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Hassan Farshchian

Attention to the intrinsic value and human dignity, in the contemporary era, stems from the teachings of existentialism and humanism. However, in ancient religious teachings, signs and symbols of honoring human nature can also be found. In this writing, we will first examine the concept of “dignity” in terms of its etymological roots and its application in the first source of Islam, the Quran. Then we will discuss the “dual dignity of man” and refer to the differences between the evolutionary and acquired dignity of man. In the third section, we will mention some of the “prominent characteristics of human intrinsic dignity” in religious discourse. Considering some recent issued decrees, such as condemnation to flogging, a brief discussion on “human dignity and humiliating punishments” will conclude this section of the writing.

First – The concept of dignity

A) Terminology of the word “Karamat”: Etymologically, the word “Karamat” is derived from the root “Karom”. In the literary context of the Quran, God, humans, and other objects are described with the attributes of generosity and dignity. Karamat is sometimes attributed to God Himself and sometimes to His creations.

In his dictionary, “Mofradat”, Raghb explains that the word “karam” is used when referring to God and is described as “a name for His apparent and manifest benevolence and grace”. When a human is described with this word, it is “a name for good morals and actions that are manifested in a human being”.

He then “honoring” human means a type of glorification of human or reaching a benefit to human, which means “that there is no deficiency or humiliation in it, or something that reaches him makes him noble or honorable”; for this reason, the dignity of human indicates his nobility, greatness, and inherent value.

B) The Application of the Attribute of “Karamat” in the Quran: When in the Quran, God is described as “Karim”, it refers to His complete independence and abundant generosity. (2) When other individuals are described with the attribute of “Karamat”, it refers to their nobility, dignity, and perfection. In some verses of the Quran, prophets (3), angels (4), and humans (5) are described with the attribute of “Karamat” due to their completeness.

In other verses of the Quran, some objects that are perfect in their nature are also described as being generous, such as the Quran (6) which is described as a complete book. Similarly, other objects such as generous sustenance (7), generous reward (8), generous letter (9), paired creatures (10), generous agriculture (11), generous speech (12), and others, in all of these cases, the description of generosity conveys the perfection of that object in its nature.

After mentioning some examples of descriptions of nobility, Ragheb concludes by referring to the verse “Verily, the most honorable among you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you” (Al-Hujurat: 13), that “anything that is truly noble and honorable is described with the word ‘karam'”.

From the above descriptions, we can conclude that the meaning of human dignity is their value and nobility, which they possess due to their special position among other creations. In other words, humans are dignified because of their inherent qualities and abundant blessings.

Second- The Dual Dignity of Human Beings

The dignity of other creatures is a divine dignity that has been bestowed upon them at the time of creation. However, the dignity of humans is of two types: innate dignity and acquired dignity.

Human Dignity: Human dignity is a quality that has been bestowed upon humans at the time of their creation. This dignity is inherent and inseparable from humans. All humans possess and benefit from this dignity, which is the source of pride for humans compared to other creatures. This is because humans possess qualities and perfections that other creatures do not have. For this reason, God refers to this human dignity, as other creatures and nature are subject to humans: “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 [definite] preference.” (Al-Isra: 70) However, this dignity does not make one human superior to another, as all humans, from the moment of their creation, possess and benefit from this inherent dignity.

In front of dignity, there is humiliation and lowliness. This lowliness and humiliation towards human dignity is baseless because from the moment the insignificant sperm becomes balanced and valuable and enters the circle of being human and transforms into a human: “From a sperm He created him and proportioned him. He then made the path easy for him. Surah Abasa: 8”, from that moment on, he is no longer “worthless” and is honored and dignified as a human. Therefore, all human beings, from the moment of creation, possess this inherent and evolutionary dignity.

B) Human Acquired Dignity: Human acquired dignity is a dignity that a person obtains through their own efforts. This dignity is a continuation of the original inherent dignity. That initial dignity is the foundation and potential for this acquired dignity. In other words, that evolutionary dignity within oneself has the potential for this second dignity, which is achieved when one has actualized their potential. Through effort, a person can attain this dignity. This dignity is not given to all humans, but rather to those who strive to reach it and have acquired the necessary worth and dignity to reach the level of humanity, are honored by the Creator of the universe. Therefore, it is stated in the Quran that the most honorable and dignified among you in the sight of God are the most righteous: “Verily, the most honorable of you with Allah is the most pious of you; Al-Hujurat: 13.”

In front of the human’s acquired dignity, there is the word of insult; meaning that when a person uses their own will to take steps towards lowliness and humiliation, and degrades themselves and is disrespectful towards their own self. Therefore, it is stated in the Quran that whoever God humiliates, no one will honor them: “And whoever God humiliates, there is no one to honor them, Al-Hajj: 18”.

Third- The inherent characteristics of human dignity

Human dignity, in Islamic culture, focuses on the inherent nobility of human beings. The first characteristic of this human dignity is freedom and the liberty of humans, which does not allow them to be under the yoke of slavery and servitude (a). Humans are not only not allowed to be under the yoke of others, but they are also not allowed to degrade themselves in front of the powerful and the lowly (b). This dignity is not limited to a specific group of people, all humans, regardless of their race and faith, possess this inherent dignity (c). Human dignity is not only for oneself and one’s fellow believers, but non-believers also possess this dignity to the same extent (d).

a) The dignity of human beings and not being under the yoke of slavery: The most important characteristic of a human being is their freedom and liberty. It is not worthy for a human being to consider someone like themselves as their master and to see themselves as a slave and their subjects. A human being cannot be contained under any yoke and does not accept any kind of humiliation.

The first Imam of the Shiites, in his long letter to his son Hassan, which can be called the charter of moral and human behavior, advises him to take care of his inherent dignity so as not to fall into humiliation and degradation; he warns him not to become a slave to anyone else: “Protect yourself from any degradation, even if you are blessed with abundant blessings, because you will not gain anything in return for the dignity you sacrifice. Do not be a servant to anyone, for God has made you free.” (13)

B) Human dignity and not belittling oneself in the face of those in power: Human beings have been created with inherent dignity and deserve to live a noble life, accompanied by honor and freedom. It is not the right of a human being to degrade and belittle oneself. They should be the guardians of this divine dignity and not allow themselves to be humiliated and dehumanized by others.

When Ali ibn Abi Talib, the leader of the Islamic community, arrived in the city of Anbar on his journey towards Sham, the elders of the city, along with farmers and villagers, came to welcome the Imam. They dismounted from their horses and ran ahead of the Imam’s carriage, showing their respect and admiration in their traditional way and following local customs. The Imam asked, “What is this behavior that you have done!?” They replied, “This is the way we show respect to our leaders.” The Imam warned them against this behavior, as it showed disrespect and humiliation towards those who were walking in front of another’s carriage. Therefore, the Imam forbade them from this humiliating behavior, saying, “I swear by God, your leaders do not benefit from this, and with this behavior, you are causing yourselves hardship and difficulty in this world, and in the hereafter, you will suffer from misery and destruction. What a loss it is to endure hardship that

Contrary to the common practice of that time, where people would walk alongside their elders and rulers as a sign of respect, the Imam did not prefer this type of companionship and did not accept to ride on a horse while others walked beside him. When returning from Siffin, they reached the tribe of “Shabam”. Harb bin Shurahbil Shabami was accompanying the Imam. The Imam was riding and out of respect for him, Harb walked beside the Imam. Ali asked him to return and not accompany him in this manner, as it would lead to the humiliation of the person walking and the pride of the ruler, ultimately causing an imbalance in behavior where people would no longer act with human dignity, but rather with selfishness for the ruler and submission for the subjects.

In the above report, the Imam prohibits the people from accompanying the rulers on foot and considers this behavior as a cause of the rulers’ self-interest and the humiliation of the people. In another narration, the Imam prohibits this behavior in a general sense and for all individuals, so that no one behaves in such a way towards another person, as accompanying on foot after riding leads to deviation and corruption of the rider and causes humiliation and degradation for the believer (Verily, walking with the rider is a corruption for the rider and a humiliation for the walker).

In a speech in Siffin, the Imam asks his companions not to speak to him in the same manner as the rebellious and oppressive do. He is trying to regain their confidence and preserve their human dignity. The Imam is concerned that his political power as the leader of the community may cause the citizens to become timid and try to flatter him with their words, hiding the truth from him. He says, “Do not speak to me as you speak to the rebellious, and do not hide from me what you hide from the angry people. Do not associate with me through flattery and sycophancy, and do not think that listening to the truth is a burden for me. Do not think that I am asking for your unjust respect, because if the truth is told to someone or justice is offered to them, it is more difficult for them to act upon it. Therefore, do not refrain from speaking the truth or seeking just counsel.” (16)

C) The concept of human dignity for all people: In Islamic belief, inherent human dignity is not exclusive to certain individuals. Rather, all humans, regardless of race, faith, beliefs, or convictions, possess this inherent dignity and others must respect this dignity and honor its possessor. In his covenant with his governor, Malik al-Ashtar, Ali gives instructions for regulating the relationship between the ruler and his subjects when he sends him to govern Egypt. Malik is a loyal companion of Ali and one of the early believers who remains steadfast in his faith. It seems that Ali, knowing that Malik will behave in a faithful and brotherly manner towards fellow believers due to his own faith and beliefs, is concerned about Malik’s behavior towards non-believers. Based on this, he strives to guide these behaviors through logical reasoning.

Therefore, as a recommendation to the owner to behave well with the citizens, he explains to him that: “Put kindness, love, and compassion towards your subjects as the motto of your heart, and do not treat them like prey to be hunted and consumed, for indeed the subjects fall into two groups: either they are your religious brothers, or they are humans like you.” (17)

If observed in this letter, he explains to the owner that humans are divided into two groups: either they can be brothers in faith or humans like you. Regarding brothers in faith, he clarifies the religious teachings of behaving in a faithful and brotherly manner with each other, and believers, based on their own religious beliefs, feel spiritual affections and bonds of faith among themselves. But for non-believers, he tries to remind them of the inherent dignity of human beings. These aspects of human dignity are important affections and bonds that, by remembering the characteristics of human dignity, elevate humans to a higher level of respect for the dignity of others and preserve the dignity of human beings.

Human Dignity “Others”: Human dignity, as observed, is a developmental and inherent characteristic of all humans. However, due to the natural tendencies of humans to focus more on their fellow beings who share common beliefs, blood ties, or race, in Islamic teachings, emphasis has been placed on the rights of others who have less in common with believers.

When Ali is informed that the plunderers of the Umayyad army have attacked the people and looted women’s jewelry with humiliation, it is natural for Ali to be outraged and show a reaction. But in this reaction, what is instructive is Ali’s response to the attack on the Jewish woman. Ali emphasizes the atrocity of this crime against the Jewish woman and points to the human dignity of others, namely non-Muslims, to remind his companions that “others” and “non-self” are also entitled to inherent human dignity just like “self” and “Muslims”. In Ali’s speech, we witness his anger at the crime against the Jewish woman, relying on the inherent human dignity: “I have heard that one of those invaders has attacked a Muslim woman and a woman who has taken refuge in Islam, and has taken her anklets, bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, and that helpless woman had no choice but to beg and ask for mercy from that plunder

Fourth- The dignity of human beings and humiliating punishments.

Given the recent events, where the punishment of flogging has become prevalent, and considering that in early June of this year, seventeen gold mine workers in Agh Darreh, West Azerbaijan, were sentenced to flogging due to their protests and labor strikes, and were publicly flogged; and a few days later, some coal mine workers in Bafgh were also sentenced to flogging, it seems that in the ongoing discussion about human dignity, it is not useless to mention some of the legal punishments that are humiliating and degrading for the accused and criminals. Without a doubt, some of these legal punishments not only serve as a “deterrent” and “educational” purpose, but their main purpose is “humiliation”.

One of the humiliating punishments for humans that is currently common in Islamic countries like Iran is “whipping punishment”. In this punishment, the human is compared to a four-legged animal that must eat grass to obey. How are these punishments compatible with human dignity? In this regard, paying attention to the following points will not be useless.

A) The recognition of these punishments at the forefront of Islam: Islamic laws are of two types: foundational and confirmatory. Foundational laws are those that Islam has created for the first time, but confirmatory laws are those that existed before Islam, but the Prophet, as the legislator, has confirmed them and signed them with the same customs that existed in Arabia at that time, in order to become a binding and legitimate ruling. Therefore, some laws are subject to the customs and rational reasoning of each era.

Whipping punishment was a contractual punishment in Islam, not a foundational one. This means that Islam did not create it, but rather signed and approved what already existed, and even established lenient methods for it to cause less harm to those being punished. In the early days of Islam, punishments such as whipping were considered customary and were prevalent not only among the Arabs, but also among other nations. Therefore, at that time, these types of punishments were considered customary and accepted by society. Similarly, physical punishments for debts and financial obligations were accepted in various legal systems, but today such physical punishments have been completely eliminated from different legal systems. Regarding whipping, at the time of its establishment, it was a customary and accepted practice, but today it is seen as degrading and humiliating.

b) The possibility of converting harsh punishments into alternative punishments: Whipping punishment has two types; either it is implemented as “Hadd” which is prescribed for specific crimes, or it is carried out as “Tazir” which depends on the judge’s opinion. However, nowadays alternative punishments have emerged all over the world, from imprisonment to financial penalties, from civil sanctions to judicial controls.

Without a doubt, in the above example, regarding the workers, assuming that they have committed criminal behavior, for example causing harm to others’ property, such cases have a “retributive” aspect, meaning that the punishment is not mandatory but the judge also has the authority to impose other punishments such as imprisonment or monetary fines from a religious perspective.

When a judge orders a flogging, his primary and initial goal is not to enforce a religious ruling, as his hand is open to other forms of punishment. Rather, his main goal is to humiliate and degrade the accused and break their spirits. Without a doubt, the judge intends to humiliate them, but is he also humiliated in society or not? It seems that the answer is negative, as this harsh and humiliating punishment also evokes empathy in others. In a way, even those who are not in agreement with the accused show sympathy and compassion towards them and do not see them as deserving of such a punishment. Furthermore, a judge who issues such sentences is condemned by the collective conscience of society for not respecting the dignity and honor of their fellow human beings.

I’m sorry, but I am unable to provide a translation without the Farsi text. Could you please provide the Farsi text so I can assist you better? Thank you.

If we observe from the Quranic documents, narrations, and historical reports, reliance on the inherent dignity of humans, which was one of the principles of religious teachings, can be seen in the narrations and historical events of the early days of Islam. In the following centuries, the principle of human dignity became less prominent in some Islamic sciences and even forgotten. Jurisprudence and Sharia, for reasons beyond the scope of this writing, have relied on distinguishing between believers and non-believers, religious and non-religious individuals, and have aimed to clarify their own and others’ rulings. As mentioned above, jurisprudence did not pay quick and comprehensive attention to the issue of human dignity in cases where the accused’s personality was being humiliated, and did not update itself quickly and efficiently. Jurisprudence, like other cases, is not a pre-existing science, but a posterior one; needs must be created, demands must be raised, and ultimately, jurisprudence must gradually

But in the realm of mysticism and ethics, the scholars of these sciences did not fall into the strictness of the jurists, rather they became the guardians of the inherent dignity of humans and proclaimed this dignity through their words and actions. In teachings and admonitions of the mystics, we witness the continuation of this guardianship of the inherent dignity of humans.

Abolhassan Kharaghani had written on the door of his Khanqah: “Whoever enters this place, give them bread and do not ask about their faith, for anyone who is worthy in the eyes of God, surely deserves bread from the table of Abolhassan.”

Sources:

1- Abi al-Qasim al-Husayn bin Muhammad, known as Raghib Isfahani, in his book “Al-Mufradat fi Gharib al-Quran”, under the entry for the word “karam”.

2- “Indeed, my Lord is Rich and Generous.” (Surah An-Naml, 27)
Read and your Lord is the Most Generous. (Surah Al-Alaq, 3)
O mankind, what has deceived you concerning your Lord, the Most Generous? (Surah Al-Infitar, 6)
Indeed, my Lord is Rich and Generous. (Surah An-Naml, 40)
The Possessor of Majesty and Honor. (Surah Ar-Rahman, 27)

And We certainly tested the people of Pharaoh before them, and a noble messenger came to them, Surah Ad-Dukhan:17. Indeed, it is the word of a noble messenger, Surah At-Takwir:19.

4- “Kiramān Kātibīn, al-Infirār: 11.”

“Dear writers, the rupture: 11.”

“And We have certainly honored the children of Adam.” (Quran 17:70)

Indeed, it is a noble Qur’an, Al-Waqi’ah: 77.

“Generous provision, Anfal:4.”

“Generous reward, Surah Ya-Sin: 11.”

She said, “O assembly, indeed I have been given a noble book.” (Surah An-Naml, 29)

We have caused to grow therein every noble kind of couple. (Surah Ash-Shu’ara, verse 7)

11- “And a noble plantation and a generous abode, Smoke: 26.”

“And say to them both a noble saying” – Surah Al-Isra, verse 23.

13- Nahj al-Balagha, a letter from Imam Ali to his son Hassan, letter 31.

14- Nahj al-Balagha, Wisdom 37.

15 – Nahj al-Balagha, Wisdom 322.

16 – Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 207.

17 – Nahj al-Balagha, Letter 53, Letter to Malik al-Ashtar.

18 – Nahj al-Balagha, Sermon 27.