Introduction

International Day for People of African Descent 31 August

As we mark the International Day for People of African Descent this year, we also mark the final year of the International Decade for People of African Descent, an initiative launched by the UN General Assembly to recognize people who are of African descent as a distinct group whose human rights must be safeguarded. The aim of this observance was to promote the extraordinary contributions of the African diaspora around the world and to eliminate all forms of discrimination against people of African descent.

International days reflect the values that society shares. All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights and have the potential to contribute constructively to the development and well-being of their societies. Any doctrine of racial superiority is scientifically false, morally condemnable, socially unjust, and dangerous and must be rejected, together with theories that attempt to determine the existence of separate human races.

Islam has always been the champion of promoting human rights and has been the leader in eradicating slavery and promoting freedom.

It is certainly Allah, to whom belongs all praise, who created diversity in our forms, colours, and languages; making this a token of His Magnificence and Brilliance.

وَمِنْ أٰيَاتِهٖ خَلْقُ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَاخْتِلَافُ أَلْسِنَتِكُمْ وَأَلْوَانِكُمْ إِنَّ فِي ذٰلِكَ لَأٰيَاتٍ لِّلْعَالِمِيْنَ

And of His signs is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the diversity of your languages and your colours. Indeed, in that are signs for those of knowledge. [al Rum: 22]

One of the primary objectives of the revelation of the Qur’an and the Nubuwwah of Rasulullah ﷺ was to eradicate all forms of darkness from the world; be it disbelief, oppression, cruelty, discrimination, etc.

The old system whereby positions of honour were awarded to people on account of their lineage and affluence was done away with. New parameters were set and a new barometer to determine a person’s rank was instituted: Piety. Allah says:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُمْ مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَّأُنْثىٰ وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوْبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِنْدَ اللّٰهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللّٰهَ عَلِيْمٌ خَبِيْرٌ

O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. [al Hujurat: 13]

The level of every individual’s piety is hidden. Hence, we treat every believer with the utmost respect and reverence, believing him to enjoy closer proximity to Allah ﷻ than us. This attitude will erase self-supremacy, pride, and prejudice from our hearts and ultimately from the earth. This was the exact message of Rasulullah ﷺ during his Farewell Hajj, “Lo! Your Rabb is one and your father is one. Harken! An Arab holds no superiority over a non-Arab nor vice versa. A fair skinned individual is not better than a dark-skinned individual nor vice versa; except by taqwa.” [Musnad Ahmed, Hadith: 22978]

Therefore, it is important that we emphasise the universal brotherhood which Islam embodies, and the manner in which Islam eradicated inequality and gave rights and honour to those who society looked down upon. Here you have Rasulullah ﷺ, the noblest of mankind from the noblest lineage, appointing a former African slave as his first Mu’adhin, the Imam of the Muhajirin at Quba’ being a former African slave, the person who Rasulullah ﷺ seated behind him as he rode into Makkah for the classic Conquest of Makkah was the son of a former African slave-girl, and the woman whom Rasulullah ﷺ referred to as his mother was an African woman. These are practical manifestations of the equality Islam brought and established.

The African continent and its inhabitants may be justly proud of the fact that three among the first seven to openly proclaim their faith were of African origin. From the soil of Africa, came the first martyr of Islam, the land of Africa was the first land the Sahabah RA made hijrah to at the command of Rasulullah ﷺ, the first king to accept Islam was from Africa; and the list can go on.

Our focus this week, is to highlight the outstanding qualities of eminent personalities of African origin, mainly among the cream of this ummah — the honourable Sahabah RA — as an encouragement for all to imbibe within ourselves their praiseworthy characteristics and emulate these remarkable personalities.

After studying the lives of the Sahabah RA of African origin, one will come to the realisation that most of them were slaves or children of slaves. Despite their humble beginnings, they rose to lofty ranks of glory and admiration. The message is loud and clear: Nobility does not lie in skin colour, lineage, beauty, or affluence. Rather, Allah ﷻ favours His righteous servants with honour. Another momentous observation one will make is that all of them were emancipated. This supports the fact that Islam came to liberate mankind and grant them independence.