ভূমিকা

Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books Biography of Imam `alĪ Ibn AbĪ-tĀlib Protection of Basic Human Rights Every person, on attaining the age of consent, starts feeling on the one hand that certain duties are imposed on him and on the other that the society in which he lives, he has certain rights and privileges. This feeling requires that he recognizes his duties and protect his rights, be the rights the individual rights or the collective rights!

He also has to see that not only his rights are not denied, but the rights of his fellow men too are protected. If some impediments come in the way of these rights, he must try to the best of his capabilities to remove them. The biggest responsibility for protecting the rights of the individual and the society rests on the state. Therefore, the states, in their statutes give a pride of place to the individual and human rights.

They do this to preclude a feeling of insecurity from the minds of the people These rights, basically, are four in number. The Right to Live The first right is the right to live. Every individual in this world has a right to live. The individual or group of individuals have no right to deprive a person the right to live. Islam, which is a system based on the norm of peace, considers murder as the most heinous crime.

One blatant murder is termed such a huge sin by Islam as if an entire race has been killed. Therefore, Allah says: …أَنَّهُ مَنْ قَتَلَ نَفْسًا بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ أَوْ فَسَادٍ فِي الْأَرْضِ فَكَأَنَّمَا قَتَلَ النَّاسَ جَمِيعًا. “…Whoever slays a soul, unless it be for manslaughter or for mischief in the land, it is as though he slew all men. (5/32)” This verse also permits that killing a person who is guilty of making mischief on the earth is permissible.

Because the person himself had been guilty of killing others and creating mischief in the society. Islam prescribing the punishment of a life for a life has very efficiently controlled the urge for taking human life for no reason at all. A person, before killing any one thinks twice that soon he will meet the same end at the hands of Justice!

Therefore, the Holy Qur’an terms the Law of qisas as the very life of the human race: وَلَكُمْ فِي الْقِصَاصِ حَيَاةٌ يَا أُوْلِي الْأَلْبَابِ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَتَّقُونَ. “And there is life for you in the law of retaliation ( qisas ), O men of understanding, that you may guard yourselves. (2/179)” Similarly, killing someone who attacks with an intention of killing too is not forbidden.

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