Human rights in Islam

 

The First Sermon

All praise be to Allah, we thank Him and seek His Help and Forgiveness. We seek refuge with Him against the evils of ourselves and the evils of our deeds.

 

Whom Allah guides, there is no one can mislead and whomever Allah misleads, no one can guide him. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah alone who has no partner and Muhammad is his servant and Messenger. “O mankind! Be dutiful to your Lord, Who created you from a single person (Adam), and from him (Adam) He created his wife [Hawwâ’  (Eve)], and from them both He created many men and women; and fear Allâh through Whom you demand (your mutual rights), and (do not cut the relations of) the wombs (kinship). Surely, Allâh is Ever an All-Watcher over you.” [Surat An-Nisa’: 1]. “O you who believe! Fear Allâh and keep your duty to Him. And let every person look to what he has sent forth for tomorrow, and fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is Well-Acquainted with what you do.” The best speech is the Book of Allah and the best guidance is the guidance of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Indeed, the worst evil of all matters are heresies and every heresy is an error.

 

Our Lord (Glory be to Him) says: “And indeed We have honored the Children of Adam, and We have carried them on land and sea, and have provided them with At-Tayyibât (lawful good things), and have preferred them to many of those whom We have created with a marked preferment.” [Surat Al Isra’: 70]. When Allah selected human beings to inhabit the earth, He gave them rights that were not given to other creatures and gave preference to people according to their servitude to their lord.

From the requisites of Allah’s Honor to man that He prohibited his humiliation without right regardless his religion, color, ethnic, or country, so this is a right that was guaranteed by human beings.

 

Of human rights in Islam that man was given preference to other creatures. Human beings have superior rank over other creatures, but the disagreement is about preferring the pious believers over angels. If the rights of human beings are contradictory, at least they shall be preferred to the rest of creatures.

 

Of human rights in Islam is the obligation of achieving justice with all the people without discrimination due to religion, color, race, or country; we should even treat the enemy justly and it is prohibited to oppress it. “O you who believe! Stand out firmly for Allâh as just witnesses; and let not the enmity and hatred of others make you avoid justice. Be just: that is nearer to piety; and fear Allâh. Verily, Allâh is Well-Acquainted with what you do.” [Surat of Al Ma’idah: 8].

 

Of the human rights in Islam that oneself is inviolable and it is prohibited to violate it by killing. “And kill not anyone whom Allâh has forbidden, except for a just cause (according to Islâmic law). This He has commanded you that you may understand.” [Surat Al Isra’: 33].

 

Whoever violates the life of a human being by killing or something less, he shall be retaliated according to the request of the victim otherwise the transgressor pays the blood-money according to the general rules of the Shari`ah. “And We ordained therein for them: “Life for life, eye for eye, nose for nose, ear for ear, tooth for tooth, and wounds equal for equal.” But if anyone remits the retaliation by way of charity, it shall be for him an expiation. And whosoever does not judge by that which Allâh has revealed, such are the Zâlimûn (polytheists and wrong-doers of a lesser degree).” [Surat of Al Ma’idah: 45]. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever is killed his closest relative has the right to choose one of two things, i.e., either the Blood money or retaliation by having the killer killed.” [Reported by Al Bukhari (2434) and Muslim (1355)].

 

Of the human rights in Islam is not to assault him morally, so it is prohibited to humiliate a person or talk about his honor. “O you who believe! Let not a group scoff at another group, it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor let (some) women scoff at other women, it may be that the latter are better than the former. Nor defame one another, nor insult one another by nicknames. How bad is it to insult one’s brother after having Faith [i.e. to call your Muslim brother (a faithful believer) as: “O sinner”, or “O wicked”]. And whosoever does not repent, then such are indeed Zâlimûn (wrong-doers, etc.).” [Surat Al Hujurat: 11].

 

Of human rights in Islam is the infallibility of his money, so nothing of his money is taken, even if it is little, or his rights are violated without right. It was reported in the Hadith of Abu Bakrah: “No doubt, your blood and your properties are sacred to one another like the sanctity of this day of yours.” [Reported by Al Bukhari (4406) and Muslim (1679)].

 

Of human rights in Islam is the freedom of actions of an adult regarding his money and not to forbid him from disposition of his money whether man or woman and whether married or not according to the soundest view. “And try the orphans (as regards their intelligence) until they reach the age of marriage; if then you find sound judgment in them, release their property to them.” [Surat An-Nisa’: 6].

 

Of human rights in Islam the Freedom of faith, so an infidel cannot be forced to embrace Islam. “There shall be no compulsion in religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong.” [Surat Al Baqarah: 256]. even if he is one of idol-worshippers according to the Hadith of Buraydah who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) used to commend the emirs of the army or the expedition as well as Muslims to fear Allah and said: “Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war, do not embezzle the spoils ; do not break your pledge; and do not mutilate (the dead) bodies; do not kill the children. When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withhold yourself from doing them any harm.” The Hadith was reported by Muslim (1731). This is regarding the infidels, but as for those who embraced Islam voluntarily without compulsion, so they have to abide by the rulings of Islam and the rulings of Shari`ah shall be applied for him including the Penalty of apostasy. Ibn `Abbas said to the Prophet (peace be upon him): “Kill those who change their religion.” [Reported by Al Bukhari 3017].

 

Of human rights in Islam is to guarantee an honorable living for a human, so his basic needs should be meet, such as: food, drink, home, and transportation through the imposition of legitimate expenses such as Zakah and expiations to meet the needs of the poor and if they are not enough, the Muslim Treasure House will pay them. It was reported in the Hadith of Jabir “By Him in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, there is no believer on the earth with whom I am not the nearest among all the people. He who amongst you (dies) and leaves a debt, I am there to pay it, and he who amongst you (dies) leaving behind children I am there to look after them. And he who amongst You leaves behind property, that is for the inheritor whoever he is.” [Reported by Muslim: 867].

 

Of human rights in Islam is to assert the right of the weak and legislating laws to forbid people from assaulting them. Abu Hurayrah said: the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “I forbid you to violate the right of the two weaks: orphans and women.” [Reported by Al Hakim (1/63) and said an authentic Hadith on the condition of Muslim].

 

The second sermon

In Islam, Shari`ah is the source of human rights. Rights are taken from the Shari`ah either from exclusive or general texts, or from the general rules of Shari`ah. Therefore, what the Shari`ah decides is the truth and what it negates is not a right even if the West sees otherwise.

 

The violation of human rights should be taken from the rulings of our Lord, so His Rulings are not violation to the human rights but mere justice even if the people consider it a violation. “And whomsoever Allâh disgraces, none can honor him. Verily, Allâh does what He wills.” [Surat Al Hajj: 18].

 

The West deals with human rights according to their whims, whereas peoples give these rights but when it is connected with others, the rights of the people are violated, countries are usurped, its treasures are stolen, and innocent people are killed by the people who claim to preserve human rights; and the occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan is not far away from us.

 

According to those people, human rights are relative and differ from one place to another and from time to time, so they have no fixed standards, but changeable unlike human rights in Islam.

 

The West uses human rights to press the rulers to implement its demands. How many oppressive rulers they helped and supported and when they refuse to implement what the West commands them to do, they accused them of violating human rights.

 

The West uses human rights to impose its culture on the world in violation of the privacy of the countries that have different religion, customs, or other, especially with regard to women, so it tries to impose a Western model of women under the guise of women’s rights.

 

Freedom is an elastic word that has no clear constraint, so no one ever repeated that term means that a person can do whatever he likes according to his own whims. Therefore, freedom is not absolute but it is controlled by the disciplines of the Creator and His Creatures should be satisfied. This kind of freedom is better than a changeable freedom laid by a human being “Should not He Who has created know? And He is the Most Kind and Courteous (to His slaves), the Well-Acquainted (with everything).” [Surat Al Mulk: 14].

 

We find that some are calling for freedom: by Muslims and infidels whether pious or lewd. So, when we ask those who demand freedom and call for it what do you mean with freedom? Is it to free the people from the worship of other than Allah and make them worship Allah alone where the Creator shall be watcher over their words, actions, and beliefs; this will be right. And if the people want to release desires and whims under the name of freedom, this will not be freedom, but it will be bestiality. So, you want those people whom Allah honored to be in the same rank of animals. If you mean that you shall get rid of Shari`ah commands and Prohibitions, this is in fact turning away from the servitude of Allah to others.

 

If you mean that freedom is that the people choose their rulers and question the corruptors, this is true. However, if you mean to remove the Shari`ah and enforce the man-made-law, this is not freedom but a call from the Pre-Islamic Period “Do they then seek the judgment of (the Days of) Ignorance? And who is better in judgemnt than Allâh for a people who have firm Faith.” [Surat Al Ma`idah: 50].

 

The word equality is frequently heard and the origin of all humans that they are equal —in general rights to which I referred—, but they differ regarding their actions. So, if Islam equates between them in everything, oppression shall take place because how come to equate between a worker and an idle, the pious and the lewd, the male and the female.

 

Allah commands us with justice and equality because this is a Shari`ah ruling from the wisest of judges “Shall We then treat the Muslims (believers of Islamic Monotheism, doers of righteous deeds) like the Mujrimûn (criminals, polytheists and disbelievers, etc.)?” “Then, what is the matter with you? How judge you?” “Say (O Muhammad peace be upon him): “Not equal are Al-Khabîth (all that is evil and bad as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods) and At-Tayyib (all that is good as regards things, deeds, beliefs, persons and foods), even though the abundance of Al-Khabîth may please you.”” [Surat Al Ma’idah: 100] Even among Muslims themselves the Lord negates equality among them. “And what is the matter with you that you spend not in the Cause of Allâh? And to Allâh belongs the heritage of the heavens and the earth. Not equal among you are those who spent and fought before the conquering (of Makkah, with those among you who did so later). Such are higher in degree than those who spent and fought afterwards. But to all Allâh has promised the best (reward). And Allâh is Well-Acquainted with what you do.” [Surat Al Hadid: 10] “Say: “Are those who know equal to those who know not?”” [Surat Az-Zumar: 9] “Allâh will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allâh is Well-Acquainted with what you do.” [Surat Al Mujadalah: 11].

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