What does Islam teach about race? Can one people, one colour, or one family line stand above another in this religion? This page answers from the Qur’an and the explanations of the scholars. Allah made mankind from one origin, split them into peoples and tribes for one stated purpose, and set one measure of worth: taqwa [fearing Allah and keeping His commands]. It states the teaching as the books give it; it judges no modern case, names no country, and rules on no person.
The answer begins where mankind begins.
Created from One Soul
Every human being alive goes back to the same beginning. Allah opens Surah an-Nisa with it:
O humankind, fear your Lord, Who created you from a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the pair of them spread countless men and women far and wide.
Allah’s words in Surah an-Nisa (4), verse 1, Tafsir as-Sa’di (Vol. 2, printed p. 117). As-Sa’di draws the lesson out of the fact itself:
By telling us that He created them from a single soul and that He spread them throughout the earth, even though they have one origin, this should make them compassionate and kind towards one another.
Abdur Rahman as-Sa’di, Tafsir as-Sa’di, on Surah an-Nisa (4), verse 1 (Vol. 2, printed p. 118). He says the same at the verse of Surah al-Hujurat, the verse this whole page turns on:
Here Allah tells us that He created the sons of Adam from a single origin and they are all of one race. They all come from one male and one female; they are all descended from Adam and Hawwa’, from whom Allah spread countless men and women far and wide (4:1).
Abdur Rahman as-Sa’di, Tafsir as-Sa’di, on Surah al-Hujurat (49), verse 13 (Vol. 9, printed p. 259). Hawwa’ is Eve. Ibn Kathir, under his heading “All of Mankind are the Children of Adam and Hawwa’”, concludes:
Therefore, all people are the descendants of Adam and Hawwa’ and share this honor equally. The only difference between them is in the religion that revolves around their obedience to Allah the Exalted and their following of His Messenger.
Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged), on Surah al-Hujurat (49), verse 13. One father, one mother, one shared honour. Whatever divides mankind into peoples came after this, and it came for a reason Allah states Himself.
Peoples and Tribes, So That You May Know One Another
Here is the verse in full, in as-Sa’di’s rendering:
O humankind, verily We created you from one man and one woman, and made you into nations and tribes so that you may recognise one another. Verily the noblest of you before Allah is the most righteous among you. Verily Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.
Allah’s words in Surah al-Hujurat (49), verse 13, Tafsir as-Sa’di (Vol. 9, printed p. 259). The book’s own footnote on the verse gives the purpose of the division, and its limit, in one breath: “The purpose behind making humankind into nations and tribes is so that they may know one another’s origins and lineage for the purpose of identification and for the fulfilment of rights and duties that are based on blood ties, but they should not boast about their lineage or use it as a means of claiming superiority over others.”
Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen explains the same wisdom in his explanation of Riyad as-Salihin. Nations are the large peoples, tribes the smaller groups inside them, and the whole arrangement is for knowing, not for ranking:
This is the wisdom of Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, for making us nations and tribes – that we may know one another – this is an Arab, that is a non-Arab, this is from the Tribe of Tameem, this is from the Tribe of Quraysh, and this is from Khuzaa’ah, and the list goes on. Allah – the Mighty and Sublime – has created all these tribes so that we would know one another. It should not be a source of self-aggrandizement such that a person will say: ‘I am an Arab and you are a non-Arab’, ‘I am a Qubayli and you are a Khudayri’, ‘I am rich and you are poor’; all these are from the calls of the Time of Ignorance – we seek refuge with Allah. He – the Mighty and Sublime – has not made all these communities but for us to know one another, not to display a feeling of superiority on one another.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, Explanation of Riyad as-Salihin, Vol. 3 (printed pp. 564-565), on Surah al-Hujurat (49), verse 13. His two middle examples are standings of his own land and time; the claim is the same claim in every land. And lineage itself is not a shame to be hidden. As-Sa’di notes: knowing people’s lineage is “something that is required according to Sharia, because Allah has made them nations and tribes for that purpose” (on 49:13, Vol. 9, printed p. 260). Sharia is Allah’s law. A man may know his line and name it. He may not climb on it.
No Superiority by Lineage or Colour
The differences themselves, of tongue and of skin, are not a ladder. Allah counts them among His signs:
Among His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth, and the diversity of your languages and colours. Verily in that there are signs for those who have knowledge.
Allah’s words in Surah ar-Rum (30), verse 22, Tafsir as-Sa’di (Vol. 7, printed p. 301). As-Sa’di explains:
(and) likewise there is a sign in (the diversity of your languages and colours), of which there is such a great variety, despite having a single origin, and despite the fact that the sounds made by human voices come from the same place. Even though that is the case, you will not find two voices that are similar in all ways, or two colours that are similar in all ways. Rather you will find differences between them so that you can tell them apart. This is indicative of the perfect nature of His might and shows us that His will is always done.
Abdur Rahman as-Sa’di, Tafsir as-Sa’di, on Surah ar-Rum (30), verse 22 (Vol. 7, printed p. 302). And the variety is mercy, not accident: “One aspect of His care and mercy towards His slaves is that He has decreed these differences lest things resemble one another too closely, which would lead to confusion and would be detrimental to people’s interests” (same page). Against all of this variety stands the one measure, stated by as-Sa’di on the verse of al-Hujurat:
But nobility and dignity are connected to piety and righteousness. The noblest of them before Allah are those who are the most righteous, which means those who are the most obedient and who most keep away from sin, not those who have the most relatives or are the noblest in lineage.
Abdur Rahman as-Sa’di, Tafsir as-Sa’di, on Surah al-Hujurat (49), verse 13 (Vol. 9, printed p. 260). Ibn Kathir heads his explanation of the verse’s close “Honor is earned through Taqwa of Allah”, and glosses it: “you earn honor with Allah the Exalted on account of Taqwa, not family lineage.” The Prophet ﷺ said the same when he was asked about honour itself. Al-Bukhari narrated that Abu Hurayrah said: “Some people asked the Prophet, ‘Who is the most honorable among people?’ He replied,”
The most honorable among them with Allah is the one who has the most Taqwa.
The Prophet ﷺ, as recorded in Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged), on Surah al-Hujurat (49), verse 13. And Muslim recorded that he ﷺ said:
Verily, Allah does not look at your shapes or wealth, but he looks at your hearts and actions.
The Prophet ﷺ, as recorded in Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged), on Surah al-Hujurat (49), verse 13. Shapes, wealth, colour and line are what men look at. They are not what Allah looks at.
The First Generation Lived It
The teaching was not left on paper. On the day Makkah was conquered, the Prophet ﷺ addressed the very people who had driven him out, and Ibn Kathir records his words from Ibn Umar, as recorded by Abd bin Humayd:
O people! Allah the Exalted has removed from you the slogans of Jahiliyyah and its tradition of honoring forefathers. Men are of two types, a man who is righteous, fearful of Allah and honorable to Allah, or a man who is vicious, miserable and little to Allah the Exalted.
The Prophet ﷺ, as recorded in Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged), on Surah al-Hujurat (49), verse 13. Jahiliyyah is the time of ignorance before Islam. He ﷺ then recited the verse of al-Hujurat itself, the verse of this page.
Look at who stood in that first community. Bilal was a slave in Makkah, owned by Umaiyah bin Khalaf, and when his master learned of his Islam he was beaten, dragged through the streets, and once bound in the heat of the day with a giant stone placed on his chest, and told he would not be released until he died or rejected Muhammad ﷺ and worshipped Lat and Uzza. The Sealed Nectar records his answer and what followed:
Yet, even while Bilal was suffering, he said only, “One, One.” Abu Bakr was passing by, and moved by pity, he purchased him and released him from slavery.
Safiur Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum), Open Preaching (printed p. 135). The freed slave became the Prophet’s ﷺ own caller to prayer, and on the day of that same conquest of Makkah, “when the time for prayer approached, Bilal ascended the Ka’bah and called for the prayer” (The Sealed Nectar, The Conquest of Makkah, printed p. 530). The Adhan is the call to prayer.
In Madinah the Prophet ﷺ paired the Emigrants from Makkah with the Helpers, the Muslims of Madinah who had welcomed them, as brothers in faith. The Sealed Nectar states what that pairing meant:
Brotherhood-in-faith was considered superior to every distinction of race and kinship upholding the Islamic principle: none is superior to the other except on the basis of piety and God-fear.
Safiur Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum), Life in Madinah (printed p. 266). And it was lived in property, not only in words: Sa’d bin Ar-Rabi’, one of the Helpers, said to his brother in faith, Abdur-Rahman bin Awf: “I am the richest man among the Helpers. I am glad to share half of my property with you” (same page).
Pride in Lineage Is From the Ways of Ignorance
So where does pride in fathers and peoples belong? The Prophet ﷺ put it where it was before Islam, and Ibn Uthaymeen quotes his words in the same explanation:
Verily Allah has written off all the manifestations of Jaahiliyyah from you, and taking pride in your fathers; a believer, a pious one; a disbeliever, an unhappy one, you are all children of Adam, and Adam was from the dust.
The Prophet ﷺ, as quoted by Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen, Explanation of Riyad as-Salihin, Vol. 3 (printed p. 565), on Surah al-Hujurat (49), verse 13. The book’s footnote gives its sources: Abu Dawud, in the Book of Manners, no. 5116, and at-Tirmidhi, in the Book of Excellence, no. 3956. At the Farewell Pilgrimage, in his last great address, the Prophet ﷺ said the same of the whole way of ignorance: “Behold! All practices of paganism and ignorance are now under my feet” (The Sealed Nectar, The Farewell Pilgrimage, printed p. 610). Ibn Uthaymeen gathers the matter:
Therefore, the superiority in Islam is based on the fear of Allah – the Mighty and Sublime. The most honourable of us with Allah is he that fears Allah most; thus, whoever fears Allah most is the most honourable with Allah – the Mighty and Sublime.
Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, Explanation of Riyad as-Salihin, Vol. 3 (printed p. 565), on Surah al-Hujurat (49), verse 13.
One care is needed here, and the Shaykh himself states it. He notes that Allah honoured the Arabs as a people by raising His Messenger ﷺ from among them, and that peoples are not all alike in the gifts Allah gave them in this world. But that is a fact about Allah’s choosing, never a licence for one man to lift himself over another: “what is not allowed is the pride of nations over one another”, and the rank of a person is settled by his own fear of Allah, so that “if an Arab man is not one of those who fear Allah – the Mighty and Sublime, then a pious non-Arab is better and more virtuous in the sight of Allah – the Mighty and Sublime” (printed pp. 565-566). His summary of the whole passage is flagged in this page’s sources file; his words quoted here are his own.
So, What Does Islam Teach About Race?
Gathering the page together:
- All mankind was created from a single soul, and from its mate countless men and women spread over the earth; the shared origin is itself a reason for compassion and kindness between people (4:1; as-Sa’di).
- All people are the descendants of Adam and Hawwa’ and share this honour equally; the only difference between them is in religion, obedience to Allah and following His Messenger (49:13; Ibn Kathir).
- Nations and tribes were made so that people may know one another, for identification and for the rights and duties of kinship, not for boasting or claiming superiority (49:13; as-Sa’di and the book’s footnote; Ibn Uthaymeen).
- Lineage may be known and named; it is required for the rights that rest on it. It may not be climbed on (49:13; as-Sa’di; Ibn Uthaymeen).
- The diversity of languages and colours is among Allah’s signs, decreed in mercy so people can be told apart; it is no scale of worth (30:22; as-Sa’di).
- Nobility and dignity with Allah are connected to piety and righteousness, not to the number of a man’s relatives or the nobility of his line (49:13; as-Sa’di).
- Honour with Allah is earned on account of taqwa, not family lineage; the most honourable of people is the one who has the most taqwa, and Allah looks at hearts and actions, not shapes or wealth (Ibn Kathir; al-Bukhari; Muslim).
- The Prophet ﷺ announced the removal of the slogans of Jahiliyyah and the honouring of forefathers at the conquest of Makkah, and put all the practices of ignorance under his feet at the Farewell Pilgrimage (Ibn Kathir; The Sealed Nectar).
- The first generation lived it: a freed slave became the caller to prayer and called it from the top of the Ka’bah, and brotherhood in faith stood above every distinction of race and kinship (The Sealed Nectar).
- Pride in fathers is from the manifestations of Jaahiliyyah that Allah has written off; superiority in Islam is based on the fear of Allah alone (Ibn Uthaymeen).
So Islam does not rank mankind by race, colour or descent. It traces every person to one father and one mother, makes their differences a sign and a mercy, and sets one measure over them all: whoever fears Allah most is the noblest with Him. Whoever wants to read this in full will find it in Tafsir as-Sa’di on Surahs an-Nisa, ar-Rum and al-Hujurat, in the Abridged Tafsir Ibn Kathir on al-Hujurat, in Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen’s Explanation of Riyad as-Salihin, Vol. 3, and in The Sealed Nectar. I hope this short page makes the teaching clear, and sends the reader back to those books.
Further Reading
- Does Islam Promote Violence?: the verses people quote, read in their context.
- Who is Muhammad ﷺ: the Prophet ﷺ who taught and lived this.
- What Is Sharia?: Allah’s law, its sources and its aims.
- Tawheed (Monotheism): the oneness of Allah.
References
- Abdur Rahman as-Sa’di, Tafsir as-Sa’di. International Islamic Publishing House, English Edition 1, 2018; translated by Nasiruddin al-Khattab. Used for: an-Nisa (4) 1 (Vol. 2); ar-Rum (30) 22 (Vol. 7); al-Hujurat (49) 13 (Vol. 9). Printed pages are given with each quotation.
- Ibn Kathir, Tafsir Ibn Kathir (Abridged), the ten-volume set. Used for: al-Hujurat (49), verse 13. The held copy prints no page folios for these passages; locations are by surah in the sources file.
- Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen, Explanation of Riyad as-Salihin (Sharh Riyaad as-Saaliheen), Vol. 3. Maktaba Dar-us-Salam, 2018; ISBN 978-603-500-417-6; translated by Abu Naasir Ibrahim Abdur-Rauf and Abu Abdil-Barr Muhammad Yaqeen. Used for: his explanation on Surah al-Hujurat (49), verse 13 (printed pp. 564-566).
- Safiur Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, The Sealed Nectar (Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum). Darussalam, 2011; ISBN 978-603-500-110-6. A biography of the Prophet ﷺ, used for: Bilal (printed p. 135), the Brotherhood in Madinah (printed p. 266), and the conquest of Makkah and the Farewell Pilgrimage (printed pp. 530, 610).
Verified on 2026-10-24 against: Tafsir as-Sa’di, Vols. 2, 7 and 9 (IIPH, English Edition 1, 2018); the Abridged Tafsir Ibn Kathir set; Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen’s Explanation of Riyad as-Salihin, Vol. 3; and The Sealed Nectar.