QV16.....World is but one family

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Today we see some people identifying themselves with specific color, race, ethnicity, nationality, religion and so on. But they forget that all of us belong to one big family, i.e. the family of humans.

Having pride with individual identity is fine, and it has its own place. But when such an identity divides us, and results in mutual ill feeling, that is when all the problem starts.

We should remember that all of us probably ensued from the same origin.

In chapter 49 of Quran, God says that

“Yaaa ayyuhan naasu innaa khalaqnaakum min zakarinw wa unsaa wa ja'alnaakum shu'oobanw wa qabaaa'ila lita'aarafoo inna akramakum 'indal laahi atqaakum innal laaha 'Aleemun khabeer”

“O mankind! We created you from a single pair of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know each other and not that you may despise each other.

Verily the most honored of you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most righteous of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted with all things.” (Quran 49.13)

Here, the Quran is referring to the idea of human race coming from a single pair, namely Adam and Eve. Even other religions have similar notion of tracing the entire humanity to a single pair of male and female.


If that is the case, all of us belong to the same family. We might have evolved separately as distinct people, but our origin is same.


Racial differences have given rise to stratification among people. Each race considers itself to be superior to the rest, and tries to oppress others, whom they consider as inferior.

Actually, our superiority does not stem from our separate identity as a race or nationality, but from our deeds. If we are righteous, we are surely honored. Mere birth does not make us superior. That is the purport of the verse from Quran that I just quoted.


Notion of oneness is essential for the collective peaceful co-existence. After all, religion or otherwise, there is no two opinion about the fact that we are all humans.


In this context, I am reminded of a nice ancient Indian saying which also stresses this idea of oneness.

“ayam nijah parOvEthi gaNAnA laghucEthasAm

vishAlacarithAnAm thu vasuDhaiva kutumbakam”

“A narrow-minded person always thinks ‘these are my people, and those are outsiders’. But a great man always considers the whole world as one single family.”

Quranic verses episode 16

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Based on verses from Holy Quran. The interpretation is by Dr.King. The Quran recitations are from various sites such as Quran.net, Quran411.com and so on.