Answering Questions Through The Holy Qur'an: Is there racism in Islam? What about other religions? Are all human races considered equal?

Is there racism in Islam? What about other religions? Are all human races considered equal?

49:13 O mankind, indeed, We created you from a male and a female and We made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you near Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is All-Knower, All-Aware.

(There is no racism in Islam. On the other hand, there are many racist and xenophobic people among non-Muslims.) (Historically, Europeans massacred people of other races around the world and occupied their land. Even nowadays, Europeans kill people of other races (e.g., policemen kill many black people in the USA, Brazil, etc.), or make them suffer discrimination and injustice (in jobs, etc.)) (Allah knows best)

68:35 Then will We treat the Muslims like the criminals? 68:36 What is with you? How do you judge?

(“Muslim” is an Arabic word meaning “one who submits (to God)”, so by definition, a Muslim is never a racist, because racism contradicts the definition of a “Muslim.” The Qur’an says, “the most noble of you near Allah is the most righteous of you” (49:13). On the other hand, atheism and racism are compatible, because a racist can still disbelieve in God; a racist can still be Christian because believing in the cross makes him a Christian, regardless of his deeds; or a racist can still be a Jew because having a Jewish mother makes him a Jew, according to them.) (Allah knows best)

3:105 And do not be like those who became divided and differed after the clear proofs came to them. And they will have a great punishment.

(Judaism is a racist religion because, in order to be a Jew, one’s mother must be Jewish-which contradicts the Torah, because according to the Torah, Jewish lineage is strictly patrilineal. They divide people into Jews and gentiles, they do not want Arabs in Palestine, resulting in so many Palestinians being killed and evicted from their homes. Palestinians were originally “Jews” in the sense of being descendants of Jacob who converted to Christianity and Islam and remained in the land, so they were not mixed with foreigners of the land as many Jews were. Furthermore, some Jews maintain an anti-gentile tradition, etc.) (Regarding Zoroastrianism, according to them, only a Persian can be Zoroastrian.) (Regarding Christianity, there are many Christians (and atheists) who are racist and xenophobic-for example, right-wing groups. There is segregation in churches; there is the killing of people of other races; they pass policies against immigrants, depriving people of their right to move freely anywhere on Earth; they colonized and occupied the land of people of other races-the Americas, Australia, South Africa, Siberia,...; they support the occupation of Palestine, etc. Some of them display racism and xenophobia in jobs (discrimination), movies, books, on the street, and in racist expressions in their languages. For example, the term “moor” is also used in a derogatory sense to refer to Muslims in general instead of calling them “Muslims.” The word “moor” originates from the Greek word mauros, which means “black” or “dark.” God does not guide wrongdoers (5:51) nor the disbelievers (5:67), so Christians and atheists continue to use racist terms.) (Scientific / Genetic Note: Modern population genetics shows that Levantine Arab populations (including Palestinians) display deep genetic continuity with ancient Bronze and Iron Age inhabitants of the Levant, confirming that they are indigenous inhabitants who historically adapted culturally and religiously over generations.) (Allah knows best)

2:94 Say, "If the home of the Hereafter with Allah is exclusively for you, and not for others of mankind, then wish for death, if you are truthful."

9:11 But if they repent, and establish prayer and give zakah, then (they are) your brothers in religion. And We explain the Verses in detail for a people (who) know.

(In Islam, whether black or white, anyone who repents, establishes prayer, and gives charity is your brother in religion.) (Allah knows best)

3:43 "O Mary, be obedient to your Lord and prostrate and bow down with those who bow down."

49:10 The believers are only brothers, so make peace between your brothers, and fear Allah so that you may receive mercy.

3:103 And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together, and do not be divided. And remember the Favor of Allah on you when you were enemies, then He made friendship between your hearts then by His Favor you became brothers. And you were on the brink of the pit of the Fire, then He saved you from it. Thus Allah makes clear for you His Verses so that you may be guided.

49:11 O you who believe, (Let) not a people ridicule (another) people, perhaps they may be better than them; and (let) not women (ridicule other) women, perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult yourselves and do not call each other by nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after the faith. And whoever does not repent, then those - they are the wrongdoers.

34:28 And We have not sent you except to all mankind, as a giver of glad tidings and as a warner. But most people do not know.

(There is no distinction of race or nationality in this Verse) (Allah knows best)

4:1 O mankind, fear your Lord, Who created you from one soul and created from it its mate and dispersed from both of them many men and women. And fear Allah , Whom you ask with it, and the wombs. Indeed Allah is ever, over you, an Observer.

(Racial superiority is impossible in Islam because all human beings share the exact same origin.) (Allah knows best)

3:33 Indeed, Allah chose Adam and Noah, and the family of Abraham and the family of Imran over the worlds.

(The Qur’an does not say that one race is better than another, but some non-Muslims wrongly claim that all races are not considered equal based on Verses 3:33 and 2:47. However, according to Verse 12:90, there is a clear condition to being favored regardless of race: “he who fears Allah and is patient” and is a “good-doer” (12:90). Thus, favor is conditional upon that. Verses 12:90-91 support that favor is conditional, because Joseph and his brothers were sons of Israel / Jacob, yet God preferred Joseph and his brother (Benjamin) over the other sons of Israel who were sinners (12:91). On the other hand, in general terms, according to Verse 17:70, the children of Adam was preferred regardless of race) (The Verses of the Qur’an are not mutually exclusive, but complement each other.) (Allah knows best)

2:47 O Children of Israel, remember My Favor which I bestowed upon you, and that I preferred you over the worlds.

(Children of Israel were preferred over the worlds of their time. This does not change the fact that the children of Adam was preferred in general, nor does the Qur’an say “only preferred one race.” Any doer of good can obtain their reward.) (Another point is that disbelievers among the Children of Israel are punished in Hell (5:78-80), despite having been saved from Pharaoh, for example. So, being favored in this world does not imply being saved in the Hereafter.) (Disbelievers are going to Hell. Those who deny the Verses of the Qur’an are disbelievers (2:91, 52:33-34, 46:10, 10:95-97, 23:38-39, 40:70).) (Allah knows best)

62:6 Say, "O you who are Jews, if you claim that you are allies of Allah , excluding the people, then wish for death, if you are truthful."

5:78 Those who disbelieved from the Children of Israel were cursed by the tongue of David and Jesus, son of Mary, because they disobeyed and they used to transgress. 5:79 They had not been forbidding each other from wrongdoing they did [it]. Surely, evil (was) what they were doing. 5:80 You see many of them taking as allies those who disbelieved. Surely, evil (is) what their souls sent forth for them(selves), that Allah became angry with them, and in the punishment they (will) abide forever.

(According to Verses 62:6 and 5:78-80, being favored in this world does not mean being saved from Hell. Whether someone is a descendant of Israel or not, anyone can obtain salvation if they do good deeds, or be punished if they do evil deeds.) (Allah knows best)

17:70 And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and We carried them on the land and the sea, and We have provided for them of the good things and We preferred them over many of those whom We have created, (with) a preference.

(The Verses of the Qur’an are not mutually exclusive, but complement each other; according to Verse 17:70, the children of Adam were preferred above many of those whom God created.) (Allah knows best)

28:76 Indeed, Qarun was from the people of Moses, but he oppressed them. And We gave him treasures which indeed the keys of it would burden a company (of men) possessors of great strength. When his people said to him, "Do not exult. Indeed, Allah does not love the exultant.

(Qarun was from the people of Moses (28:76) and Moses was sent to the Children of Israel (17:2), yet Qarun was punished (29:39-40) because of his evil deeds, while the believers among the Children of Israel are to be rewarded (2:62). Thus, the favor is upon good deeds, rather than saving all of them because of their ethnicity or race. Many among the Jews did not believe in the Messengers (e.g., Jesus and Muhammad) and did not do good deeds (5:13, 5:25); “they took the calf after clear proofs came to them” (4:153), transgressed the Sabbath (4:154-155), disbelieved in the Signs of God (4:155), killed Prophets without right (4:155), uttered a grave slander against Mary (4:156), hindered many from the way of God (4:160), took usury and wrongfully consumed people’s wealth (4:161), distort(ed) words (5:13), and they do not believe in Jesus (5:110). God does not guide wrongdoers (46:10).) (Allah knows best)

4:168 Indeed, those who disbelieved and did wrong, Allah will not [to] forgive them [and] not/(nor) will He guide them (to) a way, 4:169 Except the way to Hell, abiding in it forever. And that is easy for Allah.

12:90 They said, "Are you indeed Joseph?" He said, "I am Joseph, and this is my brother. Indeed, Allah has favored us. Indeed, he who fears Allah and is patient, then indeed, Allah does not let go waste the reward of the good-doers." 12:91 They said, "By Allah, certainly Allah has preferred you over us, and indeed, we have been sinners."

43:59 He was not except a slave on whom We bestowed Our favor, and We made him an example for the Children of Israel.

(According to Verse 43:59, God bestowed His favor on Jesus, and Jesus was of the righteous (6:85). Thus, he was favored because of his good deeds.) (Allah knows best)

6:85 And Zechariah and John and Jesus and Elias - all (were) of the righteous.

38:71 When your Lord said to the Angels, "Indeed, I Am going to create a human being from clay. ... 38:74 Except Iblees; he was arrogant and became of the disbelievers. 38:75 He said, "O Iblis, what prevented you from prostrating to (one) whom I created with My Hands? Are you arrogant or are you of the exalted ones." 38:76 He said, "I am better than him. You created me from fire and You created him from clay." 38:77 He said, "Then get out of it, for indeed, you are accursed.

(Differences among people make them racist, but we were all created by God (38:71, 38:75).) (Iblis (first racist) claimed he was better than mankind, so he disobeyed, was arrogant, and became a disbeliever (38:74). Likewise, racist people are arrogant, and their deeds oppose the Qur’an, which contains no racism.) (Verse 30:22 explicitly mentions physical human variation-skin tones and languages-as intentional signs to reflect upon.) (According to Verse 5:48, not being a single community is intended to test us in what God has given us. And according to Verse 6:165, some were raised over others in degrees to test people through what God has given.) (Allah knows best)

18:77 So they set out, until when they came to the people of a town, they asked its people for food, but they refused to offer them hospitality. Then they found in it a wall that want(ed) to collapse, so he set it straight. He said, "If you wished, surely you could have taken for it a payment."

(Races other than white can bring immense benefit to a country, just as in Verse 18:77, a foreigner did good to the people of a town. A foreigner might be better than the residents or their fellow citizens.) (A person must be judged strictly according to their deeds; some people do wrong, while others do good. Mankind is not to be judged based on “black” or “white”; those who make such judgments are wrongdoers themselves. Many people believe in stereotypes, whereas individuals should be judged on their own conduct, lest one make an evil and unjust judgment and become the one to be punished.) (Historically, your fellow white people have also killed other white people. For example, regarding COVID-19, traditionally racist and xenophobic right-wing groups in the USA and Brazil enacted policies that resulted in their own countries having the highest number of infections worldwide. In the United States, gun violence results in tens of thousands of deaths annually. Furthermore, politicians permit smoking, pollution, and nuclear power stations, and other hazards that harm or kill their own populations.) (In Islam, killing a single life is like killing all of humanity (5:32).) (Thus, a racist and bad person is not only a problem for black or dark-skinned people, but also for their own fellow white citizens, because one cannot expect any good from a bad person.) (When people are angry or frustrated, they often blame others for their problems. Racist people make claims like ‘those people take our jobs’ or ‘they get government handouts all the time.’ However, a handout implies giving money, food, or clothing to a needy person, whether white or black, and living in a country and working a job is a fundamental right for anyone. Living wherever you want on earth is also a human right.) (Even if they were the cause of your miserable life, Europeans unjustly occupied other races’ land, taking their jobs, their houses, their lives, etc., so Europeans have no right to complain in that matter. Many Europeans are not racist; only those who did wrong and disbelieve could be punished in the Hereafter.) (Allah knows best)

4:93 And whoever kills a believer intentionally, then his recompense is Hell, abiding in it forever; and Allah's wrath will fall on him and He (will) curse him and He has prepared for him a great punishment. ... 6:137 [And] likewise, to many of the polytheists, their partners (have) made pleasing (the) killing (of) their children so that they may ruin them and [that they] make confusing to them their religion. And if Allah had willed, they (would) not have done so. So leave them and what they invent.

(In Christian/atheist countries, many movies and TV news broadcasts expose their own double standards: to them, the lives of black people and Muslims are treated as having less value or no value.) (Allah knows best)

98:6 Indeed, those who disbelieve, from (the) People (of) the Book and the polytheists, (will be) in (the) Fire (of) Hell abiding eternally therein. Those [they] (are the) worst (of) [the] creatures.

7:12 (Allah) said, "What prevented you from prostrating when I commanded you?" (Iblees) said, "I am better than him. You created me from fire and You created him from clay."

(Racists operate on feelings of superiority, but we have all been created by God. Obedience to God is better for mankind, regardless of race.) (Allah knows best)

2:221 And do not marry polytheistic women until they believe. And a believing bondwoman is better than a polytheistic woman, even if she pleases you. And do not give in marriage to polytheistic men until they believe, and a believing bondman is better than a polytheistic man, even if he pleases you. They invite to the Fire, and Allah invites to Paradise and forgiveness by His permission. And He makes clear His Verses for people so that they may take heed.

28:4 Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people into sects, oppressing a group among them, slaughtering their sons and letting live their women. Indeed, he was of the corrupters. 28:5 And We wanted to bestow a favor upon those who were oppressed in the land and make them leaders and make them inheritors,

(The Children of Israel were once oppressed by Pharaoh, yet today they have become the oppressors of Palestinians.) (Allah knows best)

22:25 Indeed, those who disbelieved and hinder from (the) way (of) Allah and Al-Masjid Al-Haraam, which We made [it] for [the] mankind, equal (are) the resident therein and the visitor; and whoever intends therein of deviation (or) wrongdoing, We will make him taste of a painful punishment.

(According to Verse 22:25, a place is made equal for both the resident and the visitor.) (Allah knows best)

See also: Is it permissible for a Muslim to live or move to a non-Muslim country? Should it be permissible for a country to ban Muslim immigrants? What about banning the Qur’an?

https://aqtthq.blogspot.com.es/2017/10/is-it-permissible-for-muslim-to-live-or.html

See also: Islam vs. right-wing vs. left-wing

https://aqtthq.blogspot.com.es/2016/11/is-islam-compatible-with-western.html

See also: Are there human rights in Islam?

http://aqtthq.blogspot.com.es/2016/05/are-there-human-rights-in-islam.html

See also: Are women less than men? Is a woman worth one-half of a man in Islam? Are men and women equal?

https://aqtthq.blogspot.com.es/2016/10/are-women-less-than-men-is-woman-worth.html

See also: Dealing with an inferiority complex

http://aqtthq.blogspot.com.es/2016/08/dealing-with-inferiority-complex.html

See also: Are all Prophets of Islam equal?

https://aqtthq.blogspot.com.es/2017/06/are-all-prophets-of-islam-equal.html