Human Rights in an Islamic State :The Right to Participate in the Affairs of State

14. The Right to Participate in the Affairs of State: {And their business is (conducted) through consultation among themselves} (42:38).

 

The shura or the legislative assembly has no other meaning except that:  The executive head of the government and the members of the assembly should be elected by free and independent choice of the people.

Lastly, it is to be made clear that Islam tries to achieve the above-mentioned human rights and many others not only by providing certain legal safeguards but mainly by inviting mankind to transcend the lower level of animal life to be able to go beyond the mere ties fostered by the kinship of blood, racial superiority, linguistic arrogance, and economic privileges.  It invites mankind to move on to a plane of existence where, by reason of his inner excellence, man can realise the ideal of the Brotherhood of man.

Human Rights in an Islamic State :Rulers Not Above the Law

13. Rulers Not Above the Law:  A woman belonging to a high and noble family was arrested in connection with theft.  The case was brought to the Prophet, and it was recommended that she might be spared the punishment of theft.  The Prophet replied, "The nations that lived before you were destroyed by God because they punished the common-man for their offences and let their dignitaries go unpunished

for their crimes; I swear by Him Who holds my life in His hand that even if Fatima, the daughter of Muhammad, had committed this crime, I would have amputated her hand".

Human Rights in an Islamic State :Equality Before Law

12. Equality Before Law:  Islam gives its citizens the right to absolute and complete equality in the eyes of the law.

Human Rights in an Islamic State : The Right to Basic Necessities of Life

11. The Right to Basic Necessities of Life: Islam has recognised the right of the needy people that help and assistance will be provided to them:  And in their wealth there is acknowledged right for the needy and the destitute.

Human Rights in an Islamic State :Protection from Arbitrary Imprisonment

10. Protection from Arbitrary Imprisonment: Islam also recognises the right of the individual that he will not be arrested or imprisoned for the offences of others.  The Holy Qur'an has laid down this principle clearly: {No bearer of burdens shall be made to bear the burden of another}

Human Rights in an Islamic State :Protection of Religious Sentiments

9. Protection of Religious Sentiments:  Along with freedom of conviction and freedom of conscience Islam has given the right to the individual that his religious sentiments will be given due respect and nothing will be said or done which may encroach upon his right.

Human Rights in an Islamic State :Freedom of Conscience and Conviction

8. Freedom of Conscience and Conviction: Islam has laid down the injunction: There should be no coercion in the matter of faith.

On the contrary totalitarian societies totally deprive the individuals of their freedom.  Indeed this undue exaltation of the state authority curiously enough postulates a sort of servitude, of slavishness on the part of man.  At one time slavery meant total control of man over man - now that type of slavery has been legally abolished but in its place totalitarian societies impose a similar sort of control over individuals.

Human Rights in an Islamic State :Freedom of Association

7. Freedom of Association:  Islam has also given people the right to freedom of association and formation of parties or organisations.  This right is also subject to certain general rules.

Human Rights in an Islamic State :Freedom of Expression

6. Freedom of Expression:  Islam gives the right of freedom of thought and expression to all citizens of the Islamic state on the condition that it should be used for the propagation of virtue and truth and not for spreading evil and wickedness. 

 

The Islamic concept of freedom of expression is much superior to the concept prevalent in the West.  Under no circumstances would Islam allow evil and wickedness to be propagated.  It also does not give anybody the right to use abusive or offensive language in the name of criticism.  It was the practice of the Muslims to enquire from the Holy Prophet (P.B.U.H.) whether on a certain matter a divine injunction had been revealed to him.  If he said that he had received no divine injunction, the Muslims freely expressed their opinion on the matter.

Human Rights in an Islamic State :The Right to Protest Against Tyranny

5. The Right to Protest Against Tyranny:  Amongst the rights that Islam has conferred on human beings is the right to protest against government's tyranny. Referring to it the Qur'an says.  "God does not love evil talk in public unless it is by some one who has been injured thereby". In Islam, as has been argued earlier, all power and authority belongs to God, and with man there is only delegated power which becomes a trust; everyone who becomes a recipient or a donee of such a power has to stand in awful reverence before his people towards whom and for whose sake he will be called upon to use these powers.  This was acknowledged by Abu Bakr who said in his very first address:  "Cooperate with me when I am right but correct me when I commit error; obey me so long as I follow the commandments of Allah and His prophet; but turn away from me when I deviate".

Human Rights in an Islamic State :The Security of Personal Freedom

4.The Security of Personal Freedom:  Islam has laid down the principle that no citizen can be imprisoned unless his guilt has been proved in an open court.  To arrest a man only on the basis of suspicion and to throw him into a prison without proper court proceedings and without providing him a reasonable opportunity to produce his defence is not permissible in Islam.

Human Rights in an Islamic State :Sanctity and Security of Private Life:

3. Sanctity and Security of Private Life:  The Qur'an has laid down the injunction-
    1) {Do not spy on one another}
    2) {Do not enter any houses unless you are sure of their occupant's consent}

Human Rights in an Islamic State : The Protection of Honour:

2. The Protection of Honour:  The Holy Qur'an lays down-
    1) {You who believe, do not let one (set of) people make fun of another set}
    2) {Do not defame one another}
    3) {Do not insult by using nickname}
    4) {Do not backbite or speak ill of one another}

Human Rights in an Islamic State : The Security of Life and Property

1. The Security of Life and Property:  In the address which the Prophet delivered on the occasion of the Farewell Hajj, he said:  "Your lives and properties are forbidden to one another till you meet your Lord on the Day of Resurrection".  The Prophet has also said about the dhimmis (the non-Muslim citizens of the Muslim state):  "One who kills a man under covenant (i.e., Dhimmi) will not even smell the fragrance of Paradise".

Human Rights in Islam

Since God is the absolute and the sole master of men and the universe, He is the sovereign Lord, the sustainer and Nourisher, the Merciful, Whose mercy enshrines all beings; and since He has given each man human dignity and honour, and breathed into him of His own spirit, it follows that, united in Him and through Him, and apart from their other human attributes, men are substantially the same and no tangible and actual distinction can be made among them, on account of their accidental differences such as nationality, colour or race.

History

The Qur'an is a book of historical accuracy. One accuracy which has corrected the mistakes of many Christians and historians, is the fate of the pharaoh who drowned in the Red Sea whilst pursuing Moses. The Biblical story would have us believe that the matter ended when the pharaoh drowned. But the Qur'an explains further. When he was drowning the pharaoh confessed his faith in Allah. But it was too late, and Allah promised him: "This day We shall preserve you in your body, so that you may be a sign for those who come after you. But indeed many of mankind are heedless of Our signs" (Surah Yunus 10:92)

Science in Islam

Over the past few decades much interest has been shown in the scientific content of the Qur'an. Scientific data which has been discovered in recent times, has been existent in this book for 1400 years. In fact the very common origin of this universe is stated clearly by Allah, the Most High:

"Do not the disbelievers see that the heavens and the earth were joined together, then We parted them. And We made from water every living thing. Will they then not believe?" (Surah Al-Anbiya 21:30)

# The Arabic Language

Upon hearing Qur'anic recitation, you may be rather startled. Besides hearing the reciter of the prayer, you often hear people in the background sobbing and wailing heavily. So what is it that makes these people cry so much? It is nothing more then the beauty and eloquence of this book which moves millions to tears. This beauty is expressed in the language of Arabic. Allah says :

"Indeed We have revealed this as an Arabic Qur'an so that you may understand" (Surah Yusuf 12:2)

No Mistakes

Man as a creature is fallible. For this reason anything which is produced by him will naturally have faults. With the Qur'an, such a notion cannot even be considered as it is from the one who is Infallible. In fact Allah clarifies this matter beautifully when he says:

"Do they not consider the Qur'an? Had it been from other then Allah surely they would have found much discrepancies within it" (Surah An-Nisa 4:82)

Preservation

"There is probably in the world no other book which has remained twelve centuries with so pure a text". Writing 200 years ago, these are the words of the famous English critic of Islam, Sir William Muir. But as Muslims we do not need Williarn Muir to tell us this. 1400 years ago, the Muslims accepted this reality when Allah revealed to them:

"Indeed it is We who have sent down the reminder (the Qur'an), and indeed it is Us who shall preserve it" (Surah Al-Hijr 15:9)

These words have proved true to this very day. From the moment the first words were revealed to Muhammed (saws), to this very day, every single letter and word of the Qur'an has remained unchanged.