Based on our understanding of the Quran and Sunnah, the Islamic Labour Code is the prototype legal instrument, ready for adoption or adaptation by governments in Muslim countries as well as progressive enterprises worldwide, willing to embed Islamic teachings in their organizational cultures.
Of the 3.5 billion individuals that comprise the global labour force, nearly 800 million are Muslim. Most of these workers are living and working in OIC countries, the 57-member block of Muslim countries. While Constitutions in these countries do refer to Islam and Islamic principles, the state of labour rights, even de jure, is dismal. This is particularly worrying as labour law is the only legal field encompassing the full spectrum of life, from birth (maternity and paternity leave for parents) to childhood (prohibition on child labour and regulation of apprenticeships) and adulthood (working conditions and old-age pensions) to demise (funeral grants and survivors’ benefits).