As a Muslim, I believe one of the greatest lessons that Islam teaches is the intrisic value and dignity of each human being. One of my favorite teachings in this regard comes from the words of the Imam Ali ibn Abu Talib (a.s.), who said:
" If you desire I will tell you about Jesus (AS) son of Mary. He used a stone for his pillow, put on coarse clothes and ate rough food. His condiment was hunger. His lamp at night was the moon. His shade during the winter was just the expanse of earth eastward and westward. His fruits and flowers were only what grow from the earth for the cattle. He had no wife to allure him, nor any son to give grief, nor wealth to deviate (his attention), nor greed to disgrace him. His two feet were his conveyance and his two hands his servant."
Today we would call Nabbi Isa (a.s.) (Prophet Jesus, peach be upon him) a "homeless person", and yet he was one of the crown jewels of humanity. This should give us pause, and demonstrate for us how far we have deviated from his teachings.
Islam teaches us the value of a person is God given. Another saying of Imam Ali (a.s.) in this regard is that every person a Muslim meets is either "Your brother (or sister) in faith or your brother (sister) in humanity". Islam teaches us that we should not judge others based on their outward appearance or their worldly accomplishments, but based on their inward beauty and the truthfulness of their words and actions.
More information about text formats