Human Rights In Islam

Human Rights In Islam

All people are equal in their birth and they have equal rights.

USURPATION AND DENIAL OF RIGHTS.

(79:24) I' am your Lord, Most High" the proclamation of Pharaoh is the root cause of the usurpation and denial of human rights. This is the desire of all dictators, oppressors, suppressor,suppresses, exploiters and usurpers. This is the source of all usurpation, oppression suppression, exploitation and injustice. The persons who have this desire take the place of a God (ilah) and (Rabb) deprive others of their rights.

This desire cannot be fulfilled without depriving people of their social, political, economic and other rights.
This desire is the source of negation of all civil liberties.

       This is the source to deprive by governments persons of their lives and liberties, their detention in custody without information and lawful authority, denial of the right to consult and be defended by a legal practitioner of choice.

       This is the source of slavery, forced  labour, traffic in human beings compulsory service of cruel nature or incompatible with human dignity, retrospective punishment, double punishment and self-incrimination, viol-ability of the dignity of man,negation of freedom of movement freedom of assembly, freedom of association, freedom trade, business or profession, freedom of speech, freedom to profess religion and to manage religious institutions  and negation of equality of citizens.

               The Qura'n cites examples from history of persons who in their desire to become Ilah and Rabb of others usurped their rights.

                  Namrud, Pharaoh and Shaddad in the ancient times and Abu Jahl, Abu Lahab and their coterie in the beginning of Islam, the Kings and the Monarchs in later period, deprived people of their rights particularly their political rights.

              Man is present as a bureaucratic despot, oppressor and a means of high handedness, cruel, unjust, authoritative, harsh, tyrannical to crush and trample down or subdue and overpower the weak and to weigh heavily on the mind of the people.

RESTORATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS

In this background Islam teaches (al ilah) which means none among the creature is God. A believer in Islam should Renunciation all means of despotism, oppression, suppression, exploitation and injustice which lead to usurpation and deprivation of people of their human rights.

ALLAH-SOURCE OF ALL HUMAN RIGHTS

     With the negation of all semi-gods Islam teaches (illa ALLAH) surrender and submission only to Allah Almighty. What does it mean? It means that the human rights should flow from the Will of Allah who is the most Merciful; the Most compassionate the Sustainer, the Forgiver. Allah is the Creator of all people, who are equal in birth and have equal rights and opportunities.

EQUALITY OF BIRTH.

    The principle of equality of the entire humanity has been given top priority in the Qur'an after the glory and greatness of Allah:

                      "O Mankind! reverence your Guardian Lord, who created you from a single person, created, of like nature, his mate, and from them twain scattered (like seeds) countless men and women."

It shows that belief in (illa ALLAH) means complete equality of all people which is source of their equal political, social and economic rights. These verses ordain that all laws, customs and practices which are in consonance with La ilah and are repugnant to illa ALLAH must be struck down and all laws, customs and practices must conform to illa Allah.

RIGHT TO LIFE.

      Right to live is on top of all fundamental human rights. Islam surpasses all religions and philosophies in safeguarding lives and liberties of the entire humanity. Murder of one person has been equated with the murder of the entire humanity.

      Says the Quran:

                             "If anyone slew a person, unless it be for murder or for spreading mischief in the land, it would be as if he slew the whole people  (chapter 5:35)."

Depriving one person of his life is equal to the murder of the whole people. All persons are an integrated body. Whosoever injures or cuts a part of the body, he causes its bleeding and its destruction.
It is humiliation, disgrace, dishonour, shame infamy, ignominy and odium of the entire humanity, lowering its pride and dignity. The verse makes the entire humanity responsible to fall upon the murder like one hand so that he meets his fate and the humanity takes necessary measures to protect and safeguard the lives of all fellow human being.

      Protection and safeguard of one life has been equated in the Quran with giving life to the entire humanity:
         "And if anyone saved a life, it would be as if he saved the life of the whole people,"

In this verse word Nafs is important. It is a common noun and includes both the genders, male and female. There is no distinction of life of a Muslim and a non-Muslim. They have been equated in dignity, status, honour and respect. Female members of humanity enjoy equal rights. In one sense the female who has been buried alive has been given special status. She would be given the right and power to ask the one who buried her alive, under what authority he had committees the cruelty the Quran says:

          "When the female buried alive, is questioned for what crime she was killed?"

Right of food:

Food is the basic necessity of life; hence fundamental human right. Islam gives basic important to the livelihood of all people.

Equal right of food to all human beings is enshrined in the following verse of Quran:

                "He set on the earth, Mountains standing firm, high above it. And bestowed blessings on the earth, and measured there in all things to give them nourishment in due proportion, in four days, equal to the needs of those who seek( sustenance)"

This spiritual, ethical and moral right of equal nourishment and sustenance was the fundamental and basic principle of Islamic economics and was given a formal legal and administrative shape in the Quranic Chapter Al-Hashr No 59.