The book "Human Rights in Islam" provides an insightful perspective on the concept of human rights in Islam, contrasting it with Western and European views on the same issue. The author, Dr. Abdullah bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Turki, a member of the Saudi Council of Senior Scholars and former Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, delves into the Western notions of human rights and critiques the European perspective, highlighting the distinctive Islamic approach to these rights.
In its chapters, the book covers the Islamic view on the right to life, bodily safety, intellect, honor, human freedom, equality, and social solidarity.
Al-Turki emphasizes in his introduction that the work of Islamic preachers in any time and place can only be sound if rooted in knowledge of the Qur'an and Sunnah, an in-depth study of Islamic sciences, and adherence to the Prophet Muhammad’s methods in delivering the message and offering guidance.
The author points out that many issues occupy people's minds, and Islamic preachers should understand these issues, their underlying intentions, proponents, and their potential benefits or harms. Key among these issues is those raised under the banners of human rights and gender equality.
The book underscores an established truth: for over 14 centuries, Muslims have been aware of human dignity, equality, mutual solidarity, and compassion among people. Al-Turki suggests that the challenge arises when comparing the slogans propagated from every direction about these values to Islamic understandings of them.
He questions: Are the terms the same, but the substance and meaning different? How does this impact our faith, morals, and behavior? He calls for a true understanding of human rights issues, measuring them against Islamic principles.
Al-Turki argues that human rights have now become a tool in the foreign policy of major powers, used as a criterion for providing international aid to developing countries. Aid is withheld from countries accused of human rights violations according to the standards of powerful nations. The idea of creating a "High Commissioner" position in the United Nations to oversee the application of human rights principles has also emerged. The author notes the resulting complexities within the evolving new global system, announced years ago but still lacking clearly defined directions, values, and balances. This situation opens the door to various forms of unwarranted interference in countries' internal affairs under the banner of human rights.
The former Secretary-General of the Muslim World League asserts that human rights in Islamic law stem from a perspective independent of human will and free from the relativism of time, place, and societal standards. Instead, these rights are a divine blessing from Allah for His servants, enshrined in Islamic law's texts and general principles. They are obligatory for all—rulers and citizens, states and peoples—and are not a weapon for the authorities or a reason for people to rebel against society or rulers.
In establishing his argument, the author states that determining supreme human values and concepts should be free from the limits of time and place. He argues that this is achievable only by relying on a higher, divine legislative source beyond the laws of time, place, and human regulations, which individuals follow out of faith and conviction.
He continues to explain that eliminating relativism in human rights issues is only possible through this approach, which, for Muslims, is represented in Islamic law with its divine source in principles and texts.
Throughout its 115 pages, the book examines human rights from an Islamic perspective. It emphasizes that in Islam, humans are regarded as the most honored of all creatures. Allah has created the heavens and the earth for them, endowed them with reason, and prohibited actions that harm life, bodily integrity, or honor—such as torturing, physically or morally assaulting, or desecrating bodies after death, even in warfare.
To protect human life, Islam only permits fighting for the sake of truth, defense, and only after clear warning. It prohibits combat driven by greed, nationalism, or racial motives. Islam restricts warfare practices by forbidding the killing of non-combatants, such as women, children, the elderly, and religious worshippers, and prohibits the destruction of crops or livestock, preserving people’s provisions.
The book Human Rights in Islam emphasizes that freedom is a major means for achieving noble and lofty goals aligned with human dignity and the human mission as Allah's trustee on earth. Therefore, Islam begins by liberating a person from enslavement to anything other than Allah and freeing them from the whims and desires of their base instincts. According to Islamic scholars, freedom is the ability to act freely unless it causes harm to oneself or others. In Islam, a person must free themselves from servitude to anyone but Allah, as Allah calls the worship of anything besides Him "Taghut," and commands people to reject it: “Have you not seen those who claim to have believed in what was revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you? They wish to refer to legislation to Taghut, while they were commanded to reject it; and Satan wishes to lead them far astray.” (An-Nisa 4:60)
The book, published by the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Da'wah, and Guidance in Saudi Arabia in 1419 AH, also delves into the meaning and dimensions of social solidarity in Islam, comparing it to modern social security systems. It argues that Islamic solidarity is a progressive concept, extending beyond mere cooperation or providing assistance during times of need.
Social solidarity in Islam is not solely based on social needs that arise at specific times or places but is derived from a principle firmly rooted in Sharia: the principle of mutual support among believers in society. Allah says: “The believing men and believing women are allies of one another. They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong and establish prayer and give zakah and obey Allah and His Messenger. Those – Allah will have mercy upon them. Indeed, Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.” (At-Tawbah 9:71)
This mutual support carries responsibilities and implications for both the material and moral aspects of human life. The concept of mutual support encompasses various meanings, including authority, power, cooperation, and assistance. In the Islamic perspective, an individual does not live independently or isolated from others but rather shares mutual support and responsibility within society for all aspects of life and social matters.
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