Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ – The Promoter of Equality & Tolerance
Beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) – The Promoter of Equality & Tolerance
Inequality and discrimination is a well-known social evil which humanity has been facing since ages. Even in today’s advanced world, despite various laws, this social evil still exists in various sectors of society. But 14 centuries ago, Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ strived and abolished this social evil and established equality in the society.
Prophetic teachings against Racism:
Prophet Muhammed ﷺ was sent as a mercy to the universe, and thus he was merciful towards all the people irrespective of their race, colour or ethnicity. The finest example of his anti-racist practice can be seen from the fact that he got Hazrat Bilal (a companion who was once a black slave) freed from slavery and honored him to such an extent that he not only made him his companion but also assigned him as the first Muaddhin (caller to prayer). Some of his Anti racists teachings from Ahadith are mentioned below.
Abu Musa al-Ashari (ra) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Verily, Allah Almighty created Adam (a.s.) from a handful which He took from the earth, so the children of Adam come in accordance with the earth. Some come with red skin, white skin, or black skin, and whatever is in between (smooth and rough, bad and good).”
(Sunan al-Tirmidhī # 2955)
Ibn Umar (ra) reported: “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ delivered a sermon to the people on the day Makkah was liberated. The Prophet said, “O people, Allah have removed the slogans of ignorance from you and the exaltation of its forefathers. The people are only two kinds: either a righteous, Godfearing believer dignified to Allah, or a wicked, miserable sinner insignificant to Allah. The people are all the children of Adam and Adam was created from dust. Allah said: O people, We have created you male and female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another. Verily, the most noble to Allah is the most righteous of you.” (49:13) (Sunan al-Tirmidhī # 3270)
Uqbah ibn Amir (ra) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Verily, these lineages of yours cannot be used to disparage anyone. You are all the children of Adam, going back to him equally and cannot be exceeded. “No one is better than anyone else, except by religion or good deeds/ piety. It is enough sin for a man to be obscene, vulgar, miserly, or cowardly.”
(Musnad Ahmed #17313 ; Bayhaqi, Shu’ab al-Imān # 4782)
Abu Dharr (ra) reported: The Prophet ﷺ said, “Behold! Verily, you have no virtue over one with white skin or black skin, except by favor of righteousness.”
(Musnad Aḥmad # 21407)
Jabir ibn Abdullah (ra) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ addressed us during the middle of the day at the end of the pilgrimage in the farewell sermon. The Prophet ﷺ said, “O people, your Lord is one and your father Adam is one. There is no virtue of an Arab over a foreigner, nor a foreigner over an Arab, and neither white over black nor black over white, except by righteousness. Have I not delivered the message?” They said, “Of course, O Messenger of Allah.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Let the witness inform those who are absent.”
(Bayhaqi, Shu’ab al-Imān # 4774; Musnad Aḥmad # 23489)
Umm al-Husayn (ra) reported: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ delivered a sermon during the farewell pilgrimage, saying, “Even if an Abyssinian slave were appointed in charge over you and he leads you with the Book of Allah, you must listen and obey.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim # 1838)
Equality in treating servants & slaves
Al-Ma’rur ibn Suwayd (ra) reported: I met Abu Dharr while he was wearing the same clothes as his servant boy. I asked him about it and he said, “I once abused a man and insulted his mother, so the Prophet ﷺ said to me, ‘O Abu Dharr, you insulted him by his mother? You are a man with ignorance in you. They are your brothers and your assistants. Allah has placed them in your hands. Whoever has his brother in his custody, let him feed him with the same food he eats and clothe him with the same clothes he wears. Do not assign them a task they cannot do; if you do so, then help them.”
(Ṣaḥiḥ al-Bukhārī # 30, Ṣaḥiḥ Muslim # 1661)
The messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “When the slave of anyone of you brings his food to him, for which he (the slave) has worked hard and endured heat, let him invite him to eat with him, and if he does not do that then let him take a morsel and put it in his hand.”
(Sunan Ibn Majah # 3290)
Narrated Abu Huraira (ra): A black person, a male or a female used to clean the Mosque and then died. The Prophet ﷺ did not know about it. One day the Prophet ﷺ remembered him and said, “What happened to that person?” The people replied, “O Allah's Messenger ﷺ! He died.” He said, “Why did you not inform me?” They said, “His story was so and so (i.e. regarded him as insignificant).” He said, “Show me his grave.” He then went to his grave and offered the funeral prayer.
(Sahih al-Bukhari # 1337)
Equality in Justice and punishment
Sayyida Aisha (ra) reported: The Quraysh had been anxious about a woman who had committed theft and they said, “Who will speak to the Messenger of Allah about her?” Some said, “Who would dare to but Usama (ra), one beloved by the Messenger of Allah?” Thus, Usama (ra) spoke to him and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Do you intercede regarding a punishment prescribed by Allah?” The Prophet ﷺ then stood up and addressed the people, saying, “O people, those who came before you were destroyed because if a person of high status committed theft among them, they would spare him, but if a person of lower status committed theft, they would apply the punishment upon him. By Allah, if Fatima the daughter of Muhammad were to steal, I would have cut off her hand.”
(Sahih al Bukhari # 6788; Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim # 1688)
Once a man from the Muslims killed a man from the People of Book (Jew or Christian). The case was presented to the Prophet ﷺ and he said “I am most responsible of all for fulfilling the rights of those under his care (non-Muslim citizens). Then he ordered (the killing of the Muslim killer by way of retribution) and he was killed.
(Musnad al Shafi’i , 1/343)
Equality in treating Wives
Abu Huraira (ra) reported the Prophet ﷺ as saying, “When a man has two wives and does not treat them equally he will come on the day of resurrection with a side hanging down.”
(Sunan Tirmidhi # 1141)
Equality in treating children
Narrated An-Nu'man ibn Bashir (ra): The Prophet ﷺ said: Act equally between your children; act equally between your sons.
(Sunan Abi Dawud # 3544)
Sayyiduna Anas (ra) reported: A man was with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when his son came. He kissed him and sat him down on his thigh. Then, his daughter came and she sat to his side. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Why do you not treat them equally?”
(Tahawi, Sharḥ Maʻānī al-Āthār # 5847)
Friendly treatment with Villagers (Bedouins)
In today’s modern world, most of the people dwelling in cities look down upon villagers and they don’t prefer to mingle with them or treat them with same dignity with which they treat city dwellers. But Holy Prophet ﷺ didn’t make any such discrimination and he used to be friendly and fondly with villagers giving them their due honor. Here is one beautiful example of his treatment with one Bedouin companion.
Sayyiduna Anas ibn Malik (ra) said:”There was a man among the people of the desert — his name was Zahir — and he used to bring the Prophet ﷺ a present from the desert, so the Prophet ﷺ would equip him when he wished to go out to battle. “The Prophet ﷺ said:‘Zahir is our desert, and we are his towns'. He ﷺ used to love him, though he was a homely man, Prophet ﷺ came to him one day while he was selling his wares, and embraced him from behind so that he couldn't see who it was. So he said: ‘Who is this? Let go of me!’ Then he turned around and recognized the Prophet ﷺ. Once he recognized the Prophet ﷺ, he kept his back pressed to the Prophet's chest, so the Prophet ﷺ proceeded to say (jokingly): ‘Who will buy this slave?’ Zahir said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, in that case, by Allah, you will find me an unsellable commodity!’ The Prophet ﷺ said: ‘But you are not an unsellable commodity in the view of Allah,’ or he said: ‘You are precious to Allah!'“
(Tirmidhi, Shamail al Muhammadiya # 238)
It should be understood that, when Islam talks about equality, it doesn’t mean to defy or neutralize the virtues or positive qualities of a person against a person lacking them. It only means that one should not discriminate or act partially based on natural traits like gender, race, colour, place etc but when it comes to acquired/developed qualities of people, absolute equality cannot be practiced. Those having positive qualities of humanity like knowledge, wisdom, good manners, kindness, intelligence etc cannot be termed as ‘equal’ to illiterate/ ignorant, unwise, ill mannered, cruel, foolish respectively. Therefore, it would be unrealistic to assert the absolute equality of human beings, although humans are basically equal in rights, duties and accountability. Concept of equality is to be kept general and not to be applied unjustly such that both the deserving and undeserving ones get the same benefit & treatment.
_-By Sister Sarah Firdous_
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*Seerah of Rasoolullah ﷺ*
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