Introduction: The Comprehensive Scope of Human Dignity in Islam
Much of the discourse surrounding human dignity stems from the texts of the Glorious Quran. The foremost among these is the statement of Almighty Allah:
“And We have certainly honored the children of Adam and carried them on the land and sea and provided for them of the good things and preferred them over much of what We have created, with [a definite] preference” (Quran 17:70)
This establishes humanity’s superiority over other creations. However, anyone who examines the texts of the pure Shariah and the rulings of its trusted scholars will realize that the divine honor bestowed upon humanity has numerous fields, diverse categories, and vast meanings. Dignity implies preference, glorification, reverence, and respect.
There is a subtle, often overlooked type of honor known as jurisprudential dignity (Al-Takrim al-Fiqhi). By this, we mean tracing the legal rulings of Islamic jurisprudence (fiqh) that substantiate the theory of divine human dignity. This topic is worthy of research and study, as it adds a remarkable dimension to the greatness of Islamic jurisprudence and its legislation, clearly demonstrating how widely manifestations of divine honor extend across human life.
In summary, jurisprudential dignity means that Allah has legislated laws that regulate a person’s relationship with their Creator, with fellow human beings, family, relatives, tribe, state, Muslim brethren, and non-Muslims alike. This regulation encompasses all aspects of life: acts of worship, financial transactions, personal status, legitimate governance, the judiciary, arts, and literature. It even regulates a person’s affairs concerning animals, inanimate objects, the environment, and the entire universe. The greatness of Islam lies in its status as an exquisite system that brings happiness, comfort, justice, security, and a flourishing life to humanity—which is the ultimate form of honor and glorification.
1. Manifestations of Dignity in Acts of Worship
The manifestations of Allah’s honor toward humanity permeate most chapters of jurisprudence, including transactions. Key examples include:
A. Dignity in Purification (Taharah)
Allah honored humanity and elevated its status above beasts by legislating both physical and spiritual purification, guiding humans toward cleanliness. We observe that an animal relieves itself wherever it stands—even if it is sitting on a bed, inside a luxury hotel, or a car. Conversely, Allah taught humans to relieve themselves in designated places like restrooms and to conceal their awrah (private parts) from the eyes of others. As recorded by Al-Tirmidhi, the Prophet (PBUH) said: “Whoever goes to answer the call of nature, let him conceal himself.” Al-Hakim recorded that when the Prophet went to relieve himself, he would go far away.
Humans are also taught to clean themselves afterward. Al-Baghawi states in his Tafsir (1/259) regarding the verse, “Indeed, Allah loves those who are constantly repentant and loves those who purify themselves” (Quran 2:222): “Ata and Muqatil ibn Sulayman and Al-Kalbi said: He loves those who repent from sins, and those who purify themselves with water from major ritual impurities and physical filth.” This indicates that purification is one of the ultimate objectives of the Shariah.
Another manifestation is honoring the right hand over the left. A person must not use their right hand for cleaning after relieving themselves, as per the agreed-upon hadith: “When one of you urinates, he must not wipe his private part with his right hand.” Scholars differed as to whether using the right hand for istinja (cleaning) is strictly forbidden or disliked. Jurists unanimously agree that removing impurities from a worshiper’s body, clothing, and place of prayer is a religious obligation, citing the verse: “And your clothing purify” (Quran 74:4), alongside the narration in Sahih al-Bukhari where Asma’ reported that a woman asked the Prophet (PBUH) how to clean a garment stained with menstrual blood, to which he replied: “Scrape it, rub it with water, splash it, and pray in it.
B. The Innate Traditions (Sunan al-Fitrah) as a Form of Honor
The pure religion instituted several innate practices (sunan al-fitrah) that distinguish humans from other creatures as a mark of honor. Several hadiths mention these, including what Muslim narrated from Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her): The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said: “Ten practices are part of the fitrah: clipping the mustache, letting the beard grow, using the miswak (tooth-stick), rinsing the nose with water, clipping the nails, washing the finger joints, plucking the armpit hair, shaving the pubic hair, and cleaning oneself with water (istinja).” The narrator Zakariya said that Mus’ab (another narrator) added: “And I forgot the tenth, unless it was rinsing the mouth.”
Al-Bukhari also narrated from Abu Hurairah that the Prophet (PBUH) said: “The fitrah is five things: circumcision, shaving the pubic hair, clipping the mustache, clipping the nails, and plucking the armpit hair.” These ensure that a person maintains the best possible appearance and state, both outwardly and inwardly.
2. Dignity in Food Jurisprudence (Fiqh al-At’imah)
Among the manifestations of jurisprudential dignity are the legal rulings concerning food. Most plants and animals are deemed permissible, except those explicitly forbidden for reasons that ultimately trace back to the honoring and favoring of humanity. Although both humans and animals are creations, Allah honored humanity over animals, subjecting the latter to human use, consumption, and benefit, as stated: “And [He created] horses, mules, and donkeys for you to ride them and as adornment. And He creates that which you do not know” (Quran 16:8).
Muqatil ibn Sulayman’s Tafsir (2/460) explains the verses regarding livestock (al-an’am): Allah created them to provide warmth through wool, fur, and hair, and utility as property or furnishings. They offer benefits from their backs and milk, and meat from sheep to eat. They bring beauty when brought home in the evening from pasture or let out in the morning, and they carry heavy loads to places you could not otherwise reach except with intense hardship (shiqqu al-anfus).
The prohibition of certain foods is itself a manifestation of human dignity. This includes banning items harmful to human health, such as poisonous animals and plants, as well as harmful inanimate objects like mud, dirt, stones, and coal, based on the hadith reported by Ibn Majah and Al-Daraqutni: “There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm.” Furthermore, consuming impurities and anything naturally repulsive to human nature—such as dung, urine, and saliva—is forbidden. Banning harmful foods achieves the objective of preserving human life (hifz al-nafs).
Similarly, Allah honored humanity by prohibiting intoxicants such as wine, as stated: “O you who have believed, indeed, intoxicants, gambling, [sacrificing on] stone altars, and divining arrows are but defilement from the work of Satan, so avoid them that you may be successful” (Quran 5:90). Banning intoxicants achieves the objective of preserving human intellect (hifz al-‘aql), which is one of the five core objectives of the Shariah.
Despite these prohibitions, Allah permits a person facing dire necessity to consume forbidden items only to the extent required to preserve their life, because saving human life from destruction takes precedence over the prohibition of the source material. The harms arising from consuming forbidden foods and drinks do not carry the same legal weight during dire necessity, as stated in the Quran: “He has only forbidden to you dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah. But whoever is forced [by necessity], neither desiring [it] nor transgressing its limit, there is no sin upon him. Indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful” (Quran 2:173).
3. Dignity in Medical Jurisprudence (Fiqh al-Tadawi)
Jurisprudential dignity is evident in the Shariah’s strong encouragement to preserve life initially, avoid harm, and view the human body as an edifice built by Allah (bunyan Allah). Because the body is a divine trust, humans are obligated to care for their health through preventive healthcare. The Prophetic Sunnah contains a complete health system, and scholars have long wished for a dedicated text on Health Habits in the Sunnah to serve as a curriculum for physical well-being.
Conversely, the pure Shariah encourages seeking medical treatment upon falling ill. The authentic hadith narrated by Al-Tirmidhi from Usamah ibn Sharik states that some Bedouins asked: “O Messenger of Allah, should we seek medical treatment?” He replied: “Yes, O servants of Allah, seek treatment, for Allah has not placed a disease without placing a remedy for it, except for one disease.” They asked, “What is it, O Messenger of Allah?” He said: “Old age.”
Allah also recounted Abraham’s words regarding healing as a divine favor: “And when I am ill, it is He who cures me” (Quran 26:80). The Prophet (PBUH) set a practical example for the nation: despite his prayers being answered, he sought medical help from Arab and non-Arab physicians, and Aisha learned medicine through this practice.
Imam Al-Shafi’i famously stated that the best sciences are religious science and medical science. Al-Ghazali noted in Fatihat al-`Ilm that the study of medicine is a communal obligation (fard kifayah) and that abandoning medical treatment is impermissible. Harmalah reported Al-Shafi’i saying: “Two things people neglect: Arabic linguistics and medicine” (Al-Adab al-Shar’iyyah, 2/350).
4. Dignity in Clothing Jurisprudence (Fiqh al-Albisah)
Rulings concerning clothing include the strict obligation to cover the awrah (private parts) using garments. This protects the human body from extreme heat, cold, and the harms of nudity. Allah highlights this as a divine favor distinguishing humans from animals: “O children of Adam, We have bestowed upon you clothing to conceal your private parts and as adornment. But the clothing of righteousness—that is best” (Quran 7:26).
From the Sunnah, Ibn Majah recorded from Bahz ibn Hakim, from his father, that his grandfather asked: “O Messenger of Allah, regarding our private parts, what should we cover and what may we expose?” He replied: “Safeguard your private parts except from your wife or those your right hands possess.”
The Kuwaiti Encyclopedia of Jurisprudence (6/130) notes that exposing the private parts—as was common in the pre-Islamic era of ignorance—violates human dignity, public decency, and morality. To preserve human dignity and distinguish humans from animals, the Shariah ordained clothing so individuals can conceal their private parts and adorn themselves, replacing the ugliness and shame of public nudity.
5. Dignity in the Jurisprudence of Crimes against the Person (Jinayat)
In criminal law, rulings regarding assaults on human life dictate that suicide is strictly forbidden because a person’s life is a divine trust: “And do not kill yourselves. Indeed, Allah is to you ever Merciful” (Quran 4:29). Al-Bukhari and Muslim recorded that the Prophet (PBUH) warned: “Whoever kills himself with a piece of iron, that iron will be in his hand, stabbing his belly in the Hellfire eternally. Whoever drinks poison and kills himself will sip it slowly in the Hellfire eternally. And whoever throws himself from a mountain and kills himself will fall into the Hellfire eternally.”
Likewise, unlawfully killing another human being is universally forbidden across all divine laws: “Whoever kills a soul unless for a soul or for corruption [done] in the land—it is as if he had slain mankind entirely” (Quran 5:32). Allah also states: “And whoever kills a believer intentionally, his recompense is Hell, wherein he will abide eternally, and Allah has become angry with him and has cursed him and has prepared for him a great punishment” (Quran 4:93). The Prophet (PBUH) categorized the unlawful taking of life as a major sin.
To uphold this sanctity, Allah legislated legal retaliation (qisas) for murder and physical injuries. Al-Shirazi writes in Al-Muhadhdhab (2/177): “Retaliation is mandatory for injuries below life, such as wounds and limbs, based on the verse: ‘And We ordained for them therein that a life is for a life, an eye for an eye, a nose for a nose, an ear for an ear, a tooth for a tooth, and for wounds is legal retribution’ (Quran 5:45).” Anas ibn Malik reported that Al-Rubay’ bint al-Nadr broke a young girl’s tooth; compensation was offered but refused, and they requested a pardon, which was also refused. The Prophet (PBUH) ruled: “The decree of Allah is retaliation.”
Conclusion
Many jurisprudential rulings carry within them profound manifestations of Allah’s honoring of humanity. What has been mentioned here is merely a drop in the ocean and a small part of a vast reality. Hopefully, these insights open new horizons for researchers to explore further how divine honor is expressed through Islamic legal rulings.
By Masoud Sabry
