12/25/1987
IWDM Study Library
Human Rights in Al-Islam
Seerah Conference

By Imam W. Deen Mohammed
Dear Muslims brothers, distinguished brothers in Al-Islam, As-Salaam-Alaikum.
Audience: Wa-Alaikum-as-Salaam.
Al-humdulilahir rabbil aalameen. Praise be to Allah, Lord of all the world. We praise Him and pray blessings be on His servant and His messenger Muhammad, and on his descendants of his companions and on us be peace. And all the traditional salutations we have in our heart. Praise be to Allah, I feel greatly honored to be given this opportunity today, and I, as all Muslims, seek Allah's assistance, mercy and His assistance for this brief presentation.
In considering the topic of human rights, I had great difficulty deciding how I would deal with this topic on this occasion. That may come as a surprise to the members of my community and acquaintance. Because you know that human concerns are concerns that just seem to weigh heavily on me and on us. But I admit from the very start that I had great difficulty, and I still have some difficulty. Although I have kind of charted a course for this 30-40-minute presentation.
And I have put human in quotes, human rights in Islam. And I put Islam in quotes. And the reason for putting Islam in quotes is that I feel is necessary on these occasions, when addressing the English-speaking audience, to use the familiar term, Islam, which is, in our opinion, incomplete as far as the Quranic term is concerned. Because it's Al-Islam, Al-Islam. And I have also chosen and hope that the burden would be light on me to speak of human rights as viewed as an issue, the issue of human rights in the Western world and in modern times. And to treat it as a cherished idea and issue, but to acknowledge that it is an awkward issue.
The question to be asked at this time in the beginning of this presentation to set the pace and also the stage, so to speak, for what is being presented is the effectiveness of the expression, or term human rights in spearheading the concerns of man for his life, his precious life, or the life that he cherish most.
Another question is the treatment of human rights in Western society wondering if this issue has been selected mainly out of sentiment, and if the cause of that is an issue that has a definite life span. That is, it will do its service and die at some other issue will have to follow in order to carry a man further towards the goal of dignity for the individual, and for the groups in the international community of man.
I'm sure you will understand that in the America's human rights movement, race and racial pride came into the forefront and remain into the forefront until recently when human rights have now sort of put race consciousness and racial pride in the background. I ask the question, "Could it be that what we are really concerned about, the interest we really have, the precious values, rights that we are really carrying in our heart, could it be that those concerns cannot be advanced, but so far, when we use an expression or term human rights?"
Human rights may be then a misnomer. That is an incorrect term, not sufficient, a deficient term for serving the purpose that man has in mind and in his heart. An error could be made in our attempt to label the concern with its intent. I believe that when we speak of human rights, we have in mind the promotion of security, and welfare for man as an individual and also for man as a family. That is, for groups that may be denied their rights by other stronger groups, or groups that might be lagging behind other groups because of certain difficulties that they might have.
If human right is a relatively weak term or a deficient term, a deficient term for labeling our concern, or as an issue. The concern that we are trying to label, I believe, is the ideal concept to be advanced for the overall good of the individual and the society. A concept of man that arouses sensitivities and feelings and concerns readily, quickly to prompt the individual to respond with his heart, his mind, and his resources. And aid the cause of promoting that concept of man and getting the respect to man that that concept would require.
Human rights have now been brought into international focus. Already, I am sensing that what has took place in the African American community is taking place now in that big scene, the international community. That is, that already we have experienced all but demise of the label of the term human rights. What the African American leadership and the community of African Americans feel now, that is the concern or the concern that should be pushed forward is not so much human rights but economic rights.
So, that would suggest then that human right is not a term, at least in our understanding and grasp of that term, it is not sufficient. It is not sufficient for carrying us all the way down the road to where we want to go. It seems that human right is too sentimental or it has been made too sentimental by media and by the people who have pushed that idea forward. I know that you'll understand me clearly.
You are not at all thinking that I'm playing down the concern. We are human beings. I quite can't play down the concern for humanity, for human dignity, for human rights. But I'm just trying to raise question so that if we are having trouble and that trouble can be avoided, maybe some of us will work on that problem. And before we get too far down the road, as Muslims, in promoting human rights, maybe we will avoid a lot of trouble that the West has gotten into.
When we hear in the news and see what the superpowers are experiencing and confronting the issue of human rights, it should suggest to us that there's some difficulty with that terminology. All nations don't share an interest in that terminology in the same way or with the same sentimental attachment. The Western society, especially the American society, has grown to be the leading promoter of that idea and are more sentimental than most people regarding that idea of human rights. It might be that much of the difficulty encountered by the superpowers when confronting each other on the issue of human rights is the evidence of crippling deficiency in the label itself.
As I said already, the issue of economic rights is gaining ground in the sentiments of the African American people. Our families now are not so quick to feel the weight of human rights as we are when we are given or hear the mentioning of economic rights. This address is more an effort, then, to bring some clarity regarding human rights as an issue rather than a discussion of human rights in Al-Islam. You may say its just a plea to my brothers. Especially my brothers grounded in knowledge in Al-Islam, to perhaps avoid the sentimental involvement and look at our religion very closely, the Quran, the Sunnah, the prophet, very closely before establishing a Muslim position on the issue of human rights.
I've already read some excellent papers. I don't consider myself a scholar, I consider myself a student. I don't have formal education that would justify me wearing that term. That is, would justify me advertising. So, I don't consider myself a scholar in the strict sense. I consider myself only a student who, if G-d blessed me with years, I hope to get the credentials and maybe one day I'll be accepting that kind compliment that you all give me, that I'm a scholar.
Approaching the matter of human rights from the concern given with this address serves to raise questions of issues, values, and choice of language that have been linked to the issue of human rights. Some terms in question may be child of G-d. Does child of G-d, does that expression has any connection with human rights? Child of G-d, in Western culture, in Western society. Civil rights. We have been trying to advance civil rights. And civil rights, too, seems to have had its lifespan. And it seems that we are now hopelessly trying to keep that before the people as an issue to fire up the conscience for support to African American cause, to the African American cause, or needs. Civil rights.
Also, Gentiles. Why would I mention Gentiles? Does it have anything to do with human rights? Gentiles. As I understand it, you know that the Bible presents Jew and Gentile. The whole world is made of two people, Jews and Gentiles. But then there's a common dictionary definition, too, of the term Gentile. So, I have here used to represent the other section of people, I don't say Jews or Gentile. I say the illuminated man and Gentile. Because you know Muslims are not Gentiles, Christians are not Gentiles. Not just Jews, we are not Gentiles.
I'm raising the question. Have these terms, have they had some influence in bringing the idea of human rights to the forefront as we now know human rights? I believe so, because in Christian language, in Christian movements for the betterment of man as a specie, they have used these terms almost interchangeably, human being and child of G-d. They would say, "Don't treat him like that. He is a child of G-d. Don't treat him that way. He is a human being."
Another question to be raised is for Muslims, where are the equivalents? Now, being that the Western world has promoted human rights, at least the Western world has been putting the focus for promoting human rights. Then when we come into the picture, we are almost compelled to adopt the language of the West and to adopt even the methods of the West. And maybe even force ourselves into the sentiments and thinking of the West. That, to me, is a danger for Muslims.
We have terms in Al-Islam, bashar, basharoom is a human being. Insan, Ins, the human being. We have the term hur, hurrun, which is freedom. But is our hurrun, is it the same as the West, that idea, the freedom for the West? We also have the word haqqun, rights. Is that term, for us, the same as the term rights in Western terminology or the Western expression? We know it's not. We know they're not the same. When the West says a man has his rights, it may include many things that we don't consider to be rights at all of the human person.
And when the West says that he is a human being, treat him as such, it may be very much like what we mean when we say he is a human being but still might be great differences. It is the way we perceive man that decides how we will work for man. As you know, in Western history, they once perceived us and labeled us with language worse than that of Gentiles. They called us subhuman, black, monkey, took away our validity as human beings and felt justified as a civilized society, I'm talking about Christian West, felt justified, not all of them but a sufficient number of them to make that the policy throughout the United States and even out in other parts of the white world.
Took away our validity as human beings, but yet, some of them were sensitive enough in their hearts as human beings to question the behavior of America. I mean white Christians, and say, "Why treat them that way? They're children of G-d." In spite of what that anti-black movement, anti-African and anti-black movement in the West was all about, there were some of these people, white people, white Christians, who didn't agree with them and felt that if you're in human form, you're a child of G-d, a human being deserving of human treatment.
But we see that it wasn't that concern or that concept of man that they chose to raise the moral issue for African American people enslaved in this country. When the issue came before the government, it changed from the right of a child of G-d to civil rights, and later to human rights. To say that the African American is no longer the people that we should be giving all of our attention to if we want to promote the welfare of man, so they brought in several other groups. Now it includes all oppressed people all over the world.
I hope I'm proceeding with this in a satisfactory way. To avoid the problem that the West have gotten into, the Muslims, I believe and I have my brothers here who are grounded in the knowledge of that day. I'm sure some of them are close enough friends of mine to tell me in privacy where I have erred, or in public. But they are so nice to me, some of them don't even like to tell me in private.
But as I understand, and not only our religion but our religion more clearly, focus on a human being as being entitled to natural rights. Though a human right is a natural right. The language itself is not as effective as natural rights, because human being arouses too many sentiments and emotions, whereas nature sobers the mind. I believe we should be concentrating on rights that are inherent, inherent rights. Natural rights, inherent rights, which will lead us to dealing also with the inherent role of man, the natural values that man should cherish.
Human rights, that expression doesn't necessarily arouse the intellect to deal with such issues and questions in the right way. And will lead us also to deal with destiny for man. Destiny for man. Muslims, as Christians and others, we cherish the human being as a moral specie. We are a moral specie. We cherish our species as a rational specie and also as a political specie. When we talk about the natural rights of man, it allows us the room to proceed on to these inclusive concerns for man. Whereas human rights seem to stop in the waters of human sentiments. Now, that's my feel for what's going on. I could be wrong, that's why I said I'll wait to be corrected if I'm wrong.
Now, dear beloved brothers, Muslims, Allah says, and the Prophet has taught us, that everything has its right. Everything has its right, and we should give to everything its right. The expression is 'haqq'. Haqq. Haqq expresses what? Reality, truth. Truth and reality. The expression human rights can become so sentimental that we're not gravitated toward the naturalness and the inherent nature and rights for that thing, rather pulled toward the sentimental attachment to it.
The Black man can be mistreated and be the cause of his mistreatment. And if they keep promoting human rights, he'll keep getting help. But if we follow the Islamic idea, the Black will get help up to a point. When they have been given help in justifiable measure, in generous measure and they still don't perform, the Islamic idea will leave the rest of the society free to go on about their business while the Blacks linger in their foolishness. But they won't be left without help. If we promote, lift up the Islamic idea, the Blacks won't be left without help.
Anytime you bring the Islamic concept of man, Allah says, man is what, first of all? Yes, he is a sensitive creature, he's a social creature with social sensitivity that cause him to be considerate of himself, his own welfare and the welfare of his member in his social family. Sure. We know all that. All that's good. I said from the very beginning, we cherish the idea of humanity and human rights, but we have a problem with it. Allah does not leave us like that with that alone. No. Allah sensitizes us to something even bigger as a concern than human right. And that is responsibility.
We find that in Western society, they realized that they have stressed rights maybe too much, so much that man now is ignorant of his responsibility. Allah doesn't focus our attention upon human rights. Allah focuses our attention upon human responsibility. Human responsibility first of all to Him. That He is our Creator and that He created us for service, not for rights and privileges. He created us for services. He says He made us to be His ebaad. His servants. So, man must first perceive himself as a creature created for services. And his service that is most important is service to Allah.
We don't have time. The time is short, but I think I have introduced it. I think I have introduced it; you see? Once we come into that idea, you can give man his rights then. His right is his due, haqq. His right is his due. His right is justice. Not to pamper him, that's not rights. That's abuse. To over pamper a grown people, it's abusing them, not giving them their rights. This sentimental idea of human rights, it has been carried so far especially civil rights, that's why they had to change it to human rights. Because they had carried civil rights so far, it was no longer civil rights. It was pampering the Black man under the name of civil rights. Some of them, they were so aware of being pampered big brutes with nothing to do but eat and sleep. Some of them told me, said, "I sometimes feel like going to get me a box of Huggies."
In concluding my presentation, I say that really, I have just raised questions in hopes of getting a better feel for the subject. Inshallah at a future date and occasion, I hope to carry it further. But understand that we are to perceive ourselves or see ourselves, view ourselves first as creatures created for service. And the first obligation is to Allah. And that alone dignifies man, sensitizes him for self-respect and respect for others and it motivates him much better than the sentimental idea of human rights. As-Salaam-Alaikum.
Audience: Wa-Alaikum-as-Salaam.
Audience: Takbeer.
Audience: Allahu Akbar.
Audience: Takbeer.
Audience: Allahu Akbar.
Audience: Takbeer.
Audience: Allahu Akbar.
Host: Alhamdullilah. We have about five minutes for Imam Mohammed to take a couple of questions. It is late, so we say five minutes and he agree with five minutes. Just maybe two or three questions, please. No more than three questions. If you can direct your questions toward the Imam, and he'll to try to answer them. Okay, I see one hand here. Could you stand up please and speak loudly?
Host: It sounds like your question is, "Does he accept?"
Host: All right. Imam Mohammed says that he will do everything in his power to accept that invitation. Shukran. Alhamdullilah. He says also he'll expect some correspondence from you on that. You all sure know how to put somebody on the spot, don't you? All right, questions, please, only questions, one, two.
Host: The question was, he asked Imam Mohammed why he only limits his leadership to America and why not beyond the borders of America? Did I get that?
IWDM: As-Salaam-Alaikum. I think maybe it's because I'm just the quiet kind of person. I make a lot of noise when I preach the black. But really, I'm a quiet native person. I'm very quiet nature. I'm not as aggressive as I would like to be. With more encouragement like that, maybe I will become a one-man band and go all around the world.
Host: Go ahead, brother. I think we can answer that one. Lets have some for Imam Mohammed. The brother sitting behind you can probably answer that. Go ahead, brother. Go ahead, ahki. Can somebody please answer the brother's question? Okay, go ahead, brother. The brother asked Imam Mohammed to please clarify the distinction between men's and women's rights in 
Al-Islam?
IWDM: Well, we don't have enough time to really cover that.
Moderator: I said I was going to be judicious. You dont think I would stand up here and ignore the sisters, do you? Wouldn't be able to get out that back door. We're going to take one of the sisters first. There is a sister right on the end here. Yes, ma'am.
IWDM: Yes, I share the sister's concern. I said I share her concern and I'm aware of the problems that we have. I used to think that they were just our problems but they're not. People coming through the experiences that we have come through will have to wait for new kinds of opportunity in order for them to grow further. You can go so far with preaching and then you can't go much farther. You can preach, preach, preach, and you can't move hardly any further. Until you have an opportunity. An opportunity has to come.
I told you more than once and I tell you on this occasion, the best opportunity for bringing the best out of our people, for getting us to be more serious about what we claim to be all about, to get us to move and act on what we commit ourselves to, the best situation is these opportunities to meet with distinguished learned Muslims from the immigrant community and from the international community and hear what they have to say.
Man has been advanced not only by his local efforts but man has been advanced because of him meeting and empowering man from other localities. That's why we have Hajj. It's not that the only reason but that's the main benefit of Hajj, is that it brings us into contact with Muslims from other localities. When we hear them and their concerns, they register on us and have a way of adding to our spirit and giving us more courage and exciting more interested us. We can come back home and do a better job, be more effective, be more conscious of our demands on us as Muslims and as human beings. This is good.
I'm sure that while you have been aware of this all the time, I'm sure that some of your sisters and brothers who came here for this occasion were not aware of this concern, but they are made aware tonight. Perhaps they were made aware even before you spoke tonight and they say, "Hey we got a lot to do. So, let's do this more. Let's do what we are doing more." Once it registers on us, the gravity of our responsibilities, then don't rest until you make sure you fire somebody else up. Just keep firing the people up and we'll get on the move.
Moderator: Okay we're going to take three last quick questions. Please try to ask a concise, precise question so that the Imam can answer it. Also, we want to remind you that tomorrow evening we have a banquet planned at the end of our presentations of the day. Imam Mohammed is going to be the keynote speaker at this banquet. We want to invite you to be present at the banquet. That's why we are only got to take three more questions because that will help motivate you to come tomorrow. There is science in everything. All right. Okay, here we go one.
Moderator: The brother asked, "Can Imam Mohammed suggest one institution that Muslims could commit themselves to, that will help bring about unification of ourselves as Muslims?" Is that"
Audience Member 1: Yes, sir.
IWDM: Yes, sir. I'm going to mention three. The Masjid, Clara Mohammed Schools, and the business efforts of the brothers and sisters. That's an institution. Those are institutions. But you have to make them institutions by supporting them collectively.
Moderator: Okay, two. Okay, all the way in the back. That Dr. Zikriyah? Okay, go ahead sir.
IWDM: Wa Alaykum Salaam.
Yes. I do recall. Yes.
Moderator: Takbir.
Audience: Allahu akbar.
Moderator: Okay, this will be the last question. This will be the last question. I'm very sorry. Please forgive me. One more question. The sister right in the middle there, please. Yes, ma'am.
IWDM: Wa alaykum As-Salaam.
IWDM: Yes, I heard.
Moderator: The sister asked, is the covering of the head for the Muslimah tradition or law?
IWDM: Yes, well she asked a very serious question, but if you don't mind. I can't resist the humor. When you talk about law, first be aware of your immediate interest and concern. If you have a husband maybe you better ask him about the law.
Ask him first then go from there.
Moderator: Okay. We really want to try to wrap this up. We've been here a long time and we also don't want to burn Imam Mohammed out. He's got a lot of work still. Let us express our thanks to Imam Warith Deen Mohammed for taking his time out. Not only for the lecture but also for answering questions. Takbir

