ESSAYS
2) DIGNITY OF LABOUR
OUTLINE
- Introduction.
- Islam and dignity of labour.
- The labouring class is the backbone of a country.
- The labouring class and the advanced countries.
- The causes of discontentment among the working classes.
- Contempt of manual work.
- Superficial class- distinction.
- Conclusion.
Labour is a part of the inheritance of all the creatures. From the very beginning of life each one of the creatures of God required to carve out its own livelihood with the seat of its brow. Those who get into the habit of working hard, find an enjoyable affair. the progress of a country also depends on the skilled hands of its people. Quaid-e-Azam's parting advice to the nation deserves full attention.
"God has given you a vast territory with vast resources. Now it is up to you to make an optimum use of the resources available to you."Islam ushered in an era of equality and taught that earning by the sweat of brow is dignified and honorable. it makes obligatory for ever body not to shirk doing his own work with his own hands. The Holy Prophet (Peace be upon him) with all the resources at his disposal, never made it a point of prestige to mend his own shoes. Hazrat Abu Bakr's fetching water for widows and neighbors, Hazrat Omar's carrying a large sack of flour for a needy family, and Hazrat Ali's job in garden of a Jaw, all gives us the message of dignity of labour.
The labouring classes are the backbone of every society and country. No country can deny the value and importance of the labouring classes both in the industrial and agricultural fields. In fact, the labourers run industries by doing hard and useful work. In the agricultural field too. the labourers do all the work. In fact, the labourers build up the economy of country.
The condition of thee labouring men and women in advanced countries of the world is much better than in developing countries. In the advanced countries, a labourer gets better wages, he enjoys many other facilities, and he gets free medical treatment. He gets free education for his children. He gets insurance benefits in case of an accident. He receives unemployment allowance when he is jobless. He is also a member of the labour union that looks after his interests and prevents his explosion.
The labourers in the developing countries are generally the most neglected class of the society. The workers, who do manual labour, are the lowest- paid. They do not have security of services. Their employer can turn them out at any time. They are not given the unemployment allowance when they are jobless. A number of workers are employed on daily wages. This situation creates a serious problem in countries that are still on the road of progress. The discontentment, found among the labouring classes has an unhealthy effect on the economy of the county. The pace of progress is harmed.
The labourers are mostly unskilled and uneducated. it is a custom in the poor country that children are sent out to work at a very early age. This is indeed the period of life that must spent at school. The poor parents are forced to prefer a rupee or two that their child can earn by doing some ordinary job. in poor countries, there are also no facilities for providing vocation training to the young workers.
Manual labour is looked down upon in the countries of Asia like Pakistan. In these countries no respect is given to a manual worker. The manual workers belong to the lowest class. The members of the upper and upper-middle classes are very conscious of their status in the society. They feel a great shame if they have to do even their personal work with their own hands. This trend is against the teachings and spirit of our religion. Islam urges upon us to earn our livelihood through honest means and hard work.
To conclude, the dignity of labour is not mere a slogan, but it is one of the basic principles of human life. Hence it must be adopted and acted upon. Manual labour should never be looked down upon. A manual worker, who does a valuable service, must be given all the respect he deserves as a useful citizen. The wages, given to him, should be reasonable. This will attract more capable towards manual jobs. The quality of work, done by him, will improve. The country will make a rapid progress in industry and agriculture. Thus human dignity lies in labour.
