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

40: DIGNITY & RIGHTS OF LABOR IN ISLAM

Introduction: Islam accords a place of dignity to all kinds of labor in recognition of their importance in economy. In order to raise the status of labor, the Prophet busied himself with numerous jobs regardless of ranks, saying that “the best of income is what you earn by own hands” (Hadith). The Quran made a case for labor by proclaiming that God “created everyone into work and struggle” (90:4). Now we turn to details about it.

(A)  Dignity of Labor: Regardless of Job Classification: Islam appreciates the value of all types of lawful jobs in the interdependent economic life and thus rules out any basis for looking down upon any low paying jobs. For example, without vital services of the servants, cleaners etc. your life is bound to be miserable. If all in the society are interested in white collar official jobs, then there will be grim shortage of blue collar menial jobs. Needless to say, the growing complexity of the modern economy finds the ‘division of labor’ as essential for contributing to ‘specialization’ and production efficiency. Such ‘divisions’ may be horizontal (like equal-ranking managers/supervisors of various sections like production, distribution, marketing etc.) as well as vertical (like presidents, supervisors, cleaners etc.).  In production factory or service oriented business, these diverse positions are filled based on qualifications and the society can achieve optimum economic benefits if all of you do your own jobs properly. Particularly, the vertical top-down job classification with differential competence and incomes plays well to God’s plan, as explained below.

Job Diversity Helps: God claimed to have made “some of them above others in ranks so that some may command works from others” (43:32). Otherwise, if He created people equally qualified for similar type of jobs, then nobody would like to work in lower supporting positions and the society would be in terrible shortage of essential services. In that situation, the people of higher ranks like presidents, CEOs etc. themselves would have to do all the works of their subordinates like typists, messengers etc. That would mean wasting their valuable time with less focus on their administrative job, at the expense of their professional efficiency. If you, however, ignore this divine purpose and treat the lower classes as inferior, then you are in the wrong. God made “some of you as a trial for others” (25:20) in order to see, for example, if a subordinate employee is sincerely dutiful to his employer. Likewise, another reason behind economic difference consists in His intention to “try you in the gifts He has given you”, requiring the rich to be generous to the poor and thankful to God, as for examples (6:165).

The Prophet Upheld Labor Dignity:  The Prophet translated God’s labor policy into reality through his own practices. Despite being a highly dignified personality, he set examples by performing menial jobs like working as a shepherd, carrying bricks for building mosque, digging trench for warfare, collecting fuel for cooking and so on. He even did not hesitate to do utterly unpleasant jobs as he once managed to clean up the indigestive discharges of a non-Muslim visitor.  In this way, he protected the lower level jobs from social disgrace and heightened the dignity of labor in general.

(B) Rights of the Labor: Islam aims to protect the labor from any abusive employer by granting them a broad package of rights including the following:

(1) Economic:  Islam gives top priority to the basic needs of labor. The Prophet insisted, “The workers and servants shall have to be given proper food and clothes”, even if that means higher than economic wage determined by the laws of demand and supply. This principle appears to be a forerunner of modern day legislation of ‘minimum wage’ based on workers’ cost of living index. He also told the employers to pre-fix wages before hiring the workers and “pay off wages before their sweat dries up” (Hadith).  The employers are mandated to “fulfill (all) obligations” (5:1) as per labor hiring contracts. Any extra work must be rewarded with overtime payment, the Prophet insisted. Islam came up with the unique idea of labor and capital sharing partnership in the business named Mudaraba where profit is shared at pre-decided rate. Old age pension enjoyed favor of Caliph Umar who implemented it by arguing, “It is far from being humane to let one go helpless in old age after getting services from his youth”.

(2) Behavioral: The Prophet framed conditions in which the workers would enjoy kind treatment as part of basic human rights from their employers. He made it a point that the workers should be given “as much work as they are able to do” and not beyond.  This apparently rules out the abuses of workers through long work hours, low pay, child labor etc. which became a new norm in post-Industrial Age of Europe.  He further clarified: “A laborer cannot be forced to do such hard work that makes them disabled”. This not only provides against unsafe and unhealthy work conditions but also requires fixing maximum work hours, leaving the residual time needed for leisure for your physical and mental wellbeing. The Prophet iterated “your body and family have a right on you as well”. 

    Islam enjoins on humane behavior with the workers and advises you to pardon them for any unintended mistakes.  The Prophet insisted if the workers or servants accidentally damage anything of yours, you cannot force them to compensate. He added if their offense is unbearable for you, you rather let them go instead of subjecting them to unjust or cruel treatment. He modeled on good behavior with his butler for 10 years named Anas whom he never gave any hard time through behavior or overwork. During his Farewell Address, he reminded you to behave nicely with those who work under you.

(C)  Duties of Labor: The rights of labor do not mean a one-way traffic. The laborers have duties to their employers as well. The Prophet said: “God likes that you do your assigned work perfectly for your master”. If, otherwise, you willfully fail to properly complete your assigned work, your money earned from that work will be illegal and sinful. Islam thus aims to balance between the conflicting interests of labor and employer.  Such balanced policy obviously holds key to solutions of problems that historically placed capitalism and communism on the opposite sides and the labor and management are still seen fighting through weapons like strike, boycott, lockout etc. The modern industrial society can maximize social and economic prosperity by adhering to Islamic labor policy.

Conclusion: In this way, Islam came up with a broad package of labor rights about 1,500 years ago, which was almost unthinkable at that time. Humanity did not see labor rights on a global scale until 20th century when the International Labor Organization (UNO) came up with some rights which are, however, non-binding in nature.