HUMAN RIGHTS BETWEEN CONTEMPORARY ISLAMIC THOUGHT AND THE WESTERN VISION: A CRITICAL STUDY

This research looks at how modern Islamic philosophy has critically engaged with the Western conception of human rights, especially in the years after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was passed in 1948. It examines the main Islamic contention that the Western claim to precedent is challenged by Islam's establishment of a complete and divinely-sourced foundation for human rights more than fourteen centuries ago. The study examines the main objections made by Islamic scholars to the Western model, with particular attention to its individualistic and utilitarian tenets, its philosophical foundations in secular natural law, and the alleged fragility of its legal guarantees. The Islamic viewpoint, on the other hand, bases rights on divine revelation and presents them as holy obligations with strong internal (faith-based) and exterior (Sharia-based) guarantees. The internal contention within Islamic philosophy is also taken into account in the research, such as the belief that Western human rights ideas are a secularized form of Islamic teachings-"our merchandise returned to us." The main conflict that is brought to light is the essential distinction between a system that is created by man and one that is prescribed by God.