Islam for Non-Muslims

• RELIGIOUS FAITHS VS IRRELIGIOUS IDEAS
• 1 The Present State of the World Religions
• 2 Religious System as a Historical Reality
• 3 The Evidences of God across the Universe
• 4 The Absolute Oneness of God
• 5 The Reality of the Afterlife
• 6 The Growth of Irreligious Ideas
• 7 Worshipping Natural Elements
• 8 Worshipping Imaginary Idols
• 9 Worshipping Human Beings
• 10 Inventing Relationship to God
• 11 Inventing the Idea of Reincarnation
• 12 Inventing the Theory of Evolution (Darwinism)
• 13 Inventing ‘Nature’ as the Creator of the Universe
• 14 Importance of Religion in this Secular World
• ISLAM AS A RELIGION
• 15 Addressing the Criticisms of Islam
• 16 Islam as a Magnet for the Non-Muslims
• 17 The Quran as the Original Divine Book
• 18 The Quranic Reality in Archeological Findings
• 19 Muhammad (pbuh) as the Great Prophet
• 20 Islam as the True Religion
• 21 Islam as the Universal Religion
• 22 Islam as the Eternal Religion
• 23 Islam as a Practicable Religion
• 24 Islam as an Enjoyable Religion
• 25 Islam as the Peaceful & Savior Religion
• 26 Islam as the Progressive & Rational Religion
• 27 Islam in Health & Hygiene
• 28 Islam in Promotion of Science
• 29 Muslims in Practices of Science
• 30 Islam & Other Monotheisms: Similarities & Differences
• 31 Islamic Tolerance for Other Religions
• 32 Islamic Rights for Non-Muslim Citizens
• ISLAM AS A WAY OF LIFE
• 33 Islamic System vs. Human Ideologies
• 34 Moral & Social Impacts of Islamic Rituals
• 35 Moral Discipline in Islam
• 36 Sinning of 3 W’s: Women, Wine and Wealth
• 37 Dignity & Equality of Man in Islam
• 38 Human Rights in Islam
• 39 Social Duties in Islam
• 40 Dignity & Rights of Labor in Islam
• 41 Dignity of Women in Islam
• 42 Rights of Women in Islam
• 43 Marriage & Family Life in Islam
• 44 Political Philosophy in Islam
• 45 Economic Principles in Islam
• 46 Islamic Economy vs. Capitalism & Communism
• 47 Patriotism & Internationalism in Islam
• 48 Understanding Controversial Issues in Islam
• 49 Conversion to Islam: Problems & Prospects
• 50 Conclusive Message to the Non-Muslims

38. Human Rights in Islam

Introduction:  Islam introduced a package of human rights that compares favorably with any other human rights documents. If you make an item by item comparison of Quranic human rights with those of other scriptures or any man-made documents, you will easily find the former as more comprehensive and qualitative. Now follow some details.

Comparison: Ancient Greece is known as the birthplace of democracy. However, over there not only the rights were very few but these were also limited to minority of high born males. Then in 1215, came up the Magna Carta through which British King John was forced to grant only a few rights for the nobles. This was followed by the British Bill of Rights (1688), the American Bill of Rights (1791) and then the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the UNO (1948) and so on. Needless to say, these man-made rights are often exposed to criticism for being incomplete, imperfect or bias, leaving door wide open for review and revision.

Features of Islamic Rights: Islamic human rights are unique in the following manner:

(1) Comprehensive: Islam began with the total package of basic human rights all at once, as decided by Benevolent God. Things were different for man-made documents in this regard.  For example, the British Magna Carta started its journey with skeletal provisions mainly against unjustified detention and unfair taxation without consent of people’s council and these were later beefed up through the British Bill of Rights.

(2) Neutral: Islamic rights have blessings of neutrality from God as He has no fear to rule against powerful dictators or unfairness to go against the poor. By contrast, architects of man-made rights can seldom rise above human weakness for bias. For example, the founding fathers of American Bill of Rights (1791) never felt like giving voting right to their mothers and sisters until it was granted under pressure about centuries later in 1920.

(3) Mandatory:  Human-authored rights code does not always have binding clause, often leading to transgression as a result. The beautiful rights under the Geneva Convention (1949), for example, are not always used to benefit the war prisoners.

Quite differently, human rights in Islam have some built-in provisions toward compliance. For example, there was a dire warning to “fear God in whose name you demand (your rights) from each other” (4:1). In violation of this, if you “transgress insolently through the earth in defiance of (other’s) rights”, “then your insolence goes against your souls”, as warned by God (10:23). If you abuse human rights, then you face the threat that God would not forgive your sin unless your victim forgives you and if God does not forgive you, you must suffer unstoppable personal or social punishment. Furthermore, in order this does not happen to you, Islam qualifies your mind to honor human rights through a system of soul purifying rituals (prayer, fasting, charity etc.) and incentives of Paradise. Now let us look at the specifics of rights provided by Islam.

(1) Rights to Life: Islam strongly prohibits killing of people: “Do not take life which God made sacred, except for just causes” (17:33). Examples of these “just causes” include court sentence for death for crimes like murder or spreading violence, defensive killing of a robber etc. However, fear of poverty or food shortage is never a just cause for murder. “Don’t kill your children on plea of want; we provide sustenance for you and for them” (6:151). In order to give an idea of the graveness of murder, the Quran likens the “slaying one person” to “slaying the whole nation” and equates “saving one life” to “saving life of all people” (5:32).  The return for “intentional (and unjustified)” murder is “Hell, to abide therein (forever)” (4:93). Islam gave chances to life by introducing a system of compensation (Qisas) and/or pardon to replace revengeful killing or excessive retaliation particularly for “wrongful killing” (17:33).

(2) Rights to Prestige:  After securing your life, Islam moves on to guarantee your much-valued prestige. Being “specially favored” among the creations (17:70), you are therefore expected to show the civilized side of your behavior by not undermining others’ prestige or treating anyone as sub-humans. God threatens with “grievous penalty” for “spreading scandals” or evils against others (24:19).

(3) Property Rights: Islam considers it overly important to secure your property that you gain by laboring so hard. A ‘No’ sign to illegal occupation of others’ properties is posted in numerous verses of the Quran. “Do not deprive people from their due things. Return trusts to their rightful owners. (Do) not drive out your people from homes. Do not eat up your property among yourselves in vanities. If any do that in enmity and injustice, soon I shall cast them into the Fire” (7:85; 4:58; 2:84; 4:29; 4:30). The Prophet affirmed in his Farewell Address: “Like this holy day, your blood and your wealth are most valuable and mutually sacred among you”. Islam approves your legal methods of property ownership (e.g. gift, inheritance, earning, buying etc.), consumption (after paying 2.5% ‘zakat’ if applicable) and transfer (e.g. selling, donation, inheritance and will in specific manner).

(4) Personal Freedom: Islam stands for your right to personal freedom: freedom of movement and enjoying liberty. Islam considers everyone born free as a ranking creation of God. This freedom cannot be robbed on long term basis such as through slavery or colonization. Nor can it be suspended or curtailed for short run by means of arrest, detention etc. without any specific complaints. If you face any legal charges, you have the right to defend yourself from unjust punishment, taking advantage of due process of law including your own defense argument, legal help from attorney, true witness under oath of God, circumstantial evidence, proper investigation etc.  On your side remains the safety clause of Islam that says “you are responsible only for your own (crime)” (4:84) and not for crimes of others including your nearest relatives like father, son, wife etc. Another provision that helps you to remain innocent is that no one can force or influence you to commit a crime or follow any evil advice of a despotic ruler.

(5) Freedom of Religion:  Personal freedom granted by Islam extends to freedom of faith and practicing your own religion.  Islam views religion as a matter of persuasion and not coercion. If otherwise, you are forced to accept Islam outwardly while your faith at heart remains different, then this discrepancy will make you a hypocrite, causing a great disservice to Islam.  Islam therefore gives freedom in your choice of religion by saying: “Will you then compel mankind against their will to believe? Let there be no compulsion in religion”. (10:99; 2:256)

(6) Freedom of Opinion:  You are allowed to vent your inner feelings, opinions, ideas, thoughts etc. through outer actions like speech, lecture, writing etc. Such externalities, however, should have a factual basis, promising a positive purpose. For example, Islam not only allows but also encourages protesting any injustice as a jihad.  Likewise, debating an issue is ordinarily seen as a window to furthering knowledge. Such freedom of expression through speech, press etc., however, is not absolute. In exercising this freedom, you cannot be irresponsible by crossing into the boundaries of others’ legitimate rights. For example, you cannot damage other’s reputation by “broadcasting scandals” (24:19) or offend other religious groups by “insulting criticisms” of their gods (6:108).

 (7) Rights to Economic Security: Islam values your basic economic needs (food, shelter, clothes, healthcare, education etc.) regardless of ethnic, religious or other backgrounds. God reveals His generic policy of providing bounties that are “not closed to (anyone)” regardless of religious faiths (17:20). You are also warned from “forbidding food (to people) which God has provided for them” (6:140). He “bestows (His bounties) freely on all people: these (Muslims) and those (non-Muslims)” (17:20). These also include opportunities for education, job training etc. as pre-requisites for non-discriminatory employment and income sources based on your free choice of occupation matching your aptitude and ability. Still if your income falls short of expenses needed for basic needs, then compulsory charity (zakat) combined with optional giving will make that gap up. Accordingly, you are prohibited from “driving away any beggars (unheard)” or “discouraging one another to feed the poor” (93:10; 89:18).

Conclusion:  Obviously, Islam provides a package of human rights that is not only very comprehensive but is also very effective for reaching out to the people in general.