Ending Racism by Shabir Ally

Article taken from Shabir Ally's Site:
http://www.islaminfo.com/detail.php?ID=48


How to end Racism

Recent events remind us that racism remains rampant. How can it end? Only understanding and education can end racism.

People must realise that God created all humans from one couple. The entire human race is therefore one large extended family. God says:

O mankind! Be careful of your duty to your Lord who created you from a single soul and from its mate; and from the two of them He spread abroad a multitude of men and women...(Qur'an 4:1).

O mankind! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know each other. The noblest of you, in the sight of Allah1, is the best in conduct (Qur'an 49:13).

The noblest is the best in conduct. Such persons may belong to any race or country. What really matters is their conduct and behaviour.

This is why the prophet Muhammad2 in a public address said that the Arabs are not superior to the non-Arabs, and one colour is not superior to another. He also said that people should obey their leader even if he is a black person.

Furthermore, we must understand that no race is superior to another. When we see a garden with many different flowers we appreciate the beauty of the entire arrangement. We have nothing against the colour of any flower because each contributes something to the beauty of the garden.

In a similar way we may see the world as a garden decorated with people of different colours. Let us appreciate that each variety of people contributes something to the spice of life in this world. God says:

He himself appointed a black person, Osamah, son of Zaid, to lead a Muslim task force.

As a result of following these teachings, many people are able to end racism in their thoughts and actions. You can still see racial harmony today in the mosques of cosmopolitan cities. There you will find people of various colours worshipping together, all with equal status before God. Rich or poor, black or white, king or pauper all line up side by side to worship. No special consideration is given to anyone based on colour or social status. In many mosques the leader is black and the followers white. There is no such concept as a "black mosque" or "white mosque." Islam removes such destructive concepts.

1Allah is the name of God used by Arabic-Speaking Christians and Jews, and by Muslims of every language.

2May peace, and the blessings of Allah, be on His messengers Muhammad, Jesus, Moses and others.