Work and Worker Rights
| Khatib : |
Maury Salakhan |
| Khutbah No: |
196 |
| Khutbah Date: |
05/05/06 |
[b]كسب الحلال فريضة بعد الفرائض[/b][i]Pursuing means for a lawful income is an obligation [/i][b] [Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)][/b][b]Work as Duty and Worship[/b]Allah informs us in the Qur’an to traverse the universe and make use of the abundant resources that have been availed to us, provided we do not transgress the limits of goodness and justice. In Islam work is given special importance to the extent that it is considered as an act of worship in itself. The Prophet indicated that [i]earning a lawful income is a fundamental obligation like other obligations; [/i]and that our acts be intentionally good …
[b]وَقُلِ اعْمَلُواْ فَسَيَرَى اللّهُ عَمَلَكُمْ وَرَسُولُهُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ[/b][b]وَسَتُرَدُّونَ إِلَى عَالِمِ الْغَيْبِ وَالشَّهَادَةِ فَيُنَبِّئُكُم بِمَا كُنتُمْ تَعْمَلُونَ[/b][i]And say [unto them, O Prophet]: "Work! And God will behold your deeds, and [so will] His Apostle, and the believers: and [in the end] you will be brought before Him who knows all that is beyond the reach of a created being's perception as well as all that can be witnessed by a creature's senses or mind - and then He will make you understand what you have been doing. [/i][b][Q 9:105][/b]Although some people believe that they are not obliged to work because they "dedicate themselves to worshiping God", this is actually a wrong perception of the concept of worship. The great Muslim scholar Imam Abu Hamid al-Ghazali mentioned in his book Ihyaa’ 'Ulum Ad-Deen (Revival of the Religious Sciences) that Jesus (peace and blessings be upon him) once saw a man who had completely devoted himself to worship. When he asked him how he got his daily bread, the man replied that his brother, who worked, provided him with food. Jesus then told him, [i]“That brother of yours is more religious than you are.” [/i][b][Ihyaa’ - The Book of Provision, Chapter 1][/b][b]Appreciating the Worker[/b]All
prophets labored for their daily bread, and Prophet Muhammad himself was a shepherd in his teens and later a merchant-manager for Khadijah. His employer (Khadujah) was so attracted by his honesty, care and dealings with people, that she eventually proposed marriage to him. When the Prophet later had a young aid assisting him; the aid (Anas) said; [i]“The Prophet never gave me a task more than I could be bear, he would always help me in any difficult task, and he never humiliated/insulted me.”[/i]Being appreciative of the efforts and labor of people, acknowledging the worker’s humanity, and [b]أعطو الأجير أجره قبل ان يجف عرقه[/b]
paying the worker his due right before his sweat even dries,are basics of the Islamic etiquette. There is both a right to work and a right to the product of that work, as well as a right to benefit from the rewards of divine providence. Work must always have an ethical-moral component, either in itself (honesty, reliability, fairness, respect …) or in its outcome (creating opportunities, charity, contributing to the community…).
Mobilizing for Worker RightsThis week, many in the world commemorate Workers’ Day and we witnessed hundreds of thousands of workers all over America demanding their rights; we experienced the mobilizing of Muslim communities around the important issue of immigration. This has brought many more Muslim Americans into the fold of activism with people from diverse racial, ethnic and religious backgrounds around common issues of concern. As Believers we realize that when someone calls out to Muslims for aid and assistance in a worthy cause, the Believer must respond; for a true Believer should be the moral conscience of society, speak out against injustice, be the voice of the voiceless and be at the assistance of the needy, the desperate and the poor. The Prophet (pbuh) said
[b]من سمع مناديا ينادي يا للمسلم فلم يجبه فليس بمسلم[/b][i]Whoever hears a call for help and does not respond to assist, [/i]“Illegal” Immigration and Humanitarian ConcernIn joining the millions calling for comprehensive immigration reform, there is a concern among some of the “legal” American residents and citizens who see their tax money spread thin to finance over-burdened social, healthcare, and educational services; we should however, focus on the common teachings of our Abrahamic legacy; Prophets Moses, Jesus Muhammad (peace be upon them) taught that one is not a true believer
ان تحب للناس ما تحب لنفسك until they love for others what they love for themselves.No one is condoning transgression of laws, yet we must acknowledge the fact that unless the economic hardship in some surrounding countries are alleviated; as well as our increasing demand for cheap unskilled labor are resolved, we will perpetuate this double standards of continuing to (hypocritically) feed this influx while dehumanizing its victims.Among the most controversial components of HR 4437; )the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005(, that is being tabled, is the provision which seeks to detain/deport undocumented people for unlawful presence in the United States, and criminalizes people who work or volunteer with faith-based organizations for helping someone in need, who turns out to be undocumented. This would include criminalizing physicians, educators, and members of the clergy.The biggest victims will then be the children and dependents of undocumented immigrants who often have no say into their unfortunate situation. They should be offered all necessary medical, humanitarian, and educational services to ensure that they are not suffering nor marginalized in society. It is not the “legal” or “illegal that should be our primary focus; rather the fact that these too are people; they are above all else, human beings. Prophet Muhammad spoke compassionately of the
فقراء المهاجرون poor emigrants who will drink from a special fountain in the Hereafter. When asked to describe them, the Prophet said …
[b]شُعثُ الرؤُوس ِ دُنث ُ الثياب الذين لا يَنكحون المُتنعِّماتِ و لا تفتَّحُ لهم السُّدَ دُ [/b][b] الذين يُعطُونَ ما عليهم و لا يُعطُون ما لهم (الطبراني)[/b][i]unkept hair, unclean clothes, no spoilt/affluent girls want to marry them;[/i]So, no matter what we decide (legally or politically), we should never forget to be humane, compassionate, and fair to our fellow human beings. Note that
[b]المؤمن من أمنه الناس على دمائهم و أموالهم و انفسهم[/b][i]a true Believer is one in whom humanity find justice and security regarding life, honor and property. [b][Prophet Muhammad (pbuh)][/b] [/i] Our Call of the Hour In it’s economic policies, Islam proposes a practical framework for a fruitful economic life by laying down principles and guidelines that strive to eradicate social ills and vices that result from unemployment, idleness, and poverty; and by instructing the worker to be honest and productive; while commanding the employer to be humane and fair.American Muslim with other organizations (who are in solidarity with immigration activists), continue to call for …[list][*]a comprehensive immigration reform that includes provisions for a pathway to lawful permanent residence for the undocumented currently in the United States, [/*][*]a temporary worker program that matches willing workers with willing employers, [/*][*]and a reduction in the current backlogs in family-based immigration to the United States …[/*][/list] All this, in keeping with Islam's message of social justice, economic equity, and fair treatment in the workplace … as well as everywhere else.
Back to khutbah list