Shari'a and Human Rights, the Challenges Ahead
Shari'a and Human Rights, the Challenges Ahead

Summary/Abstract: There are some people among the non-Muslims and even the Muslims who spread confusion that the concept of human rights is alien to Shari’a (Islamic law) and it has no place in the provisions of the holy Qur’an (the main source of the Shari'a). The critics of Shari'a have used Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as the standard through which Shari'a is evaluated and faulted. The basic concept of Shari'a in regard to the human rights is based upon equality, dignity and respect for humankind. As is clear from verses of the Holy Qur’an, Allah Almighty has endowed on human beings the status of being superior to all other creations. The holy Qur’an has described the position enjoyed by human beings in great detail that at the time of creation of Adam, Allah Almighty enjoined upon the angels to bow before Adam. It was for the first time in the history of mankind that Islam did away with all biases and discriminations on the basis of wealth, clan and tribe, language, sex, colour and caste etc. It termed all human beings equal in status whether one is poor or rich, black or white, woman or man or whether one belongs to this or that region or race.

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