Chapter
3
Equality
Among People
(Speech was delivered by Imam
Mohmed Baianonie at the Islamic center of raleigh, C.N,)
Allah (S.W.T.) says in Surat
Al-Hujurat, what be translated as, "O Mankind! We have created you from a
male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one
another. Verily, the most honorable of you in the sight of Allah is he who has
most Taqwa among of you. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware."
With this verse, Islam declares
equality among people, that is because Islam respect a human not for any other
reason; Islam does not distinguish between two races, or two groups of people,
or between two colors, and the Prophet Muhammad (saw) addressed the people
signifying that concept during the last pilgrimage, saying: "O People!
Your God is one; your father is one; no preference of an Arab neither over
non-Arab nor of a non-Arab over an Arab or red over black or black over red
except for the most righteous. Verily the most honored of you is the most
righteous."
Not only did Islam emphasize the
equality principle theoretically, but did it practically in some of the worship
acts that translated this principle into a sensible fact that does not escape
people minds, thus: in the mosques where Friday prayer is held once every week,
as well as the five daily prayers; equality is exercised practically and all
the differences vanishes among people. That is, whoever came to the Mosque
first, took his place in the front rows despite his financial states or
position, and whoever come late, his place is late and if you look at any row
among the prayer's rows, you would find in that row the rich and poor, the
knowledgeable and the one with no knowledge, the Arab and the non Arab, no
differences all the same in sight of Allah (SWT), their direction during
prayer, as well as their reveled book, as their Lord is one and also their
movements during the prayer following one Imam.
Also in the holy land where the
annual pilgrimage and the Umrah is performed, the equality is even clearer and
stronger that is because during prayer people may differ in their clothes but
during pilgrimage and Umrah the Ihram situation oblige every one to only wear
simple white clothes which equates the rich and the poor, the governor and
governed, all walking around the Holy Kaaba asking one lord.
Also, another practical application
of equality in Islam, is the equality among people in front of the law and
regulations. What is allowed is for all people and what is forbidden as well
upon all people. The obligations are upon everyone, and whoever deserved
punishment gets it, regardless.
An example of such was when some of
the companions (Sahaba) talked to Osama Bin Zaid, the favorite of the Prophet
Muhammad (saw), to intervene for the sake of the well reputed woman from
Quraish tribe who deserved punishment for stealing (that is cutting her hand),
Osama Bin Zaid talked to the Prophet Muhammad (saw), the Prophet Muhammad (saw)
got angry and said, "Those before you were districted, that is because
the renowned is untouched when he steals, and the poor is punished, verily if
Fatimah daughter of Muhammad stole, I would have cut her hand."
Also during the periode of guided
khalafahs there are many exemples of the aplication of the equality principle.
Here are two exemple :
1st example: the story of Jebelah
Bin Al Ayham who was a Gasan tribe's prince and the bedwein who
complained to kalafe Omar that Jebelah (the prince) has slapped
him, then Omar brought Jebelah and told him to let bedwein retaliate, a
slap for slap unless the bedwein forgives him, this was taken difficulty by the
Gasan prince and told Omar: How does he retaliate and I am a
prince and he is a common. Omar answered: Islam has made equal out of
you. That did not satisfy Jebelah, and he escaped from Madinah
then abandoned Islam, but that did not cause any one's concern because one's
abandoning Islam is much trivial than abandoning such a principle of Islam "equality"
The 2nd example was the story
of khalif Omar and his governor to Egypt Amer Bin Al Aus
when the son of governor struck a Christian man and told him that he is
the son an honored family that man went from Egypt to Madinah
complaining, then khalif Omar called the governor and his son and older
the man to strike the son of the governor the same way he was struck, and
turned to Amer Bin Al ‘Aus the governor and said: "When did you
enslave people and their mothers born then free."
This is Islam: emphasizing the
equality and applying it in the society since 1400 years ago, when during that
time mankind used to suffer the worst distinction among people and individuals
in society and readied the enslaving of the human to his brother the human.
This is the secrete that made Islam
and Muslims prevail nations in the past. It is a mistake to think that Islam
prevailed only because Muslims like dying in the battles as other like to live.
Islam did not prevail through battles only, but because Islam is a complete
unique guidance for life, unique in it's rituals, beliefs, dealings and morals
and from all with all that the religion of Allah is comprised, and with all
that Muslims won and prevailed in the past, and with it Muslims can prevail and
rule these days or any other time.
