SECRET TO A THRIVING SOCIETY

Duty-Consciousness, Not Right-Consciousness

IT is a common observation to find human beings fighting tooth and nail for their rights. Much of the strife is a result of man’s belief that he is being denied his rights. Then follows 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.

Islam wants us to build a duty-conscious, rather than a rights-conscious society. 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)

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, one 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. Instead of being rights-conscious, one should be dutyconscious.

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One person’s duty is another’s right. So, if we all follow the principle of being dutyconscious, automatically our rights will be taken care of. Nevertheless, complete justice and total fairness are not possible in this imperfect world. God has promised that only in the Hereafter, where He will give to every person every atom’s 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.

One should live a responsible social life. One should be infused with the spirit of giving and sharing instead of wanting to have all for oneself. One should be so imbued with the sentiment to help his fellow beings as to sacrifice one’s right to help someone in need.