Hajj: A specimen for racial equality
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. Verily, the most honorable of you with Allaah is that (believer) who has At-Taqwa [piety] Verily, Allaah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.” Qur’an 49:13
The world is darkened with the calls of racial superiority and mankind is fast losing its humanity to nationalism and racial arrogance. One father, one mother (Adam and Eve), yet the descendants have chosen to make others live as second class members of one big family,
endangering their lives and creating chaos in the world. Where lies the solution?
Never in the history of mankind was there a time when humanity was gathered for a common goal, in a common garb, at a common place at the same time as do the Muslims on the plains of Arafah during Hajj.
Allaah, Exalted be He, has made diversity in human composition a great sign of His perfection and grandeur and a test for humanity to either appreciate or despise one another. However, if man does not tame is lower self he has a high tendency to be racially inclined,
hence, Allaah’s statement implies that racial diversity is not a tool for denigrating one another but rather to know one another.
History of the world is dominated with sad tales of racial and tribal feuds, where one race seeks to dominate the other, where one tribe exhibits arrogance over the other,
where one clan is plagued with superiority complex thereby looking down on others and claiming more equal rights and with this dangerous mindset, humanity has been set apart. In the 21st century, man is still battling racial prejudice.
Professor Hurgronje, a 20th century Dutch scholar said, “the league of nations founded by the prophet of Islam put the principle of international unity and human brotherhood on such universal foundations as to show candle to other nations.”
He continues: “The fact is that no nation of the world can show a parallel to what Islam has done towards the realization of the idea of the League of Nations.”
Yes, no right thinking man will ever contest this, Islam is the only religion that repeatedly enjoins its adherents to be United under one banner and to eschew nationalism and tribalism.
Hajj is the highest demonstration of racial equality that Islam preaches, it is a leveller for one&all, the Kings& the followers, the rulers & the led, the super-rich and the poor, the haves and the have nots, the white and the black, the Caucasian, the Mongolian and the Negroid.
In Sahih Muslim, the Prophet of Islam, Muhammad ﷺ was reported to have said that: “Indeed Allaah has revealed to me that you should have humility, and that no one should act proudly and oppressively over anyone else, nor should anyone boast over anyone else.”
The beauty and excellence of Hajj with respect to racial equality is an attracting point to Islam that even the likes of Malcolm X became more devoted and had his previously held racial ideologies refined.
Allaah, Exalted be He says: “And proclaim to mankind the Hajj (pilgrimage). They will come to you on foot and on every lean camel, they will come from every deep and distant (wide) mountain highway (to perform Hajj).” Qur’an 22:27
Progressively, Islam molds the Muslims towards becoming one brotherhood, from the Masjid where people stand side by side, shoulder to shoulder having the feelings of superiority complex tamed five times a day to a larger gathering of tribal confederates once in a week on Fridays
and then to the largest gathering of Hajj once in a year where entire humanity in its racial diversity is aptly represented.
What is more appealing is the fact that the racial confederates pronounce a common phrase in unison “Labbaik Allah humma labbaik Labbaik la sharika laka labbaik Innal hamda Wan-ni’mata
Laka walmulk Laa sharika lak…”
Laka walmulk Laa sharika lak…”
O my Lord, here I am at Your service, here I am.
There is no partner with You, here I am. Truly the praise and the provisions are Yours,
and so is the dominion and sovereignty.
There is no partner with You.
There is no partner with You, here I am. Truly the praise and the provisions are Yours,
and so is the dominion and sovereignty.
There is no partner with You.
The Prophet ﷺ further emphasised the racial equality of humanity when he said: “Indeed there is no excellence for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor a non-Arab over an Arab, nor a white person over a black one, nor a black person over a white one, except through taqwaa (piety).”
Related by Ahmad and it was authenticated by Ibn Taymiyyah in Kitaabul-Iqtidaa
If the world can embrace the Islamic model of racial equality it will certainly be a better place.
