Work between Obligation and Right in Muslim Culture: Is There a Paradigm Shift?

The paper starts from the premise that the revolutions in the countries of the so-called Arab Spring (2011 and onwards) brought about an important shift in the understanding of right and duty. This trend is related to the transformation of the relationship of the ruler and the ruled in those countries as well as in the perception of work ethics. Whereas the systems of these countries have consistently considered work as a duty of citizens and encouraged them to work hard for the development and prospering of the state, these popular movements have transformed work from a duty and responsibility on the shoulders of the individual into a right of the individual that can be claimed from the state, which is trying to evade its responsibilities – including the duty to provide job opportunities for its citizens. The researcher does not claim to present a comprehensive outline of the topic; this is rather a preliminary approach that deserves further study and analysis. What happened is not necessarily caused by direct contact with the “West” or being influenced by “Western” political philosophy, as we can find hints and origins for this transformation in both classical and modern Islamic moral thought. This paper presents examples of the relationship of right and duty from different historical periods.