How can a Muslim help people recognise that all humans are equal?

By passing the message on openly. He can talk about it among friends, support movements that stand up for human equality, and write about it, for example in essays or letters to newspapers.

Islam teaches that no people has any superiority over another. Even so, some nations and groups still consider themselves better than others. For a Muslim, then, the question is not whether to do something, but how.

The way is simple and close at hand. A Muslim should pass on this message wherever he is. He can talk about it with friends and at work. He can support groups and movements that work for the equality of all people. He can write essays or send letters to newspapers. Friendly reminders and patient explanation often achieve more than loud demands.

The Holy Qur’an provides clear reasons for this. All human beings come from a single origin. God made them into nations and tribes so that they might know one another, not so that they might look down on one another. The most honoured in God’s sight is the one who fears Him most. The diversity of colours and languages is a sign of His creation, not a measure of a person’s worth.

Sometimes people are accused of preaching equality only out of self-interest, for instance because they belong to a disadvantaged group themselves. One can answer this calmly. Human equality is not the demand of any one group. It is a teaching that applies to everyone and places the same obligation on all.

Most convincing of all, however, is one’s own example. Whoever treats every person with equal respect, in conversation, at work and among neighbours, preaches equality without needing many words.