Naqd al-Qawmiyya al-Arabiyya ala Daw al-Islam wal-Waqi

Naqd al-Qawmiyya al-Arabiyya ala Daw al-Islam wal-Waqi (A Critique of Arab Nationalism in Light of Islam and Reality) is a theological treatise by the Saudi scholar Ibn Baz (d. 1420 AH / 1999 CE), dedicated to refuting secular Arab nationalism from the perspective of Islamic scripture and historical analysis Naqd al-Qawmiyya al-Arabi…+1.

Background and Purpose

The work was written during the prominence of secular pan-Arab nationalist movements across the Arab world Juhud al-Shaykh Muhammad …+1. Ibn Baz characterizes the ideology of Arab nationalism as an imported concept devised by Westerners to combat Islam within its own lands and supplant Islamic brotherhood with ties based on ethnicity and language Juhud al-Shaykh Muhammad …+1. In the treatise, he argues that prioritizing racial or ethnic lineage over religion represents a return to pre-Islamic ignorance (jahiliyya) Fatawa Islamiyya+1.

Content and Structure

The treatise opens with an acknowledgment of the historical standing of Muslim Arabs, noting that their virtue and honor arose solely from carrying the message of Islam, conveying it across nations, and ruling with justice during the early generations of Islam Naqd al-Qawmiyya al-Arabi…. Ibn Baz maintains that Arab prestige cannot exist apart from Islam Fatawa Islamiyya+1.

He subsequently details several fundamental points demonstrating the invalidity and harm of the nationalist call:

• Fostering Division: The nationalist call fractures Muslim unity by separating non-Arab Muslims from Arabs and dividing the Arabs themselves into competing factions, directly violating Quranic directives commanding unity, such as: وَاعْتَصِمُوا بِحَبْلِ اللَّهِ جَمِيعًا وَلَا تَفَرَّقُوا ("And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided") Alam wa Aqzam fi Mizan al…+1.
• Revival of Jahili Fanaticism: It constitutes an invitation to tribalistic partisan fanaticism (asabiyya) and transgression (baghy), which were explicitly prohibited in the prophetic traditions, including the statement: ليس منا من دعا إلى عصبية، وليس منا من قاتل على عصبية، وليس منا من مات على عصبية ("He is not one of us who calls to tribalism, and he is not one of us who fights for tribalism, and he is not one of us who dies upon tribalism") Juhud al-Shaykh Muhammad …+1.
• Alliance with Non-Muslims Against Believers: It promotes political loyalty and alliance (muwalat) with non-Muslims and secularists over religious ties, contravening scriptural prohibitions against taking disbelievers as intimate allies over fellow believers Mawsuat al-Madhahib al-Fi….

Ibn Baz concludes the treatise by quoting the Egyptian scholar Muhammad al-Ghazali from his book Ma'a Allah (With God), who similarly condemned secularists operating under the banner of Arabism while undermining Islamic tradition Naqd al-Qawmiyya al-Arabi….

Publication

The work was originally issued as a standalone booklet and saw several printings, including a fourth edition published in Beirut and Damascus by al-Maktab al-Islami in 1400 AH Majmu Fatawa wa Maqalat M…. It was also fully incorporated into the author's collected rulings and writings, Majmu' Fatawa wa-Maqalat Mutanawwi'ah Majmu Fatawa wa Maqalat M…+1.