PREFACE

by Dr. Abdulla Bin Abdul Mohsin Al Turki, Minister of Islamic Affairs, Endowments, Call and Guidance

to
'Human Rights in Islam, and
refutation of the misconceived allegations associated with these rights'

by Sulieman Abdul Rahman Al Hageel, PhD
Professor of Education, Imam Muhammad Bin Saud Islamic University

(This edition was sponsored by HRH Prince Sultan Ibn Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud: second edition, 1999 [1420] )

In The Name Of Allah The Gracious The Most Merciful

Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds. And may peace and blessings of Allah
be upon the seal of the Prophets, Muhammad, his family and all his companions.

History has never experienced a nation that is more faithful than Muslims with respect of observing covenants, justice, mercy, good manners and treatment. The source of these qualities is their Islamic Faith that has been revealed by Allah the Almighty to Prophet Muhammad as blessings for all mankind. It is through this religion that Allah guides people from darkness to light and to the right path. Islam has maintained the rights of individuals and thereby people brotherly coexist in peace and tranquility. They cooperate with each other in all worldly matters. Also, Christians and the Jews lived within the Muslim community in peace and security.

A Muslim, guided by his true religion, does not need any new man-made laws. Allah the Almighty has perfected the religion for us, and completed his blessings and has chosen Islam as our religion. Therefore, whoever goes beyond this is deemed to have diverted from the right path and committed injustice. Because this will be inconsistent with what Allah has ordained for his servants whom He is well aware of what that will make them live happily. "Should He not know He that created, and He is the Subtle, the Aware". Muslims have nothing but to adhere firmly to their religion, and to implement its tenets, provisions, and ethics. They should make these teachings as their paradigm and consequently they will attain security, tranquility, justice, content, strength and progress. They will have abundant prosperity. This is so because Allah has created everything for the sake of man, and has created man to worship Him. Allah ordains: "I have only created jinns and men that they may serve Me" (Sura 51, verse 56).

Man will only have happiness in accordance with what Allah has revealed for his guidance. Reality provides good evidence for this claim. Whenever Shari'a law is implemented, people's life remains good and they feel safe and secured in respect of themselves, property, honor and dignity. Likewise, whenever man diverts from this right path, he will be in vain and so are his rights. "Say thou: "This is my way, do invite unto Allah, - with a certain knowledge I and whoever follows me." "Follow not (other) paths: they will scatter you about from his path. Thus doth He command you that ye may be righteous".

While addressing this issue, we present the Kingdom for the Muslim World as a living example of implementation of the Shari'a (Islamic law) in all walks of life. The rulers and subjects in the KSA live in security and tranquility because they are fully satisfied with the implementation of the Islamic Shari'a. They look at it as the source of their dignity, strength, security and happiness. We pray to Allah to keep this country attached to Islamic law and to bestow it with strength and might; and to save it from the implicit and explicit calamities and afflictions that were afflicted on other nations and to maintain it strong, mighty and dignified under the shade of Islam and its just provisions and the wise leadership.

We are thankful and grateful to Allah that for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia it is obligation to adhere firmly to this religion and to propagate it; the Kingdom also cares for the Muslims concerns, helps them, and defends their causes in all aspects whenever possible.

No doubt that this attitude of the Kingdom is neither acceptable nor comfortable to the foes. For this reason, they save no effort to fabricate accusations and false assertions and then they publish such propaganda in an effort to falsify facts and mislead people. Among other accusations of human rights violations that were raised against the Kingdom, is the implementation of the Islamic criminal system. The reader may have the right to wonder as they have sympathy for a criminal against whom the provision of Allah has been executed because he committed murder or committed a crime against security or strove with might and main for mischief, or waged war against Allah and His Messenger. However, they did not publish one word about the innocent and weak Muslims in Bosnia-Herzegovina and other places where Muslims were displaced from their homeland and deprived of their honor and property. These people were not enabled to defend themselves. Such crimes committed against these poor people were not the concern of human rights agencies. But never mind their acts will be in vain and void. They just behave like a mountain goat that tries to dismantle the mount by its horn, but it only hurts its horn. The Kingdom does not listen to anyone who talks nonsense. It will make no business to any vexatious allegations.

Those who are fascinated with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) that was announced in 1948, and considered it as an unprecedented paradigm in human relations and conceived it as the top of human civilization, they deliberately ignore Islam and its subtle treatment that it endows on mankind. They disregard that Islam maintains human rights and organize his daily affairs in such a manner that ensures human dignity and guides him to the right path and saves him from going astray. For this reason the bright face of Islam must be unraveled for those ignorant or ignoring people so as to know the Islamic perspective of human rights and the bases and rules on which it has been established. Of course, there is no comparison between what has been incorporated in Islam and that embedded in the UDHR, what has the ground to do with the Pleiades? Indeed they are totally disproportionate in value.

There is no need for details in this brief commentary, as the details will be left for the author Dr. Sulieman Bin Abdul Rahman Al Hageel to address in this research: "Human Rights in Islam and Refutation of the Misconceived Allegations Associated With These Rights". He has presented this research in six chapters with efficiency and enthusiasm. He explained the concept of human rights in history, in Islam and in secular law. He also addressed the implementation of the Islamic criminal system, the pros of such application and the cons of the suspension and impairment of the Shari'a. In chapter (6), the author repudiated the most important critiques raised by the enemies of Islam in this domain.

The Islamic library is in need for this research and other similar ones in order to clarify the veracity and unravel the falsehood. And also to unveil obscurity from vision and thoughts, and to eradicate the passive effects that some people may have as a result of self-interested propaganda.

Whoever reads, without prejudice, this valuable research and the other researches that dealt with Islam and its advantages, the Islamic community tenets and human relations between its subjects, and the rights incorporated therein, will obviously note that this religion must have been revealed by Allah from Heavens and that it is definitely the truth. He will also note that Islam, which basically means "submission to God" is the only religion accepted by Allah, and that human happiness will not be attainable except by adherence to its provisions and its firm bond under its protective shades.

We pray that Allah may reward the author, bless his efforts and make them useful. Praise be to Allah the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds.