face of a prophet, not the face or appearance of a king: He was sitting on his camel along with his freed black slave Usama ibn Zayd who was sitting behind him. This is something that any Arab leader would have disdained to do –even if the man was no longer a slave. A year previous one of the rulers, Wa’il ibn Hajr refused to sit on the same camel with Mu’awiya ibn Abi Sufyan, who would one day become the Caliph of the Muslims.

The Prophet –blessing and peace be upon him- then delivered the greatest sermon glorifying, confirming and describing human rights known in history. He repeated a similar message on the second day (Eid al-Adhha) and the third day. In one excerpt from it he says:

“Humanity! Do you not share one Lord and one father? Truly, there is no superiority for the Arab over the non-Arab, nor the non-Arab over the Arab, nor White over Black, nor Black over White, except by piety. (1)

One of the chiefs of the tribe of Quraysh purchased a luxurious robe owned by the famous Yemeni ruler, Dhu Yazin before embracing Islam. He presented it as a gift to the Prophet –blessing and peace be upon him, but he refused to take it without paying its fair price. After buying it he gave it as a gift to Usama ibn Zayd. The Arabs were shocked to see the robe of Dhu Yazin worn by a freed slave. This chief of Quraysh (2) departed in awe of what he had seen. It is narrated that the rulers of Yemen freed thousands of slaves during that season out of faith in God, and in imitation of God’s Messenger. In this manner, Islam transformed the values of the Arabs and other peoples, and dissolved discrimination without creating an uproar. Those who had been slaves yesterday became rulers, scholars and leaders whose high position and honor was unmatched even by the Caliphs and their sons. If the author so desired, he could fill numerous volumes with such narrations.

Before Islam the law of the jungle reigned supreme. According to it restraining from violent revenge was a shameful weakness. One of the Arab poets mocked a certain tribe:

“A tribe that does not violate its covenants,

And does not a mustard seed of harm to anyone!”

But the companions of the Prophet were educated by the Qur’an, which taught them to be steadfast in the truth:

“Be patient and endure as the most determined of the prophets endured.”

About controlling one’s temper, the Prophet –blessings and peace be upon him- counseled:

“The truly strong man is not he who fights, but he that controls his anger.” (3)

In this fashion, justice, kindness and helping the oppressed became the standards by which societies were judged.

A group of the early Muslims fled from the persecution of the idolaters to Ethiopia. When they returned after a long absence, the Prophet –blessings and peace be upon him- asked them to speak about the wonders they had seen in that country. They said: