Do you give preference to some people?

In the Name of Allah,

All praise is due to Allah, who created all of us.

أيها الناس إن ربكم واحد وإن أباكم واحد كلكم لآدم وآدم من تراب أكرمكم عند الله اتقاكم، وليس لعربي على عجمي فضل إلا بالتقوى
(Muhammad ibn Abdullah (PBUH))

I saw many translation of this statement, but none match the arabic exactly. I am going to try to translate it literally so we can understand this better. Please correct me if I make mistakes here.

"O People! Your lord is one, and your father is one, Adam, and Adam was created from dust. In the sight of Allah, Arab is not preffered over Non-Arab, except in Taqwa"

Of course, the meaning of the statement is paraphrased many ways, but it is good to stay close to Arabic then using the various translations.

I don't know how many of you come across this, but I get different reaction from people when I dress differently. If I am wearing Paksitani Kameez and Shalwar (national dress), Arabs will not be eager to extend their hands to me, and some Pakistanis/Indians will recognize me. On the other hand, If I wear "Taub" (Single long Arabic shirt), Arabs would receive me with a smile and Pakistanis/Indians will see through me like they didn't see me.

Interestingly, one day the Mauzzin of the masjid told me that he is having hard time recognizing, because I wear different caps every day. I just smiled, because I didn't know what to say. It is true that I wear all types of dress to Masjid, because I do this outside the masjid. Why would I pretend to be someone in the masjid that I am not? Of course, the requirements is that clothes should be clean, loose, and the best when attending Masjid.

This biast opinion is not only due to appearence, but it leaks into person's wealth, political affiliation, social status, size of the beard, color of the beard, age, race, ethnicity, etc. This is visible in Muslim countries many folds, and sometimes people are opressed due to incompatibility of these attributes, which they have no control over, and Allah has chosen for them.

For example, When I landed in Jeddah for Hajj, Saudi Airline agents treated me like I was asking them for loan, whereas I was willing to pay them money for two seats for me and my mother. As I stepped back, an Arab couple walked up and got the seats without paying anything, because we all missed the same flight, so we all had the old boarding pass. My sin was that I spoke with them in English, and I was not someone they preffered. So, me and my mother slept on the foot path for 24 hours, watching all Saudi citizen escorted to the gate without waiting in the line like others. Anyways, this is the story of some other day. I seek justice against those Saudis from Allah alone.

Everywhere I go among Muslims, I see preference is being given to people who have wealth or influence. Even among my relatives, service will be provided to you on the basis of how much benefit you could provide for them in return. Even in my masjid, all Arabs line up on the right side of the first row, and all Non-Arabs line up on the left side of the first row.

However, when dealing with non-muslims, preference is given to the one who has the best character or more need. For example, When standing in the line of IRS service center, an officer will not come and say, "Hey, aren't you the son of the Detective John? You don't have to stand in the line, come with me" or "Hey, let him (a white caucacian) come ahead of you".

In fact, when I went to get a refund for my same ticket that they will not extend to next flight in Saudi Airlines office, there is a ticket machine to get a number. The office is right behind The grave of the Prophet (PBUH). I walked up to the machine and start selecting the options to get the ticket. I had some trouble so I tried a couple of times. Meanwhile a local with nice clean traditional dress walked in behind me. He came and stand behind me, since I was still using the machine. Security guard cam running, and start waving me to step back and indicated that the Arab shoud go first. I got mad, so I stared at him, and put my hand forward, and turn to the machine and got my number. My patience had run out by then, and I was only been to Saudi for two days. I got the ticket and sat right in the front, leaving behind the two Arabs wondering about me. May Allah forgive me for the rudeness.

Now, how did we got to this point that right behind the grave of the person who uttered the above words, Arabs are being preffered over non-Arabs. May be my taqwa indicator on my forehead was malfunctioning and the security guard was confused by that, or may be some Saudis have degenerated in obedience to the Prophet that they disobey right in the vicinity of his grave.

Similarly, I visited Pakistan, and saw similar preference but the preffered people were with connections and wealth. Some have gone to the extent to demand the preference as their right due to their father's political connection or wealth. One difference is that if you force the issue with Arabs, they will accept your right sometimes, and help you out. However, in Pakistan, they will physically grab you and throw you out. God forbid that you have a beard, and traditional clothes, because that is an open invitation for any Pakistani to treat you like illiterate and you may not be able to enter a restarunt.

This has to end, and all of us have to change that. Would you smile and greet a person of your race, but pass right by the person of other race? I see this everyday in the masjid.

I would like to challenge everyone on this thread to greet arabs if they are non-arabs, and non-arabs if they are arabs in the masjid, out of their way to balance it out. Don't bend backwards if the relative has more wealth, and ignore the one who is poor. Avoid the people who sin openly, and connect with the ones with more taqwa, or atleast the ones who don't sin openly, because there is more chance of having higher taqwa, if you don't sin in public and have shame.

Please obey the Prophet (PBUH), and ignore people's appearence, wealth, political influence, age, race...and treat them equally in all matters, and please don't wear kameez shalwar and taub in the masjid consistently, and Paints and shirt in your clinic or offices.

I have suffered greatly because of treating people equal, and most of the people don't invite me, or come to my home, but it gives me such a pleasure to know that I am obeying the Prophet (PBUH), and willing to go through this Isolation for the rest of my life, in hopes to be among the ones liked by Allah, and meet my guide at kauthar and have him recognize me for a second. Ameen

We should love who Allah loves, and despise who Allah despise.

JazakAllah Khairin
Son of Adam and nothing more.
AbuArman (Adnan Jumani)