Outlines
1. Introduction
Every sort of labor is respectable
All types of labor contribute to the survival
2. Labor as a manual work
No alternative to working with hands
Labor as innovation in discoveries
3. History of manual work
Ancient people denigrated the value of manual labor
The modern era enlightened the grace of manual workers
4. Value of working with hands
Nations prosper by accepting the worth of manual workers
Variety of manual labor provides a variety of requirements
5. Respect of skilled workers
Holy Prophet (PBUH) teaches us to manual labor
Examples of hard works of Quaid-e-Azam
6. Labor as the satisfaction of the human soul
Not form of labor but intentions matter
Meaningful labor is personally enriched
7. Conclusion
“Dignity of Labor”
The dignity of work can be defined as value and respect given to all forms of labor and work. It means the jobs related to manual labor should be given equal priorities and manual workers should be given equal rights to other workers. The first disobedience of Adam was eating the fruit of the forbidden tree which brought him the curse of the Lord. The curse was to the effect that man was ordered to earn his bread with his sweat and blood. Supposing some sort of labor as demeaning work is a hateful sense of human status. All types of labor equally contribute to the welfare and development of society. There passed a time when slaves were bought and sold openly in the market. In this way, their dignity was lost and they were forced to perform all sorts of hard works. Then time changed and now people are living in the independent and democratic era.
Labor as a manual work:
There is no alternative to working with hands. We cannot survive until we utilize our abilities. Although man is prior of all creatures in the world he cannot live without earning his bread. Nobody can bring him livelihood by waving a magic wand.
Generally, we mean working with hands is the definition of labor. Manual labor or working with hands is considered an inferior sort of work. In this world, nothing can be achieved without labor. Labor and industry contributed to the development of civilization. When we discuss basic human rights labor class is not enjoying the rights as white collared people and merchants. Even educated ones do not appreciate this class’s efforts. Only those people are preferred who own high profiled jobs. These so-called educated and civilized people do not even think that where the world would stand if no one worked.
“Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration” Abraham Lincoln
Labor is important for making innovations and changes. If after the discovery of the wheel no one has worked for making engines then we will still have been traveling on animals. Or after the discovery of the power of steam, if no one had worked to make a steam engine then what is the use of discovery of steam power? If there were no one to plow the fields, there would have been no crops. As the result, we would have been facing a scarcity of food. If an engineer is important for making buildings drawings then mason is also of equal or even more important for giving a proper shape to this drawing.
History of manual work:
Prosperity and development of nations depend on works done by its masses. If masses live their lives like Lotus-eaters, not only development is possible but also they would not survive long. No pain, no gain is the secret of all the developed nations. Depreciating manual labor is said and shameful act of current society. There is a vast history of people who denigrated the worth of manual labor and tried to tarnish the dignity of labor with hand. But time changed and people are now more modern and enlightened with the power of respect and status befitting to all kinds of labor. The sad image of the story is that this respect and honor of manual labor is still being denied in most parts of the world. Hence this is not a worldwide concept and laborers are still looked down on by upper-class society.
“From the depth of need and despair, people can work together, can organize themselves to solve their own problems and fill their own needs with dignity and strength.” Cesar Chavez
The major cause of retardation in our country is that we do not appreciate our labor. That’s why people are forced to work in European and other developed states. They are still laborers in those countries but the main difference is that they are not treated with disregard by the people of those countries. However, they get good perks in those countries and decent benefits in return for their efforts. If we are willing to earn a good status in the view of other nations then we should give equal rights and benefits to the labor class as well. This is the only way of improving our economy.
Also, Labors should understand their worth and should not be ashamed of their manual work. Manual work bears equal importance as others do.
Value of working with hands:
The reality is that no community, society, or human can survive without manual labor. No nation can prosper without accepting the worth of farmers, industrial workers, masons, and minors who try to make day-to-day life possible. All of these manual labor are the key factors of making prosper and developed society. Every sort of labor is sacred whether it is manual, menial, or mental if it is done with honesty and truthfulness.
A human being is superior to all the creatures just because of their ability to work and power to think. Human is prior because of their capability of differentiating between good and bad. We are provided with all the things naturally like fruits, vegetables, air, and a lot of other blessings but not in a usable form. These blessings become functional with agriculture, industries, trading, and transformation. All these activities are interlinked and the common feature of all these kinds of transformation is labor. We require farmers, constructers, and industrial employees. Without these manual workers, we would not be able to survive like if farmers are not available there would be a scarcity of food. So we should be thankful to these entire professionals and laborers that become sources of providing us blessings of Almighty in proper form. In fact, all of this manual labor is the reason for our existence. This variety of manual labor provides a variety of our requirements. So this is just a distribution of labor that helps us to survive. Labor is labor, whether we are working while sitting in a cabin or on roads both, are interlinked with each other. This chain and cycle are important to be continued for our existence.
When it comes to human dignity, we cannot make compromises. Angela Merkel
Respect of skilled workers:
Our role model and biggest motivation for all mankind Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) teach us to work hard and present a lot of examples by His deeds in which he worked with his hands. He (PBUH) is a messenger of Allah Almighty still he used to mend his shoe with his own hands. Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) never hesitated to sew a patch of his shirt by himself. He (PBUH) used to milk his goats and get water from the well. In the battle of khandaq he participated in digging moat by himself that is why this battle is known as Ghazwa Khandaq.
The Holy Prophet (PBUH) said: “Your brothers are your servants whom ALLAH has made your subordinate, he should give them to eat for what he himself eats and wear for what he himself wears and do not put on the burden of any labor which may exhaust them”
Our industrious hero Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah once said:
“Work, work and work”
He used to work from day to night and for the independence of Muslims. His sister, Fatima Jinnah used to advise hos to take care of his health and reduce the amount of work. He used to smile over and reply:
“If the leaders of the nation will not work, who else will?”
Labor as the satisfaction of human soul:
Labor has several forms but all of them have been organized in manual and intellectual labor. Both of them bear equal rights and no one is inferior or superior to the other. Meaningful work and labor can be defined that is personally enriched and contributing positively. We all are responsible for our deeds and we are answerable to Lord in the end. So it is not the manual or mental work that is inferior or superior but it is the work done with which sort of intention.
“Your profession is not what brings home your weekly paycheck, your profession is what you’re put here on earth to do, with such passion and such intensity that it becomes spiritual in calling.” Vincent Van Gogh
If labor is working manually with his pure intentions then no doubt he is superior to all of the mental and intellectual labors as well. So, the aim and designation of doings is the major factor about which we should be careful.
Conclusion:
The dignity of labor means all occupations and professions whether based on intellectual or physical labor should enjoy equal rights and place in society. All the occupations are compounded to make societies prosper and develop. So it is concluded that there is no work and job inferior or superior. All sorts of labor are important for the survival of humankind. Every dutiful worker and every job being done with honesty and sincerity should be appreciated. Regardless of the concept of manual or mental labor, every job deserves honor and respect. We should understand that fellow beings are working to support society and their families as well. So we should not consider any job or labor as insignificant.