Islam and Human Equality

In Islam all greatness is reserved for God alone. All human beings are equally God’s creation. In this way, there is no difference between one man and another.

In Islam all human beings are equal. The Prophet of Islam, on the occasion of the Final Pilgrimage, declared that no Arab had superiority over a non-Arab. No white man had superiority over a black man. Superiority derives only from being God-fearing rather than from race or colour.

Among human beings there are many differences to be found. But these differences are only for the purpose of recognition rather than to indicate superiority. To build a system of social and national life, it is necessary for people to have such features as make them recognisable to one another. To meet this social need, God has created apparent differences from various respects between people, so that the smooth functioning of the system of the world and dealings with one another may be facilitated. But, so far as a human being’s true superiority is concerned, it is all wholly based on his inherent qualities. That is why there is a hadith which says that God sees people’s hearts, He does not see their bodies. Physical differences may affect human affairs, but in the Hereafter, only those will be rewarded who are held to be deserving because of their inner qualities.

In Islam human equality is regarded as of utmost important. At prayers, all believers stand in rows with one another. During Hajj, all Muslims, from all countries wear the same attire to perform the pilgrimage. In Islam everyone has the same position as all others, neither less nor more. By Islamic light, all kinds of greatness are reserved for God alone. In spite of apparent differences between people, all are equally God’s creation. There is certainly a difference between God and human beings, but there is no difference between one human being and another.