INDEED ALL PRAISE AND THANKS ARE DUE TO ALLAH, WE PRAISE HIM, WE SEEK HIS ASSISTANCE, WE SEEK HIS FORGIVENESS, WE SEEK HIS GUIDANCE.
We are an Ummah of different flavours and colours. The Arab, Indian, Chinese, Russian, Berber, African, American, European; all different peoples and tribes, united together for the Cause of Allāh (swt). They all joined the caravan that leads to Jannah, and Allāh (swt) bought from them their souls in return for His Pleasure.
“And hold firmly to the rope of Allāh all together and do not become divided. And remember the favour of Allāh upon you – when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favour, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allāh make clear to you His verses that you may be guided.”
— Surah Imran (3:103)
When these different peoples embraced Islam after interacting with the da’awah, their hearts merged together, they worshipped the same Lord, followed the same Messenger and recited the same Book.
“And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colours. Indeed in that are signs for those of knowledge”
— Surah Ar-Rum (30:22)
However, their languages and their culture did not change, unless Islām required it to. So the Muslims differed in their clothing, and it became a symbol of strength; namely that this ideology is so powerful that all can join it without discrimination, and that it allowed for differences and discrepancies in that which is natural.
Some people recently have said that it is not allowed for a non-Arab to wear Arab clothing, because it is ‘cultural appropriation’. This is the result of Arab nationalist thinking.
Nationalism is a harmful ideology, because it promotes that a certain people is better than others due to their ethnicity or where they are born. This is an extension of tribalism, where one believes his tribe is superior to another just due to it being his tribe. Similarly, nationalists believe that their nation is superior to others just by the value of being their nation.
What a false thought! How can a piece of land be better than another piece of land? You did not choose to be a part of a certain nation or people, so why take pride in what you have no control over? No one believes that blue-eyed people are better than black-eyed people, because they do not choose that.
We identify with what we choose to believe, and we Muslims choose Islam, and that is what joins us together, not the fact that we speak the same language.
“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 Allāh is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allāh is Knowing and Aware.”
— Surah Hujurat (49:13)
We are Muslims and brothers of one another, wherever he may come from. We share our clothing, food and languages with brotherly love and compassion for each other. The non-Arab can wear the clothing of an Arab, and an Arab can wear the clothing of the non-Arab.
“Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allāh; and those with him are harsh against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves.”
— Surah Al-Fatĥ (48: 29)