Fatwa ID: 01360
Answered by Mufti Mohammed Tosir Miah
Question:
Could you please explain to me why Arabs are considered superior to non-Arabs? How is the ruling of Kafaah compatible with the saying of the Prophet that "no Arab has superiority over a non-Arab" and the Quranic statement that "the best of you is the one with most taqwā"?
Answer:
In the name of Allah, the most Beneficent, the most Merciful.
Insha Allah your question will be answered in three parts.
- The virtues of the Arabs
- The virtues of the Non Arabs
- The reconciliation between the apparent contradiction.
Saaiduna Ibn Abbas narrates that the Prophet of Allah 
said, “Love the Arabs for three reasons: Because I am an Arab, the Quran is in Arabic and the language of the people of Paradise is Arabic (Imam Baihaqi in Shuabul Iman)
Saaiduna Abdullah bin Umar 
narrates Prophet of Allah said, “…Whoever has loved the Arabs has done so because of my love and whoever has hated the Arabs has done so because of having enmity for me” (Imam Baihaqi in his Kitabul Madkhal)
Saaiduna Abu Hurairah narrates that the Prophet of Allah said, “I take an oath in that Being in whose Hand is my life, Allah revealed to every Messenger in Arabic, after which he (the Messenger) used to convey the message to the nation in their language” (Majmuaz Zawaaid)
Saaiduna Abu Hurairah narrates that non-Arabs were mentioned to the Prophet of Allah . Prophet of Allah said, “My relation with them or with some of them is more firm to me than with you (Arabs) or with some of you.” (Sunan Tirmizi)
The way we can reconcile between that hadith where it says "No Arab is better than a non-Arab, and no non-Arab is better than an Arab except in taqwa" and with the virtues regarding the Arabs is that as a nation Allah has honoured them, but individually a non Arab who has Taqwa can be better than a Arab who does not have Taqwa.
Allah 
says in the Qur’an:
“…Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who has) the most Taqwa from among you.” (Surah Hujuraat v.13)
Only Allah Knows Best
Mohammed Tosir Miah
Darul Ifta Birmingham
