A Cure for Racial Prejudice Against Dark Skin- Was Adam Black-Skinned

Allah says,

وَلَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الإِنسَانَ مِن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُون وَالْجَآنَّ خَلَقْنَاهُ مِن قَبْلُ مِن نَّارِ السَّمُوم وَإِذْ قَالَ رَبُّكَ لِلْمَلاَئِكَةِ إِنِّي خَالِقٌ بَشَرًا مِّن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ فَإِذَا سَوَّيْتُهُ وَنَفَخْتُ فِيهِ مِن رُّوحِي فَقَعُواْ لَهُ سَاجِدِينَ فَسَجَدَ الْمَلآئِكَةُ كُلُّهُمْ أَجْمَعُونَ إِلاَّ إِبْلِيسَ أَبَى أَن يَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ قَالَ يَا إِبْلِيسُ مَا لَكَ أَلاَّ تَكُونَ مَعَ السَّاجِدِينَ قَالَ لَمْ أَكُن لِّأَسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُ مِن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ قَالَ فَاخْرُجْ مِنْهَا فَإِنَّكَ رَجِيمٌ وَإِنَّ عَلَيْكَ اللَّعْنَةَ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ قَالَ رَبِّ فَأَنظِرْنِي إِلَى يَوْمِ يُبْعَثُونَ قَالَ فَإِنَّكَ مِنَ الْمُنظَرِينَ إِلَى يَومِ الْوَقْتِ الْمَعْلُومِ قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ إِلاَّ عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينٍَِ

Verily We created man of potter's clay of black mud altered. And the jinn did We create aforetime of essential fire.

And (remember) when thy Lord said unto the angels: Lo! I am creating a mortal out of potter's clay of black mud altered. So, when I have made him and have breathed into him of My spirit, do ye fall down, prostrating yourselves unto him.

So the angels fell prostrate, all of them together. Save Iblis. He refused to be among the prostrate. He said: O Iblis! What aileth thee that thou art not among the prostrate? He said: Why should I prostrate myself unto a mortal whom Thou hast created out of potter's clay of black mud altered? He said: Then go thou forth from hence, for verily thou art outcast. And lo! the curse shall be upon thee till the Day of Judgment. He said: My Lord! Reprieve me till the day when they are raised. He said: Then lo! Thou art of those reprieved; Till an appointed time. He said: My Lord, Because Thou has sent me astray, I verily shall adorn the path of error for them in the earth, and shall mislead them every one. Save such of them as are Thy perfectly devoted slaves. [El Hijr-verses 26-40]

Marmeduke Pickthal translation of the Quran

Allah says that verily He created Adam from clay made of black mud and that before the creation of Adam, He created the jinn from fire of a scorching wind. Allah told the angels that He was going to create man from clay made of black mud. He told the angels that after He fashioned Adam and breathed into him from His spirit that they had to bow down to Adam. All of the angels bowed down to Adam. However, Iblis refused to bow. Allah asked Iblis why he refused to bow. Iblis said that he would not bow down to a man that He (Allah) created from clay made of black mud. Allah then expelled Iblis from Paradise and cursed him. Iblis asked Allah to grant him respite until the Day of Resurrection and Allah granted him respite. Iblis then said that he would lead Adam’s descendants astray; all of them except Allah’s sincere servants.

It is a known fact that the Arabic word for black mud is hama. Also, the scholars say the following about the word hama in their tafsirs (explanation) of the Quran:

· Explaining hama in the verses above, El Quortobi says in his tafsir of the Quran:

“Hama is black mud.” والحمأ: الطين الأسود

· Explaining hama in the verses above, Jalal Eddine Mohamed Ahmed El-Mahalli and Jalal Eddine Abdel Rahman El-Sayouti say in their tafsir of the Quran called Tafsir El-Jalaalain:

“Hama is black mud.” (من حمأ) طين أسود

· Explaining hama in the verses above, El Tabari says in his tafsir of the Quran:

“As for His words ‘from hama masnoun’, hama is the plural of ham_a which is mud that has been altered to the color black.”

وأما قوله "من حمإ مسنون" فإن الحمأ : جمع حمأة ، وهو الطين المتغير إلى السواد

· Explaining hama in the verses above, Mohamed ibn Ali El-Shawkaani says in his tafsir of the Quran called Fath El Qadir:

“Hama is black mud; either black mud that has been altered or black mud that hasn’t been altered.

والحمأ: الطين الأسود المتغير. أو الطين الأسود من غير تقييد بالمتغير

· Explaining hama in the verses above, El-Baidawi says in his tafsir:

“From hama” means from mud which was altered and is black.

" من حمإ" طين تغير واسود من طول محاورة الماء

· Explaining hama in the verse above, El-Baghawi says in his tafsir:

“From hama” and hama is black mud.

من حمإ"، والحمأ: الطين الأسود"

El-Baghawi also said:

“There are some hadith that say that Allah fermented the mud that

Adam was created from and let it sit until it became altered and

black and then He created Adam peace be upon him from it (the black, altered mud).”

وفي بعض الآثار: إن الله عز وجل خمر طينة آدم وتركه حتى صار متغيرا أسود، ثم خلق منه آدم عليه السلام

· Ibn al-Qayyim said:

“When the perfection, complete power, all-encompassing knowledge, ever-executed will and utmost wisdom of the Lord decreed that His creation should be of materials of different kinds, and that they should vary in their forms and attributes and natures, His wisdom decreed that He should take a handful of dust from the earth, then mix it with water. So it became like black stinking mud. Then the wind was sent upon it and it dried out, until it became clay like pottery. Then it was given shape and limbs and faculties, and each part of it was given a shape suited to its purpose.” (Tabaayun fi Aqsaam al-Quran, p. 204)

· Expaining hama, which is also found in verse 86 of surat El-Kahf, Ibn Kathir says in his tafsir:

Hamia is a lot of ham_a and ham_a means black mud.

" حمئة " أي كثيرة الحمأة وهي الطينة السوداء

How many people truly understand these verses of the Holy Quran? How many people, both Islamic scholars and laypeople, reflect on these verses and try to understand and explain what Allah is saying in them? How many people give these verses the importance that they deserve? I always ask myself why these verses aren’t given the importance that they deserve when it is these very verses that show the origin of the battle between evil and good. Allah revealed the Quran to be studied and understood. Allah says,

أَفَلَا يَتَدَبَّرُونَ الْقُرْآنَ أَمْ عَلَى قُلُوبٍ أَقْفَالُهَا

Will they then not meditate on the Quran, or are there locks on the hearts? (Mohamed-verse 24)

Allah also says,

كِتَابٌ أَنزَلْنَاهُ إِلَيْكَ مُبَارَكٌ لِّيَدَّبَّرُوا آيَاتِهِ وَلِيَتَذَكَّرَ أُوْلُوا الْأَلْبَابِ

(This is) a Scripture that We have revealed unto thee, full of blessing, that they may ponder its revelations, and that men of understanding may reflect. (Sad-verse 29)

Why are people ignoring what Allah is saying in these verses about the creation of our father Adam? When Allah says that He created our father Adam from black mud, He says this for mankind to know. There are no words in the Quran that are unimportant or not worth explaining. The Quran is the speech of Allah and the best speech is the speech of Allah.

Those who claim that there are more important things that should be discussed before talking about the color of Adam and the description of the prophets must show where Allah says that some of His words are more important than others. They must also show where Allah says that what He said about the color of the mud that He created our father Adam from is not important. Those who make such a claim must also show where the prophet Mohamed (pbuh) said that the description that he gave of Musa’s (Moses’) and Isa’s (Jesus’) color is not important. If we say that it’s alright to disregard this part of the Quran and the Sunna, what’s to stop people from ignoring and calling insignificant other parts of the Quran and the Sunna? People cannot simply dismiss as unimportant any part of the Quran or the Sunna that they, for whatever reason, do not feel comfortable with. People cannot take it upon themselves to decide what in the religion is important and what isn’t important. Instead we must accept the religion in its entirety and say that it is all from our Lord. How can anyone consider information that might prevent people from imitating Satan and committing blasphemy unimportant? Certainly if a person understands that Allah created our father Adam black-skinned and he/she still looks down on that color and thinks that another color is better, he/she is imitating Satan and is committing blasphemy and all sorts of sins. It is important that people understand this fact.

If people gave more emphasis to these verses and understood what Allah is saying, there would probably be no racial prejudice and discrimination in the world today. There would probably be fewer conflicts in the world today, too. Allah says that He created Adam, the father of all mankind, from black mud. Is it possible for anyone who believes in Allah and understands the sublimity of Allah to dare look down on a physical attribute that Allah put in the father of mankind, whom He created with His own two hands and honored above all of His creation? He (Allah) honored our father Adam so much that He commanded the angels to bow down to Adam. Can a person who truly believes in Allah find fault in the appearance of he whom Allah created with His own two hands? Doing so is blasphemy and a great insult to Allah.

Can a person who truly believes in Allah, loves Him, and exalts Him as He is supposed to be exalted sit back and allow this to happen?

مَّا لَكُمْ لَا تَرْجُونَ لِلَّه وَقَارًا ِ

What aileth you that ye hope not toward Allah for dignity? [Nuh-verse 13]

Anyone who looks down on the color that Allah chose for he whom He created with His own two hands is imitating Iblis and is being led astray by him. When Allah ordered Iblis to bow down to Adam, Iblis said:

قَالَ لَمْ أَكُن لِّأَسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُ مِن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ

He said: Why should I prostrate myself unto a mortal whom Thou hast created out of potter's clay of black mud altered? [Hijr-verse 33].

To understand the true root of today’s racial prejudice, it’s important that we take a close look at what took place when our father Adam was created. When Allah wanted to create our father Adam, He ordered the angel to take from Earth different colors of soil; black soil and soil of other colors. Allah then mixed this soil with water and let it sit until it became black mud. He (Allah) then gave shape to our father Adam from this black mud. Allah let the body of our father Adam, which was fashioned from black mud, sit for years. During this time, Iblis would continuously pass by our father Adam’s body, which was created and shaped from black mud, and out of jealousy he (Iblis) would strike our father Adam’s body. Allah then breathed into our father Adam from His spirit and named him Adam, which means black-skinned. Some scholars say that Allah named Adam Adam because of the black complexion that He gave him. Others say that He named him Adam because he was created from adeem (the surface of) the earth. Allah then commanded the angels to bow down to our father Adam. All of the angels bowed down to Adam. However, Iblis, who was a jinn, refused to bow. When Allah asked Iblis why he refused to bow, he said

لَمْ أَكُن لِّأَسْجُدَ لِبَشَرٍ خَلَقْتَهُ مِن صَلْصَالٍ مِّنْ حَمَإٍ مَّسْنُونٍ

Why should I prostrate myself unto a mortal whom Thou hast created out of potter's clay of black mud altered? [Hijr-verse 33].

This was the beginning of racial prejudice. It all started when Iblis refused to bow down to our father Adam because he was created from black mud. When trying to belittle our father Adam, Iblis mentioned Adam’s dark color just like today Iblis leads some of Adam’s descendants to that same path by teaching them to look down on the dark complexion of Adam’s descendants.

One would think that man would be very careful to avoid committing this exact same original sin that Iblis committed, but unfortunately Iblis has convinced many of the children of Adam to commit the same sin that he committed. This is Iblis’ mission; to lead as many of the children of Adam to Hell as he can. When Allah cursed him and granted him respite until the Day of Resurrection, Iblis said

قَالَ رَبِّ بِمَا أَغْوَيْتَنِي لأُزَيِّنَنَّ لَهُمْ فِي الأَرْضِ وَلأُغْوِيَنَّهُمْ أَجْمَعِينَ إِلاَّ عِبَادَكَ مِنْهُمُ الْمُخْلَصِينٍَِ

“Because Thou has sent me astray, I verily shall adorn the path of error for them in the earth, and shall mislead them every one. Save such of them as are Thy perfectly devoted slaves.”

How many people are aware of the fact that our father Adam was created black-skinned? Why are people silent concerning this subject? Is there some secret plan to keep this information hidden? Is there a conspiracy of silence concerning these verses of the Quran? Allah says,

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يَكْتُمُونَ مَا أَنزَلْنَا مِنَ الْبَيِّنَاتِ وَالْهُدَى مِن بَعْدِ مَا بَيَّنَّاهُ لِلنَّاسِ فِي الْكِتَابِ أُولَـئِكَ يَلعَنُهُمُ اللّهُ وَيَلْعَنُهُمُ اللَّاعِنُونَ

Those who hide the proofs and the guidance which We revealed, after We had made it clear in the Scripture: such are accursed of Allah and accursed of those who have the power to curse. [Baqara-verse 159]

These verses were revealed because the Jews used to conceal the description of the prophet Mohamed [pbuh] given in the Torah. Allah says that he who does such a thing is cursed. This shows the importance of announcing to people what Allah says in His Book. Allah says that He created our father Adam from black mud, so we are supposed to announce this and explain it to people and describe Adam the way that Allah described him and not conceal this description of him. Otherwise, we will be cursed as Allah said in the above-mentioned verse. We will be cursed unless we repent and fix things and announce what we were concealing. Allah says,

إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ تَابُواْ وَأَصْلَحُواْ وَبَيَّنُواْ فَأُوْلَـئِكَ أَتُوبُ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَنَا التَّوَّابُ الرَّحِيمُ

.

Except such of them as repent and amend and make manifest (the truth). These it is toward whom I relent. I am the Relenting, the Merciful. [Baqara-verse 160].

The way that we can amend and fix things is by ceasing to conceal Allah’s verses and by making the words of Allah known to all. So we must say what Allah said about the creation of Adam. He said that He created Adam from black mud, so we must say the same. We must start a campaign to spread these words of Allah that have been kept from the masses. What’s preventing us from announcing the words of Allah? Do we like certain parts of the Quran and dislike certain parts?! Do we consider certain parts of the Quran unimportant?! Allah says,

أَفَتُؤْمِنُونَ بِبَعْضِ الْكِتَابِ وَتَكْفُرُونَ بِبَعْضٍ فَمَا جَزَاء مَن يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ مِنكُمْ إِلاَّ خِزْيٌ فِي الْحَيَاةِ الدُّنْيَا وَيَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ يُرَدُّونَ إِلَى أَشَدِّ الْعَذَابِ وَمَا اللّهُ بِغَافِلٍ عَمَّا تَعْمَلُون

.

Believe ye in part of the Scripture and disbelieve ye in part thereof? And what is the reward of those who do so save ignominy in the life of the world, and on the Day of Resurrection they will be consigned to the most grievous doom. For Allah is not unaware of what ye do. [Baqara-verse 85]

It is especially necessary that we announce what Allah said about our father Adam and not conceal it because most people have the wrong idea about the appearance of Adam and also because many people have a negative opinion about the color that Allah created our father Adam and by having such an opinion, they are committing a grave sin. By believing, whether secretly or openly, that another color is better than the color that Allah created our father Adam, a person is committing a serious sin and is questioning and doubting several of Allah’s attributes. Doubting Allah’s attributes is disbelief. Allah, the best of creators; He who perfects all that He creates, created our father Adam black-skinned. Whoever believes that another color is better than the color that Allah chose for Adam, whom He created in His image with His own two hands, is not a believer. Having such a belief is purely satanic and is only a continuation of the hatred that Iblis felt toward our father Adam when he would continually kick his body after Allah shaped it from black mud. Having such a belief is only a continuation of the false pride that Iblis started when he refused to bow down to our father Adam.

Allah is the best of all creators. He perfects all that He creates. He fashioned man and perfected his form. Allah says,

لَقَدْ خَلَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ فِي أَحْسَن تَقْوِيم

ٍ

We have indeed created man in the best of moulds. [Tin-verse 4]

Iblis saw the color of our father Adam when he refused to bow down to him as Allah commanded him to do. He compared himself to our father Adam and out of false pride, ignorantly declared to Allah that he was better than Adam. When Allah cursed him and expelled him from Paradise, Iblis swore that he would mislead Adam’s descendants. Do you see how Iblis has misled some of our father Adam’s descendants by convincing them to have distaste for the color that Allah created their father Adam with His own two hands? Do you see how Iblis plays with the descendants of Adam and convinces them to do things that anger Allah and lead them to Hell with him (Iblis)?

We must avoid committing the same sin that Iblis committed when he compared himself to our father Adam after seeing that he (Adam) was created from black mud, and as a result of his false pride he (Iblis) decided that he was better than our father Adam. Iblis judged by comparing and decided that he was better than our father Adam. Iblis was the first to compare and judge. He was the first to discriminate and he has been enticing his followers to practice this discrimination since the time he compared himself to our father Adam and discriminated against him because of his color and origin (from black mud).

Scientists are just discovering that the pigment given to all humans is black. Scientists call this pigment melanin. Anyone who is not black-skinned is lacking some of this melanin. If a person has no melanin, he/she is an albino. Scientists are just learning that Allah gave man this melanin to protect him from the sun. It appears that Allah mentioned, in verse 90 of surat El-Kahf, this fact about melanin that scientists are just discovering. Allah says:

حَتَّى إِذَا بَلَغَ مَطْلِعَ الشَّمْسِ وَجَدَهَا تَطْلُعُ عَلَى قَوْمٍ لَّمْ نَجْعَل لَّهُم مِّن دُونِهَا سِتْرًا

Until, when he came to the rising of the sun, he found it rising on a people for whom We had provided no covering protection against the sun. [Surat El-Kahf-verse 90]

Said ibn Jubair, the well-known scholar who lived during the time of the companions of the prophet Mohamed (pbuh), says (in his explanation of the verse) that the people whom Allah said He provided no covering protection from the sun were white-skinned. Some of Said ibn Jubair’s teachers were companions of the prophet Mohamed (pbuh) such as Ibn Abbas, Ibn Umar, and Ibn Zubeir. Said ibn Jubair’s explanation of the verse is consistent with what scientists say about melanin. Instead of saying white-skinned, Allah said a people for whom we had provided no covering protection against the sun, which is the same as saying white-skinned because a person that Allah didn’t provide protective covering from the sun (melanin) is white-skinned. Scientists have just discovered that a person who is white-skinned lacks melanin and has no protection from the sun and hence, is more likely to suffer from skin cancer and other health problems as a result of exposure to the sun. Do you see how this one part of a verse of the Quran explains something that it has taken scientists so long to discover? This shows the wealth of knowledge found in the Quran. If only people would read it and contemplate its meanings. Allah’s knowledge and wisdom are infinite.

How can man, who is unable to create even a fly, dare insult Allah by feeling that another color is better than the color Allah chose for he whom He fashioned and created in His image with His own two hands?!

يَا أَيُّهَا الْإِنسَانُ مَا غَرَّكَ بِرَبِّكَ الْكَرِيمِ

O man! What hath made thee careless concerning thy Lord, the Bountiful? [Infitar-verse 6]

Allah says,

الَّذِي أَحْسَنَ كُلَّ شَيْءٍ خَلَقَهُ وَبَدَأَ خَلْقَ الْإِنسَانِ مِن طِينٍ

Who made all things good which He created, and He began the creation of man from mud. [Sajda-verse 7]

It’s time for us to show our love for Allah and our hatred toward Iblis by putting an end to this blasphemy. We must not let it continue. It is our Islamic duty to put an end to it. We must not help our enemy Iblis by remaining silent concerning this issue. This is what Iblis and his helpers want us to do.

We must stop this avoiding certain verses of the Quran and concealing the descriptions of Allah’s prophets. If Allah didn’t want us to know the color of the mud that He created our father Adam from, He wouldn’t have mentioned it.

There is much debate today about the appearance of our father Adam. Scientists, geneticists, anthropologists, etc are spending much time, money, and other resources to discover the color of our father Adam. Muslims have the clear answer to this question, but unfortunately they are withholding this information. Instead of announcing to scientists, geneticists, anthropologists, etc what Allah said about the creation of Adam, Muslims are remaining silent and concealing Allah’s words. Muslims were commanded to spread Allah’s words, not to withhold them or keep them secret.

By analyzing genetic changes in the Y-chromosome of people in all regions of the world, geneticist Spencer Wells has recently discovered that the ancestor of all humans was a black-skinned man. Why aren’t Muslims announcing to the world that the Quran confirms what Wells and other scientists have recently discovered?

To be continued God willing.