Human Rights of the Workers from an Islamic Perspective
By Arman Neyazi, New
Age Islam
1 May 2021
Pay The Worker Their Wages Before the Sweat of
their Brow Has Dried: A Hadees of the Holy Prophet to Celebrate International
Workers' Day
Main Points:
1.
Islam Acknowledges Working as
Worship
2.
Every religion of the world
advocates the rights of employees.
3.
Allah, the Most Gracious, does not
like any kind of injustice meted out to His creation
4.
Human Rights of the Workers Comes
under the Islamic concept of Huquq ul Ibad, the rights of all the creations of
God.
-----
Abuse of
the human rights of workers, labourers and the sacking of employees has become
a new normal in this New 21st Century world. In this era of a ravaging
pandemic, Covid-19 has witnessed many workers, labourers and employees treated
inhumanley and with disdain. The employers, it seems, seldom bother about the
welfare of their employees that have been with them in their bad and good
times.
Various
international, national and private agencies are at work to defend the human
rights of the workers but nothing seems to be working in the face of ruthless
employers abuse of the helpless workers, at least for now. Employees and
employers relationship should be based on friendship and kinship but the
employers and their management team are concerned with growing profits of the
establishment. That is all. Even the struggles of the workers' unions do not
look to be of any use when it comes to the formation of a formidable
trustworthy relationship with the management.
This gruesome situation should not be blamed
on the current epidemic as even after lots of rules and regulations formulated
at the highest world levels, employees have always been at the receiving end.
Every
religion advocates the rights of employees.
It commands its followers to be sympathetic with their employees. Being
honest with the employees' necessities is in employers favour in the long run.
And in Islamic terminology, it does come under the wings of Huquq ul Ibad, that
Allah loves the most. And denial of Huquq ul Ibad is a crime that will not be
forgiven by Allah as it has to be forgiven by the person it has been committed
against.
Rather than
taking the Straight Path, a human being takes the path of sin for the momentary
happiness of this world, which everyone knows is temporary. The following two
Ayaat say that Allah has created all of us and has distributed us in different
social structures (employees and employers) to test our righteous ways. We,
therefore, should not take pride in being an employer or rich and abuse the
human rights of our fellow human being who are working under us.
O mankind, indeed We
have created you from male and female and made you peoples and tribes that you
may know one another. Indeed, the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is
the most righteous of you. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. (Surah Al-Hujurat - 13 ) Sahih
International
“Do they distribute
the mercy of your Lord? It is We who have apportioned among them their
livelihood in the life of this world and have raised some of them above others
in degrees (of rank) that they may make use of one another for service. But the
mercy of your Lord is better than whatever they accumulate.” (Az-Zukhruf 43:32)
Human Rights of the Workers Comes under Huquq
ul Ibad
Islam is a
universal religion advocating Huquq ul Ibad or human rights, indeed the rights
of all creations of God. Islam teaches equality among human being without any
exception of rich and poor, white and black and Arabi and Ajami. It is in this
context that Islam calls the employer and the employees brothers and equals.
Islam asks both of them to be fair and honest towards their duties. Allah, the
Most Gracious, does not like any kind of injustice meted out to His creation
and all of His followers are bound to do their duties with all honesty and
trust. The wages being paid to the workers are not enough for they being like
your brothers and sisters you have to take care of them in every matter of
their good life. Keep in mind the narration by Al-Ma'rur bin Suwaid and take
the path shown by Islam:
I saw Abu Dhar Al-Ghifari wearing a cloak, and
his slave, too, was wearing a cloak. We asked him about that (i.e. how both
were wearing similar cloaks). He replied, "Once I abused a man and he
complained of me to the Prophet (ﷺ). The Prophet (ﷺ) asked me, 'Did you abuse him by
slighting his mother?' He added, 'Your slaves are your brethren upon whom Allah
has given you authority. So, if one has one's brethren under one's control, one
should feed them with the like of what one eats and clothe them with the like
of what one wears. You should not overburden them with what they cannot bear,
and if you do so, help them (in their hard job).
Prophet
Muhammad Pbuh’s life has been a testimony of his nobleness, affection and cares
with all those who served him as an employee or as a companion. According to
the narration of Anas ibn Malik, who served the Apostle of God for ten long
years:
“When I did something, he never questioned my
manner of doing it; and when I did not do something, he never questioned my
failure to do it. He was the most good-natured of all men.”
Following
Hadees narrated by Abu Huraira (RA) says that ‘One who employs a labourer and
takes full work from him but does not pay him for his labour’ will see Prophet
Muhammad (SAW) as his opponent on the Day of Judgement:
The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, "Allah
said, 'I will be an opponent to three types of people on the Day of
Resurrection: 1. One who makes a covenant in My Name, but proves treacherous;
2. One who sells a free person and eats his price; and 3. One who employs a
labourer and takes full work from him but does not pay him for his labour.'
"
At one
instance Islam teaches to pay the workers their wages on time, as Abdullah ibn
Umar reported:
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be
upon him, said, “Pay the worker his wages before his sweat has dried.” Sunan
Ibn Mājah 2443
And on the
other, it asks both the employer and the employees to perform their duties with
utmost trust, honesty and care. Workers also have to be strict with their
ethics of work and fulfil their duties with much honesty. The Holy Quran says:
O ye who believe! stand out firmly for justice,
as witnesses to Allah…. (An-Nisa-135) - Yusuf Ali
Islam Acknowledges Working as Worship
Islam is a
religion that opens the secrets of human life. The human being is sent on the
earth to live a life in all its colours. Islam asks its followers to worship
Allah but it has never asked to devote himself to the worship of Allah so much
so that he forgets that he has a family, a society to whom he is responsible.
The worldly responsibilities can not be fulfilled to take to a corner and
worship. Allah has rewarded His creation with the reward of worship even in
working for the benefit of his family and social life. The human being can not
fulfil his obligations of a social life without working and earning a
livelihood.
Working for
livelihood is considered to be a work of worship in Islam. The Holy Quran addresses the human being and
commands:
“ Then when the prayer
is ended, you may disperse through the land and seek the Bounty of Allah (by
working) and remember Allah much, that you may be successful” (Quran: Surah 62, Verse 10)
Consider
what Imam Al-Ghazali mentioned in his book Ihyaa’ `Ulum Ad-Deen (Revival
of the Religious Sciences):
Jesus (peace and blessings be upon him) once
saw a man who had completely devoted himself to worship. When he asked him how
he got his daily bread, the man replied that his brother, who worked, provided
him with food. Jesus then told him, “That brother of yours is more religious
than you are” (The Book of Provision, Chapter 1). Al-Ghazali also mentions the
Prophet’s Companion `Umar ibn Al-Khattab, who used to stress this point further
by telling people, “Never should anyone of you think that Dua’ (supplication)
for sustenance without work will avail him, for heaven never rains gold nor
silver” (The Book of Provision, Chapter 1).
Islamic Working Ethics of the Employees
There are
many responsibilities of an employer but it is not that Islam has not decided
the ethics of work for the employees. It surely takes two to clap hence for
better result and brotherly atmosphere in the workplace and growth in the
output of the work, employees also have their duties to perform with all their
honesty and hard labour.
Allah, the
All-Knower, says in the Holy Quran to perform our duties with responsibility
and be honest to the employer:
“ Do Deeds! Allah Will See Your Deeds And (So
Will) His Messenger And The Believers. And You Will Be Brought Back To The
“All-Knower” Of Unseen And The Seen. Then He Will Inform What You Used To Do” (Quran: Surah 9: Verse 105)
In the
following Ahadees, workers are informed of their working ethics:
“ Best earning is what is earned by the labour
of hand with sincerity” ( Ahmed, Hadith No. 83 93)
“ When an employee looks to the welfare of his
employerand worship Allah, he has two rewards for him” (Muslim: book 15,
chapter 11, No.4097)
“The worker if employed and takes what is right
and gives what is right is like a “Mujahid” (who struggles in the cause of
Allah) till he returns home” (At Tabarani)
Employees
are strictly asked to work with honesty irrespective of their employer sees
them or not because Allah knows what they are doing. And the Barkat (prosperity and economic
well-being) in their earnings depend on their earnings with honesty. An
employee is supposed to work with sincerity and take care of his employers'
prosperity in work.
"On
World Labour Day” human being must acknowledge that there is dignity in
working. The working class is dignified in the eyes of Islam. Prophet Muhammad
(SAW) and all his Sahaba did their works themselves even if they could have had
slaves (workers). Miqdaam bin M’adi Karab narrates that Prophet Muhammad (SAW)
said:
“The
cleanest food is that which has been earned by the labour of one’s hand, In
fact, the Prophet Daud (David) used to work with his hands for his living.” ~
Bukhari
Let the
world know that the relationship of an employer and his employees is that of
kinship so the human values of this relationship must be maintained at all
costs. This brings us to understand that we as an employer or as an employee do
not have to distinguish people among ourselves based on religion, race, colour,
language or any other social things.
May Allah,
the Most Merciful bless His creation with utmost happiness of working together
for the advancement of the world He has created. Ameen
And Allah knows the best.
-----
Arman Neyazi is a columnist with
NewAgeIslam.com.
URl: https://newageislam.com/islam-human-rights/human-rights-workers-islam/d/124767
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