Racism and Prejudice in Sunni Hadith Sunni Islam: Part I

One of the common allegations levelled at Shi’i hadith is that it apparently contains traditions that call for racism and discrimination. These allegations, of course are false and contradictory to the overall islamic ethos as exemplified by the Quran and other Sahih traditions - although this is not the point of this article and may be featured in another article in the future.

In this article we will provide Sunni traditions that are outright racist:

Sheikh Al Albani records the following.

It is narrated from Abi Al-Dardaa from the messenger of Allah that the prophet (s) said:

Allah created Adam when He created him, He hit his right shoulder and brought out white offspring who were like specks, and He hit his left shoulder and brought out black offspring who were like charcoal, so He said to those who were in his right: “to paradise (for you) and I do not care,” and he told to those who were in his left: “to hell (for you) and I do not care. 

وَعَنْ أَبِی الدَّرْدَاءَ عَنِ النَّبِیِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَیْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «خَلَقَ اللَّهُ آدَمَ حِینَ خَلَقَهُ فَضَرَبَ کَتِفَهُ الْیُمْنَى فَأَخْرَجَ ذُرِّیَّهً بَیْضَاءَ کَأَنَّهُمُالذَّرُّ وَضَرَبَ کَتِفَهُ الْیُسْرَى فَأَخْرَجَ ذُرِّیَّهً سَوْدَاءَ کَأَنَّهُمُ الْحُمَمُ فَقَالَ لِلَّذِی فِی یَمِینِهِ إِلَى الْجَنَّهِ وَلَا أُبَالِی وَقَالَ للَّذی فِی کَفهالْیُسْرَى إِلَى النَّارِ وَلَا أُبَالِی».




Albani mentions that the chain is Sahih (Authentic) 

Source: Al-ahadith Al-Sahihah Vol 1 page 114 hadith 49, by Sheikh Al Albani.

Another tradition:
There’s no good in the Abyssinians (Ethiopians) if they had been hungry they stole, and if they had been full they fornicated.
لا خير في الحبش اذا جاعوا سرقوا و ان شبعوا زنوا


Source: Kashf al-Khafa' wa-Muzil al-Ilbas Vol 1 page 270, by Ajluni al-Jarrahi, Isma'il ibn Muhammad

There’s no good in the Abyssinians (Ethiopians), if they had been full they fornicated.

لا خير في الحبش ان شبعوا زنوا 

Grading: And narrators of Al-Bazzar are trustworthy (authentic), As for Awsaqa Al Makki, there is dispute on him which doesn't harm (his reliability), and more than one authenticated him.



Source: Majwa Al-Zawaid Wa Manba' Al-Fawaid, Vol 4, P 429. Abi Bakr Haythami.

A similar tradition exists that has been authenticated:

If the black had been hungry he stole, and if he had been full he fornicated.




Source: Al-Maqasid al-Hasanah, pp. 189-190, (Hasan)

Al-Sakhawi also said, “And our Imam al-Shafi’i had relied on this hadith.”

Grading: The hadith has been deemed hasan by al-Haythami, al-Busiri, al-Sakhawi and al-Ajlouni.

And yet another tradition being racist towards blacks.


From the evilest of your slaves are the blacks, if they had been hungry they stole, and if they had been full they fornicated.



Ithaf al-Khairah al-Maharah, vol 5, p 272, no 4784-4785 with a (Hasan) chain.

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