In this post, I will show how the religion called "Islam" can be understood as an early form of Arab proto-nationalism. I will prove this by quoting from Arabic texts themselves, including the Quran (holy book of Islam) and the Hadiths (sayings of Muhammad).
First, we must debunk the idea that Islam is a "universal religion" that is as Arabic as it is Turkish, or Persian, or Kurdish, or Somali, or Pakistani, or Malay, and that Islam views all peoples to be completely equal regardless of ethnicity or culture. This is complete and utter nonsense, and is rejected by Islamic sources themselves. Islam was and is an Arab religion, and Islam did and does elevate Arabs over non-Arabs. The fundamentally Arab nature of Islam can easily be seen in the everyday life and practices of Muslims around the world. Muslims around the world give their children Arabic names like Karim and Ali, greet each other with Arabic phrases like "Salaam Aleykum," get down on their knees and prostrate towards an Arab city in Arabia five times a day, and believe that the Quran is perfect only in its original Arabic form (I will talk more about the Arabic nature of the Quran later). In fact, not only is Arabic culture deeply ingrained in Islam and placed on a pedestal over all other cultures, it is a tenet of the religion of Muhammad to believe that Arabs are superior people. I will now show this by providing quotations from the sayings of Muhammad himself.
First, here is an authentic (sahih) hadith of Muhammad from Jami at-Tirmidhi, Vol. I, Book 46, Hadith #3605:
حَدَّثَنَا خَلاَّدُ بْنُ أَسْلَمَ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُصْعَبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي
عَمَّارٍ، عَنْ وَاثِلَةَ بْنِ الأَسْقَعِ، رضى الله عنه قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم
إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى مِنْ وَلَدِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَاصْطَفَى مِنْ وَلَدِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بَنِي كِنَانَةَ
وَاصْطَفَى مِنْ بَنِي كِنَانَةَ قُرَيْشًا وَاصْطَفَى مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ وَاصْطَفَانِي مِنْ بَنِي
هَاشِمٍ ” . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ
Translation: Narrated Wathilah bin Al-Asqa’, that the Messenger of Allah said: "Indeed Allah has chosen Isma'il [ancestor of the Arabs] from the children of Ibrahim, and He chose Banu Kinanah from the children of Isma'il, and He chose the Quraish from Banu Kinanah, and He chose Banu Hashim from Quraish, and He chose me from Banu Hashim."
So, we see that Allah himself has "chosen" the Arabs from the non-Arabs. This means that Allah himself (who speaks Arabic and gave the final revelation in Arabic) favors the Arabs over the non-Arabs. The Arabs are the chosen people of Allah (God).
Here is a similar narration from Sahih Muslim (#2276):
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ الرَّازِيُّ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَهْمٍ،
جَمِيعًا عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ، - قَالَ ابْنُ مِهْرَانَ حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، - حَدَّثَنَا
الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي عَمَّارٍ، شَدَّادٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ وَاثِلَةَ بْنَ الأَسْقَعِ، يَقُولُ
سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى كِنَانَةَ
مِنْ وَلَدِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَاصْطَفَى قُرَيْشًا مِنْ كِنَانَةَ وَاصْطَفَى مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ بَنِي
هَاشِمٍ وَاصْطَفَانِي مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ " .
Translation: Wathila b. al-Asqa' reported: I heard Allah's Messenger as saying: Verily Allah granted eminence to Kinana from amongst the descendants of Isma'il, and he granted eminence to the Quraish amongst Kinana, and he granted eminence to Banu Hashim amonsgst the Quraish, and he granted me eminence from the tribe of Banu Hashim.
Thus, we see that Allah himself "granted eminence" to the Arab ancestors of Muhammad (not just Muhammad himself as an individual), which means again that God himself favors Arabs over non-Arabs.
Here is another hadith that describes the superiority of the Arab over the non-Arab, from al-Albani's Sahih Jami` al-Sagheer, Hadith #1472:
أنا محمدُ بنُ عبدِ اللهِ بنِ عبدِ المطلبِ ، إنَّ اللهَ تعالى خلق الخلْقَ فجعلني في خيرِهم ،
ثم جعلهم فرقتَين ، فجعلَني في خيرِهم فرقةً ، ثم جعلهم قبائلَ ، فجعلني في خيرِهم
قبيلةً ، ثم جعلهم بيوتًا ، فجعلني في خيرهم بيتًا ، فأنا خيركُم بيتًا ، وأنا خيرُكم نفسًا
Translation: (The Prophet said): "I am Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abd al-Muttalib. Indeed, Allah created the creation and made me from the best of them, and He then made them two groups (Arabs and non-Arabs) and made me from the best of them (the Arabs), then He made the tribes and made me from the best tribe, then He made the houses and made me from the best house. So I am the best house among them, and I am the best person among them."
Here, once again, we see that Allah favors the Arab over the non-Arab. Muhammad said that Allah created two groups - Arab and non-Arab (ajam) - and that Allah himself favored the Arab over the non-Arab. He made Muhammad from the Arabs because the Arabs were superior to the non-Arab.
In case you doubt my own amateur opinion on the matter, read what some professional Arab Muslim scholars have to say regarding the superiority of Arabs over non-Arabs, which is clearly established in the Islamic scholarly tradition. Here is what Sheikh Amjad Rashid, a professional Islamic scholar, has to say on the matter: http://archive.is/bze40
Relevant quotes from the above piece:
At this point, some Muslims may bring up the so-called "last sermon" of Muhammad where Muhammad supposedly said that Arabs and non-Arabs are equals and brothers, or something to that effect. I have seen this so-called "last sermon" being circulated widely on Islamic and non-Islamic sites alike, but never once have I seen this so-called "last sermon" being accompanied with an original Arabic transcript, and a genuine citation from a collection of hadith such as Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim. This so-called "last sermon" and its fraudulent translation was disseminated by a Pakistani Islamist named Syed F.H. Faizi in the last century. Because the Pakistanis are 'ajami (non-Arab) Muslims, they obviously have a motivation to lie about the teachings of Islam with regards to the position of Arabs and non-Arabs. The rigorously authenticated hadiths of Muhammad make it clear that God favors the Arabs over the non-Arabs.
It is also worth mentioning that in the Quran, the central holy text of Islam, the word "Islamic" (Islamiyya) does not appear even once, but the words "Arab" and "Arabic" (Arabiyya) appear multiple times. In fact, the Quran calls itself Arabic in eleven different locations in the Quran:
1) Quran 12:2
إِنَّا أَنْـزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُون
Translation: "We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an so you people may understand"
2) Quran 13:37
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ حُكْمًا عَرَبِيًّا ۚ وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ بَعْدَمَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا وَاقٍ
Translation: We revealed these laws in Arabic, and if you ever acquiesce to their wishes, after this knowledge has come to you, you will have no ally, nor a protector, against GOD.
3) Quran 16:103
وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يُعَلِّمُهُ بَشَرٌ ۗ لِسَانُ الَّذِي يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْجَمِيٌّ وَهَٰذَا لِسَانٌ عَرَبِيٌّ مُبِينٌ
Translation: We are fully aware that they say, "A human being is teaching him!" The tongue of the source they hint at is non-Arabic, and this is a perfect Arabic tongue.
4) Quran 20:113
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا وَصَرَّفْنَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْوَعِيدِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ أَوْ يُحْدِثُ لَهُمْ ذِكْرًا
Translation: We thus revealed it, an Arabic Quran, and we cited in it all kinds of prophecies, that they may be saved, or it may cause them to take heed.
5) Quran 26:195
بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِيٍّ مُبِينٍ
Translation: In a perfect Arabic tongue.
6) Quran 39:28
قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا غَيْرَ ذِي عِوَجٍ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ
Translation: An Arabic Quran, without any ambiguity, that they may be righteous.
7) Quran 41:3
كِتَابٌ فُصِّلَتْ آيَاتُهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
Translation: A scripture whose verses provide the complete details, in an Arabic Quran, for people who know.
8) Quran 41:44
وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا أَعْجَمِيًّا لَقَالُوا لَوْلَا فُصِّلَتْ آيَاتُهُ ۖ أَأَعْجَمِيٌّ وَعَرَبِيٌّ ۗ قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاءٌ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ فِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِنْ مَكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ
Translation: And if We had sent this as a Qur'an in a foreign language other than Arabic, they would have said: "Why are not its Verses explained in detail (in our language)? What! (A Book) not in Arabic and (the Messenger) an Arab?" Say: "It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Qur'an) is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away (so they neither listen nor understand).
9) Quran 42:7
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لِتُنْذِرَ أُمَّ الْقُرَىٰ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَتُنْذِرَ يَوْمَ الْجَمْعِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ ۚ فَرِيقٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَفَرِيقٌ فِي السَّعِيرِ
Translation: We thus reveal to you an Arabic Quran to warn the central community and all around it, and to warn about the Day of Summoning that is inevitable. Some will end up in Heaven, and some in Hell.
10) Quran 43:3
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
Translation: We have rendered it an Arabic Quran, so that you may understand.
11) Quran 46:12
وَمِنْ قَبْلِهِ كِتَابُ مُوسَىٰ إِمَامًا وَرَحْمَةً ۚ وَهَٰذَا كِتَابٌ مُصَدِّقٌ لِسَانًا عَرَبِيًّا لِيُنْذِرَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُحْسِنِينَ
Translation: Before this, the book of Moses provided guidance and mercy. This too is a scripture that confirms, in Arabic, to warn those who transgressed, and to give good news to the righteous.
Thus, we see that the Quran itself mentions that the book is Arabic in multiple different places. However, nowhere in the entire Quran is the Quran called an "Islamic book" or an "Islamic revelation." In fact, the word "Islamic" (islamiyya) does not even exist in the Quran. Thus, we cannot say that the Quran is an "Islamic book." The Quran is an Arabic book, not an Islamic book, because the word "Islamic" did not even exist. If any 'ajami Muslim tries to say that the Quran is not specifically Arabic but a universal "Islamic" text, show him the verses above, and tell him that the word "Islamic" does not appear anywhere in the Quran while the word "Arabic" appears multiple times in the Quran. The Quran is Arabic, not Islamic.
Once again, I can quote Arab Muslim scholars to prove my point. The great Muslim scholar Ayad Jamal al-Din of Iraq explicitly says that that the word "Islamic" does not exist in the Quran. Watch the first minute of this video:
One of the important foundations of any nationalist movement is a clear in-group and out-group differentiation. There must a clear and vivid distinction between "us" and "them" in any nationalist movement. Islam itself, besides dividing the entire world into the Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb - into Muslims and Infidels - also clearly emphasizes the distinction between Arabs and non-Arabs. The Arabs are clearly associated with Islam, and the Quran is clearly associated with the Arabs and their language. In fact, we can go one step farther and even say that according to Islam, God himself is an Arab, because God speaks in Arabic and clearly chose the Arabs as "his favorite team." It was only after the invention of Islam that Arabs rose from the position of irrelevant tribes on the fringes of civilization to become the greatest and most powerful people on earth, and it was thanks to Islam that Arabs developed a strong sense of identity and self-confidence in themselves. This is why even Christian Arab nationalists like Michel Aflaq (one of the founders of Ba'athism) admired Islam and Muhammad, and this is why Islam can be characterized as an early form of Arab nationalism.
First, we must debunk the idea that Islam is a "universal religion" that is as Arabic as it is Turkish, or Persian, or Kurdish, or Somali, or Pakistani, or Malay, and that Islam views all peoples to be completely equal regardless of ethnicity or culture. This is complete and utter nonsense, and is rejected by Islamic sources themselves. Islam was and is an Arab religion, and Islam did and does elevate Arabs over non-Arabs. The fundamentally Arab nature of Islam can easily be seen in the everyday life and practices of Muslims around the world. Muslims around the world give their children Arabic names like Karim and Ali, greet each other with Arabic phrases like "Salaam Aleykum," get down on their knees and prostrate towards an Arab city in Arabia five times a day, and believe that the Quran is perfect only in its original Arabic form (I will talk more about the Arabic nature of the Quran later). In fact, not only is Arabic culture deeply ingrained in Islam and placed on a pedestal over all other cultures, it is a tenet of the religion of Muhammad to believe that Arabs are superior people. I will now show this by providing quotations from the sayings of Muhammad himself.
First, here is an authentic (sahih) hadith of Muhammad from Jami at-Tirmidhi, Vol. I, Book 46, Hadith #3605:
حَدَّثَنَا خَلاَّدُ بْنُ أَسْلَمَ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُصْعَبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي
عَمَّارٍ، عَنْ وَاثِلَةَ بْنِ الأَسْقَعِ، رضى الله عنه قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم
إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى مِنْ وَلَدِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَاصْطَفَى مِنْ وَلَدِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بَنِي كِنَانَةَ
وَاصْطَفَى مِنْ بَنِي كِنَانَةَ قُرَيْشًا وَاصْطَفَى مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ وَاصْطَفَانِي مِنْ بَنِي
هَاشِمٍ ” . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ
Translation: Narrated Wathilah bin Al-Asqa’, that the Messenger of Allah said: "Indeed Allah has chosen Isma'il [ancestor of the Arabs] from the children of Ibrahim, and He chose Banu Kinanah from the children of Isma'il, and He chose the Quraish from Banu Kinanah, and He chose Banu Hashim from Quraish, and He chose me from Banu Hashim."
So, we see that Allah himself has "chosen" the Arabs from the non-Arabs. This means that Allah himself (who speaks Arabic and gave the final revelation in Arabic) favors the Arabs over the non-Arabs. The Arabs are the chosen people of Allah (God).
Here is a similar narration from Sahih Muslim (#2276):
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مِهْرَانَ الرَّازِيُّ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ سَهْمٍ،
جَمِيعًا عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ، - قَالَ ابْنُ مِهْرَانَ حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، - حَدَّثَنَا
الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي عَمَّارٍ، شَدَّادٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ وَاثِلَةَ بْنَ الأَسْقَعِ، يَقُولُ
سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ اصْطَفَى كِنَانَةَ
مِنْ وَلَدِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَاصْطَفَى قُرَيْشًا مِنْ كِنَانَةَ وَاصْطَفَى مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ بَنِي
هَاشِمٍ وَاصْطَفَانِي مِنْ بَنِي هَاشِمٍ " .
Translation: Wathila b. al-Asqa' reported: I heard Allah's Messenger as saying: Verily Allah granted eminence to Kinana from amongst the descendants of Isma'il, and he granted eminence to the Quraish amongst Kinana, and he granted eminence to Banu Hashim amonsgst the Quraish, and he granted me eminence from the tribe of Banu Hashim.
Thus, we see that Allah himself "granted eminence" to the Arab ancestors of Muhammad (not just Muhammad himself as an individual), which means again that God himself favors Arabs over non-Arabs.
Here is another hadith that describes the superiority of the Arab over the non-Arab, from al-Albani's Sahih Jami` al-Sagheer, Hadith #1472:
أنا محمدُ بنُ عبدِ اللهِ بنِ عبدِ المطلبِ ، إنَّ اللهَ تعالى خلق الخلْقَ فجعلني في خيرِهم ،
ثم جعلهم فرقتَين ، فجعلَني في خيرِهم فرقةً ، ثم جعلهم قبائلَ ، فجعلني في خيرِهم
قبيلةً ، ثم جعلهم بيوتًا ، فجعلني في خيرهم بيتًا ، فأنا خيركُم بيتًا ، وأنا خيرُكم نفسًا
Translation: (The Prophet said): "I am Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abd al-Muttalib. Indeed, Allah created the creation and made me from the best of them, and He then made them two groups (Arabs and non-Arabs) and made me from the best of them (the Arabs), then He made the tribes and made me from the best tribe, then He made the houses and made me from the best house. So I am the best house among them, and I am the best person among them."
Here, once again, we see that Allah favors the Arab over the non-Arab. Muhammad said that Allah created two groups - Arab and non-Arab (ajam) - and that Allah himself favored the Arab over the non-Arab. He made Muhammad from the Arabs because the Arabs were superior to the non-Arab.
In case you doubt my own amateur opinion on the matter, read what some professional Arab Muslim scholars have to say regarding the superiority of Arabs over non-Arabs, which is clearly established in the Islamic scholarly tradition. Here is what Sheikh Amjad Rashid, a professional Islamic scholar, has to say on the matter: http://archive.is/bze40
Relevant quotes from the above piece:
At this point, some Muslims may bring up the so-called "last sermon" of Muhammad where Muhammad supposedly said that Arabs and non-Arabs are equals and brothers, or something to that effect. I have seen this so-called "last sermon" being circulated widely on Islamic and non-Islamic sites alike, but never once have I seen this so-called "last sermon" being accompanied with an original Arabic transcript, and a genuine citation from a collection of hadith such as Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim. This so-called "last sermon" and its fraudulent translation was disseminated by a Pakistani Islamist named Syed F.H. Faizi in the last century. Because the Pakistanis are 'ajami (non-Arab) Muslims, they obviously have a motivation to lie about the teachings of Islam with regards to the position of Arabs and non-Arabs. The rigorously authenticated hadiths of Muhammad make it clear that God favors the Arabs over the non-Arabs.
It is also worth mentioning that in the Quran, the central holy text of Islam, the word "Islamic" (Islamiyya) does not appear even once, but the words "Arab" and "Arabic" (Arabiyya) appear multiple times. In fact, the Quran calls itself Arabic in eleven different locations in the Quran:
1) Quran 12:2
إِنَّا أَنْـزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُون
Translation: "We have sent it down as an Arabic Qur'an so you people may understand"
2) Quran 13:37
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ حُكْمًا عَرَبِيًّا ۚ وَلَئِنِ اتَّبَعْتَ أَهْوَاءَهُمْ بَعْدَمَا جَاءَكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ مَا لَكَ مِنَ اللَّهِ مِنْ وَلِيٍّ وَلَا وَاقٍ
Translation: We revealed these laws in Arabic, and if you ever acquiesce to their wishes, after this knowledge has come to you, you will have no ally, nor a protector, against GOD.
3) Quran 16:103
وَلَقَدْ نَعْلَمُ أَنَّهُمْ يَقُولُونَ إِنَّمَا يُعَلِّمُهُ بَشَرٌ ۗ لِسَانُ الَّذِي يُلْحِدُونَ إِلَيْهِ أَعْجَمِيٌّ وَهَٰذَا لِسَانٌ عَرَبِيٌّ مُبِينٌ
Translation: We are fully aware that they say, "A human being is teaching him!" The tongue of the source they hint at is non-Arabic, and this is a perfect Arabic tongue.
4) Quran 20:113
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَنْزَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا وَصَرَّفْنَا فِيهِ مِنَ الْوَعِيدِ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ أَوْ يُحْدِثُ لَهُمْ ذِكْرًا
Translation: We thus revealed it, an Arabic Quran, and we cited in it all kinds of prophecies, that they may be saved, or it may cause them to take heed.
5) Quran 26:195
بِلِسَانٍ عَرَبِيٍّ مُبِينٍ
Translation: In a perfect Arabic tongue.
6) Quran 39:28
قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا غَيْرَ ذِي عِوَجٍ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَتَّقُونَ
Translation: An Arabic Quran, without any ambiguity, that they may be righteous.
7) Quran 41:3
كِتَابٌ فُصِّلَتْ آيَاتُهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لِقَوْمٍ يَعْلَمُونَ
Translation: A scripture whose verses provide the complete details, in an Arabic Quran, for people who know.
8) Quran 41:44
وَلَوْ جَعَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا أَعْجَمِيًّا لَقَالُوا لَوْلَا فُصِّلَتْ آيَاتُهُ ۖ أَأَعْجَمِيٌّ وَعَرَبِيٌّ ۗ قُلْ هُوَ لِلَّذِينَ آمَنُوا هُدًى وَشِفَاءٌ ۖ وَالَّذِينَ لَا يُؤْمِنُونَ فِي آذَانِهِمْ وَقْرٌ وَهُوَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَمًى ۚ أُولَٰئِكَ يُنَادَوْنَ مِنْ مَكَانٍ بَعِيدٍ
Translation: And if We had sent this as a Qur'an in a foreign language other than Arabic, they would have said: "Why are not its Verses explained in detail (in our language)? What! (A Book) not in Arabic and (the Messenger) an Arab?" Say: "It is for those who believe, a guide and a healing. And as for those who disbelieve, there is heaviness (deafness) in their ears, and it (the Qur'an) is blindness for them. They are those who are called from a place far away (so they neither listen nor understand).
9) Quran 42:7
وَكَذَٰلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لِتُنْذِرَ أُمَّ الْقُرَىٰ وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَتُنْذِرَ يَوْمَ الْجَمْعِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ ۚ فَرِيقٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَفَرِيقٌ فِي السَّعِيرِ
Translation: We thus reveal to you an Arabic Quran to warn the central community and all around it, and to warn about the Day of Summoning that is inevitable. Some will end up in Heaven, and some in Hell.
10) Quran 43:3
إِنَّا جَعَلْنَاهُ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْقِلُونَ
Translation: We have rendered it an Arabic Quran, so that you may understand.
11) Quran 46:12
وَمِنْ قَبْلِهِ كِتَابُ مُوسَىٰ إِمَامًا وَرَحْمَةً ۚ وَهَٰذَا كِتَابٌ مُصَدِّقٌ لِسَانًا عَرَبِيًّا لِيُنْذِرَ الَّذِينَ ظَلَمُوا وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُحْسِنِينَ
Translation: Before this, the book of Moses provided guidance and mercy. This too is a scripture that confirms, in Arabic, to warn those who transgressed, and to give good news to the righteous.
Thus, we see that the Quran itself mentions that the book is Arabic in multiple different places. However, nowhere in the entire Quran is the Quran called an "Islamic book" or an "Islamic revelation." In fact, the word "Islamic" (islamiyya) does not even exist in the Quran. Thus, we cannot say that the Quran is an "Islamic book." The Quran is an Arabic book, not an Islamic book, because the word "Islamic" did not even exist. If any 'ajami Muslim tries to say that the Quran is not specifically Arabic but a universal "Islamic" text, show him the verses above, and tell him that the word "Islamic" does not appear anywhere in the Quran while the word "Arabic" appears multiple times in the Quran. The Quran is Arabic, not Islamic.
Once again, I can quote Arab Muslim scholars to prove my point. The great Muslim scholar Ayad Jamal al-Din of Iraq explicitly says that that the word "Islamic" does not exist in the Quran. Watch the first minute of this video:
One of the important foundations of any nationalist movement is a clear in-group and out-group differentiation. There must a clear and vivid distinction between "us" and "them" in any nationalist movement. Islam itself, besides dividing the entire world into the Dar al-Islam and Dar al-Harb - into Muslims and Infidels - also clearly emphasizes the distinction between Arabs and non-Arabs. The Arabs are clearly associated with Islam, and the Quran is clearly associated with the Arabs and their language. In fact, we can go one step farther and even say that according to Islam, God himself is an Arab, because God speaks in Arabic and clearly chose the Arabs as "his favorite team." It was only after the invention of Islam that Arabs rose from the position of irrelevant tribes on the fringes of civilization to become the greatest and most powerful people on earth, and it was thanks to Islam that Arabs developed a strong sense of identity and self-confidence in themselves. This is why even Christian Arab nationalists like Michel Aflaq (one of the founders of Ba'athism) admired Islam and Muhammad, and this is why Islam can be characterized as an early form of Arab nationalism.
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