Blindspot!
Rights and Obligations
The word haqq is often said to convey a basic meaning regardless of definitions. Haqq
(right) in the Quran occurs in several places and carries a variety of
meanings, which include justice, right as opposed to falsehood, a legal
claim, an obligation, something that is proven and an assigned portion.
The many meanings of haqq in the Quran may sometimes cause ambiguity, and even misunderstanding. For instance the shared meaning of haqq
between a right and an obligation has persuaded Western Islamologists
to draw the unwarranted conclusion that Islam recognizes only
obligations but no right inhering in the individual. This is tantamount
to turning a blind eye to the affirmative stance of the Quran and Sunnah
on the rights of the individual, including his right to life, right to
justice, right to equality, right of ownership, right to sustenance and
support within the family, parental rights, right of inheritance and so
forth.
Islam's commitment to
justice and its advocacy of human dignity could not be sustained without
the recognition of rights. However, Islam's perspective on rights and
liberties is somewhat different from that of constitutional law and
democracy and their underlying Western postulates. Islam, like other
world religions, is primarily concerned with human relations. In
ordinary life, people do not live primarily in terms of rights against
others but in terms of mutual relationships involving love, compassion,
self-preservation and self-sacrifice in pursuit of happiness and peace
for themselves and their loved ones. The religious traditions
teach people, with good reason, that such things are not a matter of
course nor are they always a question of rights. This would partially
explain why most religions tend to emphasize moral virtue, obligation,
love and sacrifice even more than the individual's rights and claims.
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