260122P - THE CONCEPT WE ARE AN UMMAH CO-EXISTING WITH OTHERS

Presented at the 3rd International Islamic Conference, organized by Northwest University, Kano under the theme ‘Islam and the dynamics of nationhood’ 20-22 January 2026 by Prof Omar Hasan Kasule Sr MB ChB (MUK), MPH (Harvard), DrPH (Harvard)

1.0 CONCEPT OF UMMAH IN THE QUR’AN

• The Qur’an uses the term ummat to refer to a group of humans and non-humans.
• Ummat can be non-human.

• وَمَا مِن دَابَّةٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَلَا طَائِرٍ يَطِيرُ بِجَنَاحَيْهِ إِلَّا أُمَمٌ أَمْثَالُكُم ۚ مَّا فَرَّطْنَا فِي الْكِتَابِ مِن شَيْءٍ ۚ ثُمَّ إِلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يُحْشَرُون. الانعام ٣٨

• Ummat can be a unique individual.

•  إِنَّ إِبْرَاهِيمَ كَانَ أُمَّةً قَانِتًا لِّلَّهِ حَنِيفًا وَلَمْ يَكُ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ. النحل ١٢٠ 

• Single ummah before divisions.

• 2:213 كَانَ النَّاسُ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَبَعَثَ اللَّهُ النَّبِيِّينَ مُبَشِّرِينَ وَمُنذِرِينَ وَأَنزَلَ مَعَهُمُ الْكِتَابَ بِالْحَقِّ لِيَحْكُمَ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ فِيمَا اختلفوا فيه
• وَمَا كَانَ النَّاسُ إِلَّا أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً فَاخْتَلَفُوا ۚ وَلَوْلَا كَلِمَةٌ سَبَقَتْ مِن رَّبِّكَ لَقُضِيَ بَيْنَهُمْ فِيمَا فِيهِ يَخْتَلِفُونَ يونس ١٩ 
• وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ لَجَعَلَ النَّاسَ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً ۖ وَلَا يَزَالُونَ مُخْتَلِفِينَ. هود ١١٨

• A group of Muslims or believers.

• {إِنَّ هَذِهِ أُمَّتُكُمْ أُمَّةً وَاحِدَةً وَأَنَا رَبُّكُمْ فَاعْبُدُونِ} [الأنبياء: 92

• Group of humans.

•  {وَلَمَّا وَرَدَ مَاءَ مَدْيَنَ وَجَدَ عَلَيْهِ أُمَّةً مِنَ النَّاسِ يَسْقُونَ} [القصص: 23]

2.0 CHARACTERISTICS OF THE UMMAH

• Superiority based on morality (خيرية الامة) is based on morality.

• {كُنْتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ} [آل عمران: 110

• Superiority based on moderation.

• .آل عمران ١١٠ كُنتُمْ خَيْرَ أُمَّةٍ أُخْرِجَتْ لِلنَّاسِ تَأْمُرُونَ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَوْنَ عَنِ الْمُنكَرِ وَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِاللَّهِ ۗ وَلَوْ آمَنَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ لَكَانَ خَيْرًا لَّهُم ۚ مِّنْهُمُ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ وَأَكْثَرُهُمُ الْفَاسِقُونَ.

• Righteous people among other communities. Al Omran 113.

• لَيْسُوا سَوَاءً ۗ مِّنْ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ أُمَّةٌ قَائِمَةٌ يَتْلُونَ آيَاتِ اللَّهِ آنَاءَ اللَّيْلِ وَهُمْ يَسْجُدُونَ. آل عمران ١١٣

3.0 STAGES OF WORLD HISTORY

• We start by understanding the human: creation (khalq), nature (tabi’at), superiority (afdhaliyyat), mission on earth (risaalat), and diversity.
• The start of human civilization with vicegerency (khilafat) and intellectual empowerment (taskhiir).
• Stages of human civilization (imarat al ardh): Rise and Fall of early Civilizations   (Quranic aad, thamuud, yajuuj, ayka, alrass, etc., Pharaon), Early Agricultural Civilizations (India, Iraq, Egypt, Sudan, Inca, Maya, Aztec), Pre-Islamic Arabia and similar societies.
• Cycles of civilization (dawrat al hadhaaraat): regional powers, e.g., China and Mongols, the Roman Empire (pax romana), the Western European Empires, e.g., pax brittanica, the Russian Empire (pax russica), the American Empire (pax americana), the Chinese Empire (pax russica).
• Every ummah has a fixed lifespan: Araf 34.

• وَلِكُلِّ أُمَّةٍ أَجَلٌ ۖ فَإِذَا جَاءَ أَجَلُهُمْ لَا يَسْتَأْخِرُونَ سَاعَةً ۖ وَلَا يَسْتَقْدِمُونَ  

4.0 MUSLIM HISTORY

• Era of Prophethood (‘ahad al nubuwwat) and era of the rightly guided khilafat (‘ahad al khilafat al rashidat).
• Era of dynasties, ‘ahad al muluuk: Era of The Umayyads, al ‘ahad al umawiy, Era Of Abassids, al ‘ahad al ‘abbaasi, Era Of Othmanis, al ‘ahad al othmani, The Peripheries, al atraaf.
• Era of renewal and reform al tajdid & al islah: challenges internal and external, past revival movements, e.g., Uthman Dan Fodio, Shah Waliyullah AlDahlawi, modern revival movements.
• Where are we now? The future is here. How can Islamic guidelines move from distortions to become a guide for humanity?

5.0 MODEL OF CO-EXISTENCE OF FAITHS: THE MADINA CONVENTION

• The Madina constitution (safiihat al Madina) defined rights of citizenship for different religio-ethnic groups (Muslims and Jews, Immigrants and natives), Freedom of faith, equality before the law in general, while allowing separate legal systems for each group, collective defence.
• It was a social contract that ensured stability and peace. 
• The Madina constitution had 52 articles, 29 of which were for Muslims only. The scholars have differences about the full text, and this should be a research priority for Nigerian Muslims.

5.0 MODEL OF CO-EXISTENCE OF FAITHS: THE OTHMANI MILLET SYSTEM

• The Ottoman state consisted of many religious groups: Christians, Armenians, Jews, Assyrians, and Arabs. It established the millet system to ensure that religious and ethnic diversity and pluralism were protected by the shari’at. 
• The millet system can be a solution to the problems we face today in Nigeria. The different communities should feel protected by the federal system, but their internal laws and systems should be left alone.
• The millet system ensured Internal autonomy in each community under their laws and leaders. The leaders of each community were the intermediaries between the communities and the government.
• The Shari'ah basis for millet is the protection of the dhimmi.

• من ظلم معاهداً أو انتقصه أو كلّفه فوق طاقته أو أخذ منه شيئًا بغير طيب نفس فأنا حجيجه يوم القيامة. الالباني ص ٣٠٠٦ 

• The system prevented enforcing oppressive uniformity.