Epigraph:
"O mankind, We have created you from a male and a
female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know one another.
Indeed, the most honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of
you. Indeed, God is All-Knowing, All-Aware." (Qur’an 49:13)
"Judge a man not by the color of his skin, but by
the content of his character." Martin
Luther King Jr.
Beyond Color: The Triumph of
Character Over Prejudice
Throughout
history, black people have often been treated as slaves or as if they
were children of a lesser God, oppressed, marginalized, and denied their
rightful place in society.
Prophet
Muhammad (peace be upon him) elevate
d the status of black individuals based
on character rather than race. A striking example is that of Bilal ibn
Rabah, an Ethiopian slave who rose to become Islam’s first muezzin—the
caller to prayer. Despite the presence of many noble and learned non-Black
companions of the Prophet, it was Bilal who was chosen, solely for the strength
of his faith and integrity. His selection sent a powerful message that piety
and virtue, not race or lineage, determine a person’s true status.
Even centuries later, racism continued to stain societies across the world. A stark reminder of this occurred in 1936, when American track star Jesse Owens won four Olympic gold medals in Berlin, defying Hitler’s Nazi Germany’s racial ideology. Yet upon returning home to the United States, Owens faced the same deep-seated prejudice that had long plagued Black Americans.
At a banquet held in his honor at a prestigious hotel, he was not allowed to enter through the front door, as it was reserved for white guests. Instead, the Olympic champion—the pride of his nation—was asked to use the back entrance through the kitchen alley, his achievements overshadowed by the color of his skin.
God revealed
His narrative to Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) regarding the status of human beings irrespective
of caste, colour, creed:
"O
mankind, We have created you from a male and a female and made you into nations
and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most honored of you in
the sight of God is the most righteous of you. Indeed, God is All-Knowing,
All-Aware."
Qur’an (49:13)
This
divine proclamation leaves no room for racial superiority. The measure of true
honor is piety and righteousness, not race, wealth, or social
status.
Echoing
the same universal truth, Martin Luther King Jr., a tireless
advocate for racial justice, delivered his iconic message to the world:
"I
have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where
they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their
character."
His words,
much like the teachings of the Qur’an, remind us that true greatness is defined
by moral character, not ethnicity.
“The
Lord is good to all; He has compassion on all He has made.” (Psalms 145:9)
It is time
for humanity to embrace this truth and judge individuals by their virtue,
dignity, and contributions to society, rather than the colour of their skin.
-
Aamir
Yazdani
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