In the teachings of the Prophet, the concept of rights between individuals is so extensive that it begins even before birth, while the individual is still In the womb, and extends through every phase of life until death.
In the teachings of the Prophet, the concept of rights between individuals is so extensive that it begins even before birth, while the individual is still In the womb, and extends through every phase of life until death.
In the history of human civilization, before Islam, no system or civilization had a clear concept of rights. Instead, the word of the powerful was considered law, and all rights were believed to belong to the powerful alone.
The Prophet ﷺ introduced a comprehensive concept of rights that extends from the divine connection with God to the obligations and responsibilities of every individual in society.
In the teachings of the Prophet ﷺ, the concept of rights between individuals is so extensive that it begins even before birth, while the individual is still In the womb, and extends through every phase of life until death.
The concept of rights given by the Prophet ﷺ transcends identity, lineage, beliefs, ethnicity, language, age, and all other distinctions. It is defined and upheld by just and equitable laws and principles, ensuring fairness and equality for all.
The Right to Life and Protection
Life is one of the most precious blessings given to us by Allah, a gift that defines our very existence. The rights that society or the state grants to individuals are rooted in the right to life. That’s why Islam emphasizes the sanctity of life so strongly. It’s the foundation upon which everything else rests. Without life, no other right has meaning, and that’s why protecting and valuing it is central to Islamic teachings.
“Whoever killed a person (unjustly), except as a punishment for murder or for (spreading) disorder in the land, it would be as if he killed all the people (of society); and whoever (saved him from unjust murder and) made him survive, it would be as if he saved the lives of all the people (of society, i.e., he rescued the collective system of human life). ” Quran [5 : 32]
Islam has elevated the status of humanity to such an extent that a person’s rights are recognized from the very moment they enter the stage of creation. By prohibiting the killing of children, Islam not only grants the unborn child the right to life but also secures their entitlement to inheritance, ensuring their dignity and protection even before birth.
“and do not kill your children owing to poverty. We alone give you sustenance and (will provide for) them as well. ” Quran [6 : 151]
“And these are the people who do not worship any other god apart from Allah, nor do they kill the soul whose killing without any lawful cause Allah has forbidden, nor do they commit adultery. And whoever does this will receive the punishment due for the sin.” Quran [25 : 68]
Islam broadens the scope of human rights to encompass not only the rights of the living but also those of the deceased. It has made it clear that just as a person’s dignity is sacred during life, their personal sanctity must not be violated even after death.
Hazrat Ubada narrates: “We pledged allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ on the condition that we would not associate anyone with Allah, commit adultery, steal, kill anyone whose life Allah has made sacred, or engage in robbery.”
[Bukhari, Kitab al-Diyat, Chapter on Allah’s statement: *And whoever saves a life…*, 6:2519, Hadith 6479]
The Right to Dignity and Equality
A key feature of the society established by the Prophet ﷺ is mutual respect and honor. He ﷺ granted every individual in the community the right to personal dignity and respect.
The Prophet ﷺ abolished claims of artificial superiority among human races, classes, and societies. He ﷺ declared human equality and established a permanent and just principle of mutual virtue.
“All of humanity are the children of Adam, and Adam was created from clay.” [Bukhari, Sahih, Kitab al-Maghazi, Chapter on the Farewell Pilgrimage, 1599:4, Hadith 4144]
“(Because of this unity of the human race, you are all equal) but the most distinguished among you is the one who is the most pious (possessing better character). Thus, no Arab has superiority over a non-Arab, nor does a non-Arab have superiority over an Arab; nor does a black person have superiority over a white person, nor a white person over a black person. All distinctions are based on character and actions.” [Tabarani, Al-Mu’jam al-Kabir, 12:18, Hadith 14]
“The blood of Muslims is equal.” [Rabi, Al-Musnad, 1:260, Hadith 664]
The Right to Religious Freedom
Islam calls for the worship of the One God but does not pressure people of other religions to change their beliefs or embrace Islam. It does not use coercion or force. The invitation to the truth and coercion are entirely different realities.
There is no compulsion in Din (Religion). Surely, the guidance has been evidently distinguished from error. So he who rejects false gods and believes in Allah has grasped such a firm handhold that will never (possibly) give way. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing. [Quran 2 : 256]
The strategy of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ’s Sharia is to grant non-Muslims complete freedom to remain in their own religion and sect. In a letter sent to the people of Najran, the Prophet ﷺ included the following statement:
“The people of Najran and their allies are under the protection of Allah and His Messenger Muhammad ﷺ. Their lives, their religion, their land, their property, their present and absent individuals, their places of worship, and their churches will be safeguarded. No priest will be removed from his religious position, no monk from his monastic life, and no official from his office, and everything under their ownership will be protected.” [Ibnu Saad, Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, 1:228, Hadith 358]
Just as the Islamic treasury (Bayt al-Mal) takes responsibility for the care of Muslims who become disabled, elderly, or impoverished, it similarly provides support to non-Muslims in such conditions. During the lifetime of the Prophet ﷺ, a Jewish family received charity, and this practice continued even after his passing.
The sanctity of the lives of minorities is clearly emphasized in the Prophet ﷺ’s statement:
“The blood money (diya) for a Jew, Christian, or any dhimmi is the same as that for a Muslim.” [Ibnu Rushd, Bidayat al-Mujtahid, 2:310]
The Scope of Economic Support
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ guaranteed economic security to every citizen in an Islamic state. He ensured the provision of all essentials necessary for the establishment and stability of life.
The Prophet ﷺ encouraged people to earn a lawful livelihood and established the economic rights of those under their care, including parents, wives, and children. These rights are upheld as long as the individual is fulfilling their economic responsibilities. If, due to some unavoidable circumstance, they become unable to meet these responsibilities, the state takes on the responsibility of providing for them and their dependents.
Once, a man passed by the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and his companions. The companions observed the man’s hard work and effort, which they admired. Upon seeing this, they remarked, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! If only he were striving in the way of Allah.”
Upon hearing this, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said, “If he Is striving for the sake of providing for his children, then he is in the path of Allah. If he is striving for the sake of his elderly parents, then he is in the path of Allah. And if he is striving for the sake of his own self (to provide for his needs), then he is in the path of Allah.” Reference: Tabarani, Al-Mu’jam Al-Kabir, 19:129, Hadith No. 282
Additionally, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ emphasized mutual sacrifice and compassion within society, highlighting the rights of the economically weaker sections, including slaves, orphans, neighbors, widows, and the needy. It is obligatory to give a laborer their full wages in exchange for their work, and if their pay is less than their effort, it is considered oppression, and Allah does not like oppressors.
Allah Almighty commands: “Do not give people less than what is due to them” (Quran 11:85).
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said:
“There are three types of people against whom I will be a witness on the Day of Judgment: The one who makes a promise in My name and then breaks it, the one who sells a free person as a slave and consumes the price, and the one who hires a laborer, takes full work from him, but does not pay him his due wages.” Reference: Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Musnad, 2:358, Hadith No. 8677.
The Prophet ﷺ also placed the responsibility on those with wealth to fulfill the rights of the needy around them. He said:
“The one who serves and assists widows and the needy is like one who fights in the way of Allah, or one who prays all night and fasts all day.”Reference: Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Al-Musnad, 2:361, Hadith No. 8717.
The Prophet ﷺ said to Aisha:
“O Aisha! Never turn away a needy person, even if you can only give them a date seed. Moreover, love and draw close to the poor and the needy, for indeed, on the Day of Judgment, Allah will draw you close to Him in return.” Reference: Bayhaqi, Shu’ab al-Iman, 2:167, Hadith No. 1453.
The Right to Access Justice
The Prophet ﷺ taught that all aspects of life should be based on justice and fairness, ensuring that no member of the Islamic society suffers from oppression or exploitation.
The Prophet ﷺ said: “When two parties come to you for judgment, do not decide until you have heard the other party in the same manner as you heard the first party.” [Abu Dawood, Sunan, Kitab al-Qudhat, Chapter on How to Judge, 3:301, Hadith 3582]
Surely, Allah commands you to entrust the belongings to those who are worthy of them; and when you judge matters amongst people, give judgment with justice. What an excellent advice Allah gives you! Surely, Allah is All-Hearing, All-Seeing. [Quran 4 : 58]
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ emphasized providing justice to all members of society, regardless of their religion, class, caste, or race. Islam introduced a system of justice that ensures every individual receives justice without fear or hesitation.
Before Islam, there was a system in place where the powerful would not be held accountable for their oppression.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ said,
“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 (i.e., stole), I would cut off her hand.” [Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith 6787 and Sahih Muslim, Hadith 1688]
The Declaration of Global Peace
The Prophet ﷺ established the foundation for peace at every level based on the respect and fulfillment of rights.
He ﷺ said: “A believer is one from whom others feel secure regarding their lives and property.”[Ibn Kathir, Al-Sirat al-Nabawiyya, 2:320]
He ﷺ also stated: “The rights of individuals will be fully met on the Day of Judgment, even to the extent that a horned goat will seek retribution against a hornless goat for any injustice done.”[Muslim, Sahih, Kitab al-Birr wa al-Salat wa al-Adab, Chapter on the Prohibition of Oppression, 4:1997, Hadith 2582]
According to Islamic rules of warfare, it’s prohibited to fight with neutral individuals or nations, no matter how strong the ideological differences. Islam encourages peaceful relations with those who remain neutral, as it does not support unnecessary war or conflict. It value every human life and deeply respect the sanctity of human blood.
Allah does not forbid you to be good to them and treat them with equity and justice who did not fight against you on (the question of) Din (Religion), nor did they drive you out of your homes (i.e., homeland). Surely, Allah likes those who conduct themselves with equity and justice. [Quran 60 : 8]
Islam is the only religion in the world that has established clear rules and regulations for its armies, even during warfare. A narration from Imam Ali ibn Abi Talib (a) states that when the Prophet Muhammad (saww) would send the Muslim army towards the polytheists, he would instruct them:
“Do not kill any child, do not kill any woman, do not kill any elderly person, do not destroy or dry up any wells, do not cut down any trees except those that obstruct the battlefield, do not mutilate any human or animal, do not betray trusts, and do not steal.” (Bayhaqi, Al-Sunan al-Kubra, 9:90, Hadith 17934)
Ibn Abi Shaybah and Bayhaqi also narrate from Jabir bin Abdullah that: “Muslims never kill polytheist traders.”
Muslim armies were not allowed to enter enemy homes without permission. Even during war, Islam emphasized the sanctity of privacy and the protection of homes.
Conclusion
When the world is engulfed in turmoil and humanity stumbles under the weight of division and despair, remember the example of Muhammad ﷺ, the mercy for all. He was a man of steadfast integrity, who, with patience and wisdom, illuminated the darkest corners of society. He transformed hatred into love, ignorance into understanding, and brought Noor into the hearts of those once blind to truth.
In his legacy, find the strength to rebuild faith, spread compassion, and revive a culture of empathy that can heal even the deepest wounds in our world.
