It is necessary to end this eternal propaganda by Muslims that it was "only" Islam which first ended the discrimination against black people, and thus it is proof that Islam is a divine religion.
It is absolutely not correct, while even before Islam, in ancient Arab Culture the discrimination was on the bases of being Free or Slave, otherwise Black people could be Free, and could be kings and could marry Arab women. White slaves had no worth as compared to the Black Masters.
In comparison to the Free/Slave thing, the discrimination on the bases of colour was NEGLIGIBLE.
The ancient Arab tribal culture was inferior to the culture of the other areas in that region. For example, Abyssinia, which had a black person (Najashi) as a King and which was a proper STATE as compared to the tribal culture of Arabs. And Muslims themselves came to Najashi (the black King of Abyssinia) to seek refuge, and they were indebted to him for protecting their life. And you could not put the status of a person lower to your own status to whom you are indebted.
Bilal (the black companion of Muhammad) also belonged to Abyssinia. But perhaps the biggest factor was that Umm Ayman (the foster mother of Muhammad) was also a black woman from Abyssinia. Muhammad played with his black foster brothers and sisters as a child.
And not only ancient Arabs but also Judaism and Christianity also didn’t discriminate on the basis of colour and gave rights to black people to be free or to even become king and marry white people. In the bible, there are many black characters like the Queen of Seba, Zipporah, Ham etc. And Hajar, the mother of Ishmael (whom Muslim consider to be the forefather of Arabs) was herself a black woman.
Muhammad claimed that Islam follows the same God as Judaism and Christianity. Since there was no open racism in those religions against black people too, and the King Al-Najashi of Abyssinia was himself a Christian, thus again it made it difficult for Muhammad to introduce any open racism against black people in Islam.
That is why Muhammad was unable to stop the black people from staying Free, or to become king, or to marry Arab women, or buying Arab women as slaves, but still, Muhammad followed the Arab culture and continued with the ignorant beliefs of taking Black sheep for sacrifice (Sahih Muslim) and declared Black Dogs to be evil Satans (Sahih Muslim).
Therefore, there was no heroic deed by Muhammad, but he was only following the old Arab customs. As far as discrimination is concerned, then Islam showed so much DISCRIMINATION in the name of slavery that it became a real shame for humanity, where Islam took away the right from slave women to dress properly, where Islam made them naked and placed them topless in the markets of slavery, made their rape Halal by all masters, and even took away their small breastfeeding children and sold them in the slave markets.
Please also note, that even the Roman Empire had the black Emperor SEVERUS before Muhammad. And there were African blacks in the Roman Empire, who were soldiers, and citizens, and some had also prestigious posts (link).
And not to forget the 5 black Pharaohs of Egypt. They were:
- Pharaoh Kashta 760 – 747 BC. Kashta, the brother on of Alara, who ruled Egypt in a time of turmoil and destruction. …
- Shabaka 712 – 698 BC. …
- Tarharqa 690 – 644 BCE. …
- Tantamani 664 – 657 BCE (Last Pharaoh of the 25th Dynasty)
Everyone in Jannah is going to turn WHITE
Muhammad did have some issues with the black colour though. He declared black sheep for sacrifice (Sahih Muslim) and declared Black Dogs to be evil Satans (Sahih Muslim).
Moreover, he declared that everyone going to paradise would get white skin.
Islamweb.Net gave this fatwa:
Question:
Why are houris described as white (in the Quran)? Is dark skin not desirable?
Answer:
.. The fact that they are created white does suggest that the white color is good in quality; however, this does not detract in any way from other colors, whether black or any other one. We have previously highlighted that in Fatwa 274222.
Finally, it is worth highlighting that all the dwellers of Paradise are white, including the ones who were black in this world. For more benefit, please refer to Fatwa 133986.
Moreover, please also see:
Islam also has another type of racism that Arabs are Superior to other Races
But Islam does have a special Racism in it, which is known as "Arab Racism".
Please read about it here:
- The Arabs Are Superior In Islam
- Superiority of the race of Arabs over non-Arabs
- IslamQA.info
- Islamweb.net
- Islamweb.net
- IslamQA.info
Hating Arabs is Disbelief:
- Islamweb.Net
- Sunan Tirmidhi 3927 and 3928
Mawalis (non-Arabs) are not Compatible for Arab Women:
Reliance Of The Traveller The Classic Manual Of Islamic Sacred Law
Islam Apologists: Prophet's Last Sermon denied any racism against black people
Islamic apologists present Muhammad's final sermon, where he is alleged to say:
An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a White has no superiority over a Black nor a Black has any superiority over a White except by piety and good action.
This narration is found ONLY in Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal and it is one of the weakest out of all the reports regarding the last farewell sermon of Muhammad. There are no other supporting narrations for this sentence. Other authentic traditions about the last farewell sermon didn't mention this sentence.
More References:
- Tababri
- Islamweb.Net
- IslamQA.info (1), IslamQA.info (2)
- Sahih Muslim, 1218a and 1679a
- Bukhari, 4406
- Abudawud, 1905
- Ibn Majah, 3074 and 1851
- Tirmidhi, 3087 and 1163
Islamic Apologist: Prophet Muhammad defended Ammar against black racism
Prophet Muhammad was not a racist. When someone called Ammar "you son of black woman" Muhammad reproached the guy who said that and called him barbarian.
Answer:
A true prophet is consistently not racist. A true prophet is always not racist. Not just some of the time. Always.
Muhammad absolutely expressed a belief in Arab superiority.
Muhammad, when speaking about an amazing deed, would compare it to “freeing an Arab,” meaning Arabs are superior to other races. (Abu Dawud 5077, HOTD 179) “The descendants of Isma‘il” refers to Arabs.
Would you be cool if a white man said: “God will reward you as if you had freed a white slave!”?
And Muhammad brags on being Arab:
Narrated Ibn Abbas:
The Prophet ﷺ heard of some of what the people were saying, so he ascended the pulpit and said: “Who am I?" They said: “You are the Messenger of Allah.” He said: “I am Muhammad ibn Abdullah ibn Abdul-Muttalib. Allah created creation and He made me among the best of His creation (humans).
Then He made them into two groups (Arabs and non-Arabs), and He put me in the best group (Arabs). And He created tribes, and He put me in the best tribe (Quraysh). And He made them families, and He put me in the best family (Hashim). So I am the best of you in family and the best of you as an individual.”
Musnad Ahmad 1788. Classed sahih by Ahmad Shakir and hasan by al-Arna’ut.
Al-Qari confirms that Muhammad is referring to Arabs as the superior race:
“(The statement) ‘two groups,’ that is, the Arabs and non-Arabs. ‘He put me in the best group,’ these are the Arabs.”
There is a humorous IslamQA fatwa on Arab superiority, in which it cites multiple hadiths. What makes it humorous is that it deleted the English version but kept the Arabic version, something I've never seen it do. Thankfully, the Wayback Machine makes it live on.
As an aside, the reference you made to Abu Dharr calling Ammar (actually it’s Bilal) “O son of a black woman” is da‘if. (al-Bayhaqi, Shu‘ab al-Iman 4772)
Conclusion:
If we divide racism into different levels, then:
-
Muhammad showed racism in the sense that he preferred white skin colour. That is why declared people in Jannah for having a white face.
-
The higher level of racism comes when people are denied EQUAL Human Rights only based on colour. Did Muhammad deny black people equal human rights? Did he say that the blood of a black person is not equal to a white person? Did he say that a black person cannot become a leader over white people? Did he prohibit black people from sitting along with white people or eating at the same table?
We don't see this 2nd level (i.e. higher level) of racism against black people in Islam. But it was not his great achievement or any heroic deed, as it was already a norm in his Arab culture of that time, where free black people have equal human rights as other free people.
The important point is that Muhammad kept a tradition of hate and discrimination, now focused on religion rather than tribe–and thus non-Muslims are worth 50% of Muslims. (HOTD 120)
Islam simply takes the ideology of racism and replaces religion with race.
I thought Allah was better than that.
Hassan Radwan