Posted by In this post, I will discuss an issue that people face daily, regardless of skin color, faith, or race. It’s something that people can lose their life over: foolish ideas about superior and inferior races or pure and impure blood.
I would like to start with a verse from the Quran:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
“O mankind, indeed we have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted.” {Al-Hujurat, (the Chambers ) verse 13}
This verse directs that the only way to differentiate between people is by their righteousness—something that only God knows—not by their color, race, or gender. I think the best way to explain the Islamic view is through questions and answers, so I will share some common questions about Islam and racism.
Q.1 Does Islam address only the Arab race and defines it as superior?
A1. Although it is well known that Islam started in Arabia, its message has an international character, as stated in the Quran:
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا كَافَّةً لِّلنَّاسِ بَشِيرًا وَنَذِيرًا وَلَٰكِنَّ أَكْثَرَ النَّاسِ لَا يَعْلَمُونَ
“And we have not sent you except comprehensively to mankind as a bringer of good tidings and a warner. But most of the people do not know. “{Saba (Sheba) verse (28)}
This passage shows that Islam’s message is meant for the entire world and not only Arabs, and many verses in the Quran start with “O mankind” or “O people.”
Q2. Is the Islamic system/law based on race differences?
A2. The Messenger Mohammad (PBUH) said, “Verily Allah does not look to your faces and your wealth but He looks to your heart and to your deeds.”
Q3. Does Islam favour certain groups or judge them differently based on race, rank, or relation to the prophet?
It is clear that Islam is against any type of injustice, regardless of the person being judged. The Hadith book mentions that Quraish (the prophet’s family tribe) was extremely worried about the case of a Makhzumiyah (a high-ranking Arab tribe) woman who had committed theft. The tribe wondered who should intercede on her behalf with the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) so that she would not be punished for her crime. Some said Usamah bin Zaid (May Allah be pleased with him) was his beloved and so he may do so.[I’m confused about who the “his” is here. I replaced the pronouns in the rest of this story with the person’s name so the story would be clear. Please make sure I used the correct name.] So Usamah spoke to the Prophet about the matter, and the Prophet (PBUH) asked Usamah, “Do you intercede when one of the legal punishments ordained by Allah has been violated?”
Then the Prophet addressed the people, saying, “The people before you were ruined because when a noble person amongst them committed theft, they would leave him, but if a weak person amongst them committed theft, they would execute the legal punishment on him. By Allah, were Fatimah, the daughter of Muhammad, to commit the theft, I would have cut off her hand.”
Q4. Is racism or discrimination in Islam based on religious beliefs?
The Islamic legal system is based upon the idea of equality, regardless of one’s religious beliefs.
لَّا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُم مِّن دِيَارِكُمْ أَن تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ
“Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes—from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.” {Al-Mumtahina /The Examined One verse (8)}
The prophet secured the rights of people of other religions and made the issue a personal one. In this regard, he clearly said, “Beware, if anyone wrongs a contracting man, or diminishes his right, or forces him to work beyond his capacity, or takes from him anything without his consent, I shall plead for him on the Day of Judgment.” {abi Dawud hadith book}
Q5. Islamic laws impose taxes on non-Muslims who live within the Islamic state. Is that not a type of religious racism or discrimination?
A5. True. Islam levies some taxes on non-Muslims. However, Islam enforces tax payments on Muslims as well. This money is used for both charity and running the state, which, in return, provides citizens with security and social services, regardless of their religion—this is comparable to modern-day systems.
Islam doesn’t favor any race above another. It even answers claims made by others who say that they are the chosen people:
وَقَالَتِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَىٰ نَحْنُ أَبْنَاءُ اللَّهِ وَأَحِبَّاؤُهُ ۚ قُلْ فَلِمَ يُعَذِّبُكُم بِذُنُوبِكُم ۖ بَلْ أَنتُم بَشَرٌ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقَ ۚ يَغْفِرُ لِمَن يَشَاءُ وَيُعَذِّبُ مَن يَشَاءُ ۚ وَلِلَّهِ مُلْكُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَمَا بَيْنَهُمَا ۖ وَإِلَيْهِ الْمَصِيرُ
“But the Jews and the Christians say, ‘We are the children of Allah and His beloved.’ Say, ‘Then why does He punish you for your sins?’ Rather, you are human beings from among those He has created. He forgives whom He wills, and He punishes whom He wills. And to Allah belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and to Him is the [final] destination.” (5:18)
This view plays a large role in Islam welcoming or including anyone who wants to join, and Islam even embraces other cultures as long as it is not forbidden. That is why, from the beginning of Islam through today, all Muslims, regardless of color, stand side by side in rows when they pray, and the person who leads the prayer can be of any race or color.
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