One of Islam's most important characteristics is its concept of humanity. This is highly evident in Islamic legislation, philosophy, and other facets of the religion as well. Islam promotes the concept of human brotherhood and the equality of all humans. It maintains that all humans are the children of one man: Adam, and that we all share the same lineage. This outlook informs two central concepts in Islam: brotherhood and justice, both of which will be addressed below.
Islam & Human Brotherhood
The main axis on which this concept concentrates is the ideology of Islam towards the human being, whether male or female.
In Islam, mankind has a great standing among all creatures of God, and it gets this based on three main points.
1) Allah (God, the Lord, the Creator) has honored mankind, as indicated by the following Quranic verse:
We can notice that many verses in the Quran have mentioned the glory of humanity and its higher position over other creatures. It gains this higher position just by being a human, regardless of faith, religion, or race. Furthermore, this rich Quranic exaltation is not only for Muslims, as some might wrongly think. The Quranic verses are especially very clear about that point by consistently using terms like "children of Adam" or "mankind" as a way of generalization. So, a careful reader understands that these terms are general terms for all humanity and not exclusive to Muslims.
This evidence will not be disguised for anyone perceptive enough to understand that the choice of words in the Quran is incredibly accurate. This we can clearly note in the use of "children of Adam" and "mankind" in some instances, and "believers" and "Muslims" in others.
As mentioned above, this exaltation of the human is based solely on being a human, regardless of any other characteristics such as race or religion. This is a solid Islamic principle that equates all mankind as a whole, and negates discrimination among people based on social status, religion, race, or anything else.
This is based on the belief that all mankind has been created from just one person: Adam. Allah tells us in the Quran what means:
Islam has made for mankind an honored position, and the human being has gained certain rights by sole virtue of being human. These rights are inalienable, and it is not permitted for a human being — in any way — to be exposed to oppression, injustice, harm, or discrimination in treatment because of race, color, religion or faith. This principle of equality among mankind — which Islam had confirmed many times — is not restricted to being only just a "right" for every human, but it even goes beyond that to be a "duty" that has been enjoined upon mankind. Thus, Islam considers "human rights" as being an essential necessity of life.
In Prophet Muhammad's last sermon, which he delivered in 623 A.D at Mount Arafat in Makkah, he said:
Islam and Justice
Justice is a Divine command which represents the main basis for human life and for protecting the universe. Thus, Islam emphasizes it and makes it essential as the evident arbitrator among people. According to Islam, all people form a brotherhood, and are called to the establishment of justice in their societies without any kind of discrimination. The Quran contains many verses that order justice among people especially between Muslims and non-Muslims, during times of peace and war. Furthermore, Justice ("al-adl" in Arabic) is among the names of Allah. Islam regards justice as an absolute value that can never be violated. This is shown in many verses in the Quran such as:
Islam has also commanded Muslims that justice applies to one's enemies, despite any enmity and hatred. Allah says in the Quran what means:
During the time of Prophet Muhammad, Muslims and non-Muslims were living side-by-side in one society and the same land. He used to always accept invitations from non-Muslims, he attended some of their events, visited and met them in their councils, and he consoled them in their misfortunes (sickness, death, needs, crisis).
He borrowed money from them, although any of his fellow Muslims would have been honored to give the Prophet money, but perhaps he preferred to do that to teach Muslims the way to live with the other. He often safeguarded their belongings, as he was known as "the truthful one", and "the trustworthy one", and people always trusted him with things that needed guarding.
But most importantly, he always treated everybody with the utmost kindness and respect — regardless of which faith they belonged to.
The biography of Prophet Muhammad shows that he used to go to the property of Christians and Jews and help them plant trees and fetch water for planting. He also used to bring them food and visit their sick. The Prophet's traditions are full of statements that warn Muslims about treating non-Muslims with injustice, such as:
In another example, one day an Egyptian Christian boy sent his complaint to the Caliph Umar telling him he was attacked by the son of Egypt's commander at the time. The Caliph ruled that the Christian boy must have his rights restored by beating the son of Egypt's commander in the same manner he did with him.
Then the Caliph said something which has become a famous quote that still rings in the ears of many Muslims today, long before the concept of human rights became known to the world. He said, "Do not ever enslave a human being, as they are delivered by their mothers completely free."
Examples of such sentiments and values are plenty throughout the past 1400 years of Muslim history. However, these values did not become known to the Western world until the French Revolution in 1789 announced its slogan of "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity". It is these values that eventually led to the announcement of the human rights declaration in 1948 which stated that all human beings are born free and equal in their rights, the same statement that was made by Prophet Muhammad and his Companions 1400 years ago.
Islam & Human Brotherhood
The main axis on which this concept concentrates is the ideology of Islam towards the human being, whether male or female.
In Islam, mankind has a great standing among all creatures of God, and it gets this based on three main points.
1) Allah (God, the Lord, the Creator) has honored mankind, as indicated by the following Quranic verse:
[We have honored the children of Adam and carried them by land and sea; We have provided good sustenance for them and favored them specially above many of those We have created.] (Al-Israa 17:70)2) Allah ordered the angels to respect the human being and also gave the human the opportunity to settle on Earth. Allah says in the Quran, which Muslims believe is the word of God, what means:
[And [remember] when your Lord told the angels, 'I am putting a successor on earth,' they said, 'How can You put someone there who will cause damage and bloodshed, when we celebrate Your praise and proclaim Your holiness?' but He said, 'I know things you do not'.] (Al-Baqarah 2:30)Allah also tells us in the Quran what means:
[And [remember] when We told the angels, 'Bow down before Adam,' they all bowed. But not Iblis [Satan], who refused and was arrogant: he was one of the disobedient.] (Al-Baqarah 2:34)3) Allah gave the human the huge trust of keeping the Earth; to live, to build, to settle, to construct and to conserve, not to destroy. Allah says in the Quran what means:
[We offered the trust to the heavens, the earth, and the mountains, yet they refused to undertake it and were afraid of it; mankind undertook it...] (Al-Ahzab 33:72)
During the early days of the call to Islam, it was not easy for the Arabs to accept the value of equality among human beings. |
This evidence will not be disguised for anyone perceptive enough to understand that the choice of words in the Quran is incredibly accurate. This we can clearly note in the use of "children of Adam" and "mankind" in some instances, and "believers" and "Muslims" in others.
As mentioned above, this exaltation of the human is based solely on being a human, regardless of any other characteristics such as race or religion. This is a solid Islamic principle that equates all mankind as a whole, and negates discrimination among people based on social status, religion, race, or anything else.
This is based on the belief that all mankind has been created from just one person: Adam. Allah tells us in the Quran what means:
[People, be mindful of your Lord, who created you from a single soul, and from it created its mate, and from the pair of them spread countless men and women far and wide; be mindful of God, in whose name you make requests of one another. Beware of severing the ties of kinship: God is always watching over you.] (An-Nisaa 4:1)During the early days of the call to Islam, it was not easy for Arabs to accept the values of Islam that called for equality among human beings, as they were used to viewing their tribal statuses as a holy tradition. Arabs of the pre-Islamic times guarded their lineages through generations in a way unmatched to any other nation, and that was one of the main causes which made them attack this new call.
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) was a poor man among his rich tribes, and so some reacted to the call of a poor man with disdain. Allah describes this in the Quran by saying what means:
[And they said, 'Why was this Quran not sent down to a distinguished man, from either of the two cities?' Are they the ones who share out your Lord's grace? We are the ones who give them their share of livelihood in this world and We have raised some of them above others in rank, so that some may take others into service: your Lord's grace is better than anything they accumulate.] (Az-Zukhruf: 31-32)
Islam has made for mankind an honored position, and the human being has gained certain rights by sole virtue of being human. These rights are inalienable, and it is not permitted for a human being — in any way — to be exposed to oppression, injustice, harm, or discrimination in treatment because of race, color, religion or faith. This principle of equality among mankind — which Islam had confirmed many times — is not restricted to being only just a "right" for every human, but it even goes beyond that to be a "duty" that has been enjoined upon mankind. Thus, Islam considers "human rights" as being an essential necessity of life.
In addition, Islam instructs maximum caution in protecting and conserving human life. The following noble verse from the Quran demonstrates clear evidence of the ugliness of injustice of murdering humans as a gruesome crime, and considers the killing of one innocent human to be an insult for all of mankind without any discrimination:
[...if anyone kills a person — unless in retribution for murder or spreading corruption in the land — it is as if he kills all mankind, while if anyone saves a life it is as if he saves the lives of all mankind...] (Al-Maidah 5:32)It is reported that while Prophet Muhammad was sitting with two of his Companions, a funeral procession passed in front of them. They were told that the funeral procession was of one of the Jewish inhabitants who were living under the protection of Muslims. The two Companions watched as Prophet Muhammad stood up. They asked him why he was standing up, since this is the coffin of a Jew. Prophet Muhammad replied "Is it not a soul?" (Al-Bukhari)
In Prophet Muhammad's last sermon, which he delivered in 623 A.D at Mount Arafat in Makkah, he said:
All mankind is from Adam, and an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over black nor does a black have any superiority over a white, except by piety and good action. (Al-Bukhari)Islamic literature shows us that the most glorified value in Islam is respecting human rights. Yet, humanity has just recently begun to recognize the importance of this fact, whereas Islam established it as a way of life over 1400 years ago.
Islam and Justice
"The people before you were destroyed because they used to inflict the legal punishments on the poor and forgive the rich." -Prophet Muhammad |
[God commands you [people] to return things entrusted to you to their rightful owners, and, if you judge between people, to do so with justice: God's instructions to you are excellent, for He hears and sees everything.] (An-Nisaa 4:58)
[Stay well away from the property of orphans, except with the best [intentions], until they come of age; give full measure and weight, according to justice. We do not burden any soul with more than it can bear. When you speak, be just, even if it concerns a relative; keep any promises you make in God's name. This is what He commands you to do, so that you may take heed.] (Al-Anaam 6:152)
Islam has also commanded Muslims that justice applies to one's enemies, despite any enmity and hatred. Allah says in the Quran what means:
[You who believe, be steadfast in your devotion to God and bear witness impartially: do not let hatred of others lead you away from justice, but adhere to justice, for that is closer to awareness of God. Be mindful of God: God is well aware of all that you do.] (Al-Maidah 5:8)Even among Muslims — in fighting and/or military conflicts — Islam instructs the observance of justice is an ordered duty through Quranic verses such as the following:
[If two groups of the believers fight, you [believers] should try to reconcile them; if one of them is [clearly] oppressing the other, fight the oppressors until they submit to God's command, then make a just and even-handed reconciliation between the two of them: God loves those who are even-handed.] (Al-Hujurat 49:9)We can also find many sayings related to this issue in the traditions of Prophet Muhammad, such as:
The people before you were destroyed because they used to inflict the legal punishments on the poor and forgive the rich. By Him in Whose Hand my soul is, if Fatimah (the daughter of Muhammad) did that (that is, stole), I would cut off her hand. (Al-Bukhari)Some Orientalists have expressed wonder and awe regarding the way Muslims have dealt with war captives (especially non-Muslims). The reason for this awe is that Islam gave captives of war the same rights it gave to poor and orphaned Muslims regarding shelter, food, cloths, learning, and so on. One example of Allah praising charitable actions including the captives is the following Quranic verse:
[They give food to the poor, the orphan, and the captive, though they love it themselves.] (Al-Insan 76:8)As Islam commanded the principle of equality among humankind, this became the cornerstone of coexistence between Muslims and non-Muslims. Prophet Muhammad was the first human to who perfectly modeled the principle of equality. He practiced Islam's call to peace and rapport, and maintained excellent relations among mankind.
During the time of Prophet Muhammad, Muslims and non-Muslims were living side-by-side in one society and the same land. He used to always accept invitations from non-Muslims, he attended some of their events, visited and met them in their councils, and he consoled them in their misfortunes (sickness, death, needs, crisis).
He borrowed money from them, although any of his fellow Muslims would have been honored to give the Prophet money, but perhaps he preferred to do that to teach Muslims the way to live with the other. He often safeguarded their belongings, as he was known as "the truthful one", and "the trustworthy one", and people always trusted him with things that needed guarding.
But most importantly, he always treated everybody with the utmost kindness and respect — regardless of which faith they belonged to.
The biography of Prophet Muhammad shows that he used to go to the property of Christians and Jews and help them plant trees and fetch water for planting. He also used to bring them food and visit their sick. The Prophet's traditions are full of statements that warn Muslims about treating non-Muslims with injustice, such as:
Beware, if anyone wrongs a contracting man (a Christian or Jew who has a pact of protection with Muslims), or diminishes his right, or forces him to work beyond his capacity, or takes from him anything without his consent, I shall plead for him on the Day of Judgment. (Abu Dawud)Community solidarity is a general principle that Islam enjoined upon all community members, both Muslims and non-Muslims. Historians have recorded that when Umar ibn Al-Khattab — one of the Companions of the Prophet — was the Caliph, he was passing by when he saw an old Jewish beggar. Umar quickly insisted that all taxes be lifted from this man and any other poor or orphaned non-Muslims, and instructed the head of finance to help this man.
In another example, one day an Egyptian Christian boy sent his complaint to the Caliph Umar telling him he was attacked by the son of Egypt's commander at the time. The Caliph ruled that the Christian boy must have his rights restored by beating the son of Egypt's commander in the same manner he did with him.
Then the Caliph said something which has become a famous quote that still rings in the ears of many Muslims today, long before the concept of human rights became known to the world. He said, "Do not ever enslave a human being, as they are delivered by their mothers completely free."
Examples of such sentiments and values are plenty throughout the past 1400 years of Muslim history. However, these values did not become known to the Western world until the French Revolution in 1789 announced its slogan of "Liberty, Equality, Fraternity". It is these values that eventually led to the announcement of the human rights declaration in 1948 which stated that all human beings are born free and equal in their rights, the same statement that was made by Prophet Muhammad and his Companions 1400 years ago.
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