THE MEANING OF PREJUDICE

THE MEANING OF PREJUDICE

Prejudice Tassub in the Arabic language is from the root A Sa Ba which means vein nerve. In the past the Arabs used to call every kind of favouritism based on blood-relation Tassub. Their tribes based on such family-relations were also called Usbah. But now, these two wards have lost their limited meaning. That is why they call all false and illogical tendencies Tassub prejudice. Accordingly whenever it is seen that a group be it blood-related or not favours unreasonable or illogical thing it is called prejudiced Usbah.

Verses

When those who disbelieved harboured in their hearts feelings of disdain, the disdain of the days of ignorance, but Allah sent down His tranquillity on His Apostle and on the believers, and made them keep the word of guarding against evil, and they were entitled to it and worthy of it; and Allah is Cognisant of all things. It is not fit for the Prophet and those who believe that they should ask forgiveness for the polytheists, even though they should be near relatives, after it has become clear to them that they are inmates of the flaming fire. And Ibrahim asking forgiveness for his sire was only owing to a promise which he had made to him; but when it became clear to him that he was an enemy of Allah, he declared himself to be clear of him; most surely Ibrahim was very tender-hearted forbearing.

Regarding the circumstances preceding the revelation of these verses great scholars say:

A group of Muslims inquired from the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.): Do you not pray pardon for our forefathers who passed away from this world in the time of ignorance? Then the above verses were revealed and all were cautioned that no one has a right to ask pardon for polytheists and the istigfaar seeking of pardon of Ibrahim (a.s.) for Aazar was during his life time and the intention of Ibrahim (a.s.) was that he might not die as a polytheist. But when he knew that Aazar was an enemy of God and that his Aazars animosity was based on hatred he separated from him and announced his estrangement and aversion.

And when Our communications are recited to them, they say: We have heard indeed; if we pleased we could say the like of it; this is nothing but the stories of the ancients. And when they said: O Allah! if this is the truth from Thee, then rain upon us stones from heaven or inflict on us a painful punishment.

Under the influence of their extreme prejudice and stubbornness they imagined that the Shariat of Islam was hundred percent baseless. Otherwise, anyone in whose mind there is even a little possibility of its being the truth never curses himself like this!

In Majmaul Bayan, below this verse, it is recorded thus from Imam Sadiq (a.s.): after the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.), in Ghadeer-e-Khum, appointed Ali (a.s.) as his caliph and said Man Kuntu Maulaahu fa Aliyyun Maulahu this problem arose there and Noman bin Haaris Fahri who was a hypocrite approached the Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) and said: You asked us to give witness to the oneness of the God and to negate the idols and to testify your Prophethood we agreed and complied with. Then you gave us the command regarding jihad and Hajj and fasting and namaz and Sakata and we accepted. But you did not suffice with this and made this boy that is, Ali son of Abu Talib the caliph and said Man Kuntu Maulaahu fa Aliyyun Maulahu. Well, is this the word of your own or is it the Order of Allah?

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: By Allah, except Whom there is no God, this is the order of Allah. Noman who was enraged due to his extreme dislike said: O God! If this is true than send a stone one me from heaven and…. Within no time a stone fell on him and he got killed. This hadith-e-Ghadeer does not negate that the said verse was revealed in the matter of the unbelievers of Holy Quran because the revelation of this verse was not due to the event O Noman. Rather it was Noman who cursed himself by extracting words from a verse which was revealed earlier. It is just as we extract our prayers from the Holy Quran and, for example, say: When he said to his father and his people: What are these images to whose worship you cleave? They said: We found our fathers worshipping them. He said: Certainly you have been, both you and your fathers, in manifest error.

Traditions

The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) said: The one who resorts to prejudice or who is the subject of prejudice that is, if he is pleased with that prejudicial attitude of others have thrown off the relation of Faith from their hearts. The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) is quoted: Anyone who has prejudice in his heart even to the extent of a little mustard seed will be raised by God, with the Bedouins of the days of ignorance.

Imam Sadiq (a.s.) has said: The Holy Prophet (s.a.w.s.) used to seek Gods protection daily from six things: Doubt, polytheism, prejudice, Anger, Rebellion and oppression and Jealousy. Amirul Mo-mineen (a.s.) is reported to have said: Verily God punished six groups due to six qualities: Arab for his prejudice, the rich for their pride, Ameers for their oppression, the Faqueehs for their jealousy and the traders for their dishonesty, and the villagers for their ignorance.

Sinister results of prejudice

If a man shows prejudice or undue love or hatred toward anyone, he does not know the reality, rather, sometimes, he imagines good to be bad and bad to be good. Explaining this attitude in a very fine style, the Holy Quran says: What! Is he whose evil deed is made fair seeming to him so much so that he considers it good? is like the one who is seeking truth?

Wrong prejudices and illogical traditions drag down men to such depths making them blind and deaf that they become lower than animals. An animal has much affection for its offspring in the beginning of life but man’s prejudice crushes his internal instincts to such an extent that child killing appears to him a good deed. Sometimes he enjoys it and shows pride about it. In this respect the Holy Quran says:

And thus their associates have made fair seeming to most of the polytheists the killing of their children… And also Say: Shall We inform you of the greatest losers in their deeds? These are they whose labour is lost in this worlds life and they think that they are well versed in skill of the work of hands.

Finally man, under the effect of prejudices and multiple ignorance, falls in wrong alleys in such a way that he thinks he is doing good but, really does not know that he has ignited a fire and is burning both himself and the society in its flames. Currently the problem of prejudice is clearly observed between groups and parties and institutions: it is probable that we also do what the polytheists and the idol-worshippers do. May Allah save from it.

Here a question arises: is there, in Islam, any prejudice that can be considered as permissible and desirable? In reply we say: no According to Islam one indulges in prejudice when he follows a group unreasonably and when he knows that groups is working on wrong lines. Otherwise, if man follows pious and suitable persons, it is not only no prejudice but rather Islam has encouraged such deed, When somebody asked Ali bin Husain (a.s.) about prejudice he said: Sinful prejudice is when man considers that the evil fellows belonging to his folk are better than the gentlemen of the other folk. But loving ones community is no prejudice. Helping ones community in oppression is part of prejudice.