DUTY-CONSCIOUSNESS, NOT RIGHTS-CONSCIOUSNESS

THROUGHOUT the world, man has always been fighting for his rights. Much of the strife is a result of man's belief that he is being denied his rights and his quest for regaining them. Countless hours and days are wasted and property lost or destroyed in strikes and agitations against the government or the management in demand of their rights. The general trend has everybody demanding for their rights, for their share, for fairness in everything in life.

There is a Hadith of the Prophet that says:

A believer should be duty conscious
and as far as his rights are concerned
he should ask of them from God.
(Sahih-Al-Bukhari 4: 800)

It is a believer’s duty to give to others what is due from him and as far as his rights are concerned he should ask for them only from God. Instead of being Rights-Conscious, he should be Duty-Conscious.

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It is a believer’s duty to give to others what is due from him and as far as his rights are concerned he should ask for them only from God.

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One persons duty is another’s right. So, if we all follow the principle of being duty conscious, automatically our rights will be taken care of. Nevertheless, complete justice and total fairness is not possible in this imperfect world. God has promised that only in the Hereafter, where He will give to every person every atoms worth of what is due to him. Thus, we must continue to do our duty faithfully seeking God’s pleasure and should demand our rights in this world only from God.

Islam wants us to build a Duty-conscious, rather than a Rights-conscious society.