| Racism is one of the ruthless problems of human | | | | today. Rather, he was always the first to lead by |
| being. | | | | example, and this is why we find that during his lifetime |
| This article illustrates that the Bible put the roots of | | | | so many different types of people accepted Islam. |
| Racism and encourages it while the Quran eradicated | | | | From amongst the Prophet's friends we find that he |
| this cruel crisis. | | | | had an Ethiopian companion named "Bilal". |
| The Bible encourages Racism: | | | | Bilal had been a slave before he accepted Islam, and |
| The Bible is very fascinated with the races of the | | | | as a result his position in Arabian society was worse |
| people. | | | | than the animals. However, when he converted to |
| In the Bible we can read this word "my people" in 220 | | | | Islam Bilal was given a status like no Black slave had |
| verses. | | | | been given before. He was given the immense honor |
| In 35 verses we have "my people; Israel" as for | | | | of being the first person to call the "Azan" (call to |
| example: | | | | prayer) in Islam's magnificent history. More |
| 2 Samuel 3:18 | | | | outstandingly however, he was accepted as an equal |
| "Now do it! For the LORD promised David, 'By my | | | | and a brother by the Prophet and his companions. |
| servant David I will rescue my people Israel from the | | | | Mohammad eradicated the problem of racial or color |
| hand of the Philistines and from the hand of all their | | | | discrimination so successfully that, for example, "Omar" |
| enemies." | | | | the second famous Ruler in Islam once said about Bilal: |
| In two verses we have "my people; the Israelites" as | | | | "Bilal" is our master" |
| for example: | | | | This was one of the reasons of the spread of Islam to |
| Exodus 3:10 | | | | every corner of the known world. |
| "So now, go. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my | | | | Thus Blacks, Whites, Arabs, Indians, Malays and all |
| people the Israelites out of Egypt." | | | | other races: are truly united by worshipping their |
| Many verses in the Bible consider the other nations as | | | | Creator. This unity is not only restricted to the prayer, |
| valueless and should be exterminated as for example: | | | | but to the whole of ones life, to the extent that |
| Exodus 23:27-30 | | | | Muslims try to fall under the saying of their beloved |
| "I will send my terror ahead of you and throw into | | | | Prophet who said: |
| confusion every nation you encounter. I will make all | | | | "The example of the believers in their mutual love and |
| your enemies turn their backs and run. 28 I will send | | | | mercy is like the example of a body; if one part of the |
| the hornet ahead of you to drive the Hivites, | | | | body feels pain, then all the body suffers in |
| Canaanites and Hittites out of your way. 29 But I will | | | | sleeplessness and fever ". |
| not drive them out in a single year, because the land | | | | Another observance which has helped so many to |
| would become desolate and the wild animals too | | | | eradicate racism from their lives, is the Hajj (pilgrimage |
| numerous for you. 30 Little by little I will drive them out | | | | to Makka), which is obligatory upon every Muslim at |
| before you, until you have increased enough to take | | | | least once in a lifetime. The Hajj brings together the |
| possession of the land." | | | | peoples of the world, all at one time of the year, in one |
| In these verses God will drive the Hivites, Canaanites | | | | place. |
| and Hittites out of the way of his people. But not in one | | | | The Hajj to "Makka" is an experience to see people |
| year, because "the land would become desolate and | | | | belonging to different colors, races and nationalities, |
| the wild animals too numerous for his people." | | | | kings, heads of states and ordinary men from very |
| Also, in Exodus 33:2 | | | | poor countries all dressed in simple white sheets |
| "I will send an angel before you and drive out the | | | | praying to Allah without any sense of either pride or |
| Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites and | | | | inferiority. It is a practical manifestation of the concept |
| Jebusites." | | | | of equally in Islam. |
| And, in Exodus 34:24 | | | | Islam and Racism against other religions? |
| "I will drive out nations before you and enlarge your | | | | The peoples of other faiths have always enjoyed |
| territory, and no one will covet your land when you go | | | | religious toleration under Islam; when the Jews were |
| up three times each year to appear before the LORD | | | | being persecuted in the rest of Europe, they found |
| your God." | | | | freedom and sanctity in Muslim Spain. Their historians |
| Nevertheless, in Isaiah 19:25 | | | | regard that as one of their Golden Eras. |
| "The LORD Almighty will bless them, saying, "Blessed | | | | This was due to the Islamic teachings: |
| be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel | | | | "Say: We believe In Allah, and in what Has been |
| my inheritance." | | | | revealed to us And what was revealed To Abraham, |
| This is the only time in the Bible to say "Egypt my | | | | Ishmael; Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes, And in (the Books) |
| people" | | | | Given to Moses, Jesus, And the Prophets, From their |
| It follows that the Bible is very interested in the races | | | | Lord: We make no distinction Between one and |
| of people. | | | | another Among them and to God do we Bow our will( |
| And the two favorite races are Israel (37 times) and | | | | in Islam)." |
| Egypt (only once). | | | | The Quran 3:84 |
| On the other hand, the Bible sorts out other races like | | | | "Verily, those who believe (in the Quran) And those |
| the Canaanites, Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites | | | | who follow the Jewish( scriptures) And the Christians |
| and Jebusites as inferior. However, the Bible gives no | | | | and the Sabians, Any who believe in God And the |
| idea about the reason to classify those races like dirt! | | | | Last Day, And work righteousness Shall have their |
| In addition, many American Christians In the 19th | | | | reward With their Lord; on them Shall be no fear, nor |
| century were taught that Africans, were descendents | | | | shall they grieve." |
| of Ham (son of Noah), and thus deserved to be | | | | The Quran 2:62 |
| slaves. This was based on the story of Noah and his | | | | "Let there be no compulsion in matters of religion: Truth |
| sons in Genesis 9 | | | | stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects Evil and |
| Everyone memorizes how black Africans were | | | | believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy |
| transported across the oceans, crammed in special | | | | hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and |
| ships, and treated like livestock. They were: 1) made | | | | knoweth all things. " |
| slaves, 2) enforced to change their religion, names and | | | | The Quran 2:256 |
| language, 3) were not entitled to hope for true | | | | "And among His Signs Is the creation of the heavens |
| freedom, and 4) were repudiated the least of human | | | | And the earth, and the variations In your languages |
| rights. | | | | And your colors; verily In that are Signs For those who |
| Still some Western white people think they are the | | | | know." |
| superior and their native black people are inferiors. | | | | The Quran 30:22 |
| Arabs practiced Racism before Islam: | | | | The last Prophet Mohammed said: |
| Before Islam, the Arabs practiced racism very much, | | | | "Allah is to be praised and thanked for ridding us of the |
| under the name of tribalism that was prevalent in | | | | vices and pride of the days of ignorance. O People! |
| "Makka". | | | | Note that all men( the noun includes women as well) |
| Mohammad's tribe "Quraysh" put themselves at the | | | | are divided in two categories only: the pious and |
| top of the Arabs in general and superior to all the other | | | | God-fearing who are estimable in Allah's reckoning, and |
| peoples of the world. | | | | the transgressors and hard-hearted, who are lowly |
| Mohammad came with the heavenly Message and | | | | and contemptible in the eye of Allah." |
| declared that no Arab is superior over a non-Arab, and | | | | "O Mankind! Most certainly, it is We( God almighty) |
| no white is superior over black and superiority is by | | | | who have |
| righteousness and God-fearing alone | | | | Created you all From a single (pair) Of a male and a |
| This established in the hearts and minds that superiority | | | | female, And it is we who Have made you into Nations |
| is not by birth or color or blood, but by Allah-fearing and | | | | and tribes, That ye may recognize each other (Not |
| righteousness. | | | | that ye may despise each other). Verily, the noblest of |
| This is firmly expressed in the Qur'an, when Allah | | | | you In the sight of Allah Is (he who is) the most |
| explains the reason for our variety as different races | | | | Righteous of you." |
| and peoples: | | | | "All men (includes women) are equal in Islam, the Arab |
| "O' mankind, We have created you from a male and a | | | | has no superiority over the non-Arab, nor does the |
| female, and made you into nations and tribes so that | | | | non-Arab have superiority over the Arab, save in the |
| you may know one another. Indeed the most | | | | fear of God." |
| honorable of you in the sight of Allah is the one with | | | | In conclusion: |
| the most piety" | | | | We have noticed that the Bible is interested in races |
| (The Quran 49:13). | | | | and classifies the races into superior and inferior. In |
| The Prophet (saws) said: "Indeed there is no | | | | addition, the Bible encouraged the "Colorism". |
| excellence for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor a | | | | On the other hand, Islam is not a racist religion, nor |
| non-Arab over an Arab, nor a White person over a | | | | does it preach racism. The disappearance of race |
| Black one, nor a Black person over a White one, | | | | awareness as between Muslims is one of the |
| except through piety". | | | | exceptional accomplishment of Islam, and in the |
| A statement like this tells us that this man, Mohammed, | | | | modern world there is, as it happens, a crying need for |
| was truly a receiver of heavenly inspiration. His words | | | | the transmission of this Islamic benefit. |
| were not blank like the words of so many leaders | | | | |