THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD’S RELATIONS WITH FOLLOWERS OF DIFFERENT FAITHS IN THE CONTEXT OF HUMAN DIGNITY AND UNIVERSAL VALUES

Abstract

This study is a qualitative investigation into the foundations of human rights in Islamic thought and the Prophet Muḥammad’s verbal and practical measures to safeguard these rights. Conducted through a comprehensive literature review—including the Qur’ān, hadith collections, classical Islamic sources, and contemporary scholarship—it examines the Prophet’s emphasis on human dignity alongside the principles of social justice, equality, and brotherhood. Notable examples include his invocation of humanity’s innate dignity during the Tawāf of the Kaʿbah and the articulation of rights at the Ḥajj al-Wadāʿ (Farewell Pilgrimage) that parallel modern human rights discourse, affirming the inviolability of life, property, and personal integrity. Furthermore, the Constitution of Medina is analyzed as an early model for legal equality and peaceful coexistence in a multi‑religious, multi‑ethnic society. Across his lifetime, the Prophet treated all individuals—regardless of race, language, color, or tribal affiliation—as equals, laying the historical groundwork for Islam’s universal human rights ethos. This research demonstrates that Islam’s normative framework for human rights is not merely theoretical but was lived and enacted by the Prophet in his social praxis. The primary aim is to elucidate his model of engaging non‑Muslims with respect and dignity-rejecting violence, extremism, and selfishness-and, through that paradigm, propose approaches to eliminate oppression, revive universal virtues, and foster a more inclusive social horizon.