EQUALITY

First Established by Islam

ISLAM emerged in the 7th century CE. Prior to this, human equality was nowhere present in any form. To back any action you need ideological support and prior to Islam there was none. In pre-Islamic times, human inequality was thought of as being as natural. In such a context, it was hardly possible to make acceptable the principle of human equality.

Some parts of the world people believed in the concept of rebirth. The belief was that differences between people are because of their deeds in previous lives. Any change in this is possible only after death, in the next life. In such a situation, it was impossible to establish social equality.

Similar was the belief in the superiority of one race or ethnic group over another especially based on skin color - another major stumbling block in establishing human equality.

Islam for the first time, uprooted this thinking based on human inequality, and presented an ideology that could bring about human equality.

Earlier, monarchy prevailed over large parts of the world. Kings promoted the notion that human beings were divided into two classes, rulers and the ruled, masters and subjects. This underlying belief was reinforced by social hierarchies and inequalities for thousands of years. Rulers found this immensely useful for themselves, and made every effort to propagate and enforce it.

Islam for the first time, uprooted this thinking based on human inequality, and presented an ideology that could bring about human equality. It stressed that the distinction was between God and man, and that there was no distinctions between human beings. Every human being, it taught, was a servant of God. The social revolution that Islam introduced in Arabia gradually spread through large parts of the world bringing with it an age of equality.