People with special needs are not disabled

We are always exhorted by our Islamic religion to select beautiful names and nicknames and avoid terms that might hurt the feelings of others. Allah Almighty commanded us to do so when He said in Surat Al Hujurat: “O you who have believed, let not a people ridicule [another] people; perhaps they may be better than them; nor let women ridicule [other] women; perhaps they may be better than them. And do not insult one another and do not call each other by [offensive] nicknames. Wretched is the name of disobedience after [one’s] faith. And whoever does not repent – then it is those who are the wrongdoers.”

Our Prophet (PBUH) also commanded us in many traditions to avoid using any words or doing any actions that involve contempt of people. He further urged us not to envy, hate and look down to one another.

Likewise, Islam urges us to call people by the names and nicknames they most like.

Individuals with special needs are regarded as a significant and effective part in the society and play a key role in building their country and accomplishing successive achievements for the name of their country to be high in the various assemblies and areas. Recently, the word “disabled” has been repeatedly used when talking about those with special needs or anything of concern to them. Actually, this world may leave a negative impact on them and hurt their feelings, particularly when the person concerned is a child. This is because the word may be firmly established in the child’s mind and stuck in his/her memory, remaining with him/her until he/she grows older, which may lead to a negative effect on his/her social relations.

A positive attribute such as “individuals with special needs” or “individuals with difficulty” gives a good and comfortable impression to the person who suffers from a dysfunction in some organs of his/her body and causes him/her to feel that he/she is an integral part of the society, an efficient and productive person and that what he/she suffers from does not hinder him/her from making progress and advancing towards achieving such accomplishments that many of his able-bodied peers have failed to make.

A lot of individuals with special needs possess talents and qualities that can be developed and crystallized, enabling them to integrate into the society and make achievements that serve their country and society. Likewise, many individuals with special needs may outdo many members of the society in this field of activity because a disabled person is he/she who has something wrong in his/her morals and not who suffers from a disease, injury or damage in one of his/her organs that he/she has had nothing to do with and has played no role in causing it to happen.