In The Name Of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

“People, We created you from a single man and a single woman, and made you into races and tribes so that you should recognize one another. In God’s eyes, the most honored of you are the ones most mindful of Him: God is all knowing, all aware.” [Quran 49: 13]

We live in an age that is striking in its unprecedented technological sophistication.  Unfortunately, the prejudices  and inequities that have  plagued the human race  historically continue to exist,  and are responsible for untold  human suffering. It is in this context that the subject of  human rights is especially pertinent. This web page explains the origins of human rights in Islam, detailing the  comprehensive and progressive  entitlements Islam advocates on various issues  afflicting the world today.

What constitutes human rights? Can  we come to a common  understanding of these liberties  and thereby ensure that these are universally  granted to every member of  society? These questions have been the subject of historic  documents such as the Magna Carta, the French Declaration  of the Rights of Man, the  American Bill of Rights and the Geneva  Convention.

What is often overlooked, however, is that these questions have also been  addressed by various religious  traditions. The Islamic model  of human rights in particular is  striking in its rigor, its vision and its relevance to modern  times. The distinguishing feature of human entitlements  in Islam is that they are the  natural outcome of a broader  practice of faith, deeds and  social behavior that Muslims believe are divinely mandated. The Quran, the holy book of Islam, says:

God commands justice, doing good, and  generosity towards relatives and  He forbids what  is shameful, blameworthy,  and oppressive.  He teaches you,  so that you may  take heed.[Quran 16:90]

Muhammad (peace be upon him) the final prophet of Islam, established the very first Islamic society which eliminated the spiritual and  social problems rampant in the  Arabian Peninsula. Freedom of  religion was instituted in Medina; women were honored  and respected as equals; racial  discrimination was practically  eliminated; tribal warfare was  replaced with united ties of brotherhood; usury and alcohol  were completely forbidden. As Karen  Armstrong, a renowned author of books on comparative  religion, has expressed, “Muhammad … was a dazzling success, politically as well as  spiritually, and Islam went  from strength to strength to  strength.

Islam’s contribution to human  rights is best appreciated when  viewed against the backdrop of world history as well as the realities of modern times. Social, racial, gender and  religious inequities continue to  exist. Economic and social  disparities have resulted in  oppression of the lower classes;  racial prejudices have  been the cause of subjugation  and enslavement of people with  darker skin; women have  been weighed down by  chauvinistic attitudes, and  pervasive attitudes of religious  superiority have led to widespread persecution of  people with different beliefs When considering the  question of human rights and Islam, it is important to  distinguish the divinely prescribed rights of Islam from  potential misinterpretation and  misapplication by  imperfect human beings. Just  as Western societies still fight  against racism and discrimination, many Muslim  societies struggle to fully  implement the rights outlined  in Islam.

Dignity & Equality

Human rights in Islam stem from two foundational  principles: dignity and equality. Dignity is a fundamental right  of every human being merely  by virtue of his or her  humanity. As God states in the  Quran:

“We have  honored the  children of  Adam and  carried them by land and sea;  We have  provided good  sustenance for  them and  favored them  specially above  many of those  We have created” [Quran 17:70]

Regarding equality, God (Allah  in Arabic) clearly declares that  in His sight, the only  distinguishing factors between  humans are righteousness and  piety:

“People, We  created you all  from a single  man and a  single woman,  and made you  into races and  tribes so that  you should  recognize one  another. In  God’s eyes, the  most honored of  you are the  ones most  mindful of Him:  God is all knowing, all  aware” [Quran 49:13]

The diversity of humanity into  many races and ethnicities is a testament to God’s majesty and wisdom. Therefore, racial superiority and discrimination  are prohibited in Islam and  contradict its essence. This  concept is exemplified in the  final sermon of Prophet  Muhammad, who proclaimed:

“No Arab has  any superiority  over a non-Arab,  nor does  a non-Arab have  any  superiority over  an Arab. Nor  does a white  man have any  superiority over  a black man, or  the black man  any superiority  over the white  man. You are all  the children of  Adam, and  Adam was  created from clay.”

Women’s Rights

So many of the human rights violations are committed  against women in  this world. Under the laws of Islam,  women have the right to own  property and businesses,  engage in financial transactions, vote, receive  inheritance, obtain an  education and participate in  legal and political affairs. The  fact that some Muslim societies  do not always accord  women all these liberties is an  example of how human beings  can fall short of fully  implementing the Divine Will.

Both men and women have responsibilities towards their families and societies as is clear  from the following verse:

“The Believers,  men and  women, are  protectors one  of another: they enjoin what is just, and  forbid what is  evil: they  observe regular prayers, practice  regular  charity, and  obey Allah and  His Messenger.  On them will  Allah pour His  mercy: for Allah is Exalted in  power, Wise” [Quran, 9:71]

God promises in the Quran:

“If any do deeds  of righteousness — be they male  or female — and  have faith, they  will enter  Heaven, and not  the least  injustice will be  done to them”  [Quran 4:124]

The Birthrights of Life and Security

In Islam, life is a sacred trust  from God and the most basic  right of a human being. No  individual is permitted to take  the life of another, unless it is  for justice administered by a competent court following due  process of law.

God recognizes this right in the  Quran:

“Nor take life –  which Allah has  made sacred —  except for just  cause” [Quran  17:33]

“…if anyone kills a person — unless in  retribution for  murder or  spreading  corruption in  the land — it is  as if he kills all  mankind while if any saves a life  it is as if he  saves the lives of all mankind”  [Quran 5:32]

Not only do human beings have the right not to be harmed, they have the right to be safeguarded from harm, physical or otherwise. For instance, under Islamic law, people are legally liable for not preventing a blind man from dying of a perilous fall, if they were in a position to save him.

Even during war, Islam enjoins that one deals with the enemy nobly on the battlefield. Enemy soldiers and. prisoners of war are not to be tortured or mutilated under any  circumstances. Islam has also drawn a clear line of distinction between combatants and non-combatants. As far as the non-combatant population is concerned, such as women, children and the elderly, etc., the instructions of Prophet Muhammad, are as follows: “Do not kill any old person, any child or any woman” and “Do not kill the monks in monasteries.” Hence, non-combatants are guaranteed security of life even if their nation is at war with a Muslim country.

Freedom Of Beliefs

Contrary to popular misconceptions, a genuine Islamic republic is obligated to not only permit but respect diversity. Thus, non-Muslims within an Islamic territory are  allowed to worship in accordance with their religion. There are many examples of this historically. When Muslims began ruling Palestine in 637 C.E., they invited the Jewish  people to live in Jerusalem after 500 years of exile. In 1187 C.E., after retaking Palestine from the Crusaders, Muslims treated Christians with honor despite the brutality  they had endured at the hands of the Crusaders. Christians were allowed to leave in peace or to stay in harmony.

While Spain was under Muslim rule, the city of Cordova was considered the intellectual center of Europe, where students went to study philosophy, science and medicine  under Muslim, Jewish and Christian scholars. This rich and sophisticated society took a tolerant view towards other faiths, while peaceful coexistence was unheard of in  the rest of Europe. The historian James Burke mentions in his book, The Day the Universe Changed, that thousands of Jews and Christians lived in safety and harmony with  their Muslim overlords in Muslim Spain.

The Right to a Basic Standard Of Life

A basic standard of life includes the minimum essentials necessary for survival, such as food, clothing, shelter and medical attention. Anyone deprived of these necessities  is entitled to receive aid in order to meet their needs. It is the duty of every Muslim with adequate means to give from their wealth, in order to eradicate poverty from society.

Describing the righteous believers in the Quran, God reminds that they are those who give a “rightful share of their wealth to the beggar and the deprived” (51:19).  The Islamic state is also obligated to spend from its treasury to support the poor and disadvantaged.

The Entitlement To Justice

Islam requires that Muslims possess upright character and deal justly with the entire human race, irrespective of their ethnicity, nationality, creed and whether they are a friend or foe. God says in the Quran:

“You who believe, be steadfast in your devotion to God and bear witness impartially: do not let hatred of others lead you away from  justice, but adhere to justice, for that is closer to awareness of God. Be mindful of God: God is well aware of all that you do” [Quran 5: 8).

Reflecting on the concept of justice in Islam, Sarojini Naidu, the Nightingale of India, stated in a speech, “The sense of justice that Islam encompasses is one of the most  wonderful ideals of Islam, because, as I read in the Quran, I find those dynamic principles of life, not mystic but practical ethics for the daily conduct of life suited to the  whole world.”

Rights and Mutual Responsibility. From the foregoing discussion, it is clear that Islamic law has divinely mandated rights for individuals in their specific roles as spouse,  parent, child, relative, neighbor, friend and even foe. In its distribution of rights and responsibilities, Islam. has addressed the social, racial, gender and sectarian issues  plaguing our global society. Indeed, the model of rights and mutual responsibilities enshrined in Islam has a tremendous potential for individual and social reform in the world.

[The above part was written by: Azra Awan]