Fateha Khawaja, Tilford
The Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be on him), the Messenger of Islam and the Seal of all the Prophets stated in his last sermon over 1400 years ago: ‘ Neither an Arab has superiority over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab over an Arab. A white person is not superior to a black person one, nor a black is superior to a white. The most honourable among you in the sight of God is the one who is the most righteous. You are brothers and sisters. You are all equal. No matter to which nation or tribe you belong and no matter what your status is, you are equal.’ This quotation not only equalises the status between male and females but also strengthens the message that all races are equal because all humans are equal in the sight of God and they are judged on their piety and righteousness. After the advent of Islam, 1400 years ago, its adherents in the Middle East preached a message of peace and took action against racism. Yet in 2020, we still find ourselves in a constant struggle against the systemic and institutionalised racism within our society.
After the recent increase in active support for the Black Lives Matter movement, I became very interested in what my own faith and what Islamic institutions or past Islamic civilisations have done to combat racism and embrace the minorities within their societies. Although the religion of Islam has been preaching peace from its origin – the Ahmadiyya Muslim community brandishes the slogan of ‘Love for All, Hatred for None’ with pride – did this message of peace translate into better rights for the minorities in the ‘golden age of Islam’?
The Umayyad Dynasty began the empire of Al-Andalus, spanning the breadth of the Iberian peninsula and it is here that the aforementioned golden era was felt in full force – there were new scientific discoveries being made, technology and medicine was improving and there was an edified form of beauty in every architectural development, in each new mosque being built- the Great Mosque of Cordoba being one of the more poignant examples. We are informed about the advances made to enrich culture and society as a whole. Successful Islamic rulers, such as Abd al-Rahman I, the founder of Al-Andalus, treated people from different races, cultures and religions equally and built a harmonious multicultural society.
Al-Andalus is a particularly interesting example in my opinion, because not only was the issue of race tackled but also different religions. Within the kingdom, Jews, Muslims, and Christians all lived together peacefully. Since the power of the kingdom was in the hands of the Muslims, they abided by the Muslim teachings and many examples can be found where a message of peace is being conveyed within the Holy Qur’an itself. In Chapter 2, verse 257, Allah the Almighty states: “There shall be no compulsion in religion…”. This Quranic quote shows that there should be no forced entry into the religion of Islam and the use of this Quranic teaching was implemented. Notarised historical records show that it was stipulated that the people who converted to Islam within the kingdom had to be mentally healthy when making their conversion which demonstrates the fact that there was no compulsion to convert from the Muslim leaders against people of other religions. Furthermore, it has been cited that other religions, such as Judaism, were able to flourish under this peaceful Muslim leadership as the philosopher Maimonides wrote that “Judaism probably welcomed the conquest of Spain by the Muslims in 711. With the Muslim conquest began a Golden Age of freedom and tolerance for Jews. They freely entered the fields of government, science, medicine, and literature.” It is recorded that after Spain was taken over by Christian powers once again, many Jews preferred to move to Islamic states because of the peace they had received and the freedom to practice their religion. This shows that the teachings of the Qur’an and Ahadith can truly lead to an environment of peace being fostered within society.
I have mentioned here one Islamic era – after the time of the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be on him) and his four Rightly Guided Caliphs/Khalifa – and how well it was able to create a multicultural environment for its citizens. Of course there have been other eras which were not as tolerant, possibly because they may have interpreted the Quranic teachings in different manners or disregarded Quranic teachings all together. I believe that the Holy Qur’an preaches a message of peace, encouraging multicultural societies and instilling anti-discriminatory views within those who read it and fully comprehend the complexity behind each verse. However, many racist views are embedded within the culture of each country, therefore it is the active change that each person makes after being well informed and learning from both wider resources and Quranic teachings (or the basic principles underpinning them) that will lead to a widespread reform movement. May Allah guide us towards the right path and help us achieve our aims. Ameen.
https://www.alislam.org/articles/cultural-understanding-and-racial-harmony/
Official Blog of Ahmadiyya Muslim Women's Association UK 
Recent Comments