LessonsEquality, Goodness, and Controlling Anger (Hadith 98-103)Quiz

إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْ أَحْمَرَ وَلَا أَسْوَدَ إِلَّا أَنْ تَفْضُلَهُ بِتَقْوَى
Translation: You are not better than a red-complexioned or black-complexioned person unless you surpass them in piety.

Source: أحمد

أَحْمَرَ and أَسْوَدَ refer to outward complexion. Colour, ethnicity, lineage, or language cannot by themselves establish religious superiority. تَقْوَى is mindfulness of Allah, expressed by obeying Him and avoiding wrongdoing. The final judgment of someone’s piety belongs to Allah, not to social status or human boasts.

لَسْتَ comes from لَيْسَ, “you are not.” The مِنْ in بِخَيْرٍ مِنْ makes a comparison, and إِلَّا أَنْ تَفْضُلَهُ introduces an exception: “unless you surpass them.” The suffix ـهُ refers to the person being compared.

In a classroom with learners of different regions or backgrounds, courtesy, fair treatment, and cooperation should be the same for all. One should improve personal piety instead of claiming superiority.

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Hadith 98: Piety rather than colour or ancestry

Equality, Goodness, and Controlling Anger (Hadith 98-103)

إِنَّكَ لَسْتَ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْ أَحْمَرَ وَلَا أَسْوَدَ إِلَّا أَنْ تَفْضُلَهُ بِتَقْوَى
Translation: You are not better than a red-complexioned or black-complexioned person unless you surpass them in piety.

Source: أحمد

أَحْمَرَ and أَسْوَدَ refer to outward complexion. Colour, ethnicity, lineage, or language cannot by themselves establish religious superiority. تَقْوَى is mindfulness of Allah, expressed by obeying Him and avoiding wrongdoing. The final judgment of someone’s piety belongs to Allah, not to social status or human boasts.

لَسْتَ comes from لَيْسَ, “you are not.” The مِنْ in بِخَيْرٍ مِنْ makes a comparison, and إِلَّا أَنْ تَفْضُلَهُ introduces an exception: “unless you surpass them.” The suffix ـهُ refers to the person being compared.

In a classroom with learners of different regions or backgrounds, courtesy, fair treatment, and cooperation should be the same for all. One should improve personal piety instead of claiming superiority.