KEEPING A PROMISE

"And mention in the Book (the story of) Ismail. He was indeed true to his promise and was a messenger, a prophet." (Surah Maryam:54)

Fulfilment of promise is regarded as an important part of the moral code by all decent people, just as a breach of it is considered worthy of contempt. In a Hadith Rasool Allah ﷺ has described the breaking of a promise as a sign of hypocrisy. In another Hadith Rasool Allah SAW has said, "A promise is like a debt." meaning that it is as obligatory to honour a promise as it is to repay a debt. There is another Hadith of the Holy Prophet SAW which says that, "promise is an obligation for a believer."

Abstracted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

FINANCIAL RIGHTS IN ISLAM - Part 3

"And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with a straight balance. That is good, and better in the end." (Surah Bani Isra'il:35)

In this verse it has been commanded that people should measure and weigh correctly, and should not measure short, when selling something.

Respected jurists of Islam have decreed that the core principle in this verse is that it is Hara'am (unlawful) to give a person less than what is due to them. Therefore, if an employee does not fulfil his assigned duties properly, or gives less time to work than he is being paid for, or if a worker shirks his responsibilities and deliberately does not deliver what he had contracted to deliver, then it is all included in the meaning of this verse.

Abstract from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

PROHIBITION OF TAKABBUR (ARROGANCE)

"And do not walk on the earth haughtily. You can neither tear the earth apart, nor can you match the mountains in height." (Surah Bani Isra'il:37)

Takabbur (arrogance, تکبّر) means believing oneself to be superior to others, and considering others to be inferior to oneself. Very harsh warnings have appeared in Hadith against it. Even behaving in ways which are suggestive of Takabbur has been declared impermissible.

Imam Muslim RE has reported on the authority of Sayyidna Iyad ibn Ammar RAA that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "Allah Ta'alah has sent this command to me through revelation: Be humble. No person should boast on, or act as if he is superior to, another person. No one one should behave unjustly towards anyone else." (Mazhari)

Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Masud RAA narrates that the Holy Prophet SAW said, "A person who has Takabbur in his heart even to the measure of a particle will not enter paradise." (Mazhari to the reference of Sahih of Muslim)

Speaking from the pulpit Sayyidna Umar Farooq RAA said, "I have heard from the Holy Prophet SAW that Allah Ta'alah elevates the status of a person who adopts Tawazu (humility, تواضع) so that even though he is insignificant in his own eyes, he is great in the eyes of everyone else. And if a person adopts Takabbur Allah Ta'alah disgraces him so that even though he is great in his own eyes, he is worse than a pig and a dog in everyone else's eyes." (Mazhari)

Abstracted from Ma'ariful Quran, Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

FINANCIAL RIGHTS IN ISLAM - PART 1

"And do not go near the property of an orphan except in a manner that is good, until he comes to his maturity. And fulfil the covenant. Surely the covenant shall be asked about. And give full measure when you measure, and weigh with a straight balance. That is good, and better in the end." (Surah Bani Isra'il:34-35)

The first verse is about the protection of financial assets of orphans and it has been advised not to do anything that would violate their interests. Those who have the responsibility for looking after financial assets of orphans should exercise utmost caution. They should only spend in a way that would be beneficial to the orphans, and definitely not spend based on their whim and without concern. And this should continue until the orphans have become old enough to take over management of their own financial assets. 

It is not permissible to spend anyone's financial assets unduly. In this verse the rights of orphans have been asserted specifically because orphans are unable to demand accountability for their own accounts, and no one else can know about it. In situations where a person is unable to protect his or her own rights the demand from Allah Ta'alah for accountability becomes that much stronger. And neglecting such people's rights incurs a much greater sin than usurping those people's rights who are able to protect their own rights.

To be continued...

Abstract from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

RIGHTS OF RELATIVES

"And give the relative his right, and the needy and the traveller. And do not squander recklessly. Surely, squanderers are brothers to Satans, and the Satan is very ungrateful to his Lord" (Surah Bani Isra'il:26)

This verse establishes the rights of common relatives over a person. According to Imam Abu Hanifah RE this verse establishes right of financial help for those relatives who are in the category of near blood kinship (Dhu Rahim) and have a relationship that precludes marriage (mahram). If they do not have financial means to sustain themselves, and are unable to earn a living by themselves, be they a woman, a child, or because of having some handicap, it then becomes incumbent upon their relatives who have the financial means to support them, to do so. If there are several relatives who have the financial means to support them, then the expanses will be divided between all of them to provide a subsistence allowance for the needy.

In this verse providing financial support to the relatives, the traveller and the needy has been declared their right. In this way it has been hinted that if a person provides them financial help he is not doing them a favour, he is fulfilling his own obligations. He is doing his own duty.

From Ma'ariful Quran, Interpretation of Surah Bani isra'il, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

RIGHTS OF PARENTS - PART 7

Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Umar RAA narrated that Rasool Allah ﷺ said, "The greatest respect one can pay to one's father after his death is to treat his friends well."

Sayyidna Abu Usayd al-Badri RAA has narrated that an Ansari came and asked Rasool Allah SAW, "Ya Rasool Allah! Do I still owe my parents some rights even after that have passed away?" Rasool Allah SAW said, "Yeas!Praying and seeking forgiveness for them, fulfilling the promises they had made to people in their life, being kind and respectful to their friends, and showing mercy and generosity to such relatives who were related only to them (Silatu 'r-rahmi). These are the rights of your parents you still owe to them even after their death."

Abstract from Ma'ariful Quran, Interpretation of Surah Bani Isra'il, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

RIGHTS OF PARENTS - PART 6

Hazrat Asma RAA once asked Rasool Allah ﷺ, "My mother who is a Mushrik (non-believer) comes to see me. Is it permissible for me to entertain her?" Rasool Allah SAW said, "صِلِی ا’مَّکِ" (meaning respect the bond of relationship with your mother and entertain her.)"

The Quran says, "و صاحبھما فی الدنیا معروفا" (Surah Luqman:15) (that is if the parents of a person are non-believers and order him to become like them, it is not permissible for him to obey them in this matter. But, they should be treated din the 'recognised manner'.) It is obvious that 'recognised manner' means that they should be treated with courtesy.

From Ma'ariful Quran, Interpretation of Surah Bani Isra'il, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

RIGHTS OF PARENTS - PART 5

Al-Baihaqi has reported on the authority of Sayyidna Abu Bakrah RAA that the Holy Prophet ﷺ said, "For all other sins Allah Ta'alah defers the punishment of those He wills till the Day of Qiyamah, except for the sin of neglecting the rights of parents and disobeying them which is also given in this world, even before the Aakhirah (Hereafter).

From Ma'ariful Quran, Interpretation of Surah Bani Isra'il, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

RIGHTS OF PARENTS - PART 4

It has been narrated by Sayyidna Abdullah Ibn Abbas RAA that Rasool Allah (Holy Prophet) ﷺ said, "An obedient son who looks at his parents with mercy and affection receives the reward (Thawab) of one accepted Hajj against every such look cast." Someone asked, "What if he looks at them like that a hundred times during the day?" Rasool Allah SAW said, "Yes. a hundred time too (he will keep receiving that reward). Allah is great (His treasures never run short)."

From Ma'ariful Quran, Interpretation of Surah Bani Isra'il, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

RIGHTS OF PARENTS - PART 3

Sayyidna Ibn Abbas RAA narrated that Rasool Allah ﷺ said, "Two gates of paradise shall remain open for the person who remained obedient to his parents for the sake of Allah. And two gates of hell shall remain open for one who disobeyed them. And one gate (of paradise or hell shall remain open), if he had just one of the two, either father or mother." Someone asked, "Would it (the warning of hell)  still apply if the parents had been unjust to this person?" Rasool Allah SAW said three times, "وَ اِن ظَلَمَا وَ اِن ظَلَمَا وَ اِن ظَلَمَا." which means that the warning of Hell against disobeying and hurting  parents still applies even if the parents were unjust tot he child. (It means that children have no right to take revenge from their parents. Even if the parents had been unjust to them, it does not give the children the right to disobey  them or not to serve them.)

From Ma'ariful Quran, Interpretation of Surah Bani Isra'il, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

RIGHTS OF PARENTS - PART 2

Imam al-Qurtubi says that, in this verse (translation in previous post) Allah Ta'alah has made it necessary (Wajib) to respect and treat parents well by combining it with the command to worship Him. This is similar to what has been said in Surah Luqman  where the obligatory need to thank Him has been combined with the need to thank one's parents: "Be grateful to Me, and your parents. 31:14. This proves that, after the obligation of worshipping the most exalted Allah, obeying one's parents is most important and being grateful to parents like being grateful to Allah Ta'alah s Wajib (necessary). This is also supported by a Hadith in Sahih al-Bukhari where a person reportedly asked the Holy Prophet ﷺ, "Which is the most favoured deed for Allah Ta'alah?" Rasool Allah SAW said, "Salah a its (mustahabb, preferred) time." The person asked again, "Which is the most favoured deed after that?" To that he said, "Treating parents well."

Abstract from Ma'ariful Quran, Interpretation of Surah Bani Isra'il", by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

RIGHTS OF PARENTS - PART 1

And your Lord has decreed that you worship none but Him and do good to parents. If either of them or both reach old age, do not say to them 'uff' (a word of anger or contempt) and do not scold them. And address them with respectful words, and submit yourself before them in humility out of compassion and say, "My Lord, be merciful to them as they have brought me up in my childhood." (Surah Bani Isra'il:23-24)

TAKING A BRIBE IS BREAKING ONE'S COVENANT WITH ALLAH

Ibn Atiyyah (RE) said: If doing something is obligatory on a person, then, it is a Covenant of Allah due against him. If he asks someone for money to do what is already obligatory upon him, or doesn't do it if he doesn't get money, then he is breaking his Covenant with Allah. Similarly, if it is obligatory upon someone not to do something, and he does it after taking money from someone he is breaking the Covenant of Allah.

This leads to the conclusion that all prevailing forms of bribery are Hara'am (forbidden). When an employee receives a salary from the government it means he has entered into a Covenant with Allah Ta'alah that he will perform certain duties in exchange for that salary. If he now starts demanding money from other people for performing those duties, or does not perform his duties without getting that extra money, then he is breaking the Covenant of Allah. Similarly, if his employer does not allow him to do certain things, an he does those after taking bribe, this is also breaking the Covenant with Allah.

Abstract from Ma'ariful Quran, interpretation of Surah Al-Nahl, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RE

SILAH REHMI (صلہءرحمی)

Hazrat Anas RAA has narrated that Rasool Allah ﷺ said that if a person wants Allah Ta'alah to make his livelihood comfortable, and to grant him Barakah (that his limited income fulfils more of his needs) then he should do Silah Rehmi (صلہ رحمی). Silah Rehmi means that you look after, and financially help as much as you can, those people who are related to you in any way. 

Hazrat Abdullah Ibne Omar RAA has narrated that Rasool Allah SAW said that Silah Rehmi is not just that you repay a relative's kindness, and do him a favour if he has done a favour to you. True Silah Rehmi is that if a relative has not been nice to you, does not maintain his relationship with you, does not fulfil your rights, but you still look after him and fulfil all his rights only to please Allah.

It is narrated in a Hadith in Saheeh Muslim (a book of Ahadith) that Rasool Allah SAW said that it is a high level of Silah Rehmi that a person maintains the same relationships with his father's friends, after his father's death, that he had with them in his father's life.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, Interpretation of Surah Al-Ra'ad, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RA

IMPORTANCE OF RIGHTS OF HUMAN BEINGS

Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi RA said that:

والذین یصلون ما امر الّٰلہ به ان یوصل

means that Islam doesn't preach that a person abstain from all worldly relations. In fact, it is Farz (obligatory) to maintain and fulfil the rights of one's close relations. Allah Ta'alah has ascribed specific rights to parents, children, wife, and even distant relatives and neighbours. These rights are so important that it is not permissible to engage in Nafil (non-obligatory) prayers or religious activities at the cost of neglecting these rights.

From Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RA, interpretation of Surah Al-Ra'ad

BREAKING IS A PRMOISE IS HARA'AM (IMPERMISSIBLE)

Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi RA has said in the Ma'ariful Quran that:

الذین یوفون بعھدالّٰلہ ولا ینقضون المیثاق

means that once a promise is made it becomes Farz (obligatory) for a Muslim and it is Hara'am to break that promise. That promise may be with Allah Ta'alah and Rasool Allah ﷺ like the promise of always staying on the path of Iman (faith), or it may be with people, whether a Muslim or a non-Muslim. It is Hara'am to breach a promise in all of these situations.

Adapted from Ma'ariful Quran, by Mufti Muhammad Shafi RA, interpretation of Surah Ra'ad

HAZRAT OMAR FAROOQ RAA AND PROTECTION OF RIGHTS OF NON-MUSLIMS

It is a story of the days when Hazrat Omar Farooq RAA was Caliph of Muslim Ummah (nation). During those times a tax called Jazya was collected from non-Muslims living in Bait-ul-Muqadis (Jerusalem) in lieu of protection of all their rights. At one time there was a need to move the Muslim army from Bait-Ul-Muqadis to another front. Hazrat Omar Farooq said that we had taken on the responsibility of protecting the non-Muslims living in Bait-ul-Muqadis. If we remove our army now then who is going to protect them? We had taken Jazya from them for their protection but the army is direly needed in another place. He invited the non-Muslims to meet him and said that we had taken responsibility of your protection and had collected Jazya for that purpose, and that is why we had collected tax from you. Now we have to send the army elsewhere and we can not continue to protect you, so we are returning to you all the tax that we had collected from you.

Adapted from the talk "Islam and Human Rights" by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB 

ISLAM AND HUMAN RIGHTS: 5. PROTECTION OF BELIEFS

There is a verse of the Quran "لا اکراہ فی الدین". There is no compulsion in religion. In a Muslim country if a Christian wants to remain a Christian, or a Jew wants to remain a Jew, then he can be preached about Islam, but he cannot be forced to become a Muslim. It is not allowed in Shariah to force him to convert to Islam. 

Islam has declared the protection of life, wealth, reputation and respect of non-Muslims living in a Muslim country a responsibility of the state. It is obligatory under Shariah that not only should they have full freedom to practice their religion, but also that they should enjoy equal opportunities in education, employment and receiving justice. It is mandatory that Muslims should treat them with respect, and should not denigrate or humiliate them. Similarly, within the bounds of decency, they should be allowed to celebrate their religious occasions fully, and government should neither interfere with their celebrations itself, nor should let anyone else interfere with these celebrations.

Quran Karim says that (Translation): "Allah does not forbid you from doing good and justice to those who did not fight you because of faith, and did not expel you from your homes. Surely Allah loves those maintain justice." (Surah Al-Mumtahinah:8)

Adapted from the talks "Islam and Human Rights" and "Religious Tolerance" by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani Db

ISLAM AND HUMAN RIGHTS: 3. PROTECTION OF REPUTATION

The third basic human right that has been protected in Islam is protection of reputation. This has been protected so strictly in Islam that it is not allowed to say anything bad about a person even in their absence. It is termed Gheebat (saying something bad about a person in his absence that would hurt him if he heard that it was said about him) and it is such a great sin that Rasool Allah ﷺ has likened it to eating one's dead brother's flesh. Who amongst us would even want to imagine about eating one's deceased brother's flesh?

Some Sahaba (companions of the Holy Prophet Muhammad SAW) asked Rasool Allah SAW, "O Rasool Allah SAW! What if what we have said is true?" Rasool allah SAW said, "It is only Gheebat if it is true. Otherwise it would be Buhtaan (بہتان)." Buhtaan is an even greater sin because it is a combination of two sins, telling a lie, and saying something bad about a person. This is the difference between the English concept of Slander and Gheebat. The dictionary meaning of Slander is to say something false and damaging about a person. Gheebat means anything bad about a person in his absence, even if it is true.

Sometimes people say that what I am saying is not Gheebat as I can say it in front of that person, somehow assuming that it is only Gheebat if it can't be said in front of the person. Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB said that everything bad that is said about a person behind his back which would upset him if he heard it is Gheebat, it has nothing to do with being able to repeat the same in front of him, or not.

These days it has become almost fashionable to repeat without any investigation whatever is being said about a public figure, as if we have personally witnessed it. In Islam there is no distinction between a public or a private figure in that regard, everyone's reputation is equally protected. Rasool Allah SAW has said that it is enough for s person to be deemed a liar if he passes on everything he hears without doing any investigation. There are only specific circumstances in which it is permissible to do someone's Gheebat which have been described in a recent post.

Similarly people think think that it is permissible to do Gheebat of people who are known to be sinners. This is again wrong as Allah Ta'alah protects rights of every human being, regardless of how many sins they may have committed. In a gathering people were doing Gheebat of Hajjaj Bin Yousuf. A buzurg said that just like Allah Ta'alah will hold Hajjaj accountable for the lives of all the innocent Muslims whose blood he shed, similarly Allah will also hold all those people accountable who have done Hajjaj's Gheebat without just cause.

In nutshell Shariah has laid down very strict rules about protecting reputation of all human beings, and we should be very careful when saying something bad about someone being mindful that one day Allah Ta'alah will make us account for that.

Adapted from the talk "Human Rights in Islam" by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB

HUMAN RIGHTS IN ISLAM: 1. PROTECTION OF LIFE

Five types of human rights have been given special protection in Islam. These are;

1. Protection of life
2. Protection of property
3. Protection of reputation
4. Protection of beliefs
5. protection of right to earn an income

InshaAllah these will all be discussed individually in the next few posts.

The first human right that has been protected in Islam is protection of life. Rasool Allah ﷺ has said، لا تقتلو النفس التی حرم الّٰلہ الّا بالحق
No one has a right over another human being's life. Hazrat Abdullah Ibne Masood RAA has narrated that one day he was doing the Tawaf of Ka'aba with Rasool Allah SAW when Rasool Allah addressed the Ka'aba saying, "O Allah's house. You are so noble, so exalted." Then Rasool Allah SAW addressed Hazrat Abdullah Ibne Masood RAA and said, "O Abdullah! This Ka'aba is very noble, very exalted, but there is one thing in this universe that is even more sacrosanct than this Ka'aba, and that is the life, property and reputation of a Muslim." So according to this teaching of Rasool Allah SAW if a Muslim attacks the life, property or reputation of another Muslim,  then he is committing an offence worse than him trying to demolish the Ka'aba. 

There are specific injunctions in Shariah about the protection of life of non-Muslims as well. Non-Muslims are generally divided into two categories, combatant (حربی), or non-combatant (غیر حربی). The second category includes all non-Muslims the Muslim nations have a peace treaty with, or even if they don't have a peace treaty they have undeclared peace and are not at war, and those non-Muslims who live in a Muslim country peacefully and follow its laws. In case of non-combatant non-Muslims Shariah has extended them exactly the same protection of life as any Muslim, there is no difference between the two in terms of sanctity of life. 

Even in times of war Shariah has issued very specific injunctions about who Muslims can harm and who they can't. Shariah has forbidden Muslims even in war from harming non-Muslim non-combatants, women, children, elders, and religious leaders. In addition, Rasool allah SAW issued a specific injunction not to harm anyone who recites the Kalimah even right in the middle of battle. There was an incident when in the heat of battle a Sahabi (companion of Rasool Allah SAW) killed a combatant even though he recited the kalimah, believing that he was doing it just to save his life. When this was reported to Rasool Allah SAW he expressed extreme displeasure and said words to the Sahabi to the effect that, had you opened his heart to check whether he was telling the truth or was lying?

There are specific questions to ponder for Muslims living in non-Muslim countries. It has been narrated in the Quran that Hazrat Musa AS (Moses) had unintentionally killed an Egyptian by punching him while intervening in a fight between the Egyptian and an Israelite. The Quran says that Hazrat Musa (AS) kept doing Istighfar (asking Allah Ta'alah for forgiveness) for the rest of his life for this act. In Ma'ariful Quran Hazrat Mufti Muhammad Shafi RA asks the question that the person Hazrat Musa AS killed was a non-Muslim, and a combatant non-Muslim at that, then why did Hazrat Musa AS kept doing Istighfar for killing him? Then he has answered the question saying that as Hazrat Musa AS was living in Pharaoh's country it means he had implicitly given an undertaking that he will abide by the laws of that country. And because it was illegal to kill a person under their law, and Hazrat Musa AS had broken that law, he considered it a sin and kept doing Istighfar for it. 

If we apply this verse of the Quran to today's circumstances one does wonder how it can be permissible under Shariah for a Muslim living in a non-Muslim country under their peace, implicitly and explicitly giving an undertaking to obey the laws of that country, and then breaching that law by deliberately killing innocent men, women, children and elderly without any just cause, while one of Allah's great Prophets kept asking for forgiveness all his life having done something similar unintentionally? Some people seem to believe that what they are doing is Jihad (religious war). What they they do not seem to realise is that Jihad is an Ibadat (a form of prayer) and Ibadat are only acceptable if they conform to the rules and ways taught by Allah Ta'alah and Rasool Allah SAW. If a 'Jihad' is conducted completely ignoring and defying the injunctions laid down by Allah Ta'alah and Rasool Allah SAW, can it really be Jihad? 

The primary difference in right to protection of life as preached by Islam, and as practiced by some parts of the world today, is that in Islam every life is equally sacrosanct. There is no difference in the sanctity of lives of those who belong to 'us', and to 'them'.

(This post is primarily derived from the talk "Human Rights in Islam" by Mufti Muhammad Taqi Usmani DB but in the write up a lot of words are the writer's own. Even though I hope I have accurately reflected what i have read, heard and understood, please feel free to correct me if I have made a mistake. May Allah SWT forgive me for any unintended errors. Ameen)