𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐭 𝐌𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞?
Mohamad Mostafa Nassar
Twitter:@NassarMohamadMR
𝐀𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐭 𝐌𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝’𝐬 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐦𝐨𝐧: 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞, 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐬 𝐨𝐧𝐞
Abu Nadrah reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said during the middle of the day at the end of the pilgrimage, “O people, your Lord is one and your father Adam is one. There is no favor of an Arab over a foreigner, nor a foreigner over an Arab, and neither white skin over black skin, nor black skin over white skin, except by righteousness. Have I not delivered the message?” They said, “The Messenger of Allah has delivered the message.”
Source: Musnad Aḥmad 23489
Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Al-Arna’ut
عَنْ أَبِي نَضْرَةَ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي وَسَطِ أَيَّامِ التَّشْرِيقِ فَقَالَ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ أَلَا إِنَّ رَبَّكُمْ وَاحِدٌ وَإِنَّ أَبَاكُمْ وَاحِدٌ أَلَا لَا فَضْلَ لِعَرَبِيٍّ عَلَى أَعْجَمِيٍّ وَلَا لِعَجَمِيٍّ عَلَى عَرَبِيٍّ وَلَا لِأَحْمَرَ عَلَى أَسْوَدَ وَلَا أَسْوَدَ عَلَى أَحْمَرَ إِلَّا بِالتَّقْوَى أَبَلَّغْتُ قَالُوا بَلَّغَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ
23489 مسند أحمد
38/474 المحدث شعيب الأرناؤوط خلاصة حكم المحدث إسناده صحيح في تخريج المسند
Prophet Muhammed peace be upon him did not hate black people. To clarify this matter we can be prove this by analyzing each source that you listed to see if your apparent understanding is correct or no.
𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐐𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐧 (𝟑𝟗:𝟔𝟎)
Quran (39:60) And [so,] on the Day of Resurrection you will see all who invented lies about God [with] their faces darkened [by grief and ignominy]. Is not hell the [proper] abode for all who are given to false pride?
Muhammad Assad comments on Quran (39:60) in his Message of the Quran:
The phrase iswadda wajhuhu (lit., “his face became black” or “dark”) is used idiomatically to describe a face expressive of grief or ignominy Quran (16:58), just as its opposite, ibyadda wajhuhu (lit., “his face became white” or “shining”) describes a countenance expressive of happiness or justified pride:
Quran (3:106) – “some faces will shine [with happiness] and some faces will be dark [with grief]”. (Message of the Quran by Muhammad Assad – Surah Az-Zumar) (Sources listed under references)
The references of sad and gloominess on the day of resurrection need to be understood similar to the expression on the father’s face whose had a baby girl that Quran mentions in Quran (16:58).
The Quran condemns the father’s attitude and refers his expression with the same word iswadda which also means darkened or black ‘Quran (16:58)..for, whenever any of them is given the glad tiding of [the birth of] a girl, his face darkens (or becomes black), and he is filled with suppressed anger’
Allah Exalted He refers to the new born baby girl as ‘glad tiding’ meaning He considers daughters to be glad tidings and good news. Since Allah Exalted He mentions in Quran (16:58) that ‘his face darkens or becomes black’ is a reference to the attitude which becomes evident in his facial expressions due to anger.
Similarly in Quran (39:60) the words ‘their faces darkened’ or ‘will turned black’ meaning that regardless of their ethnicity or race the attitude of these proud sinners will be evident in their facial expressions which will be sad, gloomy, full of sorrow due to humiliation, insult they will experience in hereafter.
𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐡𝐢𝐡 𝐁𝐮𝐤𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢 𝟗:𝟖𝟗:𝟐𝟓𝟔
‘Narrated Anas bin Malik (r.a) Allah’s Apostle (sallAllahu alaihi wassallam) said, ‘You should listen to and obey, your ruler even if he was an Ethiopian ( (Abyssinian black) slave whose head looks like a raisin.’ Sahih Bukhari 9:89:256 Sahih al-Bukhari Book Number 89 Hadith Number 256′
This tradition of the Prophet (sallAllahu alaihi wassallam) is supposed to be understood against the background of another tradition which has further details on the same topic. I can quote it for you so we can understand better:
Prophet Muhammad (SallAllahu alaihi wassallam=peace be upon him) said in one of his very touching sermons said, “I admonish you to fear Allah, to listen and obey even if an Abyssinian (older term for Ethiopian) slave is appointed as your leader. Because whosoever among you shall live after me, will see much discord.
So hold fast to my Sunnah and the examples of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs who will come after me. Adhere to them and hold to it fast. Beware of new things (in Deen) because every Bid’ah is a misguidance”. [Abu Dawud Hadith # 4607 and At-Tirmidhi Hadith # 2676] (Sources listed under references)
The Prophet (sallAllahu alaihi wassallam) prophesied them about discords that they will experience, if they do and considering the fact that majority of his followers were Arabs, then they should follow whoever has been made their leader even if its an outsider, even if he is a non-Arab, Persian or Roman, or even a black Abyssinian slave whose skin is extremely black like a raisin.
This is the lesson being taught. In fact this tradition proves for us that Abyssinians, despite commonly being slaves in the pre-Islamic times of ignorance, will have the potential to becoming religious and political leaders of the Muslims which in fact did happen in subsequent years following prophet’s passing away. Not to forget that majority religious leaders who have served Islam among subsequent generations were non-Arabs such as Persians.
𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐝 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞
You quoted the below tradition that says white will be in paradise and black will be in hell.
‘Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: Allah created Adam when He had to create him and He struck his right shoulder and there emitted from it white offspring as if they were white ants. He struck his left shoulder and there emitted from it the black offspring as if they were charcoal.
He then said (to those who had been emitted) from the right (shoulder): For Paradise and I do not mind. Then He said to those (who had been emitted) from his left shoulder: They are for Hell and I do not mind.
Transmitted by Ahmad.’ http://www.alim.org/library/hadith/TIR/38
This hadith needs to be understood in the light of the Quran 1st and then similar traditions to bring out the clarity. Just as the words in Al Quran (39:60) iswadda wajhuhu which means ‘his face became black’ or ‘dark’ is idiomatically to describe a face full of ignominy or humiliation similarly the ‘white offspring’ in the hadith refers to those offspring of Adam who will have appearances shining with happiness and full of light, not that they belong to the white or European race.
This can also be confirmed by the following Quranic verse:
Quran (3:106) on the Day [of Judgment] when some faces will shine [or turn white with happiness] and some faces will be dark [or black with grief]
The Quran in Surah 56 makes it clear that people of the left side on the day of judgment will belong to the hell fire just as people of the right side will be blessed and belong to people of paradise, and not that they belong to any particular race:
Quran (56:41–43) And those of the left hand, how wretched are those of the left hand! In hot wind and boiling water. And the shade of black smoke.
As Quran makes clear that the people or companions of the left hand will be unfortunate on judgment day and their faces will be darkened due to fire and black smoke and not because of their racial features. This explains for us what is meant in the above hadith by words ‘He struck his left shoulder and there emitted from it the black offspring as if they were charcoal.’
The left shoulder or left side in Islam is considered unfortunate and this is also confirmed in another authentic hadith in which the Prophet Muhammad (SallAllahu alaihi wassallam=peace be upon him) saw Adam (alaihi salaam=peace be upon him) on Night of Journey & Ascension (isra wa’al miraj) and saw him crying every time he saw on the left side of his shoulder:
“When we ascended the lowest heaven (I saw) a man seated with parties on his right side and parties on his left side. When he looked up to his right, he laughed and when he looked to his left, he wept. He said: Welcome to the righteous apostle and the righteous son. I asked Gabriel who he was and he replied: He is Adam (peace be upon him) and these parties on his right and on his left are the souls of his descendants.
Those of them on his right are the inmates of Paradise and the parties which are on his left side are the inmates of Hell; so when he looked towards his right side, he laughed, and when he looked towards his left side, he wept.” (Sahih Al Bukhari) (Sources listed under references)
As for the words ‘He struck his left shoulder and there emitted from it the black offspring as if they were charcoal.’ The people of fire will due to being burned will become so dark that they will look like charcoal and this is confirmed in another hadith which informs us about the state of people who will be taken out of hell fire after being burned:
“…..They will come out, and by that time they would have burnt and became like coal, and then they will be thrown into the river of Al-Hayyat (life) and they will spring up just as a seed grows on the bank of a rainwater stream.” (Sahih Al Bukhari) (Sources listed under references)
Therefore this state of the people of the fire on the day of judgment from Quran and hadith in no way implies their being of a particular race such as African or black race. In fact the authentic hadith literature teaches Muslims that majority of mankind on judgment day going to hell fire will be Gog and Magog who historically are not black or African. Just For your information.
As for all other answers listed by Muslims already have shared Islamic view on races, I believe I wouldn’t need to provide info on that. Therefore its quite evident for anyone who tries to understand each listed source that the Prophet (sallAllahu alaihi wassallam) and the Quran are in no way implying those words for a particular race.
𝐈𝐬𝐥𝐚𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐥. 𝐈𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐡/𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐇𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝𝐬.
● In Qur’an Surat Al-Anbiya chapter Quran (21:107). وَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَٰلَمِينَ
English: “And We have not sent you but as mercy for all the worlds.”
And Islam is totally non racist and against racism, preference is purely based on piety.
● In Qur’an Surat Al-Hujurat chapter Quran (49:13)
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَٰكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ وَجَعَلْنَٰكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَآئِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوٓا۟ۚ إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ ٱللَّهِ أَتْقَىٰكُمْۚ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
“O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes, so that you may identify one another. Surely the noblest of you, in Allah’s sight, is the one who is most pious of you. Surely Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.”
■ Prophet’s Mohammad said: “كلكم لآدم، وآدم من تراب، لا فضل لعربي على أعجمي إلا بالتقوى“.
“You all belong to Adam, and Adam is from dust… No Arab is better than a non-Arab, except by piety”.
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐭’𝐬 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞:
● His own personal aide and caller for daily prayers was Bilal Al Habashi. A persecuted black slave from Abyssinia (Ethiopia) who was freed by Muslims from his pagan master in Makkah.
● One more personal info that little know about prophet Mohammad, is that his former adopted son Zaid, had a black son called Osama, he was the dearest to Prophet Mohammad heart. When Osama reached his late teens, he was appointed by Prophet as leader over Muslim campaigns on top of very senior prophet companions.
Prophet Mohammad did not discriminate based on color, race, wealth, or community status, rather praised whoever sincerely followed, and adhered to Islam and high human values.
Allah knows Best.
References:
Islam is against racism and prejudice
Farewell Sermon: Your Lord is one, your father is one
There is absolutely no racism in Islam-Did Prophet Muhammed hate Black people
Message of the Quran – Muhammad Asad (book format in my possession)
Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم)
Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم)
Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (صلى الله عليه و سلم)