Protection of Life in Islam

Protection of Life in Islam

The foremost among the Human Rights and the
basic rights is the protection of man's life. None should
kill a man by oppression.

وَلَا تَقۡتُلُوۡا النَّفۡسَ الَّتِىۡ حَرَّمَ اللّٰهُ اِلَّا بِالۡحَـقِّ‌ؕ

And do not kill the soul which Allah has
forbidden, except with right. (17:33)

The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم directed his soldiers not to kill
children, women nor old persons. These prohibitions were
binding on the fighters in Jihad also. These were not
empty words. They were followed in letter and spirit. As
regards our present champions of Human Rights, you have
just seen what havoc they played among the innocent
population in Japan-God forbid!

Protection of wealth and property in Islam

The second basic right of man is the protection of his wealth and property. Allah has said:

 وَ لَا تَاْكُلُوْۤا اَمْوَالَكُمْ بَیْنَكُمْ بِالْبَاطِلِ

And do not eat your property among yourselves unlawfully. (2:188)

The Muslims did not misappropriate others' property by creating false excuses. Today, these so-calledchampions are very honest and trusty, as long as their own interests are safe. When their interests and safety are at stake and matters develop into enmity leading to fighting, they commit all sorts of attrocities, including confiscating properties and freezing accounts. The sancty and importance of Human Rights vanish altogether. In such a crisis protection of property has no meaning.

I am mentioning below the exampel which the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم set during the battle of Khaibar between the Muslims and the Jews. The Holy Prophet, Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم and his Companions رضي الله عنهم were besieging the fort of Khaiber. There was a poor herdsman in Khaiber who used to tend goats for wages. He saw the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم and his army surrounding the fort. He had already heard the name of the Prophet, Muhammad صلى الله عليه و سلم. It occurred to his mind to see him صلى الله عليه و سلم on this occasion and hear what he صلى الله عليه و سلم has to say. He came out of the fort along with his goats and asked about the whereabouts of the Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم. On being  guided to him صلى الله عليه و سلم he was surprised to see that the commander of the Muslim army and such a great Prophet was staying in a lowly hut raised with date-palm leaves. When the herdsman entered the hut, he found there the: man صلى الله عليه و سلم he wanted to see. He said: 0 Prophet of Allah صلى الله عليه و سلم what is your message? The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم briefly explained to him the belief concerning Tauheed (oneness of Allah). The herdsman asked: what will be my status, if I accept your message. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم replied, saying: I will embrace you, you will become my brother and you will have the same rights which other Muslims enjoy. In utter surprise the herdsman reacted, saying: you are telling me such things, while I am a jet black herdsman in tattered and foul-smelling clothes. In such a pitiable condition you say, you will embrace me. In my present status I am scolded and disgraced. Why will you embrace a hated man like me? The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said: I shall embrace you, because all Allah's creatures are equal in His sight. The herdsman said: If I accept your message and turn Muslim, what will be my fate? The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said: If you die in this battle I bear witness that Allah will change the darkness of your face into shining white and the foul smell of your body into refreshing fragrance. The truthful words of the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم had their effect on the heart of the herdsman and he embraced Islam by pronouncing the Kalimah.

After thus becoming a Muslim he offered to obey the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم did not command the herdsman to offer prayers or observe fasting. The first thing he صلى الله عليه و سلم ordered him to do was to return the herd of goats to the owner, as it was a trust with him. Whose goats were these? They belonged to a jew with whose tribe the Muslims were at war. Their wealth and properties could be seized as war spoils

The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم explained to him that it was lawful to seize a property during the state of a waging war, but as the herdsman had taken possession of the goats under a contract, it should be fulfilled and the goats returned to the owner, jew, safe and sound. The herdsman siad: 0 Prophet of Allah صلى الله عليه و سلم, the goats belong to your arch enemies, thirsty for your blood, yet you صلى الله عليه و سلم desire the return of these goats to them. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم insisted on the goats to be returned and they were returned.

Can anyone cite .an example of this honesty and trustworthiness that full protection is being afforded to human property during the state of a raging battle. After returning the goats the herdsman came back to the Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم and asked what he should do. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said to him: Neither is it prayer time that you should pray nor is it the month of Ramazan that you should observe fasting, nor you have money to pay Zakah (compulsory tax). The only form of worship for you is to take part in the Jihad. Accordingly, he joined the battle. His name was Aswad Ra'ee. It was the practice of the Holy Prophet L at the end of a battle that he صلى الله عليه و سلم made a round of the battlefield to find out the battle casualties. He صلى الله عليه و سلم saw that the Companions رضي الله عنهم had assembled at a place round the dead body of a black man whom they had not seen earlier. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم recognized the body on going near it and thus addressed the Noble Companions رضي الله عنهم: I recognize this man and I see with my eyes that Almighty Allah has given him a bath with the sacred water of kaztsar and Tasneem (rivers in Paradise) in the Paradise of "Al-Firdous" and has changed the darkness of his face with shining white. likewise He has changed the foul smell of his body into refreshing fragrance. The Protection of wealth and property was not only the subject of formal talk. The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم actually demonstrated this by giving protection under a contract to property and wealth belonging i to infidels and enemies.