I came across a remark in answer to someone which alleged that Islam is based on an inhuman ideology. I wonder how these allegations are composed based on which realities. It seems that some of the non Muslims view Islam in an era more than fourteen centuries ago when Islam had just been founded and was struggling to shun the pre-Islamic era ills. It is for this reason, Islam is sometimes portrayed by its critics as a harsh, intolerant and even inhumane ideology. Its teachings on warfare, religious differences, women and criminal punishments are cited as evidence that it encourages cruelty rather than compassion.
But does this sweeping judgment accurately represent the Qur’an and the teachings of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ? Or does it confuse the moral principles of Islam with particular interpretations, historical practices and the misconduct of some Muslims? An intellectually honest response must neither dismiss every criticism as prejudice nor accept every accusation without examination. The proper starting point is the Qur’an itself: What does Allah actually command concerning human dignity, life, justice, compassion and the treatment of others?
Let us present a response to such an allegation in view of historical perspective of many verses of Al Qur'an which portrays Islam as a religion of mercy and human dignity.
1. The Qur’an Begins with Human Dignity, Not Human Degradation
There are many verses that present Islam to set in a community that respect human dignity rather than human degradation. Herein under are some that must be read to know what Islam really teaches.
- Surah Al-Isrā’ 17:70
- وَلَقَدْ كَرَّمْنَا بَنِي آدَمَ "Indeed, We have honoured the children of Adam."
- This is a fundamental declaration about the status of humanity.
- Allah does not restrict this honour to Muslims, Arabs, particular races or privileged classes. The expression Banī Ādam embraces humanity as a whole.
- 14th century scholar Ibn Kathīr, in his explanation of this verse, emphasises the special honour bestowed upon human beings through their creation, faculties, understanding and ability to distinguish what benefits or harms them.
- The Qur’an goes further in Surah Al-Ḥujurāt 49:13:
- يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَىٰ "O mankind! We created you from a male and a female."
- Allah explains that humanity was divided into peoples and tribes so that they might know one another, not despise one another.
- eminent Muslim scholar Abul A‘lā Maududi, in Tafhīm al-Qur’ān, explains that this verse rejects artificial superiority based on race, colour, nationality or inherited social position. He argues that human differences were never meant to justify contempt, exploitation or tyranny.
The Qur’an identifies taqwā—God-conscious righteousness—as the measure of honour before Allah, not racial or social identity.
The question for critics: How can an ideology whose foundational scripture honours all children of Adam and condemns racial arrogance be fairly described, without qualification, as denying human dignity? Hadhrat Bilal, a black African Muslim, was one of the most close to the Prophet of Allah - but if we look around the black skinned people are still hated upon in the West. Who is exhibiting inhumanity?
These verses do not by themselves settle every debate about rights or religious law, but they establish an essential principle against which interpretations and practices should be examined.
2. Islam Commands Justice—Even Towards Those We Dislike
Justice is the main pillar of an Islamic community. At many a places, Muslims are asked to uphold justice and be impartial in giving a verdict even if it goes against one's own kin and kith. Following verses caution Muslims to be fair and just:
- Surah Al-Mā’idah 5:8
- وَلَا يَجْرِمَنَّكُمْ شَنَآنُ قَوْمٍ عَلَىٰ أَلَّا تَعْدِلُوا ۚ اعْدِلُوا هُوَ أَقْرَبُ لِلتَّقْوَىٰ "Do not let the hatred of a people lead you to injustice. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness."
- Few moral principles are more demanding than this.
- Allah does not merely command Muslims to be fair towards their families, friends or fellow believers. He forbids hatred from becoming an excuse for injustice.
[Read explanation of the verse: O ye who believe: Be Just - Do not let the hatred of a people lead you to injustice]
- In Surah An-Nisā’ 4:135, believers are instructed to uphold justice even when doing so goes against themselves, their parents or relatives.
- Abdullah Yusuf Ali, commenting on 5:8, observes that the real test of justice arises when we must act fairly towards people whom we dislike or who dislike us.
[Read explanation of the verse: Believers! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah]
These instructions have immediate implications for the contemporary world. A Muslim must not justify dishonesty against a non-Muslim, defend an oppressor merely because he shares the same religion, or deny another person's legitimate rights because of religious hostility.
Islamic justice is tested most seriously when fairness conflicts with personal interests, anger or group loyalty.
3. Human Life Is Sacred—And Aggression Has Moral Limits
Islam lays immense value to human life. At the advent of Islam, the polytheists would bury the baby girls right after their birth fr they thought they will bring bad name to the family. But Islam forbade this practice and finally this horrible practice came to an end. There are many references to the sacred status of mankind:
- Surah Al-Isrā’ 17:33
- وَلَا تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلَّا بِالْحَقِّ "Do not take a life which Allah has made sacred, except with legal right."
- The Qur’an does not present human life as something individuals may take whenever they feel offended, insulted or angry.
- Surah Al-Mā’idah 5:32 describes the enormity of unlawful killing through a principle originally addressed to the Children of Israel: killing one innocent person is compared with killing humanity, while saving a life is compared with saving humanity.
- The Qur’an also permits fighting in specified circumstances. But Surah Al-Baqarah 2:190 explicitly forbids transgression:
- وَلَا تَعْتَدُوا ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُعْتَدِينَ "Do not transgress. Indeed, Allah does not love transgressors."
These verses do not eliminate the difficult questions surrounding Islamic warfare or legal punishments. They do, however, establish that violence is subject to moral and legal limits.
The Prophet ﷺ delivered an equally serious warning: "Whoever kills a person under treaty shall not smell the fragrance of Paradise." — Sahih al-Bukhari 3166
This narration specifically protects people covered by a treaty or covenant. It demonstrates that unlawfully killing a protected non-Muslim was considered a grave sin. The Qur’anic message is not that human life becomes worthless because people follow different religions.
4. The Prophet ﷺ Was Sent as a Mercy
Throughout his life, the Prophet ﷺ exhibited extreme mercy and cautioned his companions never to practice inhumanity and be kind to each other - even the non Muslims. That is how the revered Prophet ﷺ is described in Al Qur'an:
- Surah Al-Anbiyā’ 21:107
- وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ إِلَّا رَحْمَةً لِّلْعَالَمِينَ "We have not sent you except as a mercy to the worlds."
- The Prophet's mission is presented through the language of mercy.
- This description is supported by an authentic incident.
- When some people asked Prophet Muhammad ﷺ to invoke a curse upon the polytheists, he replied: إِنِّي لَمْ أُبْعَثْ لَعَّانًا وَإِنَّمَا بُعِثْتُ رَحْمَةً "I have not been sent as one who curses, but I have been sent as a mercy." — Sahih Muslim 2599
- Another remarkable example appears in Sahih al-Bukhari 1312–1313. When a Jewish funeral procession passed, the Prophet ﷺ stood up. On being informed that the deceased was Jewish, he responded: "Is it not a soul?" This incident is particularly meaningful. The Prophet's response recognised the human reality of death despite religious difference.
- Elsewhere, the Prophet ﷺ taught: "The best among you are those who have the best character." — Sahih al-Bukhari 3559
A religious tradition that places such emphasis on mercy and character cannot responsibly be evaluated solely through the actions of its harshest followers.
5. Islam Does Not Require Every Human Being to Become Muslim by Force
If Islam was propagating an inhuman ideology, there would have mass conversions. Muslims ruled Spain for almost 800 years, but there were no forced conversion, and perhaps that is the reason after Muslims left Spain, there were hardly any trace of Muslims in Spain. This is becasue of the following verse from Qur'an:
- Surah Al-Baqarah 2:256
- لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ "There is no compulsion in religion."
- The Qur’an distinguishes genuine faith from outward conformity imposed through pressure.
- Ibn Kathīr explains this verse as prohibiting the forcing of people to embrace Islam, because the truth of the religion should be presented through clear evidence.
- Surah An-Naḥl 16:125 also directs believers to invite others with wisdom and good instruction.
- And Surah Al-Mumtaḥanah 60:8 explicitly permits kindness and justice towards people who have not fought Muslims because of religion or expelled them from their homes.
The Sunnah provides a practical illustration.
Asmā’ bint Abī Bakr asked the Prophet ﷺ whether she could maintain kind relations with her non-Muslim mother. He answered affirmatively. — Sahih al-Bukhari 5978
These teachings support respectful relations across religious boundaries.
However, the historical issue requires honesty. Classical Muslim jurists differed over the scope of religious freedom and developed legal rulings concerning apostasy and non-Muslim communities that remain subjects of serious debate.
It would therefore be inaccurate to claim that all historical Muslim legal systems recognised religious liberty in precisely the modern sense. The sound response is to acknowledge those debates while emphasizing the Qur’anic principles of sincere belief, justice and responsible religious invitation.
6. What About Women's Rights and Dignity?
Critics frequently argue that certain Islamic teachings concerning women are incompatible with contemporary understandings of equality. This objection should be examined carefully rather than dismissed.
The Qur’an contains significant protections concerning women.
- Surah An-Nisā’ 4:7 recognises women's entitlement to inheritance (imagine grant of share in inheritance to Muslim women more than fourteen hundred years - whereas it was only about 300 years from now that European women got their share in the inheritance)..
- Surah An-Nisā’ 4:19
- The verse prohibits treating women as property to be inherited against their will and commands:
- وَعَاشِرُوهُنَّ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ "Live with them in kindness."
- Surah Al-Aḥzāb 33:35 repeatedly places believing men and women together in its description of spiritual virtues and divine reward.
These teachings challenge any claim that women possess no moral or spiritual standing in Islam. A credible defence of Islam should examine such passages in their language, context and scholarly traditions rather than pretend the difficulties do not exist.
The mistreatment of women must never be excused by appealing vaguely to religion. Equally, genuine differences between religious legal frameworks require careful analysis rather than sweeping insults.
7. But What About Warfare, Slavery and Harsh Punishments?
An honest article must confront these questions because they are among the strongest sources of moral criticism.
- Warfare and the frequently quoted verse 9:5
- Critics sometimes quote Surah At-Tawbah 9:5, which contains a command to fight polytheist opponents, as though it were an unrestricted instruction to kill all non-Muslims.
- Yet the surrounding passage is important.
- Verse 9:4 protects treaties with those who have honoured their agreements.
- Verse 9:6 commands protection for a polytheist seeking safety and requires that he be escorted to a secure place.
These verses demonstrate that the passage contains distinctions concerning treaties, conflict and protection.
- Slavery
- Islam arose in a world where slavery existed across numerous societies.
- The Qur’an encouraged the freeing of enslaved people, identifying emancipation as a righteous act in 90:13. Verse 24:33 also addresses agreements through which enslaved persons could seek freedom and prohibits compelling enslaved women into prostitution.
The Qur’anic encouragement of emancipation offers an important moral direction, while the institution's continued existence presents a legitimate subject for historical and ethical scrutiny.
- Criminal punishments
- Some Islamic legal punishments are also criticized as severe.
- Muslim jurists developed requirements concerning evidence, judicial authority and the prevention of wrongful punishment. But disagreements remain over how particular punishments should be interpreted and applied today.
- A serious discussion must evaluate the relevant texts, legal safeguards, historical applications and present-day human-rights concerns.
- Neither a hostile slogan nor an idealized description of Islamic history can replace thoughtful examination of these difficult subjects.
8. What Do Eminent Scholars Contribute to This Discussion?
Three scholarly approaches are particularly relevant.
- Ibn Kathīr — Human dignity and freedom from coerced belief
- In his tafsīr of 17:70, Ibn Kathīr explains the honour granted to the children of Adam. In his commentary on 2:256, he emphasises that people should not be forced to embrace Islam.
- His explanations provide classical support for the importance of human dignity and meaningful faith.
- Abul A‘lā Maududi — Equality of humanity and the rejection of racial arrogance
- In his detailed commentary on 49:13, Maududi condemns distinctions based on race, colour, nationality and inherited status.
- He explains that the Qur’an rejects the transformation of human diversity into claims of superiority and systems of oppression.
- This is especially relevant when Islam is accused of encouraging contempt for people of other backgrounds.
- Abdullah Yusuf Ali — Justice even when hostility exists
- In his commentary on Surah Al-Mā’idah 5:2 and 5:8, Yusuf Ali emphasises that hatred does not justify retaliation beyond moral limits or unfair treatment.
- His explanation reminds believers that justice is tested not only in peaceful circumstances, but precisely when resentment and conflict make fairness difficult.
These scholars provide important perspectives. They do not resolve every contemporary controversy, nor should their interpretations be represented as unanimous answers to all modern ethical objections.
9. Why Do Some People Nevertheless See Islam as Harsh?
There are several possible reasons.
- Some people encounter Islam primarily through terrorism, sectarian violence, authoritarian governments or discriminatory practices committed by Muslims.
- Others read particular Qur’anic passages without considering their context or the history of interpretation.
- Still others have studied Islamic texts and sincerely disagree with aspects of traditional religious law on ethical grounds.
These are different kinds of criticism, and they should not all be treated alike.
Deliberately portraying all Muslims as dangerous is prejudice. But respectfully questioning a religious law or interpretation is not necessarily hatred. When religion is used to justify corruption, cruelty, intimidation or exploitation, merely declaring that such behaviour is un-Islamic is not enough.
Muslims must demonstrate through conduct, accountability and reform that their professed commitment to justice and compassion is genuine.
10. How Should Muslims Respond to the Accusation?
The Qur’an provides a dignified method of response.
- Surah An-Naḥl 16:125 commands invitation through wisdom and good counsel.
- Surah Al-‘Ankabūt 29:46 instructs believers to engage with the People of the Book in the best manner, subject to its stated qualification concerning wrongdoing.
- Surah Al-Mā’idah 5:8 requires justice even where hostility exists.
Accordingly, the strongest response is not to insult the critic, accuse everyone of malicious intentions or defend every historical act committed by Muslim rulers.
It is to ask what specific teaching the critic objects to, examine its Qur’anic context, study relevant authentic Hadith, compare recognised scholarly interpretations and acknowledge genuine historical difficulties.
Above all, the answer should be visible in conduct.
Let Muslim employers treat workers fairly. Let Muslim families protect the dignity of women and children. Let Muslim communities welcome sincere questions. Let religious scholars discourage hatred. Let charity and humanitarian assistance reach people without making religious conversion a condition.
When conduct reflects the Qur’an's moral demands, it gives substance to arguments that otherwise remain words.
Conclusion: Judge Islam Through Its Teachings—and Hold Muslims Accountable to Them
To describe Islam in its entirety as an ideology “worse than human” is a sweeping accusation that fails to account for the Qur’an's explicit teachings on human dignity, justice, mercy, charity and moral responsibility.
Allah honours the children of Adam (17:70), demands justice even against ourselves (4:135), prohibits hatred from leading to injustice (5:8), commands kindness towards peaceful people of other faiths (60:8), and describes Prophet Muhammad ﷺ as a mercy to the worlds (21:107).
These are not incidental teachings. They form an essential part of Islam's moral framework.
The strongest defence of Islam is both intellectual and practical: explain its teachings accurately, confront difficult questions courageously, and demonstrate its moral principles through the way Muslims treat other human beings.
For Muslims, the challenge is particularly demanding. We cannot expect others to admire Qur’anic justice if they encounter injustice from us. We cannot persuade people of Islamic compassion while showing them cruelty. We cannot condemn prejudice while practising it ourselves.
Let the Qur’an establish the standard, let the authentic Sunnah illuminate that standard, and let our character become its living demonstration.
May Allāh (سبحانه و تعالى) help us understand Qur'ān and follow the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, which is embodiment of commandments of Allah contained in the Qur'ān. May Allah help us to be like the ones He loves and let our lives be lived helping others and not making others' lives miserable or unlivable. May all our wrong doings, whether intentional or unintentional, be forgiven before the angel of death knocks on our door.
وَمَا عَلَيۡنَاۤ اِلَّا الۡبَلٰغُ الۡمُبِيۡنُ
(36:17) and our duty is no more than to clearly convey the Message.”
That is Our duty is only to convey to you the message that Allah has entrusted us with. Then it is for you to accept it or reject it. We have not been made responsible for making you accept it forcibly, and if you do not accept it, we shall not be seized in consequence of your disbelief, you will yourselves be answerable for your actions on Day of Resurrection.
May Allah forgive me if my posts ever imply a piety far greater than I possess. I am most in need of guidance.
References and Further Reading
- The Rebuttal: Please refer to our reference page The Rebuttal for more criticism of Islam and the counter response.
- Qur’anic references
- 17:70 — Dignity of the children of Adam.
- 49:13 — Shared human origin and rejection of racial arrogance.
- 4:135 and 5:8 — Justice without favouritism.
- 17:33 and 5:32 — Sanctity of human life.
- 21:107 — The Prophet ﷺ as a mercy to the worlds.
- 2:256 and 16:125 — Faith and invitation through wisdom.
- 60:8 — Kindness and justice towards peaceful non-Muslims.
- 4:7, 4:19, 4:34 and 33:35 — Women, family responsibilities and spiritual standing.
- 2:190 and 9:4–6 — Warfare, treaties and protection.
- 90:13 and 24:33 — Emancipation and the historical institution of slavery.
- Authentic Hadith
- Sahih Muslim 2599 — The Prophet ﷺ was sent as a mercy.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 1312–1313 — Respect shown when a Jewish funeral procession passed.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 3166 — Grave warning against killing someone protected by a treaty.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 3559 — Excellence of character.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 5978 — Kindness towards a non-Muslim mother.
- Scholarly interpretations The scholarly descriptions above are supported by the published commentaries of Ibn Kathīr, Maududi and Yusuf Ali, while the Prophetic examples are recorded in the cited Hadith collections.
- Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr 17:70 — The honour granted to humanity.
- Ibn Kathīr, Tafsīr 2:256 — No compulsion in religion.
- Maududi, Tafhīm al-Qur’ān, 49:13 — Human equality and opposition to racial arrogance.
- Abdullah Yusuf Ali, Commentary on Surah Al-Mā’idah — Justice, restraint and the rejection of retaliation motivated by hatred.
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