Monday, July 27, 2015

A Note on Racism

The Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary's definition for the word 'Racism' is:
"Prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race
based on the belief that one’s own race is superior."

The correlation of this 'modern' definition with the saying of a man in a desert 1400 years ago is amazing:
that man, the Prophet (peace be upon him) said that there are 4 characteristics of jahiliyyah (ignorance) which will stay with the Muslims.

The first two he listed are:
1. Boasting of ancestral nobility
2. Finding fault in other's ancestors


After reading this hadith it is less of a surprise to me
how supposed adherents of a religion which is fundamentally anti-racist,
can themselves act so racist
(to both non-Muslims and fellow Muslims)
when Islam came to abolish racism 1400 years ago!

The Prophet's prediction (as always) has come true;
racism is well and alive in today's ummah.
But
I am quite sure that the Prophet didn't just mention the above as a mere 'fun fact',
because a central part of the beautiful Deen he taught
is that of continuous struggle against jahiliyyah.
He, peace upon him, was warning us of the evil of racism.
And to STRUGGLE against it.

[Credit]