By Dr. Maxwell Shimba, Shimba Theological Institute
Abstract
This article critically examines a controversial narration found in Mishkat al-Masabih, which suggests that Allah created the descendants of Adam in differing colors, allegedly preassigning white individuals to Paradise and black individuals to Hell. This analysis addresses the theological, ethical, and moral implications of such racial determinism within Islamic doctrine. It raises fundamental questions about divine justice, racial equality, and the attributes of God as both merciful and just. The article seeks to explore whether such a narrative aligns with the broader teachings of Islam or represents a later sociopolitical interpolation incompatible with a just and omnibenevolent deity.
Introduction
Islam claims universality and racial equality, exemplified by verses in the Qur’an that emphasize moral conduct over ethnicity:
“Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.” (Qur’an 49:13)
Yet, certain Hadiths, particularly the narration in Mishkat al-Masabih, appear to contradict this inclusive ethic. The Hadith in question states:
“Allah created Adam, then wiped his back, and there fell from his back every soul that He would create until the Day of Resurrection. He made some of them white and some black. Then He said: ‘To Paradise and I do not care,’ and ‘To Hell and I do not care.’”
This narration, which has deeply racial overtones, raises profound theological concerns. If Allah predetermined black people to Hell and white people to Paradise, how can this be reconciled with Islamic assertions of divine justice and accountability?
Historical Context and Textual Reliability
The Hadith in question is not found in Sahih al-Bukhari or Sahih Muslim, the most authoritative Hadith collections in Sunni Islam, but appears in Mishkat al-Masabih, which draws from various earlier compilations, including Musnad Ahmad and Sunan al-Tirmidhi. This calls for an immediate investigation into the authenticity (ṣaḥīḥ), chain of transmission (isnād), and content integrity (matn) of the narration.
Was this Hadith genuinely attributed to the Prophet Muhammad, or was it a later fabrication echoing the racial hierarchies of early Islamic empires or Abbasid racial theory?
Theological Implications
1. Divine Justice vs. Arbitrary Damnation
If Allah predetermined black people for Hell simply based on their skin color, this challenges the Islamic concept of Adl (divine justice). According to the Qur’an:
“Every soul earns not [blame] except against itself, and no bearer of burdens will bear the burden of another.” (Qur’an 6:164)
This verse affirms individual moral responsibility. The idea that skin color alone can determine eternal damnation undermines this teaching and presents Allah as capricious—a concept rejected by Islamic theology.
2. Free Will and Predestination (Qadar)
Islamic thought has long wrestled with the tension between divine decree (qadar) and human free will. If racial identity predetermines one’s eternal fate, then human agency is rendered meaningless. How then can individuals be held accountable for what they neither chose nor can change?
3. Ethical Monotheism vs. Racial Determinism
The Qur’anic vision is one of ethical monotheism, where moral conduct, piety, and belief determine salvation—not ethnicity or lineage:
“O mankind, We have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you may know one another.” (Qur’an 49:13)
To suggest that blackness itself is a marker of divine rejection is to align Islam with a form of racial fatalism, incompatible with this verse.
Comparative Religious Reflection
This narrative mirrors other ancient worldviews in which pigmentation was linked to spiritual destiny—such as Gnostic doctrines of light vs. darkness, or certain interpretations in Hindu caste systems. However, monotheistic religions—including authentic Islam, Christianity, and Judaism—typically root divine judgment in moral action, not melanin levels.
Racism and Hadith: Social Construct or Divine Design?
There is scholarly consensus that some Hadiths were fabricated for political, sectarian, or cultural motives. The Umayyad and Abbasid periods saw increased Arab supremacy narratives that often denigrated non-Arabs and darker-skinned peoples. Is this Hadith an expression of such racial elitism rather than divine revelation?
If the Prophet Muhammad truly said this, then his own multiethnic community, which included black companions like Bilal ibn Rabah, is inexplicable. Bilal was honored by Muhammad and described as having a voice that would precede him in Paradise. Such examples contradict the Hadith's implications.
The Moral Problem of a Racist God
This leads to the ultimate theological question: Can God be racist? If so, then God ceases to be morally perfect, and religion loses its claim to universal ethics. For any true faith to maintain credibility, it must offer a vision of salvation that transcends ethnicity, race, and national origin.
Conclusion
The Hadith portraying black people as destined for Hell is not only theologically inconsistent with core Islamic teachings but also morally reprehensible. It must be questioned, critiqued, and likely rejected as a fabricated artifact of human prejudice—not divine decree.
To accept such a Hadith without scrutiny is to do violence to the very nature of God as Just, Merciful, and Righteous. Islam must be disentangled from cultural racism to remain a credible moral force in the modern world.
References
-
Qur’an 49:13, 6:164
-
Mishkat al-Masabih, Book of Faith
-
Al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk
-
Jonathan A.C. Brown, Misquoting Muhammad
-
Khaled Abou El Fadl, Speaking in God's Name
-
Wansbrough, J., Quranic Studies: Sources and Methods of Scriptural Interpretation
Dr. Maxwell Shimba is a theologian, scholar, and director of Shimba Theological Institute. His research focuses on comparative religion, restorative justice, and the critical evaluation of theological claims through both scriptural and rational inquiry.
No comments:
Post a Comment