Human rights, women & social justice in Islam

The Qur'anic Charter of Human Dignity

Islam grounds human rights not in social contract or state grant but in divine creation. The foundational verse is Sūrah al-Isrā' 17:70 — "Wa laqad karramnā banī Ādam" ("We have indeed honoured the children of Adam") — which confers dignity (karāmah) on every human being irrespective of faith, race or status. The unity of humankind is asserted in Sūrah al-Hujurāt 49:13: humanity is created from a single male and female, organised into nations and tribes only li-ta'ārafū ("that you may know one another"), with nobility measured solely by taqwā (God-consciousness).

Five objectives — the maqāsid al-sharī'ah systematised by Imām al-Ghazālī (d. 1111) in al-Mustasfā and elaborated by al-Shātibī (d. 1388) in al-Muwāfaqāt — frame the Islamic theory of rights: preservation of dīn (religion), nafs (life), 'aql (intellect), nasl (lineage/progeny) and māl (property). Every classical right maps onto one of these objectives.

The Farewell Sermon as a Rights Document

The Khutbat al-Wadā' (Farewell Sermon), delivered by the Prophet Muhammad at 'Arafāt on 9 Dhū al-Hijjah 10 AH / March 632 CE, is the canonical proof-text. It abolished racial superiority ("no Arab has superiority over a non-Arab except by piety"), declared the sanctity of life, property and honour, cancelled the blood-feuds and usury of the Jāhiliyyah, and enjoined good treatment of women as amānah (a trust). Candidates should be able to reproduce its clauses.

Sanctity of Life and the Right to Justice

Sūrah al-Mā'idah 5:32 equates the unjust killing of one soul with killing all humanity, and saving one life with saving all. The Mīthāq al-Madīnah (Constitution of Medina, 622 CE) — preserved by Ibn Ishāq — is the earliest written instance of a pluralist polity, granting the Jewish tribes of Medina a single ummah with the Muslims, freedom of religion (li-l-yahūd dīnuhum), and mutual defence. It is routinely cited as Islam's prototype of citizenship and minority rights.

Rights of non-Muslims (dhimmah) were secured by prophetic warning: "Whoever wrongs a mu'āhad (treaty-bound person)... I will be his adversary on the Day of Judgement" (Sunan Abū Dāwūd). The second caliph 'Umar ibn al-Khattāb issued the al-'Uhda al-'Umariyyah guaranteeing the lives, churches and property of the people of Jerusalem in 637 CE. Compare these with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) and the Cairo Declaration on Human Rights in Islam (OIC, 1990), which restated rights within a Sharī'ah framework — a frequent comparative-essay axis.

The Status and Rights of Women

Pre-Islamic Arabia practised female infanticide, condemned in Sūrah al-Nahl 16:58-59 and al-Takwīr 81:8-9 ("when the buried infant girl is asked for what sin she was killed"). Islam reversed this by conferring concrete legal personalities on women:

• Right to property and inheritance: Sūrah al-Nisā' 4:7 establishes that women inherit a defined share alongside men — a right Western women largely lacked until the Married Women's Property Act 1882 (UK). The differential share in 4:11 is tied to the male's exclusive maintenance obligation (nafaqah).
• Mahr (dower): al-Nisā' 4:4 makes the dower the woman's absolute property, not the family's.
• Right to consent in marriage: the Prophet annulled the marriage of Khansā' bint Khidhām, married without her consent (Sahīh al-Bukhārī).
• Right to education: "Seeking knowledge is obligatory upon every Muslim" (Ibn Mājah); 'Ā'ishah became a leading jurist and transmitter of over 2,000 hadith.
• Spiritual equality: al-Ahzāb 33:35 lists believing men and women as equal in reward.

Social Justice: Zakāt, the Prohibition of Ribā, and Equity

Islam institutionalises redistribution. Zakāt — the third pillar — is a compulsory levy (2.5% on wealth) whose eight categories of beneficiaries are fixed in Sūrah al-Tawbah 9:60, ensuring wealth "does not circulate only among the rich among you" (al-Hashr 59:7). The prohibition of ribā (usury) is categorical in al-Baqarah 2:275-279, framed as a war against God and His Messenger. The state institution of Bayt al-Māl, formalised under 'Umar, distributed stipends and instituted old-age and disability support — an early welfare apparatus.

Justice ('adl) is commanded even against one's own kin in al-Nisā' 4:135 and even toward enemies in al-Mā'idah 5:8. The abolition-trajectory of slavery is visible in the Qur'anic encouragement of manumission (fakk raqabah, al-Balad 90:13) as expiation and charity.

Contemporary Application in Pakistan

Pakistan's constitutional and legislative framework operationalises these principles: Article 25 guarantees equality of citizens and permits special provision for women and children; Articles 9, 14, 20 protect life, dignity and religion. Statutes include the Protection of Women (Criminal Laws Amendment) Act 2006, the Prevention of Anti-Women Practices Act 2011, the Acid Control and Acid Crime Prevention Act 2011, and the Anti-Rape (Investigation and Trial) Act 2021. The Council of Islamic Ideology (Article 228) advises on conformity with Islamic injunctions. Candidates must connect text (Qur'an/Sunnah) to Pakistani statute in their answers.

Why This Matters for the Exam

This topic sits at the intersection of two compulsory CSS papers: Islamic Studies (its dedicated section on the social system of Islam, huqūq al-'ibād, and the status of women) and Pakistan Affairs / Current Affairs (gender legislation, minority rights, social-justice debates). The FPSC has repeatedly examined it from both angles, so a single well-prepared answer bank serves two papers.

The PYQ Pattern

Recurring CSS Islamic Studies prompts include: "Discuss the concept of human rights in Islam in the light of the Holy Qur'an and Sunnah" (2015, 2018), "Elaborate the rights and status granted to women by Islam" (2016, 2020), and "Islam's concept of social justice and the elimination of economic inequality" (2013, 2019). The examiner rewards answers that (1) open with a karāmah/maqāsid framework, (2) quote at least four Qur'anic references by sūrah and verse number, (3) cite the Farewell Sermon and Constitution of Medina with dates, and (4) close with a comparative or contemporary hook (UDHR 1948, Cairo Declaration 1990, or Pakistani statutes).

High-Yield Facts to Retain

• 17:70 (dignity), 49:13 (equality/brotherhood), 5:32 (sanctity of life), 4:7 & 4:11 (women's inheritance), 4:4 (mahr), 9:60 (zakāt categories), 2:275 (ribā ban), 4:135 / 5:8 (impartial justice).
• Farewell Sermon: 9 Dhū al-Hijjah 10 AH / 632 CE.
• Constitution of Medina: 622 CE — first written constitution / pluralist ummah.
• 'Uhda 'Umariyyah: 637 CE — minority guarantees in Jerusalem.
• Comparators: UDHR 1948 (30 articles); Cairo Declaration 1990 (OIC, 25 articles).
• Pakistan statutes: 2006, 2011, 2021 women-protection laws; Articles 25, 228.

Examiner's Edge

Weak scripts assert that "Islam gives women great respect" without evidence. Strong scripts deploy named instances: the annulment of Khansā' bint Khidhām's forced marriage, 'Ā'ishah's juristic authority, the dated abolition of wa'd al-banāt (female infanticide). Always distinguish the theory (revealed text) from practice (historical and contemporary application) and acknowledge the reform gap candidly — examiners reward analytical balance over apologetics.