“OH people, your Lord is One! Know that there is no superiority of an Arab over a non-Arab or of a non-Arab over an Arab, or of a white over a black or of a black over a white, except through devotion to Allah,” said Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). (Musnad Ahmad) It is a pity that some Arabs fail to follow Islam fully and wholly; because Islam clearly and strongly opposes racism. The African-American legend, Malcolm X, who was battling racism in the 1960s in America, found the solutions to this social disease in Islam, in the true Islam when practiced correctly. He wrote in his autobiography about his experience when he traveled to Makkah and performed the pilgrimage, “There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and non-white. America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem.” Not only Americans and Europeans need to understand Islam, but the Arab and non-Arab Muslims too, need to understand Islam better. Sheikh Ibrahim Al-Harthi blatantly spoke out against racism in his recent Friday sermon. Thinking that your family or tribe or region or country, he said, is better than another or looking down on people from a region foreign to your own is forbidden in Islam and is an offense that must not be taken lightly. Anyone who harbors racist thoughts and speaks or acts out on these thoughts has dissented from Allah's commands and from the way of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Racism is a sign of backwardness and regression. Islam had come to eradicate this ugly social system from among the people in the Arabian desert and in all places of the world. “If we know, by principle, that racism is an awful sin then we must implement our moral belief into our code of behavior, actions, and the way we communicate with people in the real world. Our principles should not exist only in our minds but they should dictate the way we act and speak,” said Al-Harthi. It is baffling how someone who calls himself an upright Muslim can call out racial slurs to another human being without realizing the gravity of the sin he has committed. “Bedouin!” “Egyptian!” “Yemeni!” “Bengali!” We hear these words too often in our society. In all fairness, racial discrimination rears its ugly head in almost every community, not only in Saudi society. What was the Prophet's (peace be upon him) reaction when he detected racism or prejudice or arrogance between his companions? During the time of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), Abu Dharr (an Arab) and Bilal (an Ethiopian) who were both Muslim, quarreled and insulted each other. Overtook by anger, Abu Dharr said to Bilal, “You son of a black woman!” These words deeply upset the Prophet (peace be upon him) and he reprimanded Abu Dharr, saying, “Are you taunting him about his mother? There is still some influence of jahiliyyah (ignorance) in you.” (Al-Bukhari) Time and again, the Prophet (peace be upon him) strived to abolish racism among the believers and to establish equality and justice. How can we overlook the sayings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) that criticize racist behavior? He (peace be upon him) said, “You are all children of Adam; and Adam was created of dust.” (Ahmad) “You are no better than a white or a black man unless you excel in the fear of Allah,” said Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). (Al-Bukhari) A person can be deemed ‘superior' over another — not by race or nationality or family lineage or financial status, but by excellence in character and righteousness. “Anyone who criticizes another person based on physical looks or race or nationality is ignorant and has not conformed to the teachings of Islam and has failed to follow the example of our Prophet (peace be upon him),” said Al-Harthi. It is stated in the Holy Qur'an, {O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you in the sight of Allah is the one who has taqwa (piety, righteousness). Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.} (Surah 49, verse 13) The best of us is the most pious, not the Saudi or Egyptian or Syrian or Jordanian or American or British or French or Indian or white or tanned or rich. The members of a true Muslim society treat one another with justice, equality, amiability, respect, and love. A person should be appreciated for his/her hard work, accomplishments, integrity, service to the community, and knowledge, and not for looks or country of origin or family name. “Allah does not look at your appearances (or bodies) or your financial status, but He looks at your hearts and your actions,” Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said. (Al-Bukhari) It is the purity of your heart, your dedication to Allah, your service and kind treatment to others that makes you a better person; not your nationality or skin color or job title.
