, and unable to provide any, smiled and said "Shureih is right, I have no witnesses." Hence, the judge awarded the coat of mail to the Christian since it was in his possession and Ali RA had no means or witnesses to prove his ownership.

The Christian took the coat of mail and left, but then soon returned and said "These are indeed the laws of the prophets! The Amir-ul-Mumineen brought this case to the court, who decided in my favor. There is no God but Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger! This is your coat of mail, O Amir-ul-Mumineen. I was following your army as you were returning from the battle of Siffin. Your coat of mail fell from your camel." Ali RA then answered, "Since you have embraced Islam, this coat of mail is yours!"[/color]

:) [slm]
Re: Favouritism
Kathy
04/28/01 at 20:27:12
slm

Ok- I have the       Mega Corporation Walmart
                           vs.
                 Brother Ali down the street

So whose table am I going to help with?
Seems like a no brainer....
NS
Re: Favouritism
se7en
04/28/01 at 23:11:59
wa alaykum as salaam wa rahmatAllah,

Muslims are supposed to support each other not because they share a common history or ethnic background, but because Muslims are (or should be) devoting themselves, their energy, their time, and their wealth for the sake of Allah, in doing good and establishing justice on earth...

check it out:

"The kuffar* are protectors, one of another: unless you do this, (protect each other), there would be tumult and oppression on earth, and great mischief." - Quran, chapter 8 verse 73

I think this is exactly why we've been commanded to support one another... it's because you trust another Muslim to do what they can to stop tumult and oppression on earth in so many ways; a Muslim will not contribute to riba' which is the cause of a type of economic enslavement a lot of people are finding themselves in; a Muslim will not support alcohol or other drug-producing companies by buying their products; a Muslim will not contribute to industries and services that are just wrong... you trust that if you give your money to a Muslim, that money will be used for good and for supporting good things..  

Large corporations go into communities and make crazy profit off the backs of people they pay minimum wage.. they take money out of the hands of small time businesses, businesses owned by people who live in the community... they start off with low prices to get rid of competition, and hold a monopoly over the communities they exist in... and monopolies are dangerous because people with no other options are forced to be accomodating to whatever the monopoly chooses to do...

* - those who consciously deny and conceal the truth.
Re: Favouritism
Anonymous
04/28/01 at 23:11:11
Assalamu'alaykum,

I read a number of texts stressing our obligation to help the muslims first.  
This is because they believe in Allah without ascribing any partner to Him and
they believe in Prophet Mohammed (sallalahu 'alayhi wa sallam); so if you have
to choose between the muslims and the kuffar, the muslims deserve your help
more.

"what about during settling disputes or taking sides? "

Allah asks the muslim to be just in all situations.  It is not fair to take a
muslim's side when you know he is wrong.

"O you who believe! be maintainers of justice, bearers of witness of Allah's
sake, though it may be against your own selves or (your) parents or near
relatives; if he be rich or poor, Allah is nearer to them both in compassion;
therefore do not follow (your) low desires, lest you deviate; and if you swerve or turn
aside, then surely Allah is aware of what you do. " (4:135)
Re: Favouritism
BrKhalid
04/29/01 at 00:57:42
Asalaamu Alaikum ;-)

[quote]If you have a closed self contained system then everyone would be taken care of. Like if you have one ummah then the poverty in one part of the world can be alleviated by the affluence in another. Think of this as a hierarchy of self contained systems, starting from the family, to the community, and the world.

So if everyone did their part in their domain of influence then no one would be left out.

[/quote]


You know it sounds so simple when you say it like that. If only, as Muslims, we could actually put it into practice! At least it gives us something to strive for though.

My answer is Br Ali btw ;-)
Re: Favouritism
SA
04/30/01 at 07:52:58
Assalaamu alaikum wr,

I recently went to a tafseer class on Sura Nisa, we were on the verses 107-108.  We haven't gotten that far into it yet and I don't have my notes w/ me, but Yusuf Ali's translation has some good footnotes on what these verses were referring to.  The example of 'Ali judging between a Muslim and a Jew is a good example as well; this also has to do with the Prophet (s) judging between a Jew and a hypocrite.  Insha'Allah I'll post more if I find my notes...Allah is the best of Judges, The Judge, and Muhammad (s) is the best of examples.

As for giving aid, don't take my word for it, but from what I've heard from different imams is that there is no ban on giving aid to non-muslims as long as they have not wronged the Muslims/you are not at war, you have the resources to give, they are really in need, and there are not Muslims who need aid more than them.  WAllahu'alim, again, I have nothing to back me up except what I've heard, so take it with a grain of salt.

NS
Re: Favouritism
SA
04/30/01 at 07:55:47
...by "aid" I mean humanitarian aid...not aiding a business, that's a whole other can of worms...
If we all knew where corporations get their goods/how they use their $$$, we would all sew our own clothes, make our own hamburgers!! So alhamdulillah for Muslim businesses, they're not all perfect, but we have to support them if we want them to get any better, insha'Allah.

NS
Re: Favouritism
chachi
04/30/01 at 18:42:39

Anik a good example of this situation is when Hadrat Umar promised to kill the muslims who after a guarantee of safe conduct to non-muslim soldiers killed them

The basic rule from this is that you must support a non-muslim if his rights are being violated by muslims

Another example of this is that the khaleef when he conquered Serbia decided to wipe out all the serbs his qadi however gave a fatwa that this was against islamic law

Always strive to uphold the right otherwise you'll end up supporting muslims who do unislamic acts


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