“O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female; and We have made you tribes and sub-tribes that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable amongst you in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most righteous among you. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” (Holy Qur’an, 49:14).
The verse clearly shows that all created beings come from the same source and thus are equal in the sight of God. The worth of a man is not judged by the color of his skin, his wealth, rank or social status, his descent or pedigree, but by his moral goodness and the way he fulfills his duty to God and mankind. Allah divided humanity into tribes, nations and races to give them better knowledge of each other and to benefit from one another’s characteristics and qualities.
Islam therefore totally rejects racism in any shape or form. Racism in this society is seen as prejudice against people of different color, race, nationality, religion, economic status and class. It expresses itself as name-calling, arrogance, hostility and violence between races. Islam not only lays down the doctrine of equality, but also addresses this type of racist behavior.
The above extract is taken from the book Pathway to Paradise, as found on alislam.org.
