Huzoor (rh): The Holy Qur’an answers this rather longish question in just one verse. وَجَعَلۡنٰکُمۡ شُعُوۡبًا وَّقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوۡا اِنَّ اَکۡرَمَکُمۡ عِنۡدَ اللّٰہِ اَتۡقٰکُمۡ (Surah Al-Hujurat:14), ‘We have made you into tribes and many species, only so that you could know each other by those references’. As far as the best among you is concerned, in the sight of Allah, the best is only he who fears the most. So the concept of superior race goes overboard with that declaration, that the best in sight of Allah is only he who fears the most.
Now, that is a huge criterion, because mental or physical capabilities, which appear to be the criteria of superiority in worldly life, is completely missing in this. Because even the most backward among the human people, or even the most perverted among the human people, can fear Allah and excel others in that attribute of quality. So, in the sight of Allah, he becomes superior. So, if there are spurious notions among people about superiority, as far as the religion of Islam goes, this is the sectarianism, and we do not care what people believe.
As far as the hafidh is concerned, it is so categorically refuted and denied and rejected by Islam, and by the Holy Qur’an and by the traditions and texts of the Holy Prophet, that the pessimist does not rise. So, the equality of Islam is in human nature. This is why the whole system of Islam is based on equality. There is no question of any difference of race. So, whatever doubt one might have in terms of equality of mind, was ultimately and finally and completely wiped out by the last sermon of Hazrat Muhammad Mustafa s.a.w. on the day of the last Hajj.
And there he gave this declaration that I tremble under my foot. All those notions of superiority of one against the other, of Arab against the other, and so on and so forth. It is the most beautiful, most forceful declaration of human equality and human values. So, this is the last word on this topic.
