Why doesn’t Islam believe in equality?
Shahinul Khalisdar
Tax Advisor | Business Advisor/ Taxation Expertise/ Enrolled Agent (EA)/Master of Science in Taxation (MST)/ Author
Why doesn’t Islam believe in equality?
Islam's belief system does not align with the concept of equality in a human sense. However, in the eyes of Allah, all individuals are equal based on three fundamental principles: Imaan (belief, faith, or trust) in Allah, Amaal (deeds or works), and Ikhlas (sincerity or devotion). These three principles hold greater significance to Allah than anything else, emphasizing the power of individual actions in shaping our relationship with Him. This empowerment and responsibility should inspire us to act with sincerity and devotion in all our deeds.
As Allah stated: “And they were commanded not, but that they should worship Allah, making religion purely (Ikhlas) for Him alone, Hunafa', and that they perform Salah and give Zakah, and that is the right religion.†(98:5)
The Messenger of Allah (?) made it clear, "Allah does not look at your figures nor at your attire, but He looks at your hearts and accomplishments." (Muslim) This emphasis on sincerity should not just remind us, but inspire us to act with pure intentions, knowing that Allah values our inner devotion more than our outward appearance or actions. This inspiration and motivation should guide us in all our actions, making them sincere and devoted to Allah.
Furthermore, the Prophet (?) warned, "He who lets the people hear of his good deeds intentionally to win their praise, Allah will expose his real intention on the Day of Resurrection. And he who does good things in public to show off and gain the admiration of others, Allah will reveal his true intent and humiliate him." (Sahih al-Bukhari)
In Islam, everything we do as Muslims is aimed at pleasing Allah and fostering social harmony—not for the sake of showboating. We acknowledge that we are all human beings deserving of respect. It is crucial to promote mutual respect across social, religious, intellectual, financial, and political dimensions without engaging in any form of disregard.
Allah's rejection of human equality, as stated in the Quran, is not a sign of unfairness. He says, “And not equal are the blind and those who see; nor those who believe, and do righteous good deeds, and those who do evil. Little do you remember!†(40:58) The blind man who cannot see anything is not the same as the sighted man who can see everything as far as his eyesight reaches -- there is a huge difference between them. By the same token, the righteous believers and the immoral disbelievers are not equal. This is a fair and just judgment by Allah, reassuring us of the fairness and justice in His system.
"Those believers who choose to stay at home—except for those with valid excuses—are not equal to those who strive in the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives. Allah has elevated the rank of those who strive, whether through their wealth or their lives, above those who remain behind with valid excuses. While Allah has promised a fine reward for each group, those who strive will receive a far greater reward than others." (4:95)
In this verse, Allah exemplifies three types of people:?
领英推è
1. Those believers who stay at home without a valid reason, often due to laziness and reluctance to struggle for the sake of Allah.?
2. Those with valid excuses, such as individuals with disabilities or those who are responsible for the care of others, are not considered equal to those who stay at home without a valid reason. Islam acknowledges their circumstances and does not hold them to the same standard of action.?
3. Those who strive for the cause of Allah with their wealth and their lives embody three fundamental principles: Imaan (belief, faith, or trust) in Allah, Amaal (deeds or works), and Ikhlas (sincerity or devotion). These principles guide their actions and determine their rank in the eyes of Allah.?
Allah has made it clear that He prefers those who strive hard and struggle over those who simply sit at home, especially when there is no disability preventing them. The rewards for the strivers are significantly greater, including higher degrees and ranks from Him compared to the believers who choose not to engage.
Last thousands of years, the corrupt politicians used to say that we are equal to recruit us for their unnecessary wars. They fool us into the notion that we are equal, but in reality, they used to abuse us in the name of the caste system, class system, feudalism or tribalism. Allah clearly stated that we are not equal and commanded us to worship Him alone.
Allah created Paradise with different levels that vary greatly, and the pious, believing friends of Allah will occupy these levels according to the depth of their faith and piety. Similarly, Hell also has different levels. This illustrates that we are not created equally, but we are all called to worship equally and to respect everyone as human beings.
Don’t be misled by those who promote equality. Take individual responsibility and strive to be better.