Life and Teachings of the Prophet Muhammad
9. Human Rights in Islam
~ 119 ~
Madinah. He stood up in deference. When he was told by his
companions that the deceased person was a Jew, not a Muslim, the
Prophet said: Was he not a human being? (
Sahih
al-Bukhari)
Human life in Islam is held in such high esteem that the killing
of a single human being is considered equivalent to the
assassination of the whole of mankind. And the protection of a
single human life is equivalent to the protection of the whole of
mankind. It is so stated in the Quran with reference to the murder
of Abel by his elder brother Cain, this being the first violation of
human rights in human history. (5:27-32)
Some scholars claim that Islam does not have any provision for
human rights in the modern sense, since it is theocentric, and
therefore God is regarded as the starting point of all thought and
action. On the contrary, the modern concept of human rights is
anthropocentric, wherein man forms the centre of everything.
However, a thorough analysis shows that this view is based on a
misconception. Man’s primary duty in Islam consists of obeying
God wholeheartedly and unconditionally. All other rights, including
human rights, automatically stem from this primary duty towards
God.
We can say that, without this theocentric perspective, neither
can the fulfillment of human rights be ensured nor their violation
be avoided. The preamble of the UN Charter of Human Rights
(UDHR) calls on all member nations to strive to construct a new
world order, on a sounder basis, ‘one in which the recognition of
the inherent dignity and the equal inalienable rights of all the
