These article stress the freedom, equality and dignity of man. Being endowed with reason and conscience, men should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. No discrimination should be practised or permitted in respect of any.
The Quran stresses the equality of mankind as deriving from the Unity of its common Creator, Who created man of one species and to Whom all men owe allegiance and obedience. “O mankind, worship your Lord Who created you and those who were before you, that you may become righteous; Who made the earth a bed for you, and the heaven a roof, and caused water to come down from the clouds and therewith brought forth fruits for your sustenance” (2:22-23). All are His creatures and all are entitled to partake of His bounties. “O mankind, be mindful of their physical origin as being of the same species. There is no room for any claim of superiority in respect of origin or descent.
This matter of common origin is stressed as a Divine favour. “Allah has made for you mates from among yourselves, and has made for you, from your mates, children and grandchildren, and has provided you with good things. Will they then run after vanity and deny the favour of Allah?” (16:73).
Islam concedes no privilege on account of birth, nationality or any other factor. True nobility proceeds from righteousness alone. “O mankind, We have created you from male and female, and we have made you into tribes and sub-tribes for greater facility of intercourse. Verily, the most honoured from among you in the sight of Allah is he who is the most righteous among you. Surely, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware” (49:14).
God has conferred upon man a position of great dignity by appointing mankind as His “vicegerents in the earth” (35:40), equipping man with appropriate faculties and capacities, among them hearing, sight, understanding, and constraining to his service the Universe, which is governed by law and is wholly beneficent. “Surely, We have created man in the best mould” (95:5).
“Such is the Knower of the unseen and the seen, the Mighty, the Merciful. Who has made perfect everything. He has created. He began the creation of man from clay. Then he made his progeny from an extract of an insignificant fluid. Then He fashioned him and breathed into him of His spirit. He has bestowed on you hearing and sight and understanding. But little thanks do you give” (32:7-10).
“He has constrained to your service whatever is in the heavens and whatsoever is in the earth; all of it is from Him. In that surely are Signs for a people who reflect” (45:14).
Man is aware of all this and is a witness against his own self, though he may put forward his excuses (75:15-16), for he has been equipped with a lively conscience, with a sharp, self-accusing faculty that continues to admonish him (75:3).
The spirit of brotherhood is emphasized at every turn in Islam and permeates every section of Muslim society. It is the practical expression of the truth that all men are creatures and servants of the same Beneficent Creator and must for His sake, and for the purpose of winning His pleasure, live together as brethren.
“Hold fast, all together, by the rope of Allah and be not divided; and remember the favour of Allah which He bestowed upon you when you were enemies and He united your hearts in love so that by His grace you became as brethren; and you were on the brink of a pit of fire and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah explain to you His Commandments that you may be guided” (3:104).
The Prophet admonished: “Be not envious of another, nor bear ill-will nor cut off relations with another; behave towards one another as brethren, O servants of Allah.”1 He reminded: “You are as brothers, one to another, so let no one transgress against another, nor leave another to endure transgression unaided. Remember, that he who occupies himself in assisting his brother will find Allah coming to his own assistance, and he who strives to relieve his brother of anxiety will find himself shielded against anxiety by Allah on the Day of Judgment, and he who overlooks his brother’s fault will find his own faults overlooked by Allah.”2
He observed: “None of you can be a believer unless he should desire for his brother what he desires for himself .”3
He urged: “Go to the help of your brother whether he is an oppressor or is oppressed.” On being asked how an oppressor may be helped, he rejoined, “Stop him from continuing in his course of oppression.”4
1 Bukhari IV, Sect.: Good behaviour.
2 Tirmidhi II, Sect.: Virtue, etc., Ch.: Benevolence.
3 Bukhari I, Sect.: Faith, Ch.: It is part of faith to desire for one’s brother what one desires for oneself.
4 Bukhari II, Sect.: Oppression, Ch.: Help your brother.