A Little Experiment

I would like for readers who do not have "mixed" or "interracial" marriages in their families to perform a little experiment with me. First of all, take a good look at yourselves…your complexion, your hair texture, your hair color, your type of nose. Now think of your first cousin – your father's brother's son. Are you thinking of him? Are his complexion and hair texture basically like yours or are they drastically different from yours? Now think of your father's brother. Are his complexion and hair texture basically like that of his son or are they drastically different? Now think of your father. How similar are his complexion and hair texture to that of his brother? Now think of your mother's cousin. How similar are her complexion and hair texture to that of her cousin?

OK. You guys who are married… Picture your wives in your minds…Her complexion, her hair texture. Got it? Now picture her brother and her brother's son.. Does her brother have the same complexion and hair texture as his son (your wife's nephew) or are they entirely different? Now compare your wife's brother to your wife. Does he have basically the same complexion and hair texture that your wife has or are his complexion and hair texture drastically different from the complexion and hair texture of your wife? Do you and your wife have a daughter? Take a good look at her complexion and hair texture. Are they basically similar to the complexion and hair texture of your wife's brother or are they drastically different? Now look at your wife's brother's son and look at your daughter. Are their looks drastically different or do they have basically the same complexion and hair texture?

I'm sure that you have all seen that, in general, there are no drastic differences in the complexion and hair texture of the people I asked you to compare (please let me know the results). Let's now put all of this into perspective. I first asked you to look at your first cousin – your father's brother's son. Let's now look at the Prophet Mohamed's (SAWS) first cousin - Ali ibn Abu Talib – the son of the Prophet Mohamed's father's brother. His complexion is described as black-skinned. The Prophet Mohamed's (SAWS) other first cousin – Abdellah ibn Al-Abbas – the son of the Prophet Mohamed's (SAWS) father's other brother is also described as black-skinned.

I also asked you to look at your wives' brother and his son. Let's now look at the Prophet Mohamed's (SAWS) wife Khadija's (RAA) brother's son Hakim ibn Huzaam. He was described as black-skinned. The Prophet Mohamed's (SAWS) wife Khadija's (RAA) other brother's son Al-Zubair ibn Al-Awwam was described as dark-skinned and his son Abdellah ibn Al-Zubair was described as black-skinned.

Fatima (RAA) is the daughter of the Prophet Mohamed (SAWS) and Khadija (RAA). Hakim ibn Huzaam and Al-Zubair ibn Al-Awwam (RAA) are Fatima's first cousins – the sons of her mother's brother.

Think about all of this very carefully. I'm waiting for your comments.