Chapter 6
Conviction No. 1
"Quran Is a Book Of Human Rights"
“Quran is a book of Human Rights” (Insaani HUQOOQ). These rights are acquired/secured by establishing a society based on justice.
.-.-.-.-.
Dear Readers, this terminology has been widely publicized by this forum in the course of the learned translator's research work and writings. It indeed represented a positive human value and thus influenced the audiences to a large extent. So much so, that people like this humble writer formerly working under its banner, felt no harm in using it in their writings. But, in the good old days, this forum's perspective was that of a theistic institution working for the glory of God the Creator and His Book of Guidance; and, consequently, the slogan of “Book of Human Rights” did not raise an alarming signal in minds. It was understood to be a particular way of expression by its Head, having its origins within the purview of Quranic injunctions. However, the paradigm shift in basic philosophy that was noticed later on, visibly focusing on secular/atheistic tendencies, forced some people to investigate into this particular terminology too in view of the gentleman's recently surfaced convictions.
So, let us then cautiously investigate the question: IS REALLY……”Quran a Book of Human Rights”? OR, some other message is implied under its pretense?
To the best of knowledge possessed by this humble student and his close Quranic circle, the Divine Author has never stated this “fact”, or any other words synonymous to this terminology, in His Book of Revelations. Hence, this appears to be a conviction of purely personal nature. The learned scholar's writings and his website repeatedly proclaim and emphasize this conviction. The same is portrayed as the essence of the learned scholar's life long Quranic research; and under this fundamental belief, and its overwhelming influence, the learned translator's entire translation works are formulated.
It is, however, surprising to note that while the learned translator always insists upon the necessity of Quranic authentication, he has not chosen to present a Quranic text to prove or substantiate this personal conviction.
In the Quran, we find the word “Haqq” being used as a synonym for “waajib”, only in the context of “Allah‟s Haqq” (See Verse: 6/142); or for the “Haqqun Ma‟loomun” of the close relatives, saa‟il (beggar) and maskeen (destitute), in the fortunes of the rich ones (See Verses: 17/26, 30/38, 51/19, 70/24-25). Both these references are highlighting a single principle - that of the recognition of an appropriate share for the poor classes in a community's macro-economic sphere.
WHAT are then these other “Huqooq” – Rights – on whose pretense the Quran is constantly being called “a Book of Human Rights”? The most likely hypothesis tells us that :-
- the learned scholar is influenced by the hypocritical propaganda of “Human Rights” unleashed on the media by secularist western nations under the banner of their democratic philosophy – and which, in reality, are their own nations' exclusive, selfish, “racist rights”. On the wider humanistic level, these nations can always be witnessed usurping people's rights to live by keeping engaged in extermination of weaker nations by virtue of their superiority in destructive weaponry as well as by inflicting economic disasters on them.
- OR, it is perhaps the U.N.O.'s, still theoretical, confined within paper volumes, Charter of Human Rights which has influenced him, and he is eager to incorporate it forcefully into the Quranic texts.
It may not be out of place to quote here two verses from Iqbal's poetry on the subject of democracy and “the said Huqooq” – rights:-
Hay wohi saaz-e-kohun Maghrib ka JAMHOORI nizaam
Jis ke pardoan men nahin ghayir az nawaa-e-qaisery
Majlis-e-aa‟in-o-Islaah-o-ri‟aayaat-o-HUQOOQ
Tibb-e-Maghrib men mazey hain meethay, asar khwaab-aawary
یقیصرئےانوزاغیرنہیںمیںےدپرکےجس
یروآباخوثرا،میٹھےہیںےمزمیںبمغرِطب
ؾنظایرجمہوکابمغرکہنزساہیوہے
ؼحقووتیعاروحصلااوئینآِمجلس
Kindly note carefully at this point, as already emphasized earlier too, as to how blatantly Quranic translations/interpretations are manipulated, without a valid authority, to fulfill one's vested interests under a specific personal Agenda. Particularly here you can easily perceive the lines of western secularist agenda.
Let us check here the meanings of HAQQ from other related verses:-
1. HAQQ has been used for HAQIQAT, meaning Reality, and for TRUTH – not RIGHTS. See Verses: 7/8, 10/53, 11/17, 29/68,
38/64, 47/2-3, 51/23, 56/95, 69/51. Many other verses are not referred to for fear of increase in volume.
2. HAQQ is used in comparison of BAATIL (lie, evil, frivolity, personality worship, etc.). Please check Verses: 8/7-8, 17/81, 18/56, 13/17, 21/18, 34/48-9, 40/78, 42/24, 5/40 and others.
3. HAQQ is used in the perspective of “HAQIQAT-E-KAAINAT”, meaning the “Reality/the physical existence of the Universe”.
Please check Verses: 6/73, 7/54, 10/5, 14/19, 15/85, 16/3, 21/16-18, 29/44, 30/8, 39/6, 44/38-9, 46/3, 64/3, 45/22, and others.
4. A derivative of HAQQ, “AL-HAAQAH” is also used which represents: al-Haqiqat, occurrence of a Big Event and Recompense. See Verse 69/2-3.
And presented below is a quote from “Tabveeb” by prominent Quranic scholar, Allama Pervaiz:-
(translation:) “ h-q-q : This is a comprehensive term of Quran which encompasses a variety of meanings and definitions. Its basic meaning is the presence, occurrence and proof of some thing in such a way that no amount of doubt remains about its occurrence or proof.”
So, the term “Human Rights”, or any derivatives from the Root „h-q-q‟ offering an equivalent meaning, may probably not be available in the Quran. Therefore, this being the sole foundation of our learned translator's Quranic translation, it may be concluded that this is a weak or hollow foundation in the absence of a Quranic support or confirmation. How can the super-structure of his translation prove its stability on a hollow foundation when faced with a test of strength, a thorough check, investigation or assessment? In my humble opinion, the learned translator's core ideology being radically un-Quranic, it is only natural if doubts are raised about the entire work done by him up to the present. Most probably, due to his core ideology lacking Quranic authentication, his entire translation work terribly needs a re- assessment.
Dear Readers, having discarded effectively, with authentic lexical proof, the learned translator's theory of “Book of Human Rights”, let us now investigate the most important aspect of HOW, IN QURAN'S LIGHT, the “Exalted Author” Himself defines His Book decisively! Does the Author Himself, in His Book, call it “A Book of Human Rights”, or something else? Kindly note, in the very beginning of the Quran, this question has been authoritatively answered:-
Verse No.2/2: “ZAALIKAL-KITAABU LAA RAYIBA FI-HI, HUDAN LIL-MUTTAQEEN”
Translation: This is The BOOK, having no ambiguity/doubt, which is “HUDAN” – a Timeless MODE OF CONDUCT – for those who wish to be the Pious ones.
HUDAN is a „Masdar‟ from the Root „h-d-y‟, its measure (form of verb) is “fu'alun”, generally defined “Hidayat”. In Lane's, it is also called “Mode of Conduct” which is a more accurate, to the point and full representation of the word “Hidayat”. Masdar is a verbal noun which relates neither with time nor with a subject or object – therefore, its perfect meaning would be “time-less mode of conduct”).
Verse No.2/97: “ WA HUDAN WA BUSHRAA LIL-MOMINEEN”.
Translation: And (this is) a “time-less Mode of Conduct” and glad
tidings for Momineen.
Verse No.39/23: “ZAALIKA HUDAL-LAAHI YAHDI BI-HI MAN-YASHAA‟U”.
Translation: This Book is a God-given Mode of Conduct; by this He builds characters of/guides those who so desire.
Some more Verses wherein Quran is categorically called “the Book of Guidance” , NOT “the Book of Human Rights”:-
Verse No.10/57: “YAA AYYUHAN-NAASU QAD JAA‟AT-KUM MAW‟IZATUN MIN RABBI-KUM WA SHIFFA‟UN LI-MAA FIS-SUDOOR WA HUDAN WA RAHMATUN LIL-MOMINEEN”.
A BOOK OF GUIDANCE AND MERCY.
Verse No.46/30: “QALOO YAA QAWMANAA INNA SAMI‟NAA KITAABAN UNZILA MIN BA‟ADI MOOSAA, MUSADDIQAN LI-MAA BAYINA YADAYIHI ILA AL-HAQQI WA ILAA TAREEQIN MUSTAQEEM”.
A BOOK OF GUIDANCE TOWARDS TRUTH AND STEADFASTNESS.
Verse No.72/2: “INNA SAMI‟NAA QURANNAN „AJABAN YAHDI ILA AL- RUSHD”.
A QURAN TO GUIDE TOWARDS IMPROVEMENT/BETTERMENT.
Quran bestows Guidance :- Verses: 27/2, 27/77, 27/92
Quran is GUIDANCE for Momineen:- Verses: 44/41, 45/11-20
After the abovementioned Quranic authorities, what shall we now call the Quran? “A Mode of Conduct / Guidance” …….. or …….”a Book of Human Rights”? What AGENDA is the learned translator and his establishment following? ……… The right to decide lies with the Readers. To this humble student, this very foundation is unworthy of supporting the structure of a righteous Quranic translation.
Apart from the above, it is also obvious that the learned translator is repeatedly referring to a system of government based on socio- economic justice, which, according to his philosophy, is established under the guidance of the Quran, and provides human rights. It doubtlessly is a pleasant theory if truly backed by the Quran. Let us analyze his concept of ―socio-economic system to see where exactly its origins are found.
In fact, the term ―socio-economic system is also borrowed from the philosophy of Karl Marx by the learned translator, as Marxism is entirely based on this foundation alone. But he probably is not aware of the fact that Marxism is the worst of all the materialistic philosophies. Its evil lies in that it negates the very conscious self of man. No doubt, food, clothing and shelter are the basic needs of life, and we stress that it is binding on society to provide these basic needs to each human being. However, we cannot accept that the satisfaction of instinctive desires is the Ideal or the goal of mankind. According to Iqbal too, Marxism is an absolute disaster, pure materialism, and negates the spiritual aspect of life. He says :-
„RUNG-O-BOO AZ TAN NAGEERAD JAAN-E-PAAK
JUZ BEH TAN KAAREY NA-DAARAD ISHTERAAK DEEN-E-AAN PAIGHAMBER HAQQ NA SHANAAS
BAR MASAWAAT-E-SHIKAM DAARAD ASAAS
TAA AKHUWWAT RAA MAQAAM ANDAR DIL AST
BAIKH OO DER DIL NA DAR AAB-O-GIL AST
کاشترادراندےرکا بہجز
کپا ؿجاد زا
ونگر
سساا دراد شکمتاومسابر
ستاگلوبآردنہؽدردوابیخ
سشنا نا حق پیغمبر ںآ ِیند
ستاؽدرنداؾمقاارتخواتا
As pointed out above, the most misleading, rather disastrous, element in this philosophy is that it claims that the conscious self or soul of man has no reality of its own; it is just the creation or production of the socio-economic conditions. This philosophy not only misleads mankind away from the real objective of human life, it also takes away the very personality or self which is the pride of man. This amounts to outright killing the personality of man which is the most heinous crime against mankind.
The fallacy of Marxism lies in the fact that it regards the economic urge as the root cause of our ideals while, as a matter of fact, it is our ideals that give the economic urge whatever meaning or force it has. Since man is not fully conscious to comprehend his Creator, as he is in the making, he seeks his Creator in his Ideals or Concepts. The history of mankind is the history of its Ideals and concepts. All religions, creeds, isms and concepts are the ideals of human self which man identifies himself with and derives strength from. Man adores and loves his ideals as the other half of his self. For him, his Ideal is living, knowing, eternal and all-powerful. In fact, man is what his Ideal is. If some one loves an inferior ideal it is because he is not fully conscious of himself, of his attributes and his potentialities. For such people, the Ideal may be as low as merely to satisfy the physical instincts, or similarly it may be as low as a country, wealth, power, reputation, etc. or as low as to ruin his entire potentialities in the slavery of man like the blind pursuit of another man's AGENDA.
It is the Communists who believe that the only human urge is to satisfy the basic needs of man, that is, food, shelter and clothing. To them, the ideals or human consciousness is determined by socio- economic factors. There are three main facts which lend plausibility to this idea. Firstly, the urge of hunger is most compelling and exists even before the contents of our mind, we call ideals, come into existence, at least in their well-defined shape. Secondly, people generally satisfy their hunger and other instinctive needs before they satisfy the needs of their higher ideals. Thirdly, when an individual's ideal is not of an elevated character, which is very frequently the case in the earlier stages of our self-awareness, the satisfaction and even the over-satisfaction of fundamental economic needs forms an indispensable part of man's ideal. And even when the individual's ideal is very high in the scale of beauty, he has generally to satisfy his fundamental economic needs as an end subservient to his Ideal. Thus the satisfaction of these needs always forms a part of man's ideal and colors visibly the manner in which he strives for the realization of his Ideal in all its aspects and with all its requirements. This gives the impression that these are only our basic economic needs that grow into the form of our ideals. When two kinds of desires, one subservient to the other, are mixed up in an activity, it is easy to mistake the subordinate desire as the fundamental cause of activity, especially when the subordinate desire has a natural, internal compulsion of its own and exists before the ruling desire comes into existence or at least becomes distinct and powerful.
As a matter of fact Marxism, like the psycho-analysis of Freud, is the result of a sectional view of human nature. It is based on a lower ideal viz., food, shelter and clothing, which is linked with the lower conscious values of the animal organism of human life. It has a purely material base.
We feel that the main reason for the instantaneous acceptance of this philosophy was its slogan of meeting the basic needs of man such as food, shelter and clothing. Because of exploitation of a sizeable humanity by the Western nations, man was deprived of his basic needs of life which was against the creative process. This philosophy, therefore, found favorable response from the starved societies who mistook it for a medium to get out of the hold of Western exploiters.