Recognising, observing and remaining committed to Human Rights

Recognizing and observing human rights in fundamental to Islam. In doing so,  we can overcome all spiritual and material problems and live happily in the garden of humanity. To achieve this, we all need to do toe things:

1.     Recognize human rights.

2.     Observe and remain committed to them  in everything we do.

First objective:

We can demonstrate this using example of car that goes through four stages of development before it become fully operational and functional :

1.     Discovering and finding.

2.     Identifying and obtaining.

3.     Preparing and processing.

4.     practicing and producing.

In the first stage, we need to find the raw materials to build the car . In the second stage we need to identify  and obtain these materials .Then we need to prepare the materials to make the car and finally we can use them to produce the car.

By following similar steps, our first task when approaching human rights to discover and find. In Islam, we need to understand that we are humans and that humans are the greatest among creation in this world and that we are privileged to be superior to all creatures .We also have to recognize that there are different kinds of rights including individual, social, emotional and moral rights and then work out how to fulfill these rights.

The Holy Prophet ( PBUH ) said, “ Everything has pillars and the pillar of this faith jurisprudence. One single true  jurisprudent is stronger  before the devil than a thousand worshippers.” ( Nahj al-fasaha, hadith 90 ) .

Second objective:

WE need to observe and be committed to human rights an all our daily thoughts, words and deeds so that human rights govern our society. Therefore all members of that society will take human rights seriously . Politics in Islam means making  decisions and taking action on the basis of knowledge , information and justice whilst observing human rights. As such, there is a tradition in which someone asked Imam Hassan al-Mujtaba ( PBUH ), “ What is politics? The Imam then responds, politics is to observe the rights of God, the rights of living and rights of dead” .