By: Emaan Khalid Qazi
The persistent violations of the rights of labourers in Pakistan need urgent attention. As a part of the Muslim ummah, I believe that this issue needs to be addressed as our religion does not support any of this. Starting off, I would like to explain that labour means physically doing something with your own hands and body, while dignity of labour refers to the respect of the labourers.
In our country, people look down on those who do physical labour; however, our biggest inspiration, Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W), helped construct Masjid-Al-Nabawi by doing most of the labour himself. We don’t realize that working without our own hands to earn an honest living is as respectful as doing any other job. Every Halal Job is respectful, whether it’s mopping a floor or owning it.
Islamic teachings emphasize the importance of treating every work with justice and compassion. Our Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W) used to help his wives out, milk goats, bring firewood, and help with cooking. As his followers, we should do the same however, our ground is far from this ideal. In Islam, labour is not associated with or to the category of occupation. It is when anybody is working in a halal manner. Allah has commanded us to work with our own hands and earn an honest living as he will benefit from it and have self-respect. We should keep in mind that Allah loves the sweat on the brow of a hardworking labourer.
Islam places immense importance on the rights of workers. There are a number of rights of these workers which we violate, such as paying just wages entitled to their compensation and paying them before their sweat dries. Workers should not be over-burdened, and clear and fair contracts should be established. Most importantly, workers should be treated with respect and dignity regardless of their profession. Unfortunately, domestic and manual labourers in Pakistan often face severe rights violations. We need to understand that we all are made from the same mud, and we will return with the same mud as well. No one is different from another, and respect is important to all.
The labourers in Pakistan are paid minimum wages or not paid at all; however, Allah has commanded us that, “Deliver trust to those entitled to them and judge between people with justice.” Furthermore, workers are given enduring hours of work with limited access to resources.
Moreover, they are played with respect as people look down on them. In order to improve this situation, firstly, we need to focus on the fact that if Prophet Muhammad (SAW) could do labour, we shouldn’t have a problem doing it either. We should encourage ethical practices and awareness meetings in mosques where we explain how our Prophets did labour and how we should do it as well. We should advocate our voices for the dignity of labour. Surely, there is nothing sweeter than enjoying the fruits of your own labour.