What makes an Arab an Arab?

[OmarFarooq]

:salam2:

i want to know what makes an arab person an arab person, i mean if you speak arabic does the make u an arab, because as you know the people living in iraq, algeria, egypt, etc; were not called arabs but only after the were conquered by Muslims and there language was arabic only then they started being called arabs, so does that mean if Turkey makes there official language Arabic, would that make them arabs.

 

[Waseem Hanif]

:salam2:

Let me ask u this: Lets say u learn how to speak french. Does that make
u a french ?

 

[IbnAlAawam]

... the people living in iraq, algeria, egypt, etc; were not called arabs but only after the were conquered by Muslims ...

The Arabs settled in those lands and mixed with the locals wich are Semitic people like the Arabs.
The children of those mixed marriages often chosing the arabic culture.

 

[IbnAlAawam]

...anthropologists will probably say it's the race or lineage, so if you can trace your ancestry to Ishmael (Isma`eel) or Hagar (Haajar) then you're an Arab.

:salam2:

I disagree ;-) The descendants of Africans, and Turks you find everywhere in the Arab world are also Arabs. Their ancestors lived with the Arabs maybe for many centuries, to me they are Arabs.

 

[TheHumbleWun]

Personally I think it's the language, but anthropologists will probably say it's the race or lineage, so if you can trace your ancestry to Ishmael (Isma`eel) or Hagar (Haajar) then you're an Arab.

Salaamalikum,

This is a great question being asked. I agree to an extent, it gets sort of complex. At what point do you become Arab? Let's say someone is American and they speak English, so if they wanted to "become" Arab, they would just have to learn the language and speak it? What if they spoke both English and Arab but lived in America? I think language, time, lineage, cultural practices makes someone i.e. Arab.

It's funny when I ask some of my African American friends if they considered themselves African or American....I usually get different answers.

 

[IbnAlAawam]

Salaamalikum,

This is a great question being asked. I agree to an extent, it gets sort of complex. At what point do you become Arab? Let's say someone is American and they speak English, so if they wanted to "become" Arab, they would just have to learn the language and speak it? What if they spoke both English and Arab but lived in America? I think language, time, lineage, cultural practices makes someone i.e. Arab.

It's funny when I ask some of my African American friends if they considered themselves African or American....I usually get different answers.

In any case:

When you're an Arab, you know it...

 

[IbnAlAawam]

...
It's funny when I ask some of my African American friends if they considered themselves African or American....I usually get different answers.

:salam2:
I cannot see a contradiction. You can be both, depending on what you put into the meaning of being African or American.
People wright books about that kind of philosophical question...
Are you Muslim or American? Are you English or British?
Any way, who needs to know?

 

[abdellah007]

salam

salam alaykum brothers and sisters,

well, am moroccan that means am an arab, in fact am berber(amazigh) who come from the origine people of north africa, but since islam reached this area, all the berbers had accepted islam by heart, also arab language was available till nowdays. now am proud to be an arab .read and write arabic.

 

[nyerekareem]

:salam2:

from what i have learned is that there is an ethnicity known as arab, however people that speak the arab language are also considered arabs. i know people that are black where arabic is their only language and the are considered to be arabs. in other words people are born arabs and others are assimilated arabs.

 

[Jihan]

bilal asad did a nice explanation on that. he said there is the original arab and nationalized arab. nationalized arabs are the majority. Original arabs are usually darker skinned and they originate from yemen. furthermore, he said even the jews are technically speaking arabs because of their lineage to nabiy ibrahim (as).

plus i think the countries like egypt, algeria, etc were not only cnquered but there was a lot of intermarriage between natives and arabs.

 

[a_muslimah86]

:salam2:

from what i have learned is that there is an ethnicity known as arab, however people that speak the arab language are also considered arabs. i know people that are black where arabic is their only language and the are considered to be arabs. in other words people are born arabs and others are assimilated arabs.

:salam2:

that's correct brother!..there are born-arabs and assimilated arabs..and normally whether you are this or that is distinguished by the family name and/or tribe name and what not

..and like brother ayman1 said..if you can trace your origins back (which many people do for many different reasons) to Isma'el (AS) or even Ya'arub (who is considered the father of arabs..you are a born-arab...

there are books and people who specify and spend their lives learning and researching such matters..it's quite interesting actually

and before leaving Iraq..my father made sure that our family tree was officially..researched..stamped and signed..and documented for me and my brothers to keep and pass on for our children..

which I thought is very neat and gives me and my siblings a sense of pride (good pride..not arrogance-pride..ao'othobillah!) of who we are...alhamduliallah

 

[lostlilly07]

Personally I think it's the language, but anthropologists will probably say it's the race or lineage, so if you can trace your ancestry to Ishmael (Isma`eel) or Hagar (Haajar) then you're an Arab.

But aren't all descedents of Isma'eel or Hagar

I think it comes from father side or where you are born, there are several regions on contient and depended upon what region you are born, is the title you will received

 

[Globalpeace]

Asslamo Allaikum,

Arabs outside of Khaleej have a sense of humour, particularly Syrians, Joradians, Palestinians, Sudanese, Egyptians etc....they may not be TRUE Arabs but they do know how have to have a laugh.

Khaleeji Arabs always have a fown on their faces and like Muhammad Ali the Boxer famously said to King Faisal, "Hey Man! Don't anyone smile around here?"


I LOVE Arabs who are cool and NOT arrogant and condascending and look down upon us (Non-Arabs!)....Best people on Earth...Nice ARABS!

I have beaten up a few arrogant Arabs in my life and I am a feeling that there will be a few more STICKS who will need some Non-Arab treatment from me, Insha'Allah.

Never mind my irrelevance, just carry on....This is an interesting thread.

 

[Jihan]

i think arabs are like hispanics

where arabs are speak arabic
hispanics speak spanish


both arabs and hispanics can be black, white, brown, or yellow. some look like one race and others look like a different race. but even so most of the time you can tell there ethnicity. ones in a while they will look completely like black africans and times they will look like blond europeans.

and just like most north african arabs will still claim to be berber as well as arab some hispanics claim to be native american and hispanic.


ps: many hispanics are actually descended from arab spaniards

 

[OmarFarooq]

:salam2:

but you should also know that Arabs came to Pakistan, so does that mean there is a possiblity that i can be an Arab, so if u learn arabic then does that mean i can be an arab. also

wa salaam

 

[lostlilly07]

Asslamo Allaikum,

Arabs outside of Khaleej have a sense of humour, particularly Syrians, Joradians, Palestinians, Sudanese, Egyptians etc....they may not be TRUE Arabs but they do know how have to have a laugh.

Khaleeji Arabs always have a fown on their faces and like Muhammad Ali the Boxer famously said to King Faisal, "Hey Man! Don't anyone smile around here?"


I LOVE Arabs who are cool and NOT arrogant and condascending and look down upon us (Non-Arabs!)....Best people on Earth...Nice ARABS!

I have beaten up a few arrogant Arabs in my life and I am a feeling that there will be a few more STICKS who will need some Non-Arab treatment from me, Insha'Allah.

Never mind my irrelevance, just carry on....This is an interesting thread.

I have loads of sense of humor and I am DEFINETLY not an a-rab or arab

 

[jabba]

:salam2:
This thread is....interesting to say the least. But does it really matter what we are? My parents are from Europe, I live in Canada, I speak english and some french. I am Muslim, and I'm going to Syria for a bit...maybe I am Jabba international, lol i dunno

 

[Aapa]

Salaam,


Somewhere in India , a long time ago a family became Muslim...what they were before I only wish I knew. The blood of the Muslim in India who reverted to Islam runs thick through my veins. I tried to rid of it...the dark cruly hair so thick everyone thought I was Jewish...the thick Muslim blood that is the progeny of Hazrat Ibrahim...the blood of a believer....no I am not Arab..but more importantly the blood is Muslim.

 

[alkathiri]

Original arabs are usually darker skinned and they originate from yemen.

Thats me ...well fit the 2 characteristics

Bro GP.... dont go around beating up arrogant arabs. Some of them have very big size but yemenis are small in size usually

 

[halah]

:salam2:
I'de like to know what is the difference between the Arab and non-Arab!!!!!!!!!!

The Prophet (PBUH) said in His last sermon ''All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good actionermo"