THE DIGNITY OF LABOUR

THE DIGNITY OF LABOUR  
         
1. By labour we generally mean work done by hands.
2. There is nothing shameful in becoming a skill-worker.
3. In Islam all human beings are equal.Islam does not allow distinction on the basis of profession.
4. In Islam honest work of all kinds is worth respecting.
5.We should give equal status to the labour class in the society.
    
     By labour we generally mean work done by hands.Unfortunately,this word is used in a negative sense.There is nothing shameful in it.
People having narrow mind refer the word labour to professions adopted by carpenters,masons and their assistants.They also associate them
with lower middle class of society.As a matter of fact these professions are benefactors of society.They play a vital role for peace and
prosperity of our life.For example ,mason builds a house to shelter us ,a tailor sews clothes to cover our body and a farmer tills the
soil to feed us.
     We should not ignore that no office peon is employed in any office of the advanced countries because in those countries every
office worker feels no shame in doing the peon work himself.We are Muslims and unfortunately we feel it below our dignity.
     If we read the history of nations like japan,china,Germany etc,we shall leam that their economic development is based on attaching
dignity to manual work.On the other hand our pakistan engineer will feel it below his dignity to join two wires and will say that
it is the work of his subordinate mechanic.
     In Islam all human beings are equal.Islam does not allow distinction on the basis of profession.The Holy Prophet(peace be upon him)
used to work with his own hands. He carried bricks for the construction of mosque and did not feel ashamed in mending his outworn
shoes.In Islam honest work of all kinds is worth respecting.Even a sweeper deserves respect. In Islam work is worship.
     We have misuse the concept of labour and this is the major cause of backwardness in our country.If we want to improve our economic
condition,we should give equal status to the labour class in the society.