The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) – Volume III — Page 59
II - Brief Note on Islāmic Equality 59 those rights, the responsibility of which is upon the government, such as the establishment of equity and justice, or the division of national offices, etc. Secondly, those rights which are either inherently or naturally possessed, such as physical strengths or mental faculties, etc. , or those which are acquired as a result of individual labour or individual struggle and effort, such as wealth, or procured knowledge, etc. Islām has very wisely maintained a fundamental difference between these two categories of rights. In other words, as far as those rights which the government is responsible for are concerned, as we have already seen, complete equality has been established, and a distinction between different nations and people has not been permitted at all. However, where the sphere of the second category of rights begins, which relate to natural faculties and individual struggle and effort, Islām has intervened to a reasonable extent and has undoubtedly endeavoured to distribute the difference between different classes and different people, but has not followed the course of uniformly expunging all differences by way of injustice and coercion. Furthermore, the truth is, it is impossible to remove all differences in this regard. For example, who can erase the difference of physical strengths or the difference of mental faculties? And if these differences cannot be removed, then it is obvious that the natural outcome of these differences cannot be erased either. Nonetheless, since man is a social creature and one aspect of his nature is that inasmuch as possible, he spends his life offering sacrifice for others, whilst maintaining the individualism of mankind, Islām has undoubtedly demanded that they offer various sacrifices for the needs of the nation. Moreover, it has taken this demand to the furthest possible extent required in uplifting the surrounding downtrodden people as much as possible, without effacing the individualism of man and following the course of injustice. This point is one that after comprehending it, the issue of Islāmic equality and communism is automatically solved, on the condition of course, that an individual is willing to understand it with integrity. Islām Presents a Moderate Perspective Another fundamental point which should be remembered with relevance to the Islāmic system of economics is that Islām presents the idea that a constant state of struggle and effort should prevail within mankind. In actuality, life is but a name for constant movement and continuous struggle and effort and the entire progress of mankind is tied to this very constant movement and