The diversity in languages and races among humans is also a great sign of Allah. This diversity, while providing benefits in terms of recognition and identification, also leads to various forms of tests and trials. The author of Tafheem-ul-Qur’an, Maulana Abul A‘la Maududi, has explained the sign (āyah) of language and color diversity in great detail. He writes:
Even though your articulatory faculties are the same, there is no difference in the structure of your mouth and tongue, nor in the structure of your brain, yet in different regions of the earth, your languages are different. Then, even in regions where a single language is spoken, the dialects vary from town to town and village to village. Moreover, each person’s accent, pronunciation, and manner of speech differ from another. Similarly, while the material of your creation and the formula of your construction is the same, your colors are so different that leaving aside different nations, even two sons of the same parents are not exactly the same in color. Here, attention is drawn to just two things as an example. But if you proceed along this line, you will find so much variety in the world that it would be difficult to encompass it. Regardless of which species of humans, animals, plants, or any other things you take, despite the fundamental similarities among their individuals, there are innumerable differences present. Even in the same species, no individual is exactly similar to another, down to the fact that even two leaves from the same tree are not completely identical. This clearly shows that this world is not some kind of factory where automated machines are running, producing every kind of item under a system of mass production where things emerge as identical copies. Instead, there is a Mighty Craftsman at work here who creates every single thing with full individual attention, complete with a new design, new patterns, new proportions, and new attributes, and each creation is unique in its place. His creative power continuously brings forth a new model of each thing, and His artistry considers repeating a design to be an insult to His art. Anyone who opens their eyes to see this astounding spectacle can never fall into the foolish notion that the creator of this universe set the factory in motion and then went to sleep somewhere. This is open evidence that He is engaged in the work of creation at every moment and devotes individual attention to each and every thing He has created. (Tafheem-ul-Qur’an 3/746-747)