Dignity in an Age of “Ignorance”
| Khatib : |
Sadullah Khan |
| Khutbah No: |
229 |
| Khutbah Date: |
03/02/07 |
[b]وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ وَحَمَلْنَاهُمْ فِي الْبَرِّ وَالْبَحْرِ وَرَزَقْنَاهُم مِّنَ الطَّيِّبَاتِ[/b][b] وَفَضَّلْنَاهُمْ عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِّمَّنْ خَلَقْنَا تَفْضِيلاً[/b][i]INDEED, We have conferred dignity on the children of Adam, and borne them over land and sea, and provided for them sustenance out of the good things of life, and favored them far above most of Our creation [/i][Q 17:70][b]“Ignorance” in the post-modern Era?[/b]It seems that we may be living in another
Age of Ignorance.- An age where, despite the tremendous collation of facts and the proliferation of the means of communication, truth is still a rare commodity and facts are distorted to further empower the powerful and perceptions are embellished to the extent that truth seems stranger than fiction.- An age where the rich and the poor, the illiterate and the educated, the faithful and the faithless, the weak and the powerful, the east and the west share a common trait, a common cause, a common lie ~ ignorant perversion of faith, of morality, and truth. - An age where lies, greed, murder, and abuse of humanity are justified, even glorified, in the name of democracy, in the name of “freedom”, and often even in the name of “the Almighty”.We seem to be living in a world where the rights and dignity of people are increasingly becoming inconsequential to the power and dictates of those who monopolize the world.[b]Dignity[/b]The word dignity implies “the quality of being worthy of esteem or honor; the quality of being valued. Dignity according to Islam is:
‘izzah / honor),
karaamah / nobility,
qimah / value,
sharaf /distinction and fadilah /virtue.Each human being has a sense of worth or value, and the Qur’an attests to that … [b] وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَم[/b][i]We have indeed bestowed dignity on the progeny of Adam [/i][Q 17:70] The import of this is self-evident and comprehensive in its recognition of dignity for all human beings without exception. Thus according to al-Alusi, [i] ‘everyone and all members of the human race, including the pious and the sinner, are endowed with dignity, nobility and honour’. [/i]Ibn ‘Abbas has commented, [i]‘that Allah has honored humankind by endowing each human with the faculty of reason.’ [/i]Sayyid Qutb has similarly stated that [i]dignity is the natural right of every individual. The children of Adam have been honoured not for their personal attributes or status in society, but for the fact that they are human beings. Dignity is therefore the absolute right of everyone. [/i]Imam Zuhayli has similarly noted that [i]‘dignity is the natural right (haqq tabi’i) of every human being. Islam has upheld it as such and made it a criterion of social interaction (al-mu’amalah) among people.’[/i][b]Faith & Dignity[/b]Faith is meant to extricate us [i]from the depths of darkness to light [/i][Q2:256] and that is one of the beauties of servitude to the Divine; it commits us to essential commands of ‘adl / justice and ihsaan / goodness. As ‘Allama Iqbal said;
[i]Woh aik sajdah jise too giran samajhta hai[/i][i]Hazar sajde se deta hai admi ko najaatThat one type of prostration that you find it so difficult to make,it liberates human beings from thousand other types of prostrations[/i]We need to approach the world and the realities we face without compromising on principles, without depending on lies and never siding with injustice. We need to approach the world and the realities we face with sincere faith, firm principles, evident facts and the highest moral conviction; [list][*]by removing prejudice with understanding (Perception & Information)[/*][*]by removing darkness through light (Knowledge & Wisdom)[/*][*]by removing evil with good (Character & Values)[/*][*]by replacing hatred with love (Compassion & Kindness)[/*][/list] This is by no means an easy task; for [i]none shall readily incline to this[/i]
[b]وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلَّا الَّذِينَ صَبَرُوا وَمَا يُلَقَّاهَا إِلَّا ذُو حَظٍّ عَظِيمٍ[/b][i]except those with the capacity for tremendous patient perseverance, and none shall be inclined to this except those with tremendous resolve[/i].[Q 41:35] [b]Living With Dignity[/b]Prophet Muhammad’s saying [b]ان الله كتب الاحسان على كل شيء [/b][i] Allah has prescribed goodness and excellence in all that you do;, [/i]this statement motivates a person to utilize one’s life skills in the most progressive and pro-active manner. This requires living with dignity and the demonstration of …[list][*]courage with conviction[/*][*]patience with perseverance[/*][*]power with mercy[/*][*]authority with honor[/*][*]duty with commitment[/*][*]principle with wisdom[/*][*]freedom with discipline[/*][*]status with humility[/*][*]justice with compassion [/*][*]a lifetime filled with love[/*][/list]
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