“All mankind is from Adam and Eve. An Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; a white has no superiority over a black, nor does a black have any superiority over a white; [none have superiority over another] except by piety and good action…. Do not, therefore, do injustice to yourselves. Remember, one day you will appear before God and answer for your deeds. So beware, do not stray from the path of righteousness after I am gone.”
Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be to him) undertook his Farewell Pilgrimage in the year 10 A.H. His Farewell Pilgrimage to Makkah is one of the most significant historical events in Islamic history, for it was the first and last pilgrimage made by Prophet Muhammad, as well as being the model for performing the fifth pillar of Islam, the Hajj.
The Prophet’s Final Sermon was delivered during the Hajj of the year 632 C.E., the ninth day of Dhul Hijjah, the 12th month of the lunar year, at Arafat, the most blessed day of the year. There were countless Muslims present with the Prophet during his last pilgrimage when he delivered his Last Sermon.
The hadith strikes at the very root of class distinction, social demarcation or what we call racism or Islamophobia. It establishes the unity of mankind and underlines criterion for really superior persons. The Blessed Prophet says that only those who are pious, do good deeds and practise righteousness are superior in the eyes of Allah.