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From: nais-saudi on 18 Jul 2010 23:15
Human Rights In An Islamic State
Human Rights In An Islamic State
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."

2. The Protection Of Honor:
The Holy Quran lays down:

"You who believe, do not let one (set of) people make fun of another
set."

"Do not defame one another."

"Do not insult by using nicknames."

"Do not backbite or speak ill of one another."
(49:11-12)

3. Sanctity And Security Of Private Life:
The Quran has laid down the injunction:

"Do not spy on one another." (49:12)

"Do not enter any houses unless you are sure of their occupant's
consent." (24:27)

4. The Security Of Personal Freedom:
Islam has laid down the principle that no citizen can be imprisoned
unless his guilt has been proven 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 defense is not permissible in Islam.

5. The Right To Protest Against Tyranny:
Among the rights that Islam has conferred on human beings is the right
to protest against government's tyranny. Referring to it the Quran
says:
"God does not love evil talk in public unless it is by someone who has
been injured thereby." (4:148)
In Islam, as has been argued earlier, all power and authority belong
to God, and with man there is only delegated power which becomes a
trust; everyone who becomes a recipient of such a power has to stand
in awful reverence before his people toward whom and for whose sake he
will be called upon to use these powers. This was acknowledged by
Hazrat 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."

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 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.

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

8. Freedom Of Conscience And Conviction:
Islam has laid down the injunction:
"There should be no coercion in the matter of faith." (2:256)
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.

9. Protection Of Religious Sentiments:
Along with the 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.

10. Protection From Arbitrary Imprisonment:
Islam also recognizes the right of the individual not to be arrested
or imprisoned for the offenses of others. The Holy Quran has laid down
this principle clearly:
"No bearer of burdens shall be made to bear the burden of
another." (35:18)

11. The Right To Basic Necessities of Life:
Islam has recognized the right of the needy people for help and
assistance to be provided to them:
"And in their wealth there is acknowledged right for the needy and the
destitute." (51:19)

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

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 realize
the ideal of the Brotherhood of man.
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