Human Rights in the Light of Quran and Hadith
By
Dr. Mohammad Najeeb Qasmi Sambhali, New Age Islam
28 July
2022
It Is
Obligatory On Every Person Believing In Allah Almighty And His Messengers To
Observe The Rights Of All The People
Main
Points:
1. Holy Quran
and hadith have highly emphasized the importance of observing human rights
2. We do not
find any associations or organizations or endeavours teaching the people how to
observe other people’s rights which is incumbent on us.
3. We have also
been taught to behave nicely with the neighbours to the extent that one cannot
be a true Muslim if he irritates his neighbour.
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The Islamic
Shariah has obligated everybody to observe the rights of servants (our fellow
human beings) of Allah Almighty besides Allah’s rights. The Holy Quran and
hadith have highly emphasized the importance of observing human rights
containing special instructions on the subject matter. In addition, the example
set by the Holy Prophet Peace Be Upon Him (PBUH), his companions and the
companions of the prophet’s companions through their words and deeds pertaining
to observing human rights shall remain an exemplary behaviour for the human
being to follow in their footsteps as long as this world lasts.
Despite
this, today we do not observe other people’s rights, while at the same time we
raise our demand to others for observing our rights. Seldom do we think to
observe other people’s right and stage demonstrations to demand our rights.
Therefore, in the name of rights, many new associations and organizations have
been formed. But we do not find any associations or organizations or endeavours
teaching the people how to observe other people’s rights which is incumbent on
us. The principal demand of Islamic Shariah that we are required to fulfil is
that we should focus more and more on fulfilling our obligations i.e. observing
other people’s right.
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Rights
of General Public
It is
obligatory on every person believing in Allah Almighty and His messengers to
observe the rights of all the people. He should not usurp other people’s wealth
or property illegally. He should not cheat others. He should not adulterate the
foodstuffs. The Islamic Shariah does not allow to kill anybody unjustifiably,
or even to speak ill of anybody. It teaches the people to observe the rights of
the way (roads or passages); to take into consideration the condition of the
poor and the weak. Besides observing common people’s rights one should observe
the rights of parents, husband, wife, children, relatives and the neighbours.
Allah’s messenger (PBUH) warned us of the severe punishment in the hereafter
for not observing other people’s rights (asking the people saying): "Do
you know who is a bankrupt?" They said: "The bankrupt among us is one
who has neither money with him nor any property". He said, "The real
bankrupt of my Ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with
Salat, Saum and Sadaqah (charity), (but he will find himself
bankrupt on that day as he will have exhausted the good deeds) because he
reviled others, brought calumny against others, unlawfully devoured the wealth
of others, shed the blood of others and beat others; so, his good deeds would
be credited to the account of those (who suffered at his hand). If his good
deeds fall short to clear the account, their sins would be entered in his
account and he would be thrown in the (Hell) Fire". (Muslim)
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Rights
of Parents
The Holy
Quran and hadith have placed special emphasis on observing parent’s rights.
Allah Almighty has ordered us to observe the parent’s rights immediately after
ordering us to worship Him at many places, which underlines the importance of
observing parent’s rights, their obedience and service and respect. Many Ahadith
have also been reported on the special importance of observing parent’s rights
and their obedience. We have been prohibited to disobey parents to the extent
that we are not allowed even to display sign of slightest dispraise or raise
our voice on them and we have been ordered to speak to them softly and
respectfully. The order of praying for
them as long as we are alive makes it more important. In the light of Quran and
hadith, the scholars have written on the rights of parents in these words:
Parent’s rights in their lives: Respecting them; loving them and striving to
make them happy as much as possible; taking care of their needs; meeting them
etc. After their death: praying to Allah for their forgiveness and His mercy,
paying their trust and loans (if any), enforcing their legitimate will, doing
such deeds on their behalf the reward of which reaches them, respecting their
relatives and friend and visiting their graves etc.
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Children’s
Rights
Righteous
children are a great blessing of Allah. Children may be made righteous only
through their right upbringing in the light of principles taught by Allah
Almighty and His messenger (PBUH). Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said: “Every child
is born with a true faith of Islam (i.e. to worship none but Allah Alone) and
his parents convert him to Judaism or Christianity or Magianism,” (Bukhari,
Muslim).
This hadith
clearly tells us that a child’s mind and brain is like a plain paper, and
whatever his parents carve in his mind and brain lasts till the last days of
his age. Some obligations of parents i.e. children’s right are as under: At the
time of child’s birth, calling azan in the right ear of the child and saying Takbeer
in the left ear, Tehreek i.e. chewing date properly and placing it in
the child’s mouth and rubbing it at the tooth-gum; Aqiqah i.e. slaughtering
animal on behalf of the child on the seventh day of his birth; circumcising the
male child; doing charity equal to the weight of the hair after shaving the
child’s head whether silver or the value thereof; selecting good name for him;
if one fails to do Aqiqah at the seventh day of his birth, he can do it
anytime thereafter; shouldering the responsibility of taking care of all the
necessities of life of the children
within the limit of one’s capacity and status.
These are
rights if observed and taken care of in a sound manner; it will lay down the
foundation of a good generation. However, if one fails to observe these rights
even at the slightest degree or exercise negligence then only Allah alone knows
how much price the next generations will pay for it. A child’s teaching and
upbringing is a very serious and delicate matter, which should be performed in
a very wise and smart manner. In the beginning, the mother has a large share of
teaching and upbringing which with the advancement in the child’s age transfers
to the father. Following adorning the children with teaching and upbringing the
last and the most important right is to contract their marriage. In the matter
of seeking alliance for marriage, we should prefer the religiousness and noble
character of the prospective life partner, pursuant to the teachings of the
Holy prophet (PBUH).
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Also
Read: Islam Fully Protects Human Rights of
Religious Minorities: Sultan Shahin tells UNHRC at Geneva
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Rights
of Husband and Wife
The marital
relationship between the couple unknown to each other may be established only
through contracting marriage in a manner prescribed in the Islamic Shariah.
After contracting a legitimate marriage, the couple unknown to each other
becomes life partner of each other. They share each other’s grief and joy, pain
and relief, health and diseases and each and every domain of their lives. A
number of unlawful things become lawful for them thanks to the Nikah, to the
extent that Allah Almighty has used for them the metaphor of a garment of each
other i.e. a husband is like a garment of the wife and so is a wife for her
husband.
To observe
each other’s right by enjoying lawfully from each other physically and mentally
within the limit set by the Islamic Shariah, all these are part of the Islamic
Shariah, for which one will be entitled to reward if Allah wills. Husband’s
Rights: Paying the amount of Mahr (bridal gift) fully, bearing all expenses
of the wife, arranging residence for the wife, treating the wife decently. Wife’s
rights: To obey the husband, to safeguard his wealth and honour, to run the
domestic affairs of home and to raise the children.
Neighbours’
Rights
Allah Almighty says in the Holy Quran, “Worship
Allah and join none with Him (in worship), and do good to parents, kinsfolk,
orphans, Al-Masakin (the poor), the neighbour who is near of kin, the neighbour
who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and
those (slaves) whom your right hands possess. Verily, Allah does not like such
as are proud and boastful; (Surah An-Nisa: 36)”.
In this
verse, Allah Almighty teaches us to do good to our neighbours whether they are
relative or not and whether they are Muslim or Non-Muslims. It is our religious
duty to do good to our neighbours only on the ground that they are our
neighbours. Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said:
“Jibril
kept recommending treating neighbours with kindness until I thought he would
assign a share of inheritance”. (Tirmizi).
Likewise,
Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said: “He who believes in Allah and the Last Day let
him not harm his neighbour;” (Bukhari). Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) also said: “He
who believes in Allah and the Last Day should do good to his neighbour”
(Muslim).
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Also
Read: Human Rights of the Workers from an Islamic
Perspective
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Rights
of Relatives
While Islam
has repeatedly stressed the importance of observing the people’s right it has
also stressed the importance of observing the rights of neighbours and near and
distant relative as well, to the extent that it has taught the husband and wife
to observe each other’s rights. The Islamic Shariah gives provisions relating
to social life besides that of individual life, so that a good society is
formed with the help of all the members of the society and the people respect
each other, share each other’s grieves and joys and everybody is paid his
rights. Parents have also been taught to observe the children’s rights and
likewise, the children have also been taught to behave decently with the
parents. The husband and wife have been shouldered with the responsibility of
rendering their duties towards each other in order to push the wheel of life in
the right direction.
We have
also been taught to behave nicely with the neighbours to the extent that one
cannot be a true Muslim if he irritates his neighbour. It is an obligation of
each person to spend his life encompassing all the relatives together as much
as possible. Nowadays, this trend has got currency in our society that people
cut off their ties on the ground of minor and insignificant reasons, despite
the fact that we should observe the right of kinship with the relatives and
share their grieves and joys and treat them nicely. Allah Almighty says in
Surah An-Nahl:
“Indeed,
Allah orders justice and good conduct and giving to relatives and forbids
immorality and bad conduct and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you
will be reminded.” (An-Nahl: 90).
Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said: “The one who
severs the ties of kinship will not enter Paradise”. (Bukhari, Muslim).
In light of other Ahadith, scholars say
that he shall enter Paradise only after being punished. Likewise, the Holy Quran
and Hadith have stressed the importance of observing monetary rights of the
relatives. Allah Almighty says:
“They
ask you (O Muhammad PBUH) what they should spend. Say: Whatever you spend of
good must be for parents and kindred and orphans and Al-Masakin (the poor) and
the wayfarers, and whatever you do of good deeds, truly, Allah knows it well.” (Surah Al-Baqarah: 215).
Allah’s
Messenger (PBUH) has stressed the importance of helping the weak relatives
besides helping the poor relatives financially. Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) said:
“Giving charity to a poor person is charity, and (giving) to a relative is two
things, charity and upholding the ties of kinship.” (Nasai).
URL: https://newageislam.com/islam-human-rights/human-rights-quran-hadith/d/127588
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