O People Fear Your Lord Who Created You From One Soul — The Origin of Human Equality
tadabbur
Level: basic
social
td-226
يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلنَّاسُ ٱتَّقُواْ رَبَّكُمُ ٱلَّذِي خَلَقَكُم مِّن نَّفۡسٍ وَٰحِدَةٍ
— النساء 1
Verse: "O people, fear your Lord who created you from one soul." (4:1) — The surah of human rights opens with the principle of common origin. "From one soul" = Adam, from whom Eve, from whom all humanity. This dismantles racial, class, and gender discrimination at its roots. The address "O People" (not "O Muslims") makes this a universal human right, not merely religious. The only criterion for distinction: taqwa.
Source: Ibn Kathir (2/204); Al-Sadi
Question: Why does the Quran say "O people" not "O Muslims" in the opening of An-Nisa?
Answer: Because the principle of common origin and human equality is a universal right for all humanity — not exclusive to Muslims.