In Islam, land is not definitional. It is merely functional. Land or territory does not define us. It does not determine who we are, our identity or our laws. It does not provide the basis of our political system and ideas. While individuals and societies may differ and culture may seem contradictory or oppositional, it is not different simply because of territory. The people around us may affect our values. It is not simply territorial. If the whole community migrates to another location, their values remain. The territory itself does not decide our values. But today, we define ourselves according to territory. The laws that govern us, the nation that we are supposed to belong to, are simply based on location. We define ourselves as being Singaporean, Malaysian, Australian, Lebanese, Bangladeshi, Turkish etc. These definition are all based on territory. The laws are all territorial. A Muslim who believes in Allah fully, and who recognises the authority of the Shariah over his life is governed not by his values, but the land he is in. In Turkey, the Muslim have to abide by Turkish secular laws. In Singapore, Singapore laws govern him. Even though he believes fully in Allah and recognises the Shariah, Islamic law does not apply to him simply due to the land he is in. The nation that he belongs to is also territorial. He is part of the Singapore nation simply by being born in Singapore. He may not identify with Singapore in any substantive form. His whole view of existence may be based on Islam. He recognises the Muslims in Yemen, Somalia, Afghanistan as his brothers and sisters. The Muslims may be his nation. But he has to identify with the territory he is at. This construction of territorial identity is a major reason for the weakness of the ummah. We define ourselves as Singaporean Muslims or Malaysian Muslims. This identity separates us from Muslims who are from Indonesia, Brunei, China or Bangsamoro. As long as we see ourselves as separate from other Muslims simply on the basis of territory, we will never be one ummah. It is important to recognise that when Rasulullah crafted the Madinah Charter, he defined the nation simply as the believers (and in some understanding, including the non Muslims who supported the Muslims). Rasulullah did not define the nation as belonging to the territory of Madinah. Regardless where they were, Muslims constituted one nation. It is also important to note that the Muslims from Mekah who migrated to Madinah were not referred to as those from Mekah. Their land did not define them. They were known as the Muhajirin. It was their action, to migrate for Islam, that defined their identity. Similarly, the Muslims in Madinah were not simply referred to by their territory. They were known as Ansar or the Helpers. Again, their actions and functions defined them. Yet today, we keep defining ourselves according to territory. We keep proclaiming that we are Singaporean, Malaysian, Pakistani, Indian, American. We do not define ourselves according to Islam. We define ourselves according to the land. We keep talking about Islam. We keep talking about the ummah. We keep talking about unity. And yet we keep separating ourselves according to how the Europeans have colonised us. Stop separating the ummah. Stop referring to the land or country. Start thinking of the ummah. And insha Allah we will be united once again.
Posted on: Mon, 19 May 2014 08:55:58 +0000
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