Without specifying a certain class, race, or origin, or making a special mention of Muslim followers, the Prophet of Mercy (pbuh) teaches, saying: “Show mercy to those on the earth, and He Who is in the heaven will show mercy to you.” (Abu Dawud).
“Show mercy, and mercy will be shown to you; forgive, and Allah will forgive you.”
(Musnad Ahmad)
This is the Prophet’s Message to all.
Universal in its scope:
"mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah for you all.
(Al-A‘raf 7: 158)
In its purpose:
"mankind, worship your Lord, Who created you and those before you, that you may become pious."
(Al-Baqarah 2: 21).
In its guidance:
"O mankind, eat of that which is lawful and good on the earth, and follow not the footsteps of Satan. Verily, he is to you an open enemy."
(Al-Baqarah 2: 168)
In its admonition:
"O mankind, remember the Grace of Allah upon you. Is there any creator other than Allah who provides for you from the heaven and earth?"
(Fatir 35: 3)
In its goodness:
"O mankind, >span > has come to you good advice from your Lord (i.e. the Qur’an, ordering all that is good and forbidding all that is evil), and a healing for that in your breasts – a guidance and a mercy for the believers."
(Yunus 10: 57)
Unprejudiced in its Laws:
"Whoever kills a soul not in retaliation for (having killed) a soul or for corruption (done) in the land, it is as if he has killed all humanity. And, whoever saves a life, it is as if he has saved the lives of all humanity."
( Al-Ma’idah 5: 32)
Uncompromising in its justice:
"O you who believe, stand up firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even though it be against yourselves, your parents, or your kin."
(An-Nisa’ 4: 135)
It embodies the equality of all, for the unity of origin:
“You all are the children of Adam, and Adam was created from dust.”
(Abu Dawud and Tirmidhy)
It encircles the whole earth with the Prophet’s teachings of universal peace and brotherhood: “None of you truly believes until he loves for people what he loves for himself.” (Musnad Ahmad).
It tears down any walls of discrimination: “Not of us (not one of the Muslims) is anyone who advocates Asabiyah. Not of us is anyone who fights for Asabiyah. And not of us is anyone who dies persisting in Asabiyah.” (Abu Dawud).
After years of teaching and preaching the values of Islam, and after disciples tasted and practiced the equality of Islam at the hands of the merciful Prophet (pbuh), the first Muslim generation from different classes and colors willingly stood side by side, the rich and the poor, in the graduation year of Farewell Hajj, with just a seamless piece of white cloth on their bodies like the shroud we shall be wrapped in when exiting this world, praying to their Lord, Who does not look at outward appearances or possessions.
“Verily, Allah does not look at your shapes or wealth, but He looks at your hearts and deeds.”
( Sahih Muslim)
As equal before Him as He created them, and as they shall all stand before Him on the Day of Judgment.
In this great scene of equality, where all privileges melt into thin air, the Teacher of Humanity (pbuh) uttered the law of unity and the one criterion of honor and superiority as declared by Allah Almighty : “O people, verily your Lord is One and your father is one (i.e. Adam). Behold, there is no superiority of the Arab over the non-Arab, or of the non-Arab over the Arab, or of the red over the black, or of the black over the red – except by piety. Have I informed you?” (Musnad Ahmad).
On the Day of the Victory of Makkah, he (pbuh) sermonized: “O people, verily Allah has rid you of the vainglory of Jahiliyyah (Pre- Islamic Days of Ignorance) and its pride in ancestors. People are two types: a righteous pious person who is honorable to Allah, and an impious wicked person who is worthless to Allah. All mankind are Children of Adam, and Allah has created Adam from dust.”( Sunnan At-Tirmidhy).
The Prophet’s Call continues to all humanity
"O mankind, indeed I am the Messenger of Allah for you all""
(Al-A‘raf 7: 158 )
with its different races and colors, guiding it back to its One Maker
"Your god is one God. There is no god except Him, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful"
(Al-Baqarah 2: 163)
Who created >span > human family from one soul
"O mankind, fear your Lord, Who created you from one soul (Adam) and created from it its mate (Eve) and dispersed from both of them many men and women"
(An-Nisa’ 4: 1 )
and shaped it into nations and tribes, for the purpose of knowledge, not fighting.
"O mankind, We have created you from a male (Adam) and a female (Eve), and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you in the Sight of Allah is the most pious of you."
(Al-Hujurat 49: 13).
To this one humanity, the one God sent one religion: He (Allah) has ordained for you the same religion (Islam) that He ordained for Nuh (Noah), and that which We have revealed to you (O Muhammad), and that which We ordained for Ibrahim (Abraham), Musa (Moses), and ‘Isa (Jesus), saying you should establish the religion, and make no division in it (religion) (i.e. various sects in religion). (Ash-Shura 42: 13)
One Maker, one religion, one origin; this is the intrinsic element bringing peace, mercy, and happiness to humanity through the sublime Message of Prophet Muhammad . It says: Come back! Do not differ, divide, or fight. Do not waste yourselves and stray from the purpose for which you were created, which is that you worship your Maker alone; and the purpose for which you were made into nations and tribes, which is that you know, complement, and cooperate with one another.
Excellence of wealth, birth, color, race, or country is of no value in the Sight of Your Lord. Superiority of one over another is only attained by piety:
"Verily, the most honorable of you in the Sight of Allah is the most pious of you."
(Al-Hujurat 49: 13)
Every human is personally responsible for their own self.
Only the good they do places them ahead, and only the bad they do puts them behind.
There is no place in this Just Balance for the intervention of one human for another, no matter what their status.
No consideration is given to country, birth, or prestige in the weighing of a person.
Criteria of superiority or inferiority established by people are worthless.
The son of a prophet and the son of a prostitute are equal! If the first lags behind in the race of righteous deeds, his parentage will give him no support; and if the latter outruns in the race of righteous deeds, his parentage will do him no harm.
This is the dictate of the Law of Justice preached in all Divine Messages:
"Or has he not been informed of what is in the scriptures of Moses, and (of) Abraham, who fulfilled (his obligations) – that no bearer of burden (sins) shall bear the burden of another. That man will have nothing but what he does (good or bad). That his deeds will be seen. Then he will be recompensed for them with the fullest recompense."
( An-Najm 53: 36-41)
>span > Divine Law shows no favoritism: "Say (O Muhammad), “None can protect me from Allah’s Punishment (if I were to disobey Him), nor should I find refuge except in Him.”" (Al-Jinn72: 22) The scales will only balance a person’s deeds: “Anyone whose deeds slow them down their lineage will not help them speed up,” Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) warns.
“O Banu Hisham! Let not people come to me with their deeds and you come to me with your lineage.”
“O mother of Az-Zubair bin Al-Awam, aunt of the Messenger of Allah! O Fatimah, daughter of Muhammad! Buy yourselves from Allah. Truly, I can avail you nothing against Allah.”
( Sahih Al-Bukhary)
“Truly, Allah shall not ask you about your noble descent or lineage on the Day of Judgment. The most honorable of you in the Sight of Allah is the most pious of you.”
This is the Way of the Prophet (pbuh) by which all causes of conflict or enmity on earth dwindle, and all values over which people fight become worthless. All differences fall away. All criteria collapse. One Balance weighing one value (piety) will rise, by which all humanity will be judged, and its scales will decide the high and the low among them.
In the end:
"There is none in the heavens and the earth but comes unto the Most Beneficent (Allah) as a slave."
(Maryam 19: 93)
“I made a lineage and you made a lineage,” Allah, the Most Exalted, shall say on the Day of Judgment, “I made the most honorable among you the one who is most pious, but you insisted on saying: the son of so-and-so is better than the son of so-and-so. Today I raise My lineage and lower your lineage. Where are the pious?”
