reason, and scripture point to a line in the Qur’an that says: “He made for your hearing and vision and hearts (i.e. intellect) little are you
grateful.” This has been interpreted to mean
that the ears, eyes, hearts (intellect) that Allah created are for reinforcement of human dignity and that “the adjective 'grateful' noted in the above verse, is a feeling or recognition of saying thanks to Allah by acquiring knowledge and using one’s mind to draw conclusion by a proper way.”6
This is not to say, however, that certain individuals and groups reject the notion of inherent dignity and dignity acquired by reason. Some Salafis – who are member of a strictly orthodox Sunni Muslim sect advocating a return to the early Islam of the Qur'an and Sunna – contend, for example, that only believers have dignity: they claim that all human rights standards and norms are rooted in Western culture, and they argue such standards and norms are unequivocally in contradiction with the teachings of Islam. Moreover, because human rights are based on the concept of inherent dignity of man, these Salafis denounce such rights as they are of the opinion that only believers are entitled to dignity.
Salafi authors also use two quotations to suggest that piety is critical in acquiring dignity. From these two verses, the argument is made that, if people do not believe in God, their inherent dignity will be lost. The first verse used is Allah’s statement that a “disbelief in God causes human abasement and humiliation in this world and suffering in the hereafter: “Whomever Allah humiliates will find no one who may bring him honor”. (Al-Hajj:18)7 Contrary to the notion that human dignity is inherent and human rights intrinsic, “Salafis claim that whoever goes astray from the straight path, not only loses his dignity, but also falls down from the position of humanity, and will be lower than animals;” “Indeed the worst of beasts in Allah’s sight are those who are faithless; so they will not have faith.” (Al-Anfal:55)8
By referring to the two mentioned verses the Salafi authors argue that the inherent dignity of human beings will remain if they embrace Islam, otherwise, their inherent dignity will be lost, since, in other verses Allah has announced that disbelief in God causes human abasement and humiliation in this world and suffering in the hereafter: “Whomever Allah humiliates will find no one who may bring him honor”. (Al-Hajj:18)9
Human Rights
Divergent views on the origins and meaning of human dignity in Islam have contributed to a complex environment surrounding various declarations of human rights.
For example, a number of Muslim countries have opted to ratify the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and some have opted to ratify the Optional Protocol of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Others have joined together to produce alternative documents, such as the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam, and the OIC Declaration on Human Rights. 10 (Tables listed on the following page provides a comparison of what rights are recognized among the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the Cairo Declaration of Human Rights in Islam, and the OIC Declaration on Human Rights.)
Do Such Notions Have Political Consequences?
Eminent political scientist Shibley Telhami believes so. Writing in The World Through Arab Eyes, Telhami argued:
As Arab demonstrators everywhere made abundantly clear, the uprisings were in the first place about karamah, or dignity, and about ending a pervasive sense of humiliation. The dignity they hoped to restore was not simply in the relationship between the rulers and ruled, but also in the relationship between their nations and the outside world.11
Briefing is a space within each issue of dig.ni.fy, which will be dedicated to exploring various notions of dignity as they come to be expressed through various cultural norms. Information contained within Briefing thus serves to provide context to alternative notions or individual expressions. If you would like to contribute to Briefing, please present your proposal by clicking here.
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