What Are We Worth? Redefining Muslim Value with Dignity and Honor | Blog

Abdur-rahman is my local North African bus driver. He drives Londoners from A to B, Sunday to Thursday, every week, earning just enough for a small flat, food for his family, and a bit left over to send his daughter to the swimming club after school. Malik, my neighbor, is an electrical engineer turned serial entrepreneur. One day he quit his day job to develop a cleaning formula for sneakers, hit it big time white labeling for Nike, Adidas, and other major brands, and now spends his time investing in start-ups and giving motivational speeches.

These days, talk of “added value” circulates all facets of contemporary public life. Like saleable products in a capitalist system, more and more of us strive to embody something that is unique, extraordinary, and leaves its recipients indebted. What skills, experience, and achievements can I bring to the table? How do I bring value to the world in a way that others don’t? How can I break the mold?

Living as minorities in the Western world and largely descending from migrant families from the Global South, Western Muslims have a double hurdle to jump to prove their value in today’s world. With far-right groups rising in prominence and power across Europe and North America, talk of a Muslim deficiency in value is an increasingly dominant narrative employed to peddle anti-immigration, racist, and Islamophobic sentiments. From Trump’s notorious “Muslim Ban” that perpetuated the “welfare dependency” and “national security” arguments as tools to discredit Muslim immigrants, to UK media outlets’ sensationalist stories in the wake of terror attacks that frame Muslim immigrants—especially those from working-class communities—as a drain on the UK’s resources, Western political campaigns are rife with portrayals of Muslims and immigrants as looming threats to safety and economy.  

This blog adopts an alternative approach to perceiving Muslim worth in the world. Without setting aside the importance of the worldly contributions Muslims have achieved and have the potential to achieve, it proposes we take heed of the dangers of centralizing a specifically secular, capitalist perception of value and instead redirect our focus to the true essence of value that awaits us in the eternal afterlife. As the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “If the world were as worthy to Allah as the wing of a mosquito, an unbeliever would not even be given a sip of water.”Conversely, Allah has prepared eternal reward for the pious believers, no matter how poor, humble, or seemingly “under-achieving”. The Prophet ﷺ said, “Shall I not tell you about the inhabitants of Paradise? The weak and the meek among you, yet if they were to swear an oath by Allah, He would fulfill it for them.” 

In today’s age, value has largely become synonymous with economic prosperity and status. As such, we’re viewed as societal assets or liabilities based upon what we are seen to achieve, or our level of innovation, or our intellectual contribution to the advancement of a capitalist society. We’ve all heard the popular chicken-soup-for-the-soul stories, those motivational tales of individuals who rise from humble beginnings, often facing significant challenges, only to achieve great wealth. Perhaps the most well-known rags to riches story in popular culture is that of Oprah Winfrey, who went from a difficult and impoverished childhood to becoming one of the most successful and influential media moguls in the world. Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple Inc, is another success story. In his Stanford University commencement address (2005), he recounts how, after being ousted from Apple, he felt lost and uncertain, but later regained his sense of purpose when becoming even more successful with companies like Pixar and NeXT.

Understandably, in this climate, the natural position for Muslims to push back from is one that seeks to prove our value. What better way to counter accusations that deny our valuable contribution to society than by highlighting our achievements? From public praise of Muslim athletes and the Muhammad Alis of our ummah to books, articles, and LinkedIn profiles detailing the scientific, mathematical, and technological achievements of Muslims, an incredulous light is shone on those within our communities who have excelled exceptionally, often beyond “normal” measure. A quick search on Google will provide an array of sources outlining the value that Muslims have brought to the world, including Islam’s contribution to planetary health, the Islamic Golden Age, and the top 500 most influential Muslims.  

Intuitively, this seems like a good strategy to quell the agitators, reassure doubting Muslims that our communities are valuable, and teach our young ones to be proud of their Muslim heritage. But, while the value that Islam and Muslims have brought to the world is, of course, undeniable, the problem comes when we begin to hinge the validation of our very existence and right to dignity and fair treatment upon the exceptional “added value” our community boasts.

As Muslims, we are duty-bound to strive for excellence in all our actions, to be of service to humanity, and to improve the state of our families, societies, and the world at large in whatever way possible. Faithful contribution is at the heart of what Islamic teachings inspire us to pursue and it often comes with worldly benefits and successes. But, by focusing too much on proving our value through our contributions and society’s idea of success, we end up reinforcing the dehumanization of Muslims that those in power use to control and oppress us. When we only elevate the wealthy, prosperous, overachievers among us, we unwittingly take attention away from those who play vital, low-key roles in keeping our communities running. This then reinforces the distinction between those of us who are acceptably (and temporarily) pleasing to society and those who are "underachieving" and thus, at best, burdensome or, at worst, threatening. Our anti-Islamophobia and fight to prove our worth suddenly becomes classist, propping up the abasing, dehumanizing narrative of those in power. The surgeon and basketball player become a lot more valuable than the postman or stay-at-home mom—a notion so unfamiliar to the principles of the Prophet ﷺ who asked about the cleaner of the mosque after noticing her absence. Upon hearing of her death, he asked why he hadn’t been informed and insisted on visiting her grave and praying her janāzah.

In reality, the majority of our ummah are, by capitalist standards, not exceptionally valuable. Like Abdur-rahman, most of us live in the shadows of fame. Many of us make just enough money to sustain our families but have very little time or privilege to pioneer ground-breaking contributions to wider society. We run corner shops, work in factories, and raise children. Further still, many of us are heavily dependent upon state welfare, large numbers don’t finish higher education, and many even break the law. Muslims, like all of humankind, are liable to transgress. Indeed, even Adam (as), the first of Allah’s creation and prophets, transgressed when he disobeyed God’s command in a single act of ghaflah (forgetfulness) (Qur’an 20:115).

By tying our worth to economic achievement, status, and recognition, we set the Muslim community up for failure. This demonizes the majority of the ummah and assigns us fragile expiry-dates, making Muslim value something elitist, volatile, and superficial.

Contrary to the measure of value assigned by society and despite our limitations and flaws, all humans are valuable in the eyes of Allah, standing as the “apex of God’s creation” (ashraf al-makhlūqāt). Implicit in the Qur’anic narrative is the idea that humans have been blessed and honored by Allah above all creation and granted an innate and superior value that makes them valuable in the eyes of Allah simply because they are human, regardless of what they achieve. This concept of human dignity (karama al-insān) appears throughout the Qur’an when Allah exalts al-insān (mankind) or banī Ādam (descendants of Adam), and is exemplified when Allah says, “Indeed, We have dignified the children of Adam, carried them on land and sea, granted them good and lawful provisions, and privileged them far above many of Our creatures.” 

From this verse, the verbs karramnā (we have dignified or conferred special favors upon) and faḍḍalnā (we privileged or preferred) show the high regard that Allah holds for humanity. We have been afforded special provisions, with agriculture and livestock at our disposal: “He is the One Who sends down rain from the sky, from which you drink and by which plants grow for your cattle to graze. With it He produces for you [various] crops, olives, palm trees, grapevines, and every type of fruit. Surely, in this is a sign for those who reflect,” and “And He is the One Who has subjected the sea, so from it you may eat tender seafood and extract ornaments to wear. And you see the ships plowing their way through it, so you may seek His bounty and give thanks [to Him].” Allah has created all humans “in the best shape” (Qur’an 95:4) and made us stewards on the earth (Qur’an 2:30 and 38:26). This concept of universal human dignity is also further amplified throughout the sīrah. For example, it was narrated that “a funeral procession passed in front of the Prophet ﷺ, and he stood up. When he was told that it was the coffin of a Jew, he said, ‘Is it not a human soul?’”

Allah gifted humanity honor and value as human beings and due to our collective descent from Prophet Adam (as). We have been honored by Allah, placed in high esteem above all other creation, and have a noble potential for moral excellence. We have blameworthy attributes, a propensity to err, and we routinely underperform, but, just like the unconditional love a parent has for their child, we are valuable not because of what we achieve, but simply because we exist as humans. At its core, human value is not dependent upon our ability to make scientific discoveries, run FTSE 100 companies, or win gold medals. Our value comes from Allah because we are human, giving everyone the right to be treated with dignity and respect without condition.

Although our value is not measured by the worldly success we achieve, acts of service still carry with them added value insofar as they are pleasing to Allah. True to the Islamic worldview and the importance of faithful contribution, humankind also has the potential to scale in rank of value through belief and good deeds. We have the opportunity to “ascend up the spiritual ladder” through “dignity and honor that is obtained by virtue of a Muslim’s efforts.” Allah says in the Qur’an, “But honor, power and glory belong to Allah, and to His Messenger, and to the believers, but the hypocrites know not.” ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb (rA) said, “We are a people whom Allah has honored with Islam. And whenever we seek to be honored through other than it, Allah will bring us humiliation.” The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever belittles the authority of Allah on the earth, Allah will belittle him,” and the Qur’an repeatedly references those who “believe and do good,” calling such people “the best of created beings.”

We all have the ability to be of greater value by obeying Allah and His Messenger. In fact, Allah tells us that believers have the potential to elevate to the level of the angels who are unable to disobey Him. Our added value is, therefore, precisely what brings us closer to Allah. Contrary to the Christian notion of salvation—which depends wholly on humanity’s necessary and sufficient need for Christ’s rescue—human value, honor, and dignity come by virtue of Allah’s grace to humankind and by virtue of our efforts to believe, do good, obey Him, and overcome the lower parts of our nafs. Islam empowers us to take responsibility for our own affairs, and as believers, Allah permits and seals our efforts towards good through His mercy and grace.

True value comes from whatever brings us closer to Allah, not necessarily what brings us economic prosperity, fame, or accolades. In the mundane, neglected, and most humbling of tasks we gain stature in front of our Lord, and although we don’t depend on worldly successes to motivate our actions, what brings us closer to Allah is always what is of most benefit to society, even though most people may not perceive its effect. My mother-in-law, who stayed at home and cared for her son with disabilities, Muhammad, for the 12 years of his life, brought physical and emotional benefits to him, and spiritual growth and gratitude to herself. Even the mere presence of a righteous Muslim has the potential to be of benefit, as we see in the case of Prophet Lut (as) whose presence among his people may have delayed his community’s punishment, “But Allah would never punish them while you [O Prophet] were in their midst. Nor would He ever punish them if they prayed for forgiveness.”

Contrary to society’s notions of value, Muslim value is both divinely guaranteed as part of humanity and acquired through faith and obedience to Allah. What makes us have added value is not our economic contribution, status in society, or exceptional achievements. Rather, what makes us have added value is our belief in Allah and our endeavor to be pleasing to Him through righteous good deeds. Sometimes, righteous actions may lead to what wider society sees as valuable, but this is a gracious side effect, not the ultimate source of value. When the Prophet ﷺ saw a warrior among the Companions celebrating at the expense of the weak for victory in a battle, he said, “Are you given victory and sustenance except due to your weak?” The Prophet ﷺ has thus taught us that Muslims flourish when the humblest among us are honored.

Reducing our worth to acceptable societal output is a deeply flawed and harmful endeavor. So, while we strive to be of added value to the world in accord with Allah’s guidance, we must, first and foremost, hold firm in the knowledge that our value ultimately comes from Him and through our potential to ascend in rank through righteous obedience. Although our value is not defined by our secular, worldly accomplishments, we gain in distinction by virtue of the good deeds we do on earth—as determined by Allah. Allah says, “O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may [get to] know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware.”

When we let our accomplishments decide our value and how we should be treated, it works against us because it overlooks the value that God has already given us. By focusing only on these arbitrary and changing standards, we end up outcasting people in our community who may not meet them. Instead, we should honor all Muslims, whether they’re in the limelight or in the shadows—Abdur-rahman and Malik—because our value is not determined by societal norms. Rather, we are all valued in the sight of Allah and it is only our righteous actions that allow us to ascend. 

Abdur-rahman, my local North African bus driver, can be seen leaning out of his window smiling, chatting, and fist-pumping grumpy Londoners—his big white beard and huge grin making the worst of us perk up. Every day, Abdur-rahman makes sure school kids, city-workers, and elderly pensioners get to where they need to be. School, the office, hospital appointments. He ignores the rude comments, the terrorist jokes, and the poor imitations of his Algerian accent, replying only with laughter and polite conversation. He arranges his breaks around prayer. Abdur-rahman is underappreciated, but his God-given value deserves amplification.