Equality in Islam 1st Part
Men
and women are created equal in their basic humanity, and both are honored with
the dignity of being God’s creation privileged over the other creatures of His
creation. Discrimination due to race, sex, color, ethnicity, class, region or language
is vehemently prohibited in Islam to avoid the artificial barriers between the
privileged and underprivileged.
Equality
does not mean that all are exactly alike since there is no denial about natural
differences. The two genders complement and complete each other. God the
Exalted says in the Qur’an:
(O mankind, fear your Lord, who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear God, through whom you ask one another, and the wombs. Indeed God is ever, over you, an Observer.) [4:1]
The
Messenger of God q said:
“O Mankind! Your Lord is One. Your father is one. All of you belong to Adam. And Adam was created of soil. Truly, the most honorable person in the Sight of Your Lord, Almighty God, is the most pious among you. There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab. There is no superiority for a non-Arab over an Arab. There is no superiority for a red person over a white person. Likewise, there is no superiority of a white over a red (race) person, except for piety and God consciousness.” Reported by Ahmad no. 411.
All
humanity, according to Islam, with all its races, has one original source, so
how can some exploit others claiming superiority or special privilege? Islam
does not tolerate false pride in lineage and social status.
The
Messenger of God q said:
“Almighty God has removed the false pride which was practiced in the pre-Islamic period wherein individuals took false pride in their ancestors. All mankind belongs to Adam. And Adam is created of soil.” Reported by Abu Dawood no. 5116.
Pride
of race and class are rampant in some societies. For example, some Jews and
Christians have considered themselves of a higher status, breed, race or class
of people. God the Exalted and Almighty has exposed the truth of this arrogance,
as He states in the Qur’an:
(But the Jews and the Christians say, "We are the children of God 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 God belongs the dominion of the heavens and the earth and whatever is between them, and to Him is the [final] destination.) [5:18]
The
laws of Islam eradicate any misguided basis of racism. For instance, one of the
companions of God’s Messenger q Abu Dharr once
said to a black slave, ‘O son of a black lady!' Upon hearing this, the
Messenger of God q turned to Abu
Dharr, and said to him:
“Are you insulting this man with his mother? Truly, you possess some of the qualities of the era of Ignorance (pre-Islamic times). That time is finished and over. There is no virtue or merit for the son of a white woman over the son of a black woman, except through piety and righteousness, or by good deeds and actions.” Reported by Ahmad 4:145.
It is reported that Abu Dharr upon hearing the comment of the Prophet q, put his head down on the ground in humility for the slave to come and step on his head with his foot, as an expiation for his misdeed, although the Prophet q did not command him to do so. Abu Dharr wanted to discipline himself by self humiliation so that he would never repeat such a sin in the future saying, “This head will not rise from here until the blessed feet of Bilal tread on the face of the foolish, impolite Abu Dharr.” But Bilal, the slave whom he had insulted, wouldn’t allow that. Instead, he responded by saying, “That face deserves to be kissed, not trodden upon”, and he forgave Abu Dharr. All people in Islam should be viewed as completely alike and equal in terms of the obligation to perform various acts of worship to God. The rich and the poor, the leader and the peasant, the white and the black, the one of dignified means and the one of lower means; all are alike and equal as humans before God.
1st part ended.......
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