He had been found in the desert throwing his spear to the sky and screaming that he wanted to kill God for the injustice that he had suffered. The Prophet replied, "Is it not enough that he acknowledged the existence of God to want to kill him?.
As in most of the nomadic tribes of the ancient world, women were deemed unimportant in pre-Islamic Arabia. Indeed, in a society shaped by the rigors of desert life, women were relegated to the margins of community life.
The advent of Islam fundamentally altered the status of women in several ways. First, and most importantly, it overturned tradition by according women equal status before Allah. No longer were women denied a human face. Their souls like the souls of men were precious to Allah. They, like men, were worthy of dignity and respect. As a result of this new status and the revolution it worked on Arab society—women became pillars of early Muslim society and were counted among its strongest supporters.
Several women—notably Fatimah, daughter of the Prophet Muhammad and wife of Ali, the fourth caliph—even played important roles in the propagation of the faith.
To the Shia, for example; Fatimah is an authoritative source of the Prophet's sayings and deeds. Tibetan Muslim sisters in the doorway of their home in Lhasa. The status of women under Islam also altered as a consequence of the spread of the religion itself. As Islam became a world religion and its influence spread the character of Arab society changed, requiring that women take a larger role in society.
As men hurriedly left their flocks and businesses to fight for Islam, women readily assumed the burdens and responsibilities of the home. The Prophet set an example for the treatment of women in marriage through his relationship with his first wife Khadijah. Although fifteen years his elder, Muhammad remained a faithful and devoted husband for twenty-six years, contrary to the tradition of polygamy which prevailed at the time in Arabia.
After her death Muhammad remarried, but he always remembered Khadijah with love and spoke of her with reverence. Khadijah was, in fact, Muhammad's first convert to Islam and his strongest supporter in the struggle to establish the new faith.
Aishah bint abu Bakr was Muhammad's favorite wife of later years. Noted for her education and intelligence, in particular her ability to read and write, she was often consulted about the teachings of the Prophet after his death. She played an important role in the life of the early community, most famously by opposing the succession of Ali after the death of Uthman, the third khalifa. God giveth thee glad tidings of a word from Him: his name will be Christ Jesus, the son of Mary, held in honour in this world and the hereafter and of the company of those nearest to God; The new, elevated status of women is apparent in numerous Qur'anic proscriptions which set out women's rights and obligations.
On protecting the dignity and self-respect of women, for example, the Qur'an is emphatic and unequivocal: One of the seven hudud crimes is maligning a woman's reputation.
O Mankind: Be careful of your duty to your Lord who created its mate and from them twain hath spread abroad a multitude of men and women. Be careful of your duty toward Allah in who ye claim your rights of one another. O mankind! We have created you male and female and have made you nations and tribes that ye may know one another. The noblest of you in the sight of Allah is the best in conduct. I intended that I should enlist in the fighting force and I have come to consult thee. The Qur'an, of course, acknowledges and makes provision for differences between men and women.
Indeed, on these differences is erected an elaborate structure of individual and social rights and obligations. Some appear inequitable on the surface but on examination reveal a deeper logic and reasonableness. A man, for example, stands to inherit twice as much as a woman, but then he must provide for his own wife and family and relatives should the need arise.
The same holds true of traditional rules of dress and behavior. Women are enjoined to cover their bodies except for the face and hands and lower their gaze in the presence of men not related to them. Moreover, although women and men are subject to the same religious obligations—such as prayer, fasting, pilgrimage to Mecca—women pray separately from men. Nonetheless, these rules of dress and behavior—however restrictive they may appear to Western eyes—serve a social function.
In societies which by tradition provide few protections outside the family, they insure a woman's integrity and dignity.
The Prophet has also said about the dhimmis the non-Muslim citizens of the Muslim State : "One who kills a man under covenant i. Islam prohibits homicide but allows only one exception, that the killing is done in the due process of law which the Quran refers to as bi al-haqq with the truth.
Therefore a man can be killed only when the law demands it, and it is obvious that only a court of law can decide whether the execution is being carried out with justice or without justification. In case of war or insurrection a just and righteous government alone, which follows the Shari'ah or the Islamic Law, can decide whether a war is just or unjust, whether taking of a life is justified or not; and whether a person is a rebel or not and who can be sentenced to death as a punishment.
These weighty decisions cannot be left in the hands of a court which has become heedless to God and is under the influence of the administra- tion. A judiciary like this may miscarry justice. Nor can the crimes of state be justified on the authority of the Holy Quran or Traditions hadith when the state murders its citizens openly and secretly without any hesitation or on the slightest pretext, because they are opposed to its unjust policies and actions or criticize it for its misdeed, and also provides protection to its hired assassins who have been guilty of the heinous crime of murder of an innocent person resulting in the fact, that neither the police take any action against such criminals nor can any proof or witnesses against these criminals be produced in the courts of law.
The very existence of such a government is a crime and none of the killings carried out by them can be called "execution for the sake of justice" in the phraseology of the Holy Quran. Along with security of life, Islam has with equal clarity and definiteness conferred the right of security of ownership of property, as mentioned earlier with reference to the address of the Farewell Hajj. On the other hand, the Holy Quran goes so far as to declare that the taking of people's possessions or property is completely prohibited unless they are acquired by lawful means as permitted in the Laws of God.
The Law of God categorically declares "Do not devour one another's wealth by false and illegal means" The Protection of Honour The second important right is the right of the citizens to the protection of their honour.
In the address delivered on the occasion of the Farewell Hajj, to which I have referred earlier, the Prophet did not only prohibit the life and property of the Muslims to one another, but also any encroachment upon their honour, respect and chastity were forbidden to one another.
The Holy Quran clearly lays down: a "You who believe, do not let one set of people make fun of another set. This is the law of Islam for the protection of honour which is indeed much superior to and better than the Western Law of Defama- tion. According to the Islamic Law if it is proved that someone has attacked the honour of another person, then irrespective of the fact whether or not the victim is able to prove himself a respectable and honourable person the culprit will in any case get his due punishment.
But the interesting fact about the Western Law of Defamation is that the person who files suit for defamation has first to prove that he is a man of honour and public esteem and during the interrogation he is subjected to the scurrilous attacks, accusations and innuendoes of the defence council to such an extent that he earns more disgrace than the attack on his reputation against which he had knocked the door of the court of law.
On top of it he has also to produce such witnesses as would testify in the court that due to the defamatory accusations of the culprit, the accused stands disgraced in their eyes. Good Gracious! How can this unfair and unjust law be compared to the Divine law? Islam declared blasphemy as a crime irrespective of the fact whether the accused is a man of honour or not, and whether the words used for blasphemy have actually disgraced the victim and harmed his reputation in the eyes of the public or not.
According to the Islamic Law the mere proof of the fact that the accused said things which according to common sense could have damaged the reputation and honour of the plaintiff, is enough for the accused to be declared guilty of defamation. The Sanctity and Security of Private Life Islam recognizes the right of every citizen of its state that there should be no undue interference or encroachment on the privacy of his life.
The Holy Quran has laid down the injunction: "Do not spy on one another" The Prophet has gone to the extent of instructing his followers that a man should not enter even his own house suddenly or surreptitiously. He should somehow or other inform or indicate to the dwellers of the house that he is entering the house, so that he may not see his mother, sister or daughter in a condition in which they would not like to be seen, nor would he himself like to see them in that condition.
Peering into the houses of other people has also been strictly prohibited, so much so that there is the saying of the Prophet that if a man finds another person secretly peering into his house, and he blinds his eye or eyes as a punishment then he cannot be called to question nor will he be liable to prosecution.
The Prophet has even prohibited people from reading the letters of others, so much so that if a man is reading his letter and another man casts sidelong glances at it and tries to read it, his conduct becomes reprehensible.
This is the sanctity of privacy that Islam grants to individuals. On the other hand in the modern civilized world we find that not only the letters of other people are read and their correspondence censored, but even their photostat copies are retained for future use or blackmail. Even bugging devices are secretly fixed in the houses of the people so that one can hear and tape from a distance the conversation taking place behind closed doors.
In other words it means that there is no such thing as privacy and to all practical purposes the private life of an individual does not exist. This espionage on the life of the individual cannot be justified on moral grounds by the government saying that it is necessary to know the secrets of the dangerous persons. Though, to all intents and purposes, the basis of this policy is the fear and suspicion with which modern governments look at their citizens who are intelligent and dissatisfied with the official policies of the government.
This is exactly what Islam has called as the root cause of mischief in politics. The injunction of the Prophet is: "When the ruler begins to search for the causes of dissatisfaction amongst his people, he spoils them" Abu Dawud.
The Amir Mu'awiyah has said that he himself heard the Prophet saying: "If you try to find out the secrets of the people, then you will definitely spoil them or at least you will bring them to the verge of ruin. In this manner it becomes difficult for a common citizen to speak freely, even in his own house and society begins to suffer from a state of general distrust and suspicion.
The Security of Personal Freedom Islam has also 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 reason- able opportunity to produce his defence is not permissible in Islam.
It is related in the hadith that once the Prophet was delivering a lecture in the mosque, when a man rose during the lecture and said: "O Prophet of God, for what crime have my neighbours been arrested? The man rose once again and repeated the same question. The Prophet again did not answer and continued his speech. The man rose for a third time and repeated the same question. Then the Prophet ordered that the man's neighbours be released.
The reason why the Prophet had kept quiet when the question was repeated twice earlier was that the police officer was present in the mosque and if there were proper reasons for the arrest of the neighbours of this man, he would have got up to explain his position.
Since the police officer gave no reasons for these arrests the Prophet ordered that the arrested persons should be released. The police officer was aware of the Islamic law and therefore he did not get up to say: "the administration is aware of the charges against the arrested men, but they cannot be disclosed in public.
If the Prophet would inquire about their guilt in camera I would enlighten him. The fact that the police officer did not give any reasons for the arrests in the open court was sufficient reason for the Prophet to give immediate orders for the release of the arrested men. The injunction of the Holy Quran is very clear on this point.
And the Prophet has also been asked by God: "I have been ordered to dispense justice between you. What has been prohibited and condemned is that a man be arrested and imprisoned without proof of his guilt in an open court and without providing him an opportunity to defend himself against those charges.
If the Government suspects that a particular individual has committed a crime or he is likely to commit an offence in the near future then they should give reasons for their suspicion before a court of law and the culprit or the suspect should be allowed to produce his defence in an open court, so that the court may decide whether the suspicion against him is based on sound grounds or not and if there is good reason for suspicion, then he should be informed of how long he will be in preventive detention.
This decision should be taken under all circumstances in an open court, so that the public may hear the charges brought by the government, as well as the defence made by the accused and see that the due process of law is being applied to him and he is not being victimized. The correct method of dealing with such cases in Islam is exemplified in the famous decision of the Prophet which took place before the conquest of Makkah. The Prophet was making preparations for the attack on Makkah, when one of his Companions, Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah sent a letter through a woman to the authorities in Makkah informing them about the impending attack.
The Prophet came to know of this through a Divine inspiration. He ordered 'Ali and Zubayr: "Go quickly on the route to Makkah, at such and such a place, you will find a woman carrying a letter. Recover the letter from her and bring it to me. They recovered the letter from her and brought it to the Prophet. This was indeed a clear case of treachery. To inform the enemy about a secret of an army and that too at the time of a war is a very serious offence tantamount to treachery.
In fact one cannot think of a more serious crime during war than giving out a military secret to one's enemy. What could have been a more suitable case for a secret hearing; a military secret had been betrayed and common sense demanded that he should be tried in camera.
But the Prophet summoned Hatib to the open court of the Mosque of the Prophet and in the presence of hundreds of people asked him to explain his position with regard to his letter addressed to the leaders of Quraysh which had been intercepted on its way. The accused said: "O God's Messenger may God's blessings be on you I have not revolted against Islam, nor have I done this with the intention of betraying a military secret.
The truth of the matter is that my wife and children are living in Makkah and I do not have my tribe to protect them there. I had written this letter so that the leaders of Quraysh may be indebted to me and may protect my wife and children out of gratitude.
It was a clear case of treachery and betrayal of military secrets. But the Prophet acquitted Hatib on two counts. Firstly, that his past records were very clean and showed that he could not have betrayed the cause of Islam, since on the occasion of the Battle of Badr when there were heavy odds against the Muslims, he had risked his life for them.
Secondly, his family was in fact in danger at Makkah. Therefore, if he had shown some human weakness for his children and written this letter, then this punishment was quite sufficient for him that his secret offence was divulged in public and he had been disgraced and humiliated in the eyes of the believers. God has referred to this offence of Hatib in the Holy Quran but did not propose any punishment for him except rebuke and admonition. The attitude and activities of the Kharijis in the days of the Caliph 'Ali are well-known to the students of Muslim history.
They used to abuse the Caliph openly, and threaten him with murder. But whenever they were arrested for these offences, 'Ali would set them free and tell his officers "As long as they do not actually perpetrate offences against the State, the mere use of abusive language or the threat of use of force are not such offences for which they can be imprisoned.
He did not arrest even those who threatened him with murder nor did he imprison them. 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 Quran says: "God does not love evil talk in public unless it is by some- one who has been injured thereby" This means that God strongly disapproves of abusive language or strong words of condemna- tion, but the person who has been the victim of injustice or tyranny, God gives him the right to openly protest against the injury that has been done to him.
This right is not limited only to individuals. The words of the verse are general. Therefore if an individual or a group of people or a party usurps power, and after assuming the reins of authority begins to tyrannize individuals or groups of men or the entire population of the country, then to raise the voice of protest against it openly is the God-given right of man and no one has the authority to usurp or deny this right.
If anyone tries to usurp this right of citizens then he rebels against God. The talisman of Section may protect such a tyrant in this world, but it cannot save him from the hell-fire in the Hereafter. 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.
This 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. The right to freedom of expression for the sake of propagating virtue and righteousness is not only a right in Islam but an obligation.
One who tries to deny this right to his people is openly at war with God, the All-Powerful. And the same thing applies to the attempt to stop people from evil. Whether this evil is perpetrated by an individual or by a group of people or the government of one's own country, or the government of some other country; it is the right of a Muslim and it is also his obligation that he should warn and reprimand the evil-doer and try to stop him from doing it.
Over and above, he should openly and publicly condemn it and show the course of righteousness which that individual, nation or government should adopt. The Holy Quran has described this quality of the Faithful in the following words: "They enjoin what is proper and forbid what is improper" In contrast, describing the qualities of a hypocrite, the Quran mentions: "They bid what is improper and forbid what is proper" The main purpose of an Islamic Government has been defined by God in the Quran as follows: "If we give authority to these men on earth they will keep up prayers, and offer poor-due, bid what is proper and forbid what is improper" The Prophet has said: "If any one of you comes across an evil, he should try to stop it with his hand using force , if he is not in a position to stop it with his hand then he should try to stop it by means of his tongue meaning he should speak against it.
If he is not even able to use his tongue then he should at least condemn it in his heart. This is the weakest degree of faith" Muslim. This obligation of inviting people to righteousness and forbidding them to adopt the paths of evil is incumbent on all true Muslims.
If any government deprives its citizens of this right, and prevents them from performing this duty, then it is in direct conflict with the injunction of God. The government is not in conflict with its people, but is in conflict with God.
In this way it is at war with God and is trying to usurp that right of its people which God has conferred not only as a right but as an obligation. As far as the government which itself propagates evil, wickedness and obscenity and interferes with those who are inviting people to virtue and righteousness is concerned, according to the Holy Quran it is the government of the hypocrites.
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. Human rights in Islam are firmly rooted in the belief that God, and God alone, is the Law Giver and the Source of all human rights. Due to their Divine origin, no ruler, government, assembly or authority can curtail or violate in any way the human rights conferred by God, nor can they be surrendered.
Human rights in Islam are an integral part of the overall Islamic order and it is obligatory on all Muslim governments and organs of society to implement them in letter and in spirit within the framework of that order.
It is unfortunate that human rights are being trampled upon with impunity in many countries of the world, including some Muslim countries. Such violations are a matter of serious concern and are arousing the conscience of more and more people throughout the world. I sincerely hope that this Declaration of Human Rights will give a powerful impetus to the Muslim peoples to stand firm and defend resolutely and courageously the rights conferred on them by God.
This Declaration of Human Rights isthe second fundamental document proclaimed by the Islamic Council to mark the beginning of the 15th Century of the Islamic era, the first being the Universal Islamic Declaration announced at the International Conference on The Prophet Muhammad peace and blessings be upon him and his Message, held in London from 12 to 15 April The Universal Islamic Declaration of Human Rights isbased on the Qur'an and the Sunnah and has been compiled by eminent Muslim scholars, jurists and representatives of Islamic movements and thought.
May God reward them all for their efforts and guide us along the right path. O men! Behold, We have created you all out of a male and a female, and have made you into nations and tribes, so that you might come to know one another. Verily, the noblest of you in the sight of God is the one who is most deeply conscious of Him. Behold, God is all-knowing, all aware. Al Qur'an, Al-Hujurat WHEREAS the age-old human aspiration for a just world order wherein people could live, develop and prosper in an environment free from fear, oppression, exploitation and deprivation, remains largely unfulfilled;.
WHEREAS the Divine Mercy unto mankind reflected in its having been endowed with super-abundant economic sustenance is being wasted, or unfairly or unjustly withheld from the inhabitants of the earth;. WHEREAS the human rights decreed by the Divine Law aim at conferring dignity and honour on mankind and are designed to eliminate oppression and injustice;.
That reward will be temporary, but unfailing. What is the privilege? Man may exercise authority and willpower. He is free to do good or evil, obey or rebel. In this way they determine their fate and their future. II Al Baqara , V. For example, in the Qur-an [Ch. They shall reap the fruit of what they did, and ye of what ye do!
Of their merits there is no question in your case! The person cannot claim merit from others, nor is he responsible for the crime or sins of the others. For example, the people of the book try to claim the merits of Prophet Abraham peace be upon him or Patriarchs or Jesus peace be upon him. This does not make sense in Islam as the fact that these people were righteous men in the past, it cannot help us unless we are ourselves righteous.
It gets every good that it earns, and it suffers every ill that it earns. We created you from a single pair of a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each not that ye may despise each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is he who is the most righteous of you, and God has full knowledge and is well acquainted with all things. IV An-Nisa , V. That is the meaning of wakhalaqa minh a zawjaha.
They have the same parents and so they are brothers and sisters, Shariati. We can see in the Qur-an , Ch. This verse clearly indicates that both have the same responsibilities and rewards. Furthermore, we can see in the Qur-an , Ch.
Nor is it lawful for them to hide what God Hath created in their wombs, if they have faith in God and the Last Day, and their husbands have the better right to take them back in that period, if they wish for reconciliation. And women shall have rights similar to the rights against them, according to what is equitable; but men have a degree of advantage over them. And God is Exalted in Power, Wise. For example, purdah is a custom in some Muslim and Hindu communities where women are kept in in seclusion, with clothing that conceals them completely when they go out.
It does not have anything to do with Islam. It was extensively used by upper class Hindus, Persians, Byzantines and even some Christians. This practice is purely cultural, although these days it happens mostly in Muslim societies. Purdah implies that women have a separate and private part of the house and may use separate entrances. Some mosques have separate entrances for men and women not because women should be secluded from men, but because they pray in a different section.
There is no requirement for women to be hidden away in Islam in contrast to what it is practiced in some Muslim societies. This excess strength is the physical ability of men and is the way men are created.
Clearly men have stronger and bigger bodies than women, but they have less endurance than women. Being fair, God gave also more responsibilities to men when it comes to physical and tough activities like going to wars to defend the country, or defending property, etc. Note that in the society as a whole, men have the responsibility of providing protection and sustenance for women. This part is only relevant to what men and women share, e.
Women have complete control over their own personal and individual activities. This is based on the Qur-an , Ch. II, Al-Baqara, V. And God is well acquainted with what ye do. One may also argue that from a reward point of view men can become a martyr in defending their countries, but not women; therefore, men are given a better and higher rank than women. This statement is incorrect. In Islam the reward for a woman who takes care of her children or her family is equivalent to a reward of a man who goes to war to defend his country and is killed, i.
There are many sayings of the Prophet of Islam peace be upon him on this issue which confirm this point. For example, a woman came to the Prophet and told him that she is a representative of women in asking this question.
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