A Reading of the Article Published by Al-Naba, the Media Arm of the Islamic State Organization, on Sudan

Islam and Nationalism in Sudan: The Dialectic of Identity and Politics

Reading and assessment by: Mohamed Masharqa – Progress Center for Policies

Introduction:

The article published in Al-Naba newspaper, the media outlet of the Islamic State (ISIS), issue no. 519, begins by deconstructing the concept of the nation-state, regarding it as a product of modern Western thought and as fundamentally incompatible with Islamic doctrine—which, in its view, is based on the unity of the ummah (the Muslim community), not on territorial boundaries.

The author of the Al-Naba article argues that allegiance to the homeland instead of allegiance to faith represents a deviation from the principle of al-wala’ wal-bara’ (loyalty and disavowal), since the nation-state—according to this argument—divides Muslims into rival entities and replaces the bond of faith with the bond of land. Hence, the article considers nationalism an “intellectual innovation” (bid‘a) aimed at abolishing the concept of the ummah and replacing it with an alternative identity that separates religion from politics.

In contrast to this exclusionary discourse, the present reading seeks to provide a balanced intellectual analysis demonstrating that nationalism, in its essence, is not the antithesis of faith, but rather can be an extension of Islamic values when it is grounded in justice, public welfare, and the preservation of human dignity.

Background;

Islam and nationalism have long formed interwoven pillars of Sudanese collective consciousness. However, their relationship has not always been harmonious, as intellectual and political perspectives have diverged on defining the limits of religious allegiance and national commitment, and on locating the state between the poles of faith and homeland.

Repeated attempts have been made to invoke religion as a source of political legitimacy, yet these efforts have often clashed with questions of identity and national unity—especially when religious discourse turned into a tool for mobilization or exclusion. Hence the importance of this study lies in re-situating this relationship from a balanced intellectual standpoint that reconciles religious reference with the requirements of the modern state.

Islam and Nationalism: The Historical and Intellectual Debate:

Religious identity has been a foundational component in the construction of the Sudanese state and society since independence. Islamic reference has provided the ethical framework for most political movements. Yet nationalism—understood in its civic sense based on citizenship and equality—has not always found a balanced position within this framework, as ideological religious discourse has sometimes imbued it with meanings contrary to or conflicting with religious allegiance.

Nevertheless, Sudan’s intellectual experience has not been devoid of serious efforts to reconcile Islam as a spiritual value with nationalism as a political form of belonging. Several Sudanese thinkers have argued that Islam, as a religion of justice and equality, does not contradict nationalism but rather gives it an ethical dimension that connects faith with belonging. From this perspective, the relationship between Islam and nationalism in Sudan can be seen as one of complementarity, not contradiction—provided that religion is understood as a system of values seeking the common good, not a means to power.

Extremist Organizations and the Politicization of Faith:

In recent years, hardline movements have emerged seeking to monopolize the right to speak in the name of Islam and to use religion in struggles over power and society. This represents a new height of ideological exploitation of religion in politics, where Islam has been reduced to confrontational slogans that reject nationalism and question the legitimacy of the modern state.

It is in this context that Al-Naba, ISIS’s media arm, published its interpretation of events in Sudan—an interpretation steeped in extremist theological reasoning that excludes the concepts of statehood and citizenship. This analysis seeks to refute that interpretation and reaffirm that Islam, in its essence, is a religion of reform and justice, not a tool of division or domination.

The danger of such extremist discourse lies in its attempt to strip nationalism of religious legitimacy and to portray loyalty to the state as a deviation from faith. Yet historical reality demonstrates that Islam in Sudan has always been a force of unity and integration, not of polarization or fragmentation.

Toward a Balanced Islamic-National Vision:

Overcoming the false dichotomy between Islam and nationalism requires an intellectual approach that views religion as a source of unifying values, not of political sectarianism. Citizenship, from an Islamic perspective, does not contradict faith; it is its extension in the public sphere. In this sense, devotion to one’s homeland is a moral commitment to the stewardship of the earth and the establishment of justice among people.

Such a vision could open new horizons for contemporary Sudanese thought to build a model of governance based on Islamic ethics on one hand, and on the principles of equality and the rule of law on the other. When grounded in values, nationalism becomes part of faith rather than its rival—thereby achieving a balance between religious identity and national belonging.

Conclusion:

This study presents a moderate intellectual vision that seeks to liberate religion from political instrumentalization and to restore nationalism as a moral value, not merely an administrative affiliation. At its core, it is a doctrinal statement against the extremist interpretation that seeks to hijack Islam from its broad human context and confine it to the realm of conflict and power interests.

It reaffirms that national belonging does not contradict faith but rather expresses it through the pursuit of justice, dignity, and the protection of society from division. In this sense, nationalism constitutes a natural extension of faith, and the state becomes a domain for realizing the objectives of shari‘a—reform, coexistence, and human flourishing.