In Islam, God said in the Quran 49:13 “O mankind, indeed We have created you from male and female and made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Indeed, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you”
The Quran states that God created all people from Adam and Eve and made them into different cultures, races, and backgrounds to work together for mankind’s prosperity, peace, and human dignity, not dislike, racism, or human bigotry.
Ramadan is this month. It is a time for spiritual discipline, an opportunity for self-contemplation of one’s relationship with God, extra prayer, increased charity and generosity, and more opportunities to spread goodness and love in society starting with our own self, our families, friends, and strangers.
It’s like the Muslim version of Christmas, or Passover, in the sense that it’s a religious holiday where everyone comes together for big meals with family and friends, exchanges presents, and has a good time.
Let us celebrate this next Ramadan and other faith traditions together as one “Mankind“, so we “May know one another” to spread love, understanding, and build bridges that connect our rich society of different “Nations and tribes” so we can indeed be “The most righteous” “In the sight of God“.
Ihsan Riahi
Outreach Director, Metropolitan Denver North Islamic Center