Islam preaches brotherhood

God said: What prevented you (O Satan) that you did not prostrate when I commanded you? Iblees (the Satan) replied: I am better than him (Adam). You created me from fire, and him You created from clay. (Qur'an 7:12)
Satan thought himself superior to Adam on account of his origins. Since that day, Satan has misled many of Adam's descendants into believing themselves superior to others, causing them to persecute and exploit their fellow man. Quite often, religion has been used to justify racism.
As Muhammad was God's final Prophet and Messenger, his mission was a universal one, intended for not only his own nation, the Arabs, but all the peoples of the world. The Prophet said: “Every other Prophet was sent to his nation exclusively, while I have been sent to all of humanity.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari)
“And We have not sent you (O Muhammad) except as a bearer of glad tidings and a Warner to all mankind, but most of people know not.” (Qur'an 34:28)
One of the first to accept Islam was an Abyssinian slave named Bilal. Traditionally, black Africans were a lowly people in the sight of Arabs who thought them to be of little use beyond entertainment and slavery. When Bilal embraced Islam, his pagan master had him brutally tortured in the scorching desert heat until Abu Bakr, the Prophet's closest friend, rescued him by buying his freedom.
The Prophet appointed Bilal to call the believers to prayer. Thus, a one-time lowly slave won a unique honor as Islam's first muezzin.
And indeed We have honored the Children of Adam... (Qur'an 17:70)
Western romantics hail ancient Greece as being the birthplace of democracy. The reality was that, as slaves and women, the vast majority of Athenians were denied the right to elect their rulers. Yet, Islam ordained that a slave could himself be ruler! The Prophet ordered:
“Obey your ruler even if he be an Abyssinian slave.” (Ahmad)
Like most of his countrymen, Salman Farsi, who later became a prominent companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him) was raised a devout Zoroastrian. However, after an encounter with some Christians at worship, he accepted Christianity as something better. Salman then traveled extensively in search of knowledge, from the service of one learned monk to another, the last of whom said: "O son! I do not know of anyone who is on the same (creed) as we are. However, the time of the emergence of a Prophet is at hand. This Prophet is upon the religion of Abraham. The monk then proceeded to describe this Prophet, his character and where he would appear. Salman migrated to Arabia, the land of the prophecy, and when he heard about and met Muhammad, he immediately recognized him from his teacher’s descriptions and embraced Islam. Salman became renowned for his knowledge and was the first person to translate the Qur'an into another language, Persian. Once, whilst the Prophet was amongst his companions, the following was revealed to him:
"It is He (God) Who had sent among the unlettered (the Arabs) a Messenger (Muhammad) from among themselves... and (also to) others (i.e. non-Arabs) among them who have not yet joined them (as Muslims)... (Qur'an 62:2-3)
God's Messenger then placed his hand on Salman and said: "Even if the Faith were near (the stars of) Pleiades, a man from amongst these (Persians) would surely attain it. (Saheeh Muslim)
Another companion of the Prophet (peace be upon him), Suhayb, a Roman, was born in the luxurious house of his father, who was a client governor for the Persian emperor. While he was still a child, Suhayb was captured by Byzantine raiders and sold into slavery in Constantinople.
Suhayb eventually escaped from bondage and fled to Makkah, a popular place of asylum, where he soon became a prosperous merchant nick-named "Ar-Rumi," the Roman, due to his Byzantine tongue and upbringing. When Suhayb heard Muhammad preach, he was at once convinced of the truth of his message and embraced Islam. Like all the early Muslims, Suhayb was persecuted by the pagans of Makkah. So, he traded all his wealth in exchange for safe passage to join the Prophet at Madinah, whereupon the Prophet, delighted to see Suhayb, greeted him thrice: "Your trade has been fruitful, O (Suhayb)! Your trade has been fruitful!
God had informed the Prophet of Suhayb's exploits before their reunion with this revelation:
"And there is a type of man who ransoms himself to earn the pleasure of God. And God is full of kindness to His servants. " (Qur'an 2:207)
The Prophet loved Suhayb a great deal and described him as having preceded the Romans to Islam.
Abdullah, who was Hussein bin Salam before he accepted Islam was the most learned rabbi and leader of the Medinan Jews. He was denounced and vilified by them when he embraced Islam.
The Prophet re-named Hussein, "Abdullah", meaning "Servant of God", and gave him the glad tidings that he was destined for Paradise. Abdullah addressed his tribesmen saying:
"O assembly of Jews! Be conscious of God and accept what Muhammad has brought. By God! You certainly know that he is God's Messenger and you can find prophecies about him and mention of his name and characteristics in your Torah. I for my part declare that he is the Messenger of God. I have faith in him and believe that he is true. I (for one) recognize him."
God revealed the following about Abdullah:
"And a witness from the Children of Israel testified to this (Qur'an being from God) like (the Torah). So he believed while (most of) you (Jews) are too proud (to believe). (Qur'an 46:10)
Thus, in the ranks of the Prophet Muhammad's Companions could be found Africans, Persians, Romans and Israelites; representatives of every known continent. As the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: "Indeed, my friends and allies are not the tribe of so and so. Rather, my friends and allies are the pious, wherever they may be."_ (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)
This universal brotherhood preached by Islam was championed by the Prophet's companions after him. When the companion, Ubada bin As-Samit, led a delegation to Muqawqis, the Christian patriarch of Alexandria, the latter exclaimed: 'Get this black man away from me and bring in his stead another to talk to me! ... How can you be content that a black man should be the foremost among you? Is it not more fitting that he be below you?' "Indeed no!", Ubada's comrades replied, "Though he is black as you see, he is still the foremost among us in position, intelligence and wisdom; for black is not despised among us."
“Truly, the Believers are but brothers...” (Qur'an 49:10)

- www.islamreligion.com

To be continued next week