In the contemporary landscape, anti-racism is often framed through the language of inclusion, identity, or representation. However, the deeper principle that underpins this work (whether acknowledged or not) is justice.
And for Muslims, justice is a command from Allah, not a social construct or something of political value.
As Allah says,
Indeed, Allah commands justice (‘adl), excellence (ihsān), and giving to relatives and forbids immorality, injustice, and transgression.” [1]
This divine command is foundational. We do not engage in justice work merely in solidarity with the oppressed; we do so because it is an act of worship.
Anti-racism in Islam is something that was revealed to us!
Mūsā vs. Pharaoh
The Qur’ānic account of Mūsā (ʿalayhi al-Salām) is a narrative of resistance to structural oppression.
At the same time, Pharaoh is described as the archetype of a tyrant who divided his people and subjugated a group based on their identity.
Allah tells us,
Indeed, Pharaoh exalted himself in the land and made its people into factions, oppressing a group among them, slaughtering their sons and sparing their women. He was truly one of the corruptors.” [2]
According to Maududi, Pharaoh ruled by deliberately creating social divisions, privileging some while reducing others to a state of permanent inferiority. This was clearly a model of systemic injustice. [3]
Ibn Ashur is on the same wavelength, writing that Islamic law was sent to establish social and legal equality, and that Pharaoh’s system directly contradicted this by enslaving a people based on class and lineage, violating the maqāsid (higher objectives) of justice, dignity, and equity in society. [4]
Sayyid Qutb presents Pharaoh’s system in Fī Dilāl al-Qur’ān as a universal symbol of authoritarianism that relies on fear, propaganda, and structural inequality. Pharaoh, in Qutb’s view, is beyond one individual and a metaphor for all regimes that subjugate the weak while preaching order and civilisation. [5]
A far deeper anti-racism
Qutb argued that true Islam threatens every system built on exploitation and racism.
His commentary warns that Pharaoh’s legacy survives wherever inequality is normalised. This aligns with Frantz Fanon’s notion of “internalised inferiority”, although our faith provides a spiritual decolonisation that no secular theory can fully offer. [6]
Where critical race theory dissects power, the Qur’ān dismantles it with divine authority. Where intersectionality identifies marginalisation, Islam commands collective justice.
This is all about starting from tawhīd.
This goes beyond academia
While theorists like Fanon, Said, and Ngũgĩ have given us tools to diagnose racism and decolonise our minds, the Qur’ān gave us a theology of justice that is far more holistic.
Islam addresses both external oppression and internal arrogance, rooting out kibr (arrogance) and replacing it with taqwa (God-consciousness). What secular frameworks call “speaking truth to power”, we call amr bi’l-maʿrūf wa nahy ʿan al-munkar (enjoining good and forbidding evil/injustice).
And while critical theory might analyse power, only Islam links justice to the Hereafter, making the pursuit of justice about liberation in the Dunya (this world), and salvation in the Ākhirah (the next life).
Justice as worship is a core Islamic ethic
The Prophet ﷺ said,
Help the oppressed and the oppressor.” [7]
And when asked how to help the oppressor, he replied,
By preventing him from doing wrong.” [7]
This hadīth reframes justice as an act of mercy and accountability, not just resistance.
And the Qur’ān reinforces this ethic:
O you who believe, stand firmly for justice, as witnesses for Allah, even if it is against yourselves, your parents, or relatives.” [8]
Justice (ʿadl) in Islam is not situational. It is an obligation that transcends identity and self-interest, grounded in obedience to al-ʿAdl, the Most Just.
Who are the Pharaohs today?
As opined by Qutb, Pharaoh is not just a historical figure; he is a symbol.
Therefore, even though there are specific names that would fit the bill, you could also argue that modern Pharaohs manifest in any of the following:
- Border policies that criminalise the poor.
- Surveillance states that monitor Muslims under the guise of security.
- Economic systems that extract wealth from colonised lands while calling it development.
We should remember that Allah warns us in the Qur’ān:
Do not incline toward the oppressors, or the Fire will touch you.” [9]
Silence is complicity. Respectability politics is not prophetic. Islam explicitly calls us to liberate the enslaved.
Loneliness in truth and moral courage
One of the most profound lessons in the story of Mūsā (ʿalayhi al-Salām) is not just that he stood against Pharaoh, but that he stood almost completely alone.
It’s amazing, he didn’t lead a protest backed by scholars or institutions. He didn’t have funding, media platforms, or a policy team. He stood with nothing but his brother, his voice, and his certainty in Allah.
Go, you and your brother, with My signs, and do not slacken in My remembrance. Go to Pharaoh, for he has truly transgressed.” [10]
This verse is a profound reminder that victory is measured in moral clarity, not numbers. Mūsā (ʿalayhi al-Salām) didn’t wait for the political climate to be right. A crowd didn’t back him; he was supported by the truth.
In today’s anti-racism spaces, many Muslims feel paralysed unless they are institutionally supported or socially validated. We fear speaking out unless there’s a consensus, a grant, or a platform. But Mūsā (ʿalayhi al-Salām) shows us that truth is not a group project, and the courage to speak it is one of the most powerful weapons we have.
And speak to him with gentle speech, that perhaps he may be reminded or fear Allah.” [11]
Even in the face of tyranny, the command is to speak clearly with the best of manners, without compromising the truth. This is the Prophetic method. It certainly requires tawakkul (trust in Allah), not trends. Likewise, it needs integrity, not necessarily influence.
The Pharaohs of today, whether colonial, political, or corporate, rely on fear and silence to survive. But the Qur’ān teaches us that a single voice — if rooted in certainty of Allah — can shake an empire.
If we simply wait for s0-called “perfect” conditions, we’ll delay justice. But as soon as we trust in Allah, we’ll realise that the smallest act of truth can open the sea!
Five principles for Muslim justice work
Here are some key points that should be front and centre when engaging in this kind of work:
- Speak with moral clarity, not corporate caution.
- Prioritise God-consciousness (taqwa) over public validation.
- Let the Qur’ān frame your resistance, not imported ideologies.
- Begin with Allah’s command for justice, not political popularity.
- Model your activism after Mūsā (ʿalayhi al-Salām), not a modern celebrity.
The fire, the sea, and the standard
To conclude, remember that Mūsā (ʿalayhi al-Salām) stood before the might of an empire with nothing but conviction, and Allah made the sea split before him.
Indeed, We sent Mūsā with Our signs and clear authority.” [12]
Through his story, we learn that the battle for justice and supporting the marginalised and oppressed belongs to those who act, not just those who analyse.
We are not simply activists who happen to be Muslim. We are heirs to a Prophetic legacy where truth is spoken for Allah, not for applause, and where justice is pursued as worship, not performance.
Anti-racism must be reclaimed through revelation, not because Islam fits the movement, but because Islam is the movement. We don’t need permission to speak the truth. We just need the courage to honour it.
Source: Islam21c
Notes
[1] al-Qur’ān, 16:90
[2] al-Qur’ān, 28:4
[3] Ibn Ashur, M. T. (2006). Treatise on Maqasid al-Shariah (M. El-Tahir El-Mesawi, Trans.). London: International Institute of Islamic Thought.
[4] Maududi, A. A. (1986). Towards Understanding the Qur’an (Vol. 6). Markazi Maktaba Islami Publishers.
[5] In the Shade of the Qur’an (Fi Dhilal al-Qur’ān) by Sayyid Qutb (Vol. 5–6)
[6] Fanon, F. (2004). The Wretched of the Earth (R. Philcox, Trans.). New York: Grove Press.
[7] Sahīh al-Bukhārī, 2,444; https://sunnah.com/bukhari:2444
[8] al-Qur’ān, 4:135
[9] al-Qur’ān, 11:113
[10] al-Qur’ān, 20:42–43
[11] al-Qur’ān, 20:44
[12] al-Qur’ān, 11:96
