Commentary of the Noble Quran - Chapter 49 - Surah al-Hujurat - Part 9

2. SESSION 9
The Gradations of
Humanity
ُ‫ة‬َ‫ور‬ُ‫س‬‫ات‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫ج‬ُ‫ـح‬
ْ
‫ال‬

3. THE GRADATIONS OF HUMANITY
‫ا‬َ‫ي‬
ْ
‫ك‬
َ
‫أ‬
َّ
‫ن‬‫إ‬ ۚ ‫وا‬
ُ
‫ف‬َ‫ار‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ِل‬
َ
‫ل‬‫ائ‬َ‫ب‬
َ
‫ق‬َ‫و‬ ‫ا‬ً‫وب‬ُ‫ع‬
ُ
‫ش‬ ْ‫م‬
ُ
‫اك‬َ‫ن‬
ْ
‫ل‬َ‫ع‬َ‫ج‬َ‫و‬ ٰ َ
‫َث‬
ْ
‫ن‬
ُ
‫أ‬َ‫و‬ ٍ‫ر‬
َ
‫ك‬
َ
‫ذ‬ ْ‫ن‬‫م‬ ْ‫م‬
ُ
‫اك‬َ‫ن‬
ْ
‫ق‬
َ
‫ل‬
َ
‫خ‬ ‫ا‬
َّ
‫ن‬‫إ‬ ُ‫اس‬َّ‫انل‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ه‬ُّ‫ي‬
َ
‫أ‬َ‫م‬َ‫ر‬
َّ
‫اّلل‬ َ‫د‬
ْ
‫ن‬‫ع‬ ْ‫م‬
ُ
‫ك‬
ٌ‫ري‬‫ب‬
َ
‫خ‬ ٌ‫يم‬‫ل‬
َ
‫ع‬ َ َّ
‫اّلل‬
َّ
‫ن‬‫إ‬ ۚ ْ‫م‬
ُ
‫اك‬
َ
‫ق‬
ْ
‫ت‬
َ
‫أ‬
People, We have created you all male and female and have made you
nations and tribes so that you would recognize each other. The most
honorable among you in the sight of God is the most pious of you. God is All-
knowing and All-aware. (VERSE 13)
ُ‫ة‬َ‫ور‬ُ‫س‬‫ات‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫ج‬ُ‫ـح‬
ْ
‫ال‬

4. THE GRADATIONS OF HUMANITY
• Meaning of ‘male and female’ [ ٰ َ
‫َث‬
ْ
‫ن‬
ُ
‫أ‬َ‫و‬ ٍ‫ر‬
َ
‫ك‬
َ
‫]ذ‬
• Meaning of ‘nations’ [ ‫ا‬ً‫وب‬ُ‫ع‬
ُ
‫]ش‬
• Meaning of ‘tribes’ [
َ
‫ل‬‫ائ‬َ‫ب‬
َ
‫]ق‬
• Meaning of ‘knowing one another’ [‫وا‬
ُ
‫ف‬َ‫ار‬َ‫ع‬
َ
‫]ت‬
ُ‫ة‬َ‫ور‬ُ‫س‬‫ات‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫ج‬ُ‫ـح‬
ْ
‫ال‬

5. DEFINITION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION
The term “racial discrimination” shall mean: any distinction, exclusion,
restriction, or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or
ethnic origin that has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the
recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and
fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any
other field of public life.
ُ‫ة‬َ‫ور‬ُ‫س‬‫ات‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫ج‬ُ‫ـح‬
ْ
‫ال‬

6. DISCRIMINATION AROUND THE WORLD

7. NO PRIDE IN BEING AN ARAB!
َ
‫ال‬
َ
‫أ‬
َّ
‫ن‬‫إ‬
َ
‫ة‬َّ‫ي‬‫ب‬َ‫ر‬َ‫ع‬
ْ
‫ال‬ْ‫ت‬ َ‫س‬
ْ
‫ي‬
َ
‫ل‬ٌ‫اِل‬َ‫و‬ ٌ‫اب‬َ‫ب‬َ‫و‬ٌ‫ق‬‫اط‬
َ
‫ن‬
ٌ
‫ان‬ َ‫س‬‫ل‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ه‬َّ‫ن‬‫ك‬
َ
‫ل‬ُ‫ه‬
ْ
‫غ‬
ُ
‫ل‬ْ‫ـب‬َ‫ي‬ ْ‫م‬
َ
‫ل‬ ُ‫ه‬
ُ
‫ل‬َ‫م‬
َ
‫ع‬ َ ُ‫ُص‬
َ
‫ق‬ ْ‫ن‬َ‫م‬
َ
‫ف‬ُ‫ه‬ُ‫ب‬ َ‫س‬ََ
“Now then, surely your being Arab is not the basis for your personality nor a part
of your essence, rather, it is the language which you speak. So then whosoever
is negligent in his actions, then the pride that he has from his father (being an
Arab) will not help him in the least and will not make up for the defects in his
(religious) actions.”
Al-Kafi, Volume 8, Page 246

8. EFFECTS OF DISCRIMINATION IN AMERICA IN THE 1960S

9. LIKE THE TEETH OF A COMB
َ‫اس‬َّ‫انل‬
َّ
‫ن‬‫إ‬‫لـى‬‫إ‬ َ‫م‬
َ
‫آد‬ ‫د‬ْ‫ه‬
َ
‫ع‬ ْ‫ن‬‫م‬‫ا‬
َ
‫ذ‬
َ
‫ه‬ ‫ا‬َ‫ن‬‫م‬ْ‫و‬َ‫ي‬
ُ
‫ل‬
َ
‫ث‬َ‫م‬
َ
‫ال‬ ‫ط‬
ْ
‫ش‬ُ‫م‬
ْ
‫ال‬ ‫ان‬َ‫ن‬ْ‫س‬
َ
‫أ‬
َ
‫لَع‬ ‫ي‬‫ب‬َ‫ر‬َ‫ع‬
ْ
‫ل‬‫ل‬
َ
‫ل‬
ْ
‫ض‬
َ
‫ف‬‫ي‬‫م‬َ‫ج‬َ‫ع‬
ْ
‫ال‬َ‫و‬َ‫ر‬َ ْ
‫ْح‬
َ
‫األ‬
َ
‫ال‬
َ
‫لَع‬
َّ
‫ال‬‫إ‬ ‫د‬َ‫و‬ْ‫س‬
َ
‫األ‬‫وى‬
ْ
‫ق‬َّ‫اِل‬‫ب‬.
“Surely all of mankind – from the time of Adam until our time – are like the teeth of a comb
(all equal to one another) and there is no greatness of an Arab over a non-Arab and no
greatness for a red-skinned person over a black-skinned person, except due to one’s
consciousness of Allah (taqwa).”
Al-Ikhtisaas, pg. 341

10. EFFECTS OF DISCRIMINATION IN AMERICA IN THE 1960S

11. THE PROPHET AND INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE

12. THE GRADATIONS OF HUMANITY … LESSONS TO LEARN
1. Being male or female or belonging to a certain family or community is not a basis of pride –
these are all factors decided by Allah before our birth. ( ،‫خلقنا‬‫جعلنا‬ )
2. The differences of size, characteristics, nationalities, etc… of humanity which are seen are
there for a deep-seeded wisdom and are there for us to recognize each other – not to boast.
(‫)لتعارفوا‬
3. Status is something which quickly diminishes amongst people, however what is important is
attaining status with Allah. ( ‫اكرمكم‬‫ه‬ّ‫عندللا‬ )
ُ‫ة‬َ‫ور‬ُ‫س‬‫ات‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫ج‬ُ‫ـح‬
ْ
‫ال‬

13. THE GRADATIONS OF HUMANITY … LESSONS TO LEARN
4. The Quran speaks about all types of differentiations between humanity including nationality,
family, community, nation, economic, ideological, cultural, societal, and rejects them all and
considers that only honour to be the consciousness of God. ( ‫ان‬‫اكرمكم‬‫ه‬ّ‫عندللا‬‫أتقاكم‬ )
5. It is ingrained in the human nature to seek status over others, and Islam has answered this
by providing the goal of Taqwa to be that ‘status’ to seek. ( ‫ه‬ّ‫ان‬‫اكرمكم‬‫ه‬ّ‫عندللا‬‫أتقاكم‬ )
6. One must not claim to be pious or spiritual or to pretend and show off as being such as only
Allah knows who we truly are. ( ‫علیم‬‫خبیر‬ )
ُ‫ة‬َ‫ور‬ُ‫س‬‫ات‬َ‫ر‬ُ‫ج‬ُ‫ـح‬
ْ
‫ال‬