It was one thing watching part of the Muslim community being slaughtered, the Qur’an being misquoted, and the sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (ص) demonised on the Dispatches program that came on over a month ago; but it was painful when I saw Muslims on T.V., that is, educated Muslims, taking opportunity to blame the world’s problems on other schools of thought, as if there is no-one else involved in the tribulations upon the Muslims. I started to think, if we don’t agree with part of the Muslim community should we take the opportunity to banish them on T.V?
But there was a wider issue that arose from the reflection I had, something beyond the ill-designed program and the ‘white intellectual’ Muslims used within it. I watched another program on the new Unity TV (sky 825). There, I saw two reverts, one interviewing the other about their accpetance of Islam. The dominated discussion was how the ‘Muslim community’ treated ‘us’ when we came to them. It was about how ignorant they were that a white person could become Muslim, and how when they accepted them, they were treated as if they were scholars that new everything about Islam. I felt a horrid sense of inferiority as an Asian. I’m certain this is not what the program presenter and interviewee intended, but this is increasingly becoming the picture, ironically, presented through Muslim sectarianism.
There are two major sectarian polarisations in the UK Muslim community. There is Salafi and Sufism. Neither are accurate terms, and all vary in degrees (most people are somewhere in between, which are groups in themselves), but the crudeness should help explain what I am trying to say. Also, it is fundamental to note that all specific characteristics that are described are subject to their reperesentation in Britain (i.e. salafis, deobandis, barelwis and sufis all have completely different community characteristics in different countries (Alhamdulillah!)).
What is clear is that most Black reverts become salafis and most White become sufis, again in the crudest sense. What is associated with the former catergory is street-attitude, literalism, intolerance, extremism and takfir. And what has been associated with the latter is universalism, universities, academia, poetry, calmness, peace, spirituality and tolerance. To some extent these categorisations are true. Many white reverts come from rejecting the theology of Christianity but retain the compassion encouraged within it, whilst many Black reverts enter as a rejection of hard lives as working class minorities in an institutionally racist society. But this very background seems to be influencing the born-again Muslims within this country who are renewing their faith.
Spirituality in Islam, or as some may call it, tasawwuf is no longer seeking Allah, but reading and intellectualising about how close Freud’s and Nietzsche’s work is with Islam. So many young Muslims are baffled in amazement about the comparison made between Western Englightenment Thinkers and the book of Allah. People are now in search of an ‘academic Islam’. This has an inherent link with the left-wing influence, mostly brought by ex-Chrtistians who have retained an overly-tolerant understanding, and who like to interpret Muslim poetry, philosophers and great spiritual thinkers as in some way nihilists. This is where an apolitical stance comes in, as if Islam will change moral decadance of the world from a University theological department.
The opposite is equally bad. It is the total rejection of the system, often grossly misinterpreted as inspiration of the thoughts of Malcolm X. It is the promotion of a literal understanding, of an inheritance of truth necessarily, and the abolishment of every other way of thinking. It is judging a person first by his sect, and then by his acknowledgement of his Lord. It aims to be a working class culture, always in a struggle against the innovations of the community.
I think enough said about the characteristics of each category.
What becomes apparent from all of this is that there is an ‘elitist’ ’spiritual’ Muslim community being nurtured. It just so happens that those within it are White middle-class reverts who are ‘intellectualising’ Islam according to the Enlightenment tradition they have been exposed to in their PhDs. On the other hand, there are the literalist developments being emphasised by the many Black reverts, emphasising a working class struggle, and searching for ‘roots’, very similar to the Afro-Carribean experience in finding their rastafarianism and Africanism a few decades ago. Both are dangerous extremes, and are having massive effects on born-again Muslims (from whatever ethnicity) in search of the true interpretration of their faith. The choices they have are not the sectarian theologies are labelled above but, British Black Salafism and British, Middle-Class White Sufism.
For me this is not a theological issue, neither do I have anything against either of the racial categories. Neither am I trying to point out that this is a colour issue. When I say Black, I am talking about all the races and ethnicities that act the way Britian has traditionally defined Black people (in a very racist way), and the same for Whites (in a very inherently superior way). (i.e. either ‘colour’ could belong to either camp!)
I am trying to point out that much of what is happening in the sectarian side of things within the Muslim community has little to do with theology, and much to do with the reinforcement of racial and class divisions that have existed in Britain since…a very long time.
Did I just admit to a distinctly ‘British Islam’…oops
NB: I cannot emphasise enough that ‘White’ and ‘Black’ in this post refers not to the colour of skin, but the attitude and experience associated with a member from the community generally in Britain (rightly or wrongly). So, a young white boy, who listens to rap, wears baggy trousers and is working class is most likely to become the type of ‘Black’ Muslim I have defined. It is referring to stereotypes, that people of any race or colour could fulfil.
[...] do not have time to respond to comments and questions. I would just like to link to an excellent piece on the Sufi-Salafi divide in Great Britain becoming a racial and class divide with black people [...]
Asalaamualaikum wa rahmatullah,
similarities exist in the US revert community as well as the confusion in the “born again” sector. It is my belief that all this stems from a desire to adjectivize islam by a: whites saying I’m muslim, but… and b: blacks saying I’m the real=deal . Accept nothing less. As an Afro American convert here in USA I have peeped both sidesand decided to make my islam just islam. I do not have to prove authenticity to anyone but Allah and it is a must to represent the deen honestly and forthrightly. Islam has compassion but islam is not changeable in its meaning.
Wondeful piece, very accurate description of reverts in the UK and the “types” of islam they seem drawn to.
You seem to suggest that white middle class reverts are attempting to create some sort of psuedo-sufism charatertised by western philosophers, but with regard to black salafis, do you think that they are infuencing salafism in anyway, or are they just joining what is already a “extereme” school of thought.
As-Salaamu ‘alaikum,
You’ve failed to close an italic block somewhere in this article, which is why, from the second sentence in the second paragraph, it’s all italic.
Anyway, your observation about tasawwuf coming to be associated with Nietzsche really only applies to one group of so-called Sufis, namely the Murabitun. None of the other Sufi groups I’ve come across have had any interest in such philosophy. I had a brief encounter with their London group from 1998-9 and I have always been against it, because they were mostly middle-class non-Muslims from the 19th century with too much time on their hands reacting to the problems in Christianity, and none of these issues affect us. My attitude has always been: who needs Nietzsche when we have the likes of Imam al-Ghazali?
I have personally had negative encounters with other middle-class White Muslims, but I still believe they are a minority of the White converts who became “Sufis”, even if they are some of the more prominent. Most are in groups like Shaikh Nazim’s or Shaikh Nuh Keller’s and both have a strong ethnic mix, with a large number of both black and white converts.
As for why so many Black converts become “salafis”, the likely reason is that there is already a critical mass of such people in south London, based around Brixton masjid, and that Blacks looking for Islam often gravitate towards those of their own kind because, among other things, they mostly speak English rather than Urdu or whatever.
Salaams;
so long as you remain clear that these are generalizations and your own perspective, these are (somewhat) fair characterizations – although I think they’re unfair to those who are strongly attached to Sunni Islam in either camp, and those like myself who are attracted to both Imam Ghazali and Malcolm X, who respect both ibn Taymiyya and Mevlana Jalaluddin Rumi.
Also, I’m Canadian and don’t have the anger issues, nor are Canadian Salafis as generally rude and ’street-thug’ typified as they seem to be in England. When I spoke to professors from Madinah University, they told me of their fear of some of their English students, who as they said “left after four years, not having moderated or adapted their views in the slightest.” Don’t blame either the “Traditional” or the “Salafi” schools of thought for the extremists, who as you fairly point out, have more sociological and political reasons for their anger and resentment, than theological.
I also think that there are more complexities out there, but perhaps those can be discussed later.
Best regards, Salaams,
Dawud
as salaamu alaykum wa rahmatullah,
dr. sherman jackson mentioned an interesting point about this in a class I attended a long time ago… that looking historically at the african american community, it’s one that was largely protestant (ie: with a de-emphasis on the clergy and an emphasis on a direct relationship with the sacred texts) as opposed to Catholicism which has a focus on the clergy… and this may have translated into the african american community’s practice of religion after they embraced Islam, with an inclination to salafism which has a more direct relationship with the texts, than tassawuf or other movements. I don’t know if it’s the same in the UK?
interesting post bro, jazak Allahu khayran.
wasalaamu alaykum
It was stated in the ‘in search of jannah thread’ (March 6 2007):
On the other hand, there are the literalist developments being emphasised by the many Black reverts, emphasising a working class struggle, and searching for ‘roots’, very similar to the Afro-Carribean experience in finding their rastafarianism and Africanism a few decades ago.
Unfortunately, the thread has done very little to critically and seriously assess the very important issues which it set out to try and document. There are severak points to make about the post.
1. The thread is sadly regurgitating stereotypes which in of themselves are “Very dangerous”. To try and assert about Salafees of African origins that :
“What is associated with the former catergory is street-attitude, literalism, intolerance, extremism and takfir.”
…is simplistic to say the least. This is in itself a dangerous assertion as it leads to casting aspersions against black Muslims by directly/indirectly linking them to having inclinations towards extremism, takfeer and intolerance. In London, Brixton Mosque for example is accused of this and for example, Abdullah Faysal, a well-known extremist, is known by the Salafee community for going extreme after he was challenged by the Salafees and ousted from the Brixton area. Incidently, he made Salafiyyah his main nemesis and abused its scholars and followers as being passive. Yet, even though Abdullah Faysal was ousted and eject from the Brixton are in the early 90s and called to extremism in West London and other parts of the UK, to this day some of the tabloid press still refer to him as being “a Brixton Mosque preacher” (!!?) even though he was never the Imaam of the Mosque and even when he did give khutbahs there this was in the early 90s, when the Mosque was not run by the Salafees and when Faysal did not call to the extremism he did from 93 onwards!
So, what happened was that people associated him Brixton Mosque due to racial stereotypes which this thread has also continued in repeating.
2. Then with regards to academia, this is another issue which black Salafees are accused of being devoid of, and this is a sterotype. As many black Salafees have academic prowess but are just not referred to at all or recognised.
3. Salafiyyah tends to break class divisions and as a result they are easily the most ethnically diverse and inter-marry with little hierarchy among them, as opposed to the those from the Sufi persuasion. So for example, if you look at a Salafee community like Brixton in London, then they are diverse and tend to inter-marry regardless, but a Sufi community like al-Muraabitoon in Norwich are totally segregated along racial lines, with the black ones separate from the white ones generally.
Furthermore, in London at one stage some white Salafee brothers were the main callers to Salafiyyah in the UK and they came from not even middle-class background, but upper-middle class backgrounds! This is itself totally demolishes the specious claims of the thread. Where is the “embedded racial and class division of the UK manifested in its revert Muslim population” seen within this similitude??
4. It is rather odd that the article did not refer whatsoever to the racism and intolerance of most of the Muslim community from the Indo-Pak sub-continent. This was not touched on at all in the piece and to somehow refrain from mentioing this as if it is somehow irrelevant, is foolhardy. As a result, people will gravitate to people who share their own cultural upbringing, origins and this in itself is not harmful. But the thread did not touch on at all the impact of such backward un-Islamic cultural Hindu caste system traditions at all.
5. In reflecting on the thread (‘in serach of jannah’, March 4 2007) we understand why uniformed people may come to such simplistic conclusions, yet the reality is that the black well-educated Middle-class Christians, before embracing Islaam, as many of black Salafees were, don’t fit the category of having “street attitudes”. Black people come to Salafiyyah after their search for absolute truth which will take them away from the degradation of the society in which they are living in and can be proved not only by blind faith but in a serious critical many. This gives them strength and is not related to their colour, background or where they are from.
One of the reasons why some white Muslims may move away from black reverts (if this is even the case as the ‘in serach of jannah’ thread claims) is due to their colonial superiority complexes, and that this can fit into Islaam. As a result, the go to Sufism which allows anything, as long you “feel one with Allaah”. Salafiyyah, restricts to what Allaah says and what the Prophet says. So some of it is opposite to what the article claims, for real Islaam, Salafiyyah requires study and enquiry whilst (hardcore) Sufism does not really demand such a serious quest for that which is authentic in Islaam.
AbdulHaq al-Ashanti
Salam , the last reply is fair and correct : Abd Al Haqq Al Ashanti is spot on. The post, good but tabloid-like in its assumptions, has taken liberties with the term ’salafiyy’ (the term ’sufi’ is wooly too).
What is happening here is complex. I have visited Shaikh Nakzim’s Derga. There many blacks, Turks and Asians there;many whites (including working class Greek Cypriots).
But what you observe is not always comforting. Blacks marry blacks;while white Muslims are offered Asian women. You can not blame Turks for this. It seems a Indo-Pak problem.
The Sufis are dominant. They control the representation of Islam here;but it has 60s,phony flavour to it. It is nice to hear the brothers in search of ilm are in this city. Im in North London and do not hear much about the
brothers in the South. I’m from similiar background to the Brixton brothers . The search for Islam’s essence must wade through seductive rhetoric about classical tassawuf,without realising its propenets may be different from your Rumis and Hassan al Basris. Liberal claim to represent Islam as soley a Sufi journey is off-putting to many (whites too).
” but a Sufi community… are totally segregated along racial lines, with the black ones separate from the white ones generally.”
- That is absolutely untrue.
“As a result, the go to Sufism which allows anything, as long you “feel one with Allaah”. ” and
“Sufism does not really demand such a serious quest for that which is authentic in Islaam.”
-Again, this is a complete fabrication born of your sectarian view of Islam and your exclusivist conception of truth.
The majority of classical scholars of Islam were members of Sufi orders, including the Hanbali muqalid Shaykh Ibn Taymiyyah, whilst the bida’ known as Salafiyyah was completely unknown.
I just came back from the bi-annual Suhba with Shaykh Nuh Ha Mim Keller.
The African-American brothers there outnumbered the White brothers but about 2-1.
Remember, this is an analysis of the divide in the UK, and not other parts of the world…Which is why it is not really a racial divide, but a cultural divide which is expressed mostly through race.
Salaams all!
Some good observations and comments from the person who wrote ‘Colonizing Islam.’ I like many other black reverts share similar views. Describing the sociological issues in our community is only 50% away from providing solutions. One solution I could recommend is to remain radical and uniquely Islamic is challenging the forthcoming intellectual barrage against the Mercy and Justice of Tawheed; which if we all were thinking clearly, would not seek to further divide but unite the ranks of Believers. There is little we can do about the various sidetracks Muslims choose to follow but this: defend the faith!