Note: The book Human Dignity in Islamic Jurisprudence and Law by Hossein Haghighatpour is among the few specialized works that thoroughly examine the concept of dignity through jurisprudential and legal lenses. A concise overview of its contents follows:
Author of the Book
Hossein Haghighatpour is a jurist and expert in Islamic jurisprudence with extensive writings, particularly in human rights and Islamic fiqh. Drawing on his academic training and scholarly expertise in Islamic law, he addresses the notion of human dignity in Islam in this volume.
Purpose of the Book
The central aim of the book is to clarify and expound the concept of “human dignity” within the framework of Islamic jurisprudence and human rights. The author investigates the definition of human dignity according to the Qur’an, the Sunnah, Twelver Shi‘i and Sunni fiqh, and Islamic legal tradition.
Significance of the Subject
In light of the current global human rights landscape and the challenges surrounding respect for human rights, the book explores the compatibility of human rights concepts with Islamic jurisprudence and elucidates relevant jurisprudential positions.
Structure of the Book
The following outlines the book’s structure and division of material, with a brief indication of each chapter’s content. The work is organized into several chapters, each dedicated to a distinct dimension of human dignity.
Chapter One: The Concept of Human Dignity in the Qur’an and Sunnah
This chapter analyzes human dignity as presented in the Qur’an and Prophetic Tradition, covering the Qur’anic and hadith foundations of human dignity.
Qur’anic Verses: The author studies verses that explicitly or implicitly affirm human dignity—for instance, Qur’an 17:70, which highlights the honored status of humankind.
Prophetic Hadiths: The author reviews hadiths from the Prophet of Islam that underscore respect for human beings and their inherent dignity, including the well-known statement: “No one has superiority over another except by piety (taqwa).”
Commentaries and Narrations: The interpretations offered by exegetes and jurists regarding dignity in Islam are discussed, along with analyses of diverse jurisprudential viewpoints.
Chapter Two: Human Dignity in Islamic Jurisprudence
Here the author examines human dignity within fiqh and investigates the jurisprudential and legal principles underpinning it.
Jurisprudential Foundations of Human Dignity: The discussion covers the fiqh foundations that treat human dignity as a core principle in Islamic law, with particular attention to rights such as the right to life, freedom, and property ownership.
Shi‘i and Sunni Jurisprudence: Similarities and differences in Twelver Shi‘i and Sunni jurisprudential approaches to human dignity are explored, revealing variations in ijtihadi interpretations.
Fundamental Human Rights: Islamic jurisprudence recognizes essential rights—including the right to life, liberty, and respect for person and property—which receive detailed treatment in this chapter.
Chapter Three: Comparing Human Dignity in Islamic Jurisprudence and Human Rights
This chapter compares human dignity as understood in Islamic jurisprudence with contemporary human rights, identifying areas of convergence and divergence.
Universal Human Rights: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights and its core principles concerning human dignity—widely accepted internationally—are reviewed.
Convergences and Divergences: Points of alignment and discrepancy between modern human rights and Islamic conceptions of dignity are analyzed, including existing challenges in harmonization.
Human Dignity and Fundamental Rights: The chapter clarifies how Islamic and universal human rights conceptions of dignity can complement one another, while noting potential conflicts arising from cultural and religious differences.
Chapter Four: Effects and Implications of Human Dignity in Islamic Society
The author investigates the social and political ramifications of human dignity in Islamic society and its influence on social, political, and economic frameworks.
Impact on Social Relations: The effects of human dignity on social and cultural interactions in Muslim societies—especially concerning minorities and women—are assessed.
The Role of Dignity in Islamic Governance: The contribution of human dignity to the formation of Islamic governance and its bearing on policies such as minority protection and social justice is examined.
Islamic Economics and Human Dignity: The chapter explores how human dignity shapes Islamic economic principles and, conversely, how Islamic economic doctrines uphold and protect human dignity.