The Right to Life in Islam

The Importance of Right to Life

Undoubtedly, the phenomenon of life is the most important phenomenon in the Universe. Among various kinds of lives, the human's life (as the life of the noblest of all creatures and the excellent entity of existence) is very important.

Mankind is the most talented creature and that is why his life is important. Actually what distinguishes the value of the human's life from that of other creatures, while making him outstanding among other creatures, are his astonishing and extraordinary physical and spiritual potentials and talents. Cognition of the magnitude of human who enjoys wisdom, judgment, insight, discretion, knowledge, will power, conscience, love, perfectionism and management, is not easy. And these are only a fraction of it as all these are only a part of the power and ability of man's life. Compared to other creatures, scope and span of human's life impact is so vast and astonishing that in various dimensions without any pause in history, it has always attracted the attention of scholars and philosophers.

The most important principle of inherent rights is the right to life for mankind.

This has been unanimously accepted by all schools of thought.

The right to life is one of the inherent and natural rights of mankind. It is the fundamental of other rights of mankind. There are no other rights for mankind without the right to life.

Inherent right means no legislated law is required for the existence of right, and this law is for everyone. Legislated laws in every system and every society must protect and defend the human's right to life to provide necessary safety for man.

According to Article 3 of the Declaration of Human Rights, everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.

Furthermore, according to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights "Every human being has the inherent right to life. This right shall be protected by law. No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his life." [Article 6, Item 1. International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights].