Prejudice!

a lil somethin to nourish & heal the soul.
may we be misguided not, from the right path.

Prejudice: Islamic
Perspective


Uzma Mazhar © 2000

Prejudice is a premature judgment -- a
negative attitude towards a person or group of people which is not based
on objective facts. These assumptions are usually based on stereotypes
which are oversimplified and over-generalized views of groups or types of
people. A prejudgment might also be based on an emotional experience we
had with a similar person.

Prejudice is what makes us justify
oppression. Prejudice is a hostile, resentful feeling, an unfounded
dislike for someone or an unfair blaming or degradation of others. It is a
degrading attitude that serves no purpose except to make us feel
superior. It is You against Me. Everything of mine is better than yours--my
country, my religion, my kind of people, my family and my self.

(Think about this one... How good can I really
be if I have to insult or degrade someone so that I can feel good about
myself?)

People show prejudice when they form an opinion
without knowing all the facts. These opinions might be about someone
else's race, religion, or ethnic background. They might be based on a
person's gender, age, or disability, or even income or education level.
The root of all prejudice is fear and ignorance.

From the Islamic perspective, the division of human beings into nations,
races, groups and tribes is for the sake of distinction, so that people of
one race or tribe may meet and be acquainted with the people of another
race or tribe and cooperate with one another. To learn from each other, to
appreciate the differences and celebrate the similarities. It is not
any different than the variety in plants, flowers and animals... it is an
expression of Allah's creativity and artistry. It is meant to evoke
a feeling of awe and wonderment, and respect for His creation.

Sûrah al Hujurat 49:13

"O Mankind, We created you from a male and a
female and made you into nations and tribes, that
you may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the
sight of God is he who is the most righteous of you. Verily Allah is All-Knowing, All Aware"

Sûrah ar Rum 30:22

"And among His Signs is the creation of the
heavens and the earth, and the difference of your languages and colors.
Verily, in that are indeed signs for men of sound knowledge".

This division of the human race is neither
meant for one nation to take pride in its superiority over others nor is
it meant for one nation to treat another with contempt or disgrace, or
regard them as a degraded race and usurp their rights.

Assumptions and generalizations that everyone of
a certain color, race, religion or any such distinctive feature have the
same characteristics... usually in
the form of negative put-downs, insults or jokes is prejudice. Rather
than building bridges between people, prejudice puts up walls. Prejudice then turns into hatred or unfair
treatment of persons belonging to that group.

Sûrah al Hujurât 49:11-12

"O You, who have attained to faith! No
men shall deride other men: it may well be that those whom they deride are
better than themselves; and no women shall deride other women, it may well
be that those whom they deride are better than themselves. And
neither shall you defame one another, nor insult one another by epithets
(name-calling); evil is all imputation of iniquity after faith; and they
who do not repent - it is they who are evil-doers.

O You who have attained to faith! Avoid much suspicions; indeed some suspicions are sins, and do not spy upon one
another, and neither allow yourselves to speak ill of one another behind
their backs..."



Consider some of these statements:

"All African-Americans/Chinese/Arabs are . . ."

"All Jews/Catholics/Muslims/Hindus/Atheists always . . ."

"All poor people are . . ."

"Women/Men are . . ."

"Old people are . . . ."

Complete these sentences with what you believe
about each group, and you will recognize your own prejudices.
Question yourself... does your belief hold true for every single person
of that group? Does your belief hold you back from interacting with
that group?

Prejudice
is learned, it is passed down through the family's beliefs and
attitudes. As
children we adopt prejudiced attitudes without thinking. Most families
utilize certain stereotypes, such as "only men go to the mosque,"
"women are too emotional and can't think for themselves," "men
who consult with their wives are wimps," "poor people are
lazy bums," etc. Rigid gender roles that are taught by example
in the family, (the women and girls always do the cooking and the
housecleaning and taking care of babies.. men don't), are a form of
prejudice.

Due
to its unpleasant and hostile nature, prejudice discourages intimate contact
with the "target" persons so that one doesn't discover what
individuals of 'that' type are really like. Ignorance and fear
perpetuates prejudice.

When we are prejudiced, we violate three
standards that are the hallmark of Islâm:

Reason

We are unreasonable if we judge others negatively without evidence or in
spite of positive evidence or use stereotypes without allowing for
individual differences. We are unreasonable when we do not see
beyond our own limited, preconceived ideas.

Justice

We are unjust when we give preferential treatment to one group over
another. We are unjust when we favor one nation over another. We are unjust if we discriminate and pay men more for the
same work as women or select more men than women for leadership
positions.

Tolerance.

We are intolerant if we reject or dislike people because they are
different, e.g. of a different religion, different socioeconomic status,
or have a different set of values.

People who respect others as individuals, (instead of labeling them according to the group they belong to), are the
people who show reason, justice and tolerance when dealing with others.
These are people who respect humanity as a whole, who honor life..
everyone's life.

Tolerance means accepting
other people just as they are, even if their beliefs differ
from your own. It means seeing that someone else is different from you -
and then saying that the difference is OK. It means treating
other people the way you would want to be treated.

Sûrah al An'am 6:108

"Revile not those unto whom they pray besides Allah lest they
wrongfully revile Allah through ignorance. Thus unto every nation have We
made their deeds seem fair. Then unto their Lord is their return, and He
will tell them what they used to do."

Sûrah al
An'am 6:68

"And when you (Muhammad pbuh) see those who meddle
with Our Revelations, withdraw from them until they meddle with another
topic....."

Sûrah ash Shura 42:15

"And be thou upright as thou art commanded, and follow not their
lusts, but say: I believe in whatever Scripture
Allah hath sent down, and I am commanded to be just among you. Allah is
our Lord and your Lord. Unto us our works and unto you your works; no
argument between us and you. Allah will bring us together, and to Him is the final return."

In this manner Islâm teaches equality
for the entire human race and strikes at the very root of all distinction.
According to Islâm, God has given man this right of equality as a
birthright. Therefore no man should be discriminated against on the ground
of the color of his skin, his place of birth, the race or the nation in
which he was born.

The superiority of one man over another is
only on the basis of God-consciousness, purity of character and high
morals, and not on the basis of color, race, language or nationality,

and even this superiority based on piety and pure conduct does not justify
that such people should play lord or assume airs of superiority over other
human beings. Assuming airs of superiority is in itself a
reprehensible vice which no God-fearing and pious man can ever dream of
perpetrating. Nor does the righteous have more privileged rights over
others, because this runs counter to human equality. From the moral
point of view, goodness and virtue is in all cases better than vice and
evil.

'O people, Remember that your Lord is One. An
Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab has any superiority
over an Arab; also a black has no superiority over white, nor a white has
any superiority over black, except by piety and good action (Taqwâh).
Indeed the best among you is the one with the best character (Taqwâh).
Listen to me. Did I convey this to you properly? People
responded, Yes. O messenger of Allah, The Prophet then said, then each one
of you who is here must convey this to everyone not present'. (Excerpt
from the Prophet’s Last Sermon)

Prejudicial treatment in any way shape or
form falls under the category of 'zulm' (abuse or cruelty) or 'ithm'
(harm). Zulm is forbidden in Islam.. no exceptions. Even such
supposedly 'harmless' practices as choosing a
family member for a job over another qualified person is discouraged. There
is no room for 'special favors' or partiality. The following verse
makes it very clear that Muslims are required to stand for justice even if
it against your own loved ones.

Sûrah an Nisa' 4:135

"O ye who believe! Stand out firmly for
justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your
parents, or your kin, and whether it be (against) rich or poor: for
Allah can best protect both. Follow not the lusts (of your hearts), lest
ye swerve, and if ye distort (justice) or decline to do justice, verily
Allah is Ever Well-Acquainted with all that ye do."

Islam stands for peace and as long as there is
injustice against anyone, there can't be peace.

Article taken from: http://www.crescentlife.com/articles/islam/prejudice_islamic_perspective.htm

NOTE: If you find that there are some difference in the ayats found on the original site compared to the ones on mine, that is because I have rephrased some of the ayats above using my own Quran for easier understanding (meaning-wise still the same). u can cross-reference and correct me if u find any dicrepancies. Thank You.