Khilafat Centenary Souvenir 1908-2008 — Page 46
Khilafat Centenary I. Equal status as citizens of all residents of the commonwealth of Medina II. Freedom of belief, expression, practice, and association III. Assurance of justice and fair trial IV. Protection of life, property, and honor Cooperation in peace and war, and joint defense against external threats the western world is the outcome of the Judo -Christian thought and civilization. Whatever has been achieved and proclaimed in the name of human rights has not been derived from their religious sources. Marshal ha s correctly noted: Historically Christian churches ha ve b ee n cautious, if not overtly hostile , to any assertion of th e 'natural rights ' or 'the rights of man', fearing its non - theistic tone and its potential to weaken the traditional e mphasis on obligation. But over the twentieth centur y, and e sp e cially since World War II, most major Christian traditions have issued official statements on human rights. Wher e as commentators once commonly noted that th e terms rights did not even appear in the Bible, much less human right , the New Revised Standard Version uses the term on at least fourteen occasions. Marshal, page 26 This is how the work on human rights was tactfully baptized. That is not the case with Islam. The text of the Holy Qur'an has not suffered human interpolation since its revelation. The Holy Prophet saw himself repeatedly preached and practically demonstrated respect for human life and other human rights. The Rightly Guided Khulafa continued the sacred mission of their beloved master. They accomplished that job with such perfection that it became the legacy of that noble religion. I would like to cite a few examples from the Khilafat era. Hadhrat Abu Bakr ra bin Abi Quhafa 1. Good Governance based on Human Rights Being the first adult convert, Hadhrat Abu Bakr 'a witnessed the history of Islam since its inception. He fully understood the significance of human dignity and fundamental rights and defended them wholeheartedly, even during an initial difficult phase. He bought the freedom of eight slaves, four men and four women, who were being persecuted by the Meccan aristocrats for accepting Islam. Hussain gives an excerpt from Abu Bakr's 'a assumption speech soon after his election, highlighting the principle of good governance: I am not th e best among y ou; I need all your advice and all y our help. If I do we ll support me; if I make a mistake, counsel me. To tell the truth to a person commission ed to rule is faith/ul allegiance; to conceal it, is tre ason. In my sight, the powerful and the weak are alike; and to both I wish to render justice. Hussain, p. 19 Good go v ernance resulted in peace, justice, and tranquility. Farooqi re cords this fact with ama z ement that ev er y month, not mor e than two cases were reported for hearing in th e court of Medina. Farooqi, p. 63 2. The Issue of Zakat (Alms) Collection Zakat, being an important pillar of Islam, is closely connected with the welfare of the less fortunate of society. The Hol y Qur 'an declares that the poor and the need y ha ve a lawful share in the wealth of the rich (The Holy Qur'an, 51:20) , and commands the Holy Prophet Muhammad '"'v to collect Zakat from the wealthy and distribute the proceeds among the eight categories of recipients (The Hol y Qur 'an, 9:60). Out of these eight expenditure-heads, seven deal directly with the welfare of the poor, the needy, the stranded travelers, the captives (prisoners of war), those in debt as a result of business or some other natural disaster and new converts who have suffered in numerous wa ys as prisoners of conscience. The Holy Prophet' aw was the chief supervisor of Zakat collection and divinely appointed custodian of its disbursement. After his death, the responsibility fell on Hadhrat Abu Bakr's 'a shoulders, and he pursued it with remarkable zeal and sincerity. He had to quell the rebellions fomented by imposters, like Mussailmah, Sajah, Tulaiha and some tribes who were reluctant to pay Zakat. These military encounters have been wrongly dubbed as Ridda , Apostasy Wars. Hadhrat Abu Bakr 'a had to take military action for the restoration of the central authority, which enabled him to collect Zakat in full measure for the welfare of the Zakat