Author: Muhammad Dawood Yusufi Eshaqzahi
Islam and Democracy (Part 46)
The Essence of Islamic and Western Freedom
The essence of freedom in Islam is that a person is liberated from the chains of his own desires and from servitude to others, whereas freedom in the West is, in reality, a form of enslavement to the self and Satan and a form of servitude and bondage to something other than Allah (SWT).
From the perspective of the Islamic worldview, the human being is endowed with great potential and, through spiritual and moral development, can attain the highest levels of perfection and growth. If a person obeys and worships Allah (SWT) and places himself under His command, he attains his true dignity and worth, and all paths toward growth and perfection are opened to him.
In reality, divine obligations have been prescribed to lead human beings toward the highest degrees of perfection and eternal happiness. Conversely, if a person refuses to accept these obligations and turns away from servitude to Allah (SWT), he will, in reality, become a captive of his own desires and a follower of Satan. This condition confines a person within the limitations of nature and prevents him from progressing toward growth and perfection. Therefore, the essence of Islamic freedom is that a person is liberated from the chains of his desires and from servitude to other human beings, whereas Western freedom is presented here as resembling, in practice, a form of bondage to the self and Satan.
The Islamic Perspective on Freedom
In Islam, freedom is a divine blessing that gives a person the opportunity to choose the path to happiness and success. Islam conveys a message of freedom that, by removing obstacles and providing suitable conditions, makes the path toward human happiness and perfection easier.
The Islamic system seeks to remove both external and internal obstacles:
-
External obstacles: Liberation from the domination of oppressive governments and tyrannical powers.
-
Internal obstacles: Greed, excessive desire, and the unrestricted pursuit of passions.
Nothing enslaves a person as much as his passions and desires. If a person becomes a captive of his own desires, he will neither have the ability to perform good deeds nor be able to refrain from wrongful and destructive actions. This is the worst form of bondage.
In contrast, when a person attains inner freedom through religion, performing good deeds and abandoning evil become easier for him. Inner freedom is the foundation of true freedom because it gives a person the ability to control his desires.
The Problem with Western Thought
Western schools of thought, in their approach to freedom, focus primarily on removing visible obstacles, such as overthrowing oppressive governments. At the same time, however, they encourage human desires and passions and do not provide people with the ability to control themselves. This situation can lead a person to humiliation before false powers and forces of domination.
The Value of Freedom in Islam
Since freedom in the Western style is presented here as having neither a fundamental basis nor a logical justification, no one is willing to make sacrifices for it. In contrast, Islamic freedom is a divine matter; therefore, every Muslim regards it as his duty to accept and preserve it, as Allah (SWT) has commanded.
From the Islamic perspective, freedom has three fundamental values:
-
Freedom is a divine blessing that must be preserved within the framework of Sharia.
-
Preserving and defending freedom is a religious duty.
-
The legitimate limits of freedom are determined according to divine rulings.
The Balance Between Law and Freedom
Another fundamental difference between Islam and the West lies in the area of laws and the limits of freedom.
In practice, no society has absolute freedom:
-
Laws are necessary for maintaining social order.
-
Every law naturally restricts some aspect of freedom.
The Western Legal Framework
-
Law primarily regulates social affairs.
-
The government is responsible for preventing conflicts, but it does not concern itself with individuals’ moral deviations.
-
If a person becomes captive to his passions, this is not regarded as a matter for government intervention.
The Islamic Legal Framework
-
Enslavement to one’s desires is, from the Islamic perspective, a source of human misery, not freedom.
-
Islam seeks to enable people to make decisions on the basis of reason, free will, and religious values.
-
Individuals do not have the right to endanger the worldly and spiritual interests of society merely because of their personal desires.
To be continued…
