Blackness and Islam

by Dawud Walid, Dr. Rudolph Bilal Ware (Foreword)

Muslims speak of Islam in egalitarian the religion of peace, the religion that seeks to elevate man over his base desires, the religion that does not discriminate based on race and ethnicity. Despite the egalitarian spirit of Islam, the lived reality of many Muslims is very different, and this is most apparent when we observe how Muslims deal with race and ethnicity. Muslims who are Black in the West in particular, have found that while Islam may not discriminate based on race, many Muslims do. To make matters worse, some of those Muslims will delve in to the Islamic tradition to justify their biases and bigotries, seeing no contradiction between their racism and the Islamic ideals. This work seeks to clarify and debunk some traditions which support their racist positions, and presents biographies of early Muslims who were Black. The biographies of these great Muslim personalities shows us how Blackness was a normal part of life for early Muslims, in sharp contradistinction to modern prejudices against Black folks found in some Muslim communities. “Imam Dawud Walid’s life’s work – in his previous publications, in the present volume and over the decade that I have known him – commends him as a soldier against satanic racism and especially its most perfect historical white supremacy. This volume, by framing a religious response to what must be understood as a satanic spiritual attack, should be widely read and taught.” - Dr. Rudolph Bilal Ware – Associate Professor of West Africa, Islamic Knowledge & Spirituality

Genres: Islam, Religion, Race, History

150 pages, Paperback

Published February 10, 2021

Reviews

[Brandon Davis]

For sure this book needs to be on the reading list of all Muslims, regardless or race/ethnicity, as an eye-opening experience of our past that can be used as a reflection on our situation for the betterment of the Ummah.

[Miroku Nemeth]

This needs to be read and understood on so many levels in so many communities. Excellent work.

[Yasmin]

I was expecting more from this book to be honest so I was left feeling disappointed. A family tree would have been really useful as some of the names became confusing.

[Ifrah Akhtar]

This is a good introductory book into the topic of race and Islam. I found it informative and a great first step in challenging false views that perpetuate Islam as a monolith.