IECRC (USA & Canada)

March 2005

“O mankind! We have indeed created you from one man and one woman, and have made you into various nations and tribes so that you may know one another; indeed the more honorable among you, in the sight of Allah, is one who is more pious among you; indeed Allah is All Knowing, All Aware.”

[Al-Quran 49:13]

In the Islamic worldview the yardstick for spiritual hierarchy amongst human beings is singular: piety, as enunciated by the above-mentioned verse of the Holy Quran, the Divine Text of Islam. All other distinguishing elements such as color, race, language, gender and so forth are intended to enrich the fabric of the human society, not to break it apart.

The Divine Intent is further illustrated in the words of Allah Almighty’s Beloved Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) who advised humanity in His famous farewell address:

“All mankind is from Adam and Eve, an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black, nor a black has any superiority over a white, except by piety and good action.”

This universal message if taken to heart and applied with attitudes that transcend utopian idealism, is certain to bridge rifts, heal wounds, and breed a social infrastructure that caters to the welfare and well being of each member of society – indeed this is the final goal of the Shari’ah (Islamic Law).

However, human history has been far from ideal. Despite constant Divine Guidance through the institution of Prophethood – beginning from Prophet Adam, Noah, Abraham and culminating in the Prophets Moses, Jesus and finally the Holy Prophet Muhammad (prayers and peace of Allah be upon them all), the human report card is far from making the honor roll. Once again, Divine Mercy comes to the rescue. The Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) said:

“All of the children of Adam make mistakes. The best of those who make mistakes are the ones who repent.”

The observance of “Black History Month (BHM)” in the United States is an ongoing effort in making reparations to the painful experiences of African Americans in this country. February marks the beginning of this annual celebration that has existed since 1926. Much of the credit can go to Harvard Scholar Dr. Carter G. Woodson, who was determined to bring Black History into the mainstream public arena. Woodson devoted his life to making “the world see the Negro as a participant rather than as a lay figure in history.” In 1926 Woodson organized the first annual Negro History Week, which took place during the second week of February. Woodson chose this date to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln – two men who had greatly impacted the black population. Over time, Negro History Week evolved into the Black History Month that we know today – a four-week-long celebration of African American History.

The struggles for equality and justice as played out by El Hajj Malik al-Shabbaz (Malcolm X) and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for the restoration of civil rights of African Americans in the United States are well known and commendable. However, “Black History” vis-à-vis Islam is much older than these experiences. One of the first personalities of African, specifically Abyssinian (modern day Ethiopia) descent who rose to the occasion to lift up the light of Truth during the days of ignorance (jahiliyya) was none other than Hazrat Bilal ibn Rabah (may Allah be pleased with him), the very dear and beloved Companion of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him). Those were the days when people were mired in tribal wars; fraternal bitterness, grudges and enmity was commonplace, the sword was the solution to the most minor of disputes, slavery was institutionalized where humans were sold by humans, slaves and servants were treated inhumanely and tortured, the strong would devour the weak whose voices were completely suppressed and unheard, any claim for justice was crushed, usurious dealings with its inherent oppression was the business of the day, gambling and looting was routine, women were treated as chattel, baby girls were buried, and stone idols were considered divine. In short, humans were leeches upon humans, and to compound the ignorance, those perpetrating such crimes indulged in arrogant self-praise considering such evils as laudable.

To alleviate the misery of such abominations, in the midst of this darkness, arose a light of Divine Guidance – a symbol of Allah’s Mercy, a Personality whose lineage, veracity, trustworthiness and integrity were well known. He (Peace Be Upon Him) was from the Bani Hashim, the noblest of the Arab tribes and was famous as “Al-Amin” – “The Trustworthy”, loved by all. He was very kind, loved the children and the old, cared for the youth, nursed the sick, served the poor, fed the hungry, embraced the orphans, freed the slaves, was kind to the animals, and spread peace. He was the epitome of wisdom, magnanimity, truthfulness, benefit, and greatness.

He (Peace Be Upon Him) called people to the worship of the One True God, commanded them to keep their minds pure from all evil, to be truthful, to keep their promises, to respect the ties of kinship, the rights of neighbors, to refrain from crimes and bloodshed, to be helpful to others, and to live with the people of the other religions peacefully and justly. He asked them to serve the poor, the sick and the sufferers. He prohibited them from hating anyone. He taught virtue, decency, justice, respect, manners, and the etiquettes of being civilized. He transformed hearts and mind, purified them, and illumined the hearts with faith in the One True God, Creator and Sustainer of the Universe. He created a community where there was no illegitimate fighting and no enmity, where the exemplary message of brotherhood was established through the Ansaar-Muhaajir relationship. (This was the historic comradeship instituted by the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) between the Muslims who emigrated from Mecca – the Muhaajir and the residents of Medina – the Ansaar.) This was the message of Islam.

For adherence to such lofty yet innate human principles unmarred by the human ego, the early Muslims were subjected to the most inhumane of treatments. Some of the earliest converts such as Hazrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) were slaves, poor & humble. Hazrat Bilal’s (may Allah be pleased with him) owner Umayya ibn Khalaf inflicted immense suffering on him. History books tell of him tying a rope around Hazrat Bilal’s (may Allah be pleased with him) neck and dragging him on the burning sands of Arabia, and placing huge, burning, hard rocks on his abdomen. The cause for Khalaf’s vengeance was simply because Hazrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) heeded the call of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him), and held on to it so staunchly that no amount of tormenting would budge him from his newly found love. When the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) learnt of Khalaf’s mistreatments, He had him freed through Hazrat Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), another one of the Holy Prophet’s (Peace Be Upon Him) great Companions. Hazrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) was one of the seven early Muslims who bore such great hardships and held on to the rope of Truth when being Muslim was not materially beneficial, on the contrary it was detrimental and dangerous to one’s honor, property, and life itself. Hazrat Bilal’s (may Allah be pleased with him) steadfastness in his love for the Truth and the Truth-Bearer (Peace Be Upon Him) is eloquently versified by Hazrat Allama Iqbal (may Allah have mercy on him), the great 19^th CE century poet-philosopher of Pakistan:

“Jafaa jo Ishq mein ho vo jafaa hee naheen;

Sitam na ho to muhabbat mein kuch mazaa hee naheen”

“The injury in love is not real injury;

in fact, if there is no suffering,

there is no taste in love”

Hazrat Bilal’s (may Allah be pleased with him) utter devotion was also amply rewarded by the Holy Prophet’s (Peace Be Upon Him) great love for him. He (Peace Be Upon Him) made Hazrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) the comrade of a relative of His, a noble Hashmite, in the Ansaar-Muhaajir relationship. This exemplified the Truth cutting the chains of social hierarchy. Hazrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) was the Holy Prophet’s (Peace Be Upon Him) muezzin, one who recited the Call to Prayer. There are famous heart-warming narrations about how the time for prayer would not come in until Hazrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) gave the Adhan (call to prayer).

Another great personality who was a pillar of support to the Truth during the early days of Islam of African descent was King Negus of Abyssinia. When the early Muslims were undergoing the aforementioned persecutions, the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) gave them permission to emigrate to his kingdom, as this king was known for his justice. When the case of the Muslims was eloquently presented in the king’s court by Hazrat Jafar (may Allah be pleased with him), a Companion of the Holy Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him), the king’s heart and mind were swept away by such a noble message and he granted sanctuary to the Muslims in his kingdom. This act on the king’s part was highly commendable as he was under immense pressure from the Arab persecutors of the Muslims who had tracked them down to Abyssinia. However the king remained steadfast in holding on to the truth.

Wherever Islam traveled, its high ideals and noble principles transformed people and societies. However, the black-white divide once again became increasing pronounced with the European domination of Africa between the latter half of the fifteenth and the nineteenth centuries, which involved the enslavement of millions of African peoples. It has been estimated that Africa alone supplied some 20 million slaves over three centuries in order to satisfy the American demand for labor.  This has taken its toll on the psyche and social stratification of people of African descent especially in European countries today. The Africans in their native countries also suffer the repercussions of a post-colonial world. The pious men and women who have tried to uphold the true and pristine Islamic teachings have always been a cohesive and inspiring force in their communities to attempt to provide unification and healing.

It is therefore very clear that Islamic teachings call for the abolishment of all unjust treatments of people based on the color of their skin, or any other factor for that matter. If such practices exist today where people are held in bondage against their will and without compensation, then this is a practice completely antithetical to Islam. As is obvious from the above exposition, Islamic “Black History” or more aptly and respectfully put, “Bilali History” is as old as Islam itself. Men and women of African descent have stood up for the truth from Hazrat Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) to Malcolm X.

As a famous African proverb says that “However long the night, the dawn will break.” As the world moves towards increased cross cultural understanding and improves communication between its various groups in the true spirit of “getting to know one another”, our children can hope for a bright future where each human being is provided the basic resources to be the best they can and contribute positively to society.

Dr. Mohammad Ahmed Qadri

Dr. Qadri is the Founder of IECRC. He is a renowned Islamic scholar from Pakistan, with expertise in both modern education and traditional Islamic sciences, having completed the 18 year Dars-e-Nizami course from Pakistan.