Racism is to treat someone badly or to think that you are better than them, just because they are a different race or skin colour to you. Racism is something that has unfortunately always existed and is still around today and is a very sad and terrible thing to experience.

Islam teaches that it isn’t what you look like, or where you are from that matters, but rather what kind of person you are on the inside.  You are not judged on who your father may be or what colour skin he has, but what is in your heart and how you behave towards others. Before the Prophet Muhammad died, he made one finaly speech to His people, known as 'The Prophets Last Sermon'. In it He said:

‘No Arab is superior over a non-Arab, and no white is superior over black and superiority is by righteousness and God-fearing alone’.

Islam taught the people of Makkah, (who were extremely racist at that time) that racism was a horrible and dreadful thing. This encouraged people to realise that it is unfair and wrong to judge and look down on people because of things they cannot change, such as their skin colour.

There is a famous story in the history of Islam that shows how far the people of Makkah moved away from their racist ways, and how much they hated racism. This story involves Bilal, a famous black Muslim and Abu Dharr, an Arab Muslim.

Bilal was a slave to one of the biggest leaders in Makkah and they would beat him and mistreat him because of his colour. Like others around him, Bilal became a Muslim. When his masters found this out, they beat him even more severely. Soon after, the Prophet heard that Bilal was being beaten for becoming a Muslim and wanted to stop this. The Prophet bought Bilal from his masters and then freed him. Years later when the Muslims were in a neighbouring city, Medina, Abu Dharr a leader of one of the tribes was speaking with Bilal. Their conversation turned into an argument and in anger Abu Dharr blurted out 'You cannot comprehend this, you are the son of a black woman!' Abu Dharr accused Bilal of not being clever enough to understand something because of his colour.

As we said earlier, Islam came to stop all kinds of racism, so Bilal was very upset and angry with what Abu Dharr had said. A little while later, another man went to the Prophet and told him what Abu Dharr had said to Bilal. The Prophet called Abu Dharr to him and he said to him:

'I have been told that you addressed Bilal as the son of a black woman,’ Abu Dharr was very embarrassed and said nothing. The Prophet continued to tell him why this was wrong and that he had behaved in an unacceptable way. 'This means you’re still hanging on to the standards and judgments of the pre-Islamic days of ignorance. Islam has gotten rid of all those wrong ways of judging people by family, fame, colour or wealth. It has established that the best and most honourable of men is he who is the most moral and upright in their behaviour. Is it right to insult a believer just because he is black?'

Abu Dharr felt very ashamed and went straight to Bilal’s house and, putting his head on the floor, said: 'This head will not rise from here until the blessed feet of Bilal tread on the face of foolish, impolite Abu Dharr,' but because Abu Dharr had realised his mistake and was sorry, Bilal said: 'That face deserves to be kissed, not trodden upon', and forgave Abu Dharr.

Racism is unfortunately still around today and many people still experience this in either little, hidden ways or big and obvious ways. Sometimes, Muslims are also racist, even after everything the Prophet taught. However, as we saw in the story, Islam teaches that no Muslim should ever be judgmental or ignorant to another human being, especially due to their colour or background.