The Gulf Crisis and New World Order — Page 80
Fourth Friday Sennon Aug 24, 1990 tendencies. Islam has suffered, in the past, due to the presence of such ideologies which, in fact, were alien to Islam. The verses I recited before you clearly present the Islamic point of view on this subject: l�}��i,JtG3��;Sl1;f. , J;, ;J�2J��\!JiJ. l_zJ\�� "O mankind We have created you from a male and a female, and We have made you into tribes and sub-tribes so that you may recognize one another. " By saying that We have created you from a male and a female, God implies that you are one species, irrespective of the regional or racial attachments. The difference lies only in your being a male or a female. This distinction cannot be erased by you, nor can you base your national or racial identities on such considerations. If you were to try that, you would realise your mistake. The human race cannot exist in the absence of bilateral cooperation between t h e male and the female. By saying that, 1!. '\Xi ,. . c-u�e •'',; ,'<--'t t. ,,, Jr) ,-�. . , -��_, "We have made you into tribe and sub-tribes so that you may recognize one another", connotes that division into tribes and sub-tribes is made for the sole purpose of your identification, just as we recognize and identify different people by their personal names. But, merely on the basis of names, people are never divided into separate groups. For instance, all persons by the name of Nasir should get together, and so persons by names Tahir should form a separate group, or all persons whose name is Khalil may get together and form a group against all persons whose name is Mubarak. It would be a ridiculous thing to do. So the names are only for the purpose of identification and have no further significance. Specifically, they should not give rise to any prejudice and common sense dictates that this be so. So the word "recognition" in the verse cited, implies that if you exceed these limits it would be a wrong and foolish act. The division of nations must be confined to the extent of their personal recognition. There would be no harm if recognition covers their temperamental identity but this division must not g o beyond this limit. 80