Islam has prescribed that its followers give people their due rights
Rights in Islam
Islam has prescribed that its followers give people their due rights. Parents, spouses, children, neighbors; all are given specific rights according to their specific roles in this world. Through this, mutual bonds, solidity is set and strengthened between the individuals of a Muslim society. It spreads love and unity and prevents the society from fragmenting.
Allah says:
(And worship Allah [alone], and do not ascribe partners to Him. And do good unto your parents and near of kin and unto orphans, and the needy, and the neighbor from among your own people, and the neighbor who is a stranger, and the friend by your side, and the wayfarer, and those whom your right hand possess. Verily, Allah does not love those who are full of self-conceit and boastful.) (4:36)
The Prophet said:
"Everyone of you is a guardian, and responsible for what is in his custody. The ruler is a guardian of his subjects and responsible for them; a husband is a guardian of his family and is responsible for it; a woman is a guardian of her husband's house and is responsible for it, and a servant is a guardian of his master's property and is responsible for it." (Bukhari)
Also, the paths which people traverse have their rights that must be fulfilled. The Messenger of Islam, Muhammad said:
"Be careful and stay away from sitting on the paths." They said, "O Messenger of Allah, we have no other place to gather and talk." So he replied, "If you must do so, then give the path its right." They said, "And what is the right of the path?" He replied, "Lowering one's gaze (not looking at members of the opposite sex), not bringing harm to others, replying to salutations, and enjoining good and forbidding evil." (Bukhari)
Islam has prescribed that its followers give people their due rights. Parents, spouses, children, neighbors; all are given specific rights according to their specific roles in this world. Through this, mutual bonds, solidity is set and strengthened between the individuals of a Muslim society. It spreads love and unity and prevents the society from fragmenting.
Allah says:
(And worship Allah [alone], and do not ascribe partners to Him. And do good unto your parents and near of kin and unto orphans, and the needy, and the neighbor from among your own people, and the neighbor who is a stranger, and the friend by your side, and the wayfarer, and those whom your right hand possess. Verily, Allah does not love those who are full of self-conceit and boastful.) (4:36)
The Prophet said:
"Everyone of you is a guardian, and responsible for what is in his custody. The ruler is a guardian of his subjects and responsible for them; a husband is a guardian of his family and is responsible for it; a woman is a guardian of her husband's house and is responsible for it, and a servant is a guardian of his master's property and is responsible for it." (Bukhari)
Also, the paths which people traverse have their rights that must be fulfilled. The Messenger of Islam, Muhammad said:
"Be careful and stay away from sitting on the paths." They said, "O Messenger of Allah, we have no other place to gather and talk." So he replied, "If you must do so, then give the path its right." They said, "And what is the right of the path?" He replied, "Lowering one's gaze (not looking at members of the opposite sex), not bringing harm to others, replying to salutations, and enjoining good and forbidding evil." (Bukhari)
Universal Islamic Rights
If Muslims had done their duties regarding Allah's commands, they would have been asking for universal rights for women as given by Islam which were generally ignored in the world today. Based on our dismal performance, and the current discourse on the subject, that would be quite a revolutionary and liberating act. Islam's universal declaration of women's rights would include the following:
1. Men and women have been given dignity by their Creator, but forces of immorality and darkness attack it in many ways. A prevalent form of this attack on women is pornography. Pornography is an affront to the respect and honor of women and produces an atmosphere where other crimes against them become possible. In many countries it has become an "industry" and they are exporting this major sin to all parts of the world. Newer technologies, especially the Internet have also become mediums of choice for the purveyors of filth, posing a serious threat to morality everywhere. Pornography must be condemned and all trade in porn be banned universally like dangerous drugs.
2. Prostitution must be recognized as a despicable act of exploitation of women. No one who condones it can be taken seriously in their claims to respect women's rights.
3. It is the responsibility of husbands to provide for the family. Islam has relieved the women of this responsibility so she can take care of her home. All efforts to snatch this freedom and economic security from the women and force them out of the home into the labor force must be resisted.
4. Homemaking is a very honorable job and a serious responsibility. It is the foundation on which healthy societies can be built. The societies that disrespect homemaking lose the homemakers and result in broken homes as can easily be witnessed in many parts of the world. It should be recognized that the trend to belittle the task of homemaking is anti-family and anti-society and must be curbed.
5. It is a Muslim woman's right to dress modestly, wear hijab, and refuse to be put on display. This right must be accepted universally and any effort to restrict this right must be recognized for what it is: Religious discrimination and/or persecution.
6. There is only one legitimate form of the family; that which is created by the union between a man and woman as provided in all revealed religions. Any other form is not only immoral; it poses a serious threat to humanity.
7. Families should be protected from external intrusion, especially intrusion by governments as much as possible. This also includes intrusion under the pretext of help. For settlement of family disputes, Islam suggests a three phase procedure.
A) Resolve the conflict within the home.
B) Resolve it within the family while involving elders from the families of husband and wife.
C) As a last resort resolve it through courts of law.
There is great wisdom in this approach. Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said in a directive to judges: "Refer the family disputes to the families (so they can resolve them within the family with the help of elders), for the judge's verdicts create hatred and malice." Ignoring this scheme can only hurt the families, widen the gaps and create bitter feelings.
If Muslims had done their duties regarding Allah's commands, they would have been asking for universal rights for women as given by Islam which were generally ignored in the world today. Based on our dismal performance, and the current discourse on the subject, that would be quite a revolutionary and liberating act. Islam's universal declaration of women's rights would include the following:
1. Men and women have been given dignity by their Creator, but forces of immorality and darkness attack it in many ways. A prevalent form of this attack on women is pornography. Pornography is an affront to the respect and honor of women and produces an atmosphere where other crimes against them become possible. In many countries it has become an "industry" and they are exporting this major sin to all parts of the world. Newer technologies, especially the Internet have also become mediums of choice for the purveyors of filth, posing a serious threat to morality everywhere. Pornography must be condemned and all trade in porn be banned universally like dangerous drugs.
2. Prostitution must be recognized as a despicable act of exploitation of women. No one who condones it can be taken seriously in their claims to respect women's rights.
3. It is the responsibility of husbands to provide for the family. Islam has relieved the women of this responsibility so she can take care of her home. All efforts to snatch this freedom and economic security from the women and force them out of the home into the labor force must be resisted.
4. Homemaking is a very honorable job and a serious responsibility. It is the foundation on which healthy societies can be built. The societies that disrespect homemaking lose the homemakers and result in broken homes as can easily be witnessed in many parts of the world. It should be recognized that the trend to belittle the task of homemaking is anti-family and anti-society and must be curbed.
5. It is a Muslim woman's right to dress modestly, wear hijab, and refuse to be put on display. This right must be accepted universally and any effort to restrict this right must be recognized for what it is: Religious discrimination and/or persecution.
6. There is only one legitimate form of the family; that which is created by the union between a man and woman as provided in all revealed religions. Any other form is not only immoral; it poses a serious threat to humanity.
7. Families should be protected from external intrusion, especially intrusion by governments as much as possible. This also includes intrusion under the pretext of help. For settlement of family disputes, Islam suggests a three phase procedure.
A) Resolve the conflict within the home.
B) Resolve it within the family while involving elders from the families of husband and wife.
C) As a last resort resolve it through courts of law.
There is great wisdom in this approach. Umar ibn Al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) said in a directive to judges: "Refer the family disputes to the families (so they can resolve them within the family with the help of elders), for the judge's verdicts create hatred and malice." Ignoring this scheme can only hurt the families, widen the gaps and create bitter feelings.
Even animals have rights. Showing them compassion and treating them well is a means to attain forgiveness of one's sins. The Messenger of Islam, Muhammad said:
"Once a man was tending to some business, and became very thirsty. He came across a well, so he descended into it and drank from it. [When he came out], he saw a dog panting and rolling his mouth in dirt (in search of water) due to thirst. The man said, 'This dog is as thirsty as I was.' So he descended [once again] filled his boot with water and gave drink to the dog. [Due to that] Allah rewarded him by forgiving his sins." They said, "O Messenger of Allah, will we be rewarded even due to our well treatment of animals?" He replied, "Yes indeed. For [the well treatment of] every fresh liver (living thing) you will receive reward." (Bukhari)
Islam has made ill-treating animals, such as confining them [without food or drink] or torturing them, reasons for entering Hellfire. The Messenger of Islam, Muhammad said:
"A woman was punished due to a cat. She imprisoned it until it died, so she entered the Hellfire due to it. She did not feed it nor give it drink when she kept it, nor did she let it free to eat the insects (and other things) of the earth." (Bukhari)
If this is the mercy Islam shows to animals, how much more mercy would it show to humans, whom Allah has preferred and honored over all other creatures?
No comments:
Post a Comment
I would like to have your comment, please.