Introduction History of Education

female, and made you into peoples and tribes, so that you might come to know each other. The noblest of you in God’s sight is the one who fears God most. God is all knowing and all-aware.” (Quran, 49:13) This concept is also expressed in various ways in the Hadith. For example, the Prophet of Islam said: “I bear witness that all servants (of God) are brothers to one another.” (Sunan Abi Dawood, Hadith No. 1508) He also said: “All people are the children of Adam, and God created Adam from dust.” (Sunan al-Tirmidhi, Hadith No. 3270) Similarly, he stated: “Listen, no Arab has superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have superiority over an Arab; neither does a red-skinned person have superiority over a black-skinned person, nor does a black-skinned person have superiority over a red-skinned person—except by piety.” (Musnad Ahmad, Hadith No. 23489) This declaration of human equality was not merely a proclamation but a manifesto for a real, practical revolution. With Allah’s special help, the Prophet of Islam and his companions were given the opportunity not only to announce the principles of human equality and brotherhood but also to establish them practically over vast territories by bringing about a revolution. Researchers generally agree that the first practical system of human equality was established in history through Islam.