Ways of Respecting Human Dignity in Islamic Law

Abstract

Qur'anic verses and hadiths certify that Allah has bestowed dignity upon mankind. Therefore, man essentially deserves respect. Islamic law has primarily made use of two ways to safeguard human dignity. First, there are prohibitions in Islamic law that safeguard man's dignity. Second, the penal laws of Islam restrict punishments to those cases where they are absolutely necessary. In this article, we will briefly examine these two ways.