Author: Mufti Obaidullah Noorzahi
Crises of Liberalism in the Contemporary World (Part 16)
Freedom in the Quran
Whenever one refers to Islamic texts and traditions to understand view of Islam of human rights, including freedom, which is itself part of the general issue of a person’s relationship with himself, Allah, others, and society, the truth is revealed that the rights and right to freedom in Islam, both from a depth perspective and from a perspective of inclusion are superior to the materialist and liberalist perspective. Approaching this reality requires a pause and reflection, albeit brief, on the Islamic legal system.
In Islamic teachings, the relationship between man and Allah Almighty is not limited to this relationship; rather, man’s responsibility towards himself, other humans, and even nature is addressed in a general and sometimes detailed manner. It seems that the expression of religion is the expression of obligation and duty; but considering that duties, especially in the field of human relations with each other, place legal rights and obligations on both sides, and duty is the same “Mutual rights”; Therefore, Islamic teachings and knowledge can be considered a mixture of rights and duties; even in the case of human beings’ relationship with Allah Almighty, although the status of being a creator and a creature entails the status of being a possessor and a subject, and it requires that religion for Allah Almighty be nothing but a divine duty and His rights over humans and creatures. However, Allah Himself has mentioned rights for humans and Himself in His revealed and Quranic teachings, such as verses:
«كَتَبَ عَلى نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ.» Translation: “He has decreed mercy upon Himself”. [1]
And: «كَتَبَ رَبُّكُمْ عَلى نَفْسِهِ الرَّحْمَةَ.» Translation: “Your Lord has prescribed mercy for Himself”. [2]
The necessity of mercy for creation is indicated as a right of creation over the Creator. On the one hand, the Holy Quran repeatedly affirms the right of man to benefit from nature: “وَ سَخَّرَ لَكُمْ ما فِي السَّماواتِ وَ ما فِي الْأَرْضِ” Translation: “And He has subjected to you all that is in the heavens and all that is on the earth.” [3]
“وَ هُوَ الَّذي سَخَّرَ الْبَحْرَ لِتَأْكُلُوا مِنْهُ لَحْماً طَرِيًّا وَ تَسْتَخْرِجُوا مِنْهُ حِلْيَةً تَلْبَسُونَها وَ تَرَى الْفُلْكَ مَواخِرَ فيهِ وَ لِتَبْتَغُوا مِنْ فَضْلِهِ” Translation: “He tamed the sea so that you can eat fresh meat from it and bring out ornaments and adorn yourself with it and see the ships that split the sea and move forward; To seek sustenance from the grace of Allah.” [4]
“وَكُلُوا مِمَّا رَزَقَكُمُ الله حَلالاً طَيِّباً” Translation: “Eat from the lawful and clean things that God has provided for you”. [5]
“كُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا مِنْ رِزْقِ الله” Translation: “Eat and drink of the provision of Allah.”[6]
On the other hand, the right to development and prosperity, to protect the environment, to make optimal use of nature, and to avoid excess, waste, and destruction of nature are emphasized as rights of man from nature: “هُوَ أَنْشَأَكُمْ مِنَ الْأَرْضِ وَ اسْتَعْمَرَكُمْ فيها” Translation: “He created you from the earth and made you dwell therein.” [7]
“كُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا مِنْ رِزْقِ الله وَ لا تَعْثَوْا فِي الْأَرْضِ مُفْسِدينَ” Translation: “Eat and drink from the provision of Allah and do not be corrupt on the earth.” [8]
“وَ كُلُوا وَ اشْرَبُوا وَ لا تُسْرِفُوا إِنَّهُ لا يُحِبُّ الْمُسْرِفينَ” Translation: “Eat and drink, but do not be extravagant, for Allah does not love the extravagant”. [9]
The relationship of man with himself and the rights he has over himself are evident from the following verses: “يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اسْتَجِيبُوا لِله وَلِلرَّسُولِ إِذا دَعاكُمْ لِما يُحْيِيكُمْ” Translation: “O you who believe! Respond to Allah and His Messenger when they call you to that which will give you life.” [10]
“قَدْ أَفْلَحَ مَنْ زَكَّاها ﴿۹﴾ وَ قَدْ خابَ مَنْ دَسَّاها(۱۰)” Translation: “Whoever strives to purify it (the soul) is successful, and whoever is contaminated by its filth is disappointed.” [11]
These verses indicate that man is responsible to himself and has a right (i.e., his human identity and truth) to provide the means of his life, vitality, exaltation, perfection, and liberation, and to free himself from the shackles and chains of impurity, as the texts of divine revelation also state: “وَ أَمْرُهُمْ شُورى بَيْنَهُمْ” Translation: “And their affairs are in the form of consultation among themselves.” [12]
“وَ شاوِرْهُمْ فِي الْأَمْرِ”Translation: “And consult them in matters.” [13]
These verses also state the political and social rights and freedoms of humans in their relationships with each other.
Definition of Freedom in the Quran
The definition of freedom as “freedom from worshipping other than Allah”, which is derived from the most fundamental Islamic slogan: «لا اله الاّ الله» Translation: “There is no god but Allah”, can express Islamic view of freedom well due to its conceptual and semantic richness and is consistent with the Islamic legal system in terms of depth and scope. This definition refers to two types of negative and positive freedom. In the first step, a person must free himself from the shackles and bonds of everything that has taken his soul and body into captivity, slavery and servitude, and in the next step, by reason, intelligence and awareness, he must choose his belief, creed, religion and the right way of life, individual, social and political, and be the owner of his own political and social destiny.
According to the Quran, freedom in this sense has been the mainstay of the mission of all divine prophets and messengers: “وَ لَقَدْ بَعَثْنا في كُلِّ أُمَّةٍ رَسُولاً أَنِ اعْبُدُوا الله وَ اجْتَنِبُوا الطَّاغُوتَ” Translation: “We have sent among every nation a messenger to worship Allah and avoid the Taught (false gods)”. [14]
The word “taghut”, which is used eight times in the Quran, has a common meaning with the word “Ilah”. “Ilah” means a deity and something that is worshipped; whether it is a true deity, such as Allah, or false, such as idols and other objects and phenomena that are worshipped; but “Taghut” refers only to false gods, as well as tyrants and violators of human rights who enslave people to the point of worship. Imam Raghib (may Allah bless him) says in Mufradat: “Taghut means every transgressor and every deity other than Allah that is worshipped.” Accordingly, the Quran has described the Pharaoh of the time of Moses (peace be upon him), who enslaved the Israelites and violated their human rights, as a Taught and his way of dealing with the Israelites as rebellion: “اذْهَبْ إِلى فِرْعَوْنَ إِنَّهُ طَغى” Translation: “Hurry to Pharaoh, for he has rebelled.” [15]
Freedom in Islam means that man, in his extensive relations with Allah, himself, nature, and other human beings, submits only to the worship and obedience of Allah Almighty; because He is the Creator and Owner of man; but in relation to others than Allah, man must, on the one hand, respect the rights of others and, on the other hand, must not accept captivity, slavery, and servitude to nature (money and wealth), other human beings, and sensual desires; rather, he must be the ruler of his own destiny with free will and seek the path to happiness and perfection in the light of will, choice, and rationality that has been helped by revelation.
In the Islamic-Quranic perspective, man, due to his creative and natural freedom, can choose any belief, profession, and way of life; but in this choice and freedom, he sometimes stumbles and makes mistakes, and despite clear signs, some environmental, cultural, moral, and political factors prevent him from living in the space of truth and freedom. For this reason, solutions have been sent down for how man can use creative freedom. The function of these solutions is nothing more than helping human intellect and wisdom in rational areas and guiding it from irrational areas. Such a function not only does not lead to the restriction of freedom; but also leads to the development of freedom and its optimal understanding.
This feature is not limited to Islamic schools and thought, every human society passes laws to control and guide the individual and social freedoms of citizens and prevent chaos and conflict of various desires. The difference between Islamic thought and other laws that have human origins is that the origin of religion and its solutions are superhuman and immune to shortcomings.
Continues…
Previous Part/ Next Part
References:
1. Surah Al-Hadid, verse: 25.
2. Surah An’am, verse: 12.
3. Surah Al-Jathiyah, verse: 13.
4. Surah Al-Nahr, verse: 14.
5. Surah Al-Nahr, verse: 14.
6. Surah Al-Baqarah, verse: 60.
7. Surah Hud, verse: 61.
8. Surah Al-Baqarah, verse: 66.
9. Surah Al-A’raf, verse: 31.
10. Surah Anfal, verse: 14.
11. Surah Shams, verse: 9-10.
12. Surah Al-Shora, verse: 38.
13. Surah Al-Imran, verse: 159.
14. Surah Al-Nahl, verse: 36.
15. Surah Al-Naze’at, verse: 17.
