Islam’s Teachings on Racism

RACISM FOR DUMMIES

Just in case the message (of the photo below) is lost, it message is simple. What’s inside of us all is humanistically the same.

Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) explicitly spoke out against racism in his final sermon.

With the above clearly stated, Muslims are instructed to strive to adopt the following values, whether some non-Muslims believe it or not.

1. Deep appreciation of diversity, as referred to in Surah Ar-Rum:
   And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colors. Indeed in that are signs for those of knowledge. [30:22]
2. Exchange of meaningful dialogue, as expressed in Surah Al-Hujurat:
   Oh mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. […] [49:13]
3. Self-reflection in the fight against arrogance, in opposition to the actions of Iblees (Satan):
   [Allah] said, “O Iblees, what prevented you from prostrating to that which I created with My hands? Were you arrogant [then], or were you [already] among the haughty?” He said, “I am better than him. You created me from fire and created him from clay.” [Allah] said, “Then get out of Paradise, for indeed, you are expelled. […].” [38:75-77]
4. Promotion of righteousness and unity, as described in the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ Last Sermon:
   All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor a black has any superiority over white except by piety and good action. Learn that every Muslim is a brother to every Muslim and that the Muslims constitute one brotherhood. Nothing shall be legitimate to a Muslim which belongs to a fellow Muslim unless it was given freely and willingly. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves. Remember, one day you will appear before Allah and answer your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.
5. Belief in the applicability of theory to action, as suggested by Malcolm X in his Letter from Mecca:
   America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem. […] During the past eleven days here in the Muslim world, I have eaten from the same plate, drunk from the same glass, and slept on the same rug – while praying to the same God – with fellow Muslims, whose eyes were the bluest of blue, whose hair was the blondest of blond, and whose skin was the whitest of white. And in the words and in the deeds of the white Muslims, I felt the same sincerity that I felt among the black African Muslims of Nigeria, Sudan and Ghana.