|
|
The Quran also reads:
"0 you mankind ! Lo! We have created you male and female, and have made you nations and tribes that you may know one another. Lo! the noblest among you, in the sight of Allah, is the best in conduct." XLIX, 13.
In this way, God, in His Holy Book, draws attention to this universal ancestral bond, which should foster mutual sympathy, respect, collaboration and solidarity among all members of the large yet single human family. The Prophet, peace be upon him, depicts this universal human bond most eloquently in His saying:
"The likeness of the believers in their mutual sympathy and cordiality is like the human body in that when a part of it complains (of some pain) all the other parts share its misfortune, suffering fever and sleeplessness".
The awareness of this universal ancestral bond should cause each person to crave for his fellow man as much as he craves for himself, whether it is the right to be treated with dignity and justice and equality, or to enjoy liberty and be let to pursue happiness without any hindrance. This attitude is an essential feature of the Islamic religion ; without it, it is imperfect. This is assured by our prophet who stated:
"None of you can be a perfect believer unless he loves for his brother as much as he love for himself".
Secondly: The Shari'a of Islam, as a heavenly declaration of human rights, is certainly of a much higher order than any human declaration or charter. A heavenly proclamation is naturally respected and awed and must be obeyed and duly applied as part of a divine religion, respect of which derives from the depth of the religious conscience and man's awareness of the divine watchful eye, from which nothing can be hidden or concealed. Furthermore, as divine teaching, it is sanctioned and supported by the belief in reward and punishment in a life to come: God assures rewards for obedience and warns of punishment for negligence. This is apart from the fact that as a heavenly proclamation, it has a legal binding that has to be protected by the institutions of the law including the courts and the rulers whose function includes the protection of religion and the conduct of the affairs of the state in accordance to the religious tenets. The power and authority of these rulers and other legal agencies are to comply with the interest of the social order, as much as any thing else has to agree and conform with its aim and objective. In addition, the divine proclamation is further sanctioned and protected by the force of public opinion, very much acknowledged in Islam, which urges that people should command what is good and forbid what is evil. The Quran reads: "And let there be from amongst you a nation who invite to goodness, and enjoin right conduct and forbid indecency..." III, 104.