Elements of human dignity

Can we remind ourselves of what human dignity means? By this time, you must have realised that some of the acts that happened during the Jahiyya period were unjust. Islam greatly upholds human dignity and the Prophet (PBUH) also greatly uphold. His last sermon He emphasised equality and brotherhood for all, which are some of the basic values of human dignity Can you list some examples of acts of human dignity during the times of the Prophet (PBUH)? You will learn more about how He related with his companions, the young and the old the rich and the poor in the next activities

Activity 1.10 Reading the story and performing the tasks that follow

What elements of human dignity are being upheld in the Figure 1.7?

Read carefully the story about how the Prophet (PBUH) upheld human dignity and perform the tasks that follow:

The Uncultured

On one occasion, a dweller of the desert that had only recently accepted Islam was sitting in the company of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) in the mosque. He got up and walked away a few steps, and sat down in the corner of the mosque to pass water Some of the companions of the Prophet got up to stop him from doing so.

The Prophet (PBUH) restrained them, pointing out that any interference with the man was bound to cause inconvenience to him and might possibly cause injury. He told his companions to let the man alone and to clean the spot later.

He was particularly considerate towards those who for lack of cultural training did not know how to behave.

In his last sermon, the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) said: “There is no superiority for an Arab over a non-Arab, nor for a non-Arab over an Arab, nor for a fair skinned person with a dark skin, nor for a dark skinned person over a person with a fair skin. Whoever is more pius and God-fearing is more deserving of honour (Recorded by Musnad Ahmad).

The Holy Qur’an in Surat Al-Hujurat 49:13, states:

..Oh mankind we have created you from male and female and we have made you into tribes and sub-tribes that you may recognise one another. Verily the most honourable among you in the sight of Allah, is he who is the most righteous among you. Surely, Allah is all knowing, all aware…”

In groups,

1. Identify the elements of human dignity that were promoted by the prophet (PBUH) according to the story.
2. Discuss and share how the disadvantaged people are treated in your community.
3. Mention the similarity between the hadith and the verse of the holy Qur’an mentioned in the story.

4. Share your work with the teacher and the rest of the class.