لطفا منتظر باشید ...
MAN AND RESPONSIBILITY
PRESENTED BY
AL-BALAGH FOUNDATION
The Holy Our'an speaks about
man, as a being who has both sacredness and holiness on
this land through addressing him as a person who has both
dignity and great importance.
Allah, the Almighty says:
Surely We have honoured
the children of Adam, and carried them on land and
sea....
Holy Qur'an
(17:70)
Man is distinguished from other
beings owing to his wisdom, will and being a vicegerent,
who holds responsibility and deserves such distinction.
He is referred to through revelation and upon whom the
word of Allah, the Merciful is revealed. His value and
respect compared with other creatures indicates great
honour and trust bestowed upon him. Such responsibility
remarks that his position is raised through giving him
more importance and esteem. Indeed, man is not considered
neither a neglected being nor a worthless one in life due
to his possessing of wisdom, will and the ability and who
takes his will and his capability to make a choice and
take a decision. Therefore, he is responsible for his
deeds and behaviour accordingly.
Allah, the Exalted says:
And if Allah wills He
would certainly make you a single nation, but He causes
to err whom He wills and guides whom He wills; and most
certainly you will be questioned as to what you
did.[1]
Holy Qur'an
(16:93)
Islam fixes two responsibilities
upon man: individual and collective ones. Concerning
individual responsibility, he is responsible far his own
self , thus Allah, the Mast High, addresses him:
Nay! man is evidence
against himself. Though he puts forth his excuses.
Holy Qur'an
(75:14-15)
This verse refers to man's being
responsible before Allah far his speech, behaviour, and
deeds and will be judged by Him on the Resurrection Day
the Day of Justice and Punishment).
All these are in order to make
his relation with his Lard directly and also to judge
himself before his Lord. He is made to feel his
shortcomings and responsibilities. As such, negative
attitudes should be corrected spontaneously and without
any force lest he loses his self-sensibility and feeling
of responsibility which leads him to lose his
self-motivation and self-respect. Later on it can lead to
losing his value as a wise and distinguished man, who
then needs farce to make him carry out his obligations
and avoid what is forbidden.
Allah, the Almighty says:
And those who give w
hat they give (in alms) while their hearts are full of
fear t hat to their Lord they must return. These hasten
to do good things and they are foremost in (attaining)
them. And We do not lay on any soul a burden except to
the extent of its ability, and with Us is a book which
speaks the truth, and they s hall not be dealt with
unjustly.
Holy Qur'an
(23:60-62)
He who does not judge
him/ herself daily is not from us, if one does a good
deed, Allah will increase it while if he does an evil
deed, Allah forgives him.[2]
Islam wants to bring up the
power of conscience in man's soul in precedence of the
power of state and to develop the virtue of personal
responsibility; to became a guardian to judge oneself and
know that one is responsible an the Resurrection Day far
what Allah has granted. Everyone is responsible for the
property he owns. And from where did he gain it and how
did he use it? Man is also responsible far the knowledge
he acquires and the capabilities to which it is applied
before Allah and how they are employed. Did he use them
far his own personal benefit or far the general benefit
of society? Did he exploit them far corrupt and
destructive practices, and for boosting only himself and
his worldly interests? Man is responsible far his
mentality and intelligence which Allah gave him and how
they are put to use. And if they were misdirected in
deviated ways, deceiving others or corrected in the way
of guidance and edification of soul and its reformation.
He is also responsible for the
strength that Allah gave him and to what purpose did it
gain. Was it spent in wasteful disobedience and being
aggressive? Or was it used towards goodness and following
the right way? Man is also responsible for the power,
position and social rank which Allah gave him and whether
they were misused for suppression, creating terrorism,
and seeking predominance to obtain personal gain over
others? Or was it constructively put to use for social
development in the way of Allah, the Almighty?
Consequently, man will be
questioned for the tongue which Allah gave him and how
did he use its talents. Did he use it for uttering the
word of goodness, reformation and benefitting social
progress? Or did he use it for cheating, backbiting,
lying, and insulting others?
Similarly, he will be questioned
for the. eyes which Allah gave him and for what purpose
were they put. Did he use them for reading knowledgeable
books and respecting Allah's greatness? Or did he use
them for looking at what Allah has forbidden and
prohibited?
He will also be questioned on
Allah's gift of ears and was the sense of hearing used
only for listening to gossip, empty words, indecency and
wasteful entertainment? Or were they directed at hearing
the word of guidance, educative and fruitful debates?
Allah, the Almighty says:
...surely the hearing
and the sight and the heart, all of these, s hall be
questioned about that.
Holy Qur'an
(17:36)
He utters not a word
but there is by him a watcher at hand.
Holy Qur'an
(50:18)
And stop them, for they
will be questioned.
Holy Qur'an
(37:24)
He cannot be questioned
concerning what He does and they shall be
questioned.
Holy Qur'an
(21:23)
People will be questioned for
everything they do whether it be small or great:
...what a book is this!
it does not omit a small one nor a great one, but numbers
them (all);...
Holy Qur'an
(18:49)
Islam legislates individual
responsibility before Allah and also individual
responsibility before the Islamic state, run according to
Islamic laws. Such a state is given the right of
governing and organizing the affairs of society,
promulgating law to safeguard the interests of the Muslim
communities, the welfare of humanity and its progress. It
is also given the right for issuing orders and
judgements. So, man is also responsible for these before
Allah, the Most High.
Allah, the Almighty says:
O you who believe! obey
Allah and obey the Apostle and those in authority from
among you;...
Holy Qur'an (4:59)
As man is responsible before the
legislative state, which has the right of governing over
him, it has the right of presenting him before court and
punishing him in the case of violating its laws and
regulations.
Therefore, an Islamic state has
the right to interfere in the individual, social and
economic affairs in order to achieve an equitable
society. It also has the right to charge and restrict
man's actions which contradict the general interest. In
case of emergency, it also has the right to prevent the
forbidden behaviour and act against whoever abandons his
obligations by forcing him to carry them out even to the
extent if such obligations oppose his personal interests.
An Islamic state has also the right to impose certain
duties upon man or make him work in a special field, to
punish him in the case of killing another, of drinking
alcohol, of cheating or manipulating prices and
misleading commercial markets. The individual has no
right to behave or do anything without responsibility. He
must feel that he is responsible both in front of Allah
and the legislative state.
Through carrying our
responsibilities, based upon Islamic laws and values
which organize personal duties to regulate behaviour, a
society can be established to keep an equilibrium, where
security, social peace and economic welfare are
preserved. Without these responsibilities, life turns
into chaos and anarchy, the role of justice and law
disappears, and society becomes a tyrannical one.
Islam organizes responsibility
by making every one responsible both for himself and
others, therefore, a shepherd is responsible for his
flocks, a father for his children and a governor for his
subjects.
Each have their responsibilities
arranged according to their position in society as the
Messenger of Allah (s.a.w.) says:
All are custodians and
are responsible for their charges.[3]
Imam Ali (a.s.) describes this
responsibility in his letter to Malik al-Ashtar by
saying:
...so, extend to them
your forgiveness and pardon, in the same way as you would
like Allah to extend His forgiveness and pardon to you,
because you are over them and your responsible commander
(Imam) is over you while Allah is over him w ho has
appointed you. He (Allah) has sought you to manage their
affairs and has tried you through them...[4]
Life can not be organized
without responsibility. Imam Ali (a.s.) explains that
Muslims on one hand are responsible before those who take
responsibilities, while on the other hand, they (who take
responsibilities) themselves are also responsible before
their leader (Imam) who himself is also responsible
before Allah both for the Muslims and those who take the
responsibilities.
In effect, Islam makes an
Islamic state be responsible in front of Muslims, while
it gives Muslims the right to supervise and advise such a
state.
Allah, the Most High says:
And (as for) the
believing men and the believing women, they are guardians
of each other; they enjoin good and forbid evil...
Holy Qur'an (9:71)
All these directions are made in
order to fulfil responsibility and build both state and
society on an equitable foundation of rights and du ties.
Islam considers man to be responsible fur himself, his
actions as well as for others. It prompts upon him
towards reforming society and standing against all kinds
of corruption: moral, political, economic, and
social...etc. It compares society to a ship carrying its
passengers in the middle of the sea and in which all are
responsible from protecting it because if something
happens to the ship, all will be drown and destroyed.
As the Messenger of Allah
(s.a.w.) describes such reciprocal responsibility:
The example of him who
sets the limits of Allah and then contradicts them is
like a people who were travelling together on a ship. It
happened that some of them took the upper part, while
others took the lower part of it. Those who took the
lower part, while seeking for water came near those w ho
were above them. Those who were above, told them: We will
not allow you to take water because you will hurt us. In
response to their answer, those w ho below said: We can
make a hole in the bottom of the boat without hurting
those above us. In this case, if they leave them to do w
hat they want, all will perish while if they took their
hand (help them) all will be saved.[5]
all will be saved...[6]
Islam refuses and stands against
the spirit of dependence by making all responsible for
the shortcomings in any action, which has a cooperative
mode of necessary obligations. So, in fulfilling
necessary obligation, there is a cooperative duty for
which one is not directly responsible for actions
performed by others but which all have some
responsibility and will be questioned for it. Therefore,
it is not permitted for individuals to depend upon others
to carry out tasks and actions which have a cooperative
nature, like bidding for what is right and forbidding
what is wrong.
For instance, if it so happens
that some apologize and excuse themselves for being
unable to perform certain functions and stand against
corruption and crime, in that case, responsibility will
be directed at those who sit and withdraw themselves,
neglecting their cooperative duty and not participating
in safeguarding Islam as a belief and as a right path for
life.
Islam educates man through
connecting him with Allah, the Creator of this existence
in order to make him feel self-responsible and raise
within himself the power of inner consciousness and
sensibility.
Allah, the Most High says:
Nay! I swear by the Day
of Resurrection! Nay! I swear by the Self-Accusing
self!
Holy Qur'an (75:
1-2)
Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.) is
also reported to have said:
Judge yourselves before
being judged by others.[6]
No foot of a servant
(of Allah) (on the Resurrection Day) will move before
being asked about four things: his years (age) and how he
spent them, his youth and how he worn it out, his wealth
and how he earned it and on what he spend it and about
his love towards us, the Ahlul-Bait (the Prophet's
Household) .[7]
1- Allah, the Almighty created
man who possesses will and choice and his guidance or his
deviation is made accordingly to their use. Whoever
chooses the way of deviation, is misled. Whoever chooses
the way of guidance, is led towards it. Therefore, divine
guidance and deviation mentioned in this verse is but the
punishment or reward adjusted to accord with to man's
choice.
2- Narrated by Imam al-Kadhim,
in al-Wasa'il al-Shi'a, Amili, vol. 11, p.377
3- Bukhari, Sahih al-Muslim, vol. 2, p.6.
4- Imam Ali (a.s.), Nahj al-Balaghah, compiled by Dr.
Subhi Salih, p.426.
5- Sunnan al-Tirmidhi, Kitab al-Fitan, vol. 4, p.470,
Hadith No. 2173.
6- Amili, al-Wasa'il al-Shi'a, vol. 11, p.380.
7- Sayuti, Ihya' al-Mayyit, Hadith No. 44.
