What Does the Quran Say About Racism?

Although our society has grown markedly more inclusive over the past couple of decades, it remains virtually impossible to go a week without hearing about some sort of racially motivated attack or a famous figure being accused of prejudice. Unfortunately, racism has continued to be an issue worldwide in the present time as well as the past. During the time of Muhammad ﷺ, segregation was extremely common. In Mecca, where people generally identified themselves with a particular tribe, racism was a fact of life. Violence between tribes was common and only increased as Muhammad's ﷺ following grew. Muslims experienced monumental discrimination in the early days of Islam, with some being driven out of their homes for their religious beliefs. It should come as no surprise, then, that Muhammad had some pretty strong opinions about racism. Throughout his prophethood, Muhammad ﷺ encouraged his followers to be kind and courteous towards members of other tribes, races, and religions. His teachings on the importance of inclusivity can today be found in the Hadith, complementing similar sentiments in the Quran. In this article, we're going to be looking at what the Quran and Hadith have to say about racism.

We Are All Creations of God

For thousands of years, most religions promoted a sort of "them versus us" mentality. Bar a select few, the vast majority of religions considered their adherents to be "chosen" and anybody who did not share their faith to be inferior. The same can be said when it comes to races and nationalities. It was not until the Quran was revealed to Muhammad that a religion began seriously spreading the belief that everybody is equal, even if they do not adhere to a particular set of religious beliefs. The reasoning for this can be found in the below excerpt from the Quran:

"And among His wonders is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your tongues and colors. For in this, behold, there are messages indeed for all who are possessed of innate knowledge!"

-Quran 30, 22

This passage was something of an anomaly for its time. It went in direct contrast to other religious texts, which generally taught a specific group or groups of people were the people of God. Instead, it tells us that all of mankind was created by God, with languages and races coming into existence by design. This is something to keep in mind today as gentrification and Westernization sweeps the world, almost eradicating the other tongues and cultures created by God.

The Prophet reaffirmed this teaching - with noticeable aggression - in the following Hadith:

"O people, your Lord is one and your father Adam is one. There is no favor of an Arab over a foreigner, nor a foreigner over an Arab, and neither white skin over black skin, nor black skin over white skin, except by righteousness. Have I not delivered the message?"

-Musnad Aḥmad 22978

Could it be made any clearer than that? Reading this Hadith in the present day, we can pick up a distinct feeling of urgency. Muhammad ﷺ was trying desperately to drive the message of inclusivity home to his followers, many of whom had come to think of themselves as better than non-Muslims and non-Arabs despite the Quran's teachings on race. Of course, the passage above contains valuable advice for all people, regardless of their religion or ethnicity.