Author: Mufti Obaidullah Noorzahi
Crises of Liberalism in the Contemporary World (Part 18)
Dimensions of Freedom According to the Holy Qur’an
One of the clear distinctions between divine religions and human ideologies regarding freedom is that in non-religious legal schools, a person is only considered in relation to other individuals and is held accountable solely for respecting the rights of others. However, in divine religions—especially in Islam—before a person is held responsible for the rights of others, they are accountable for their own rights. Before one can recognize the rights of others or even their own rights in relation to others, they must first be able to perceive and understand their own rights in relation to themselves. Accordingly, in the Qur’anic perspective, human rights are first and foremost discussed within the internal structure of a person’s being, before they are addressed in the context of individual-society relations. A person must first be concerned with inner freedom before striving for external freedom, for those who remain slaves within can never be free in the outside world.
Inner Freedom:
The Qur’an, in addition to acknowledging the existence of a soul (Rūḥ) in the human being, considers the human being as possessing three faculties: the commanding self (Nafs al-Ammārah), the blaming self (Nafs al-Lawwāmah), and the tranquil self (Nafs al-Muṭma’innah). Among these, the commanding self is so named because it issues commands and seeks to dominate all aspects of a person’s being, demanding that no will or choice be expressed contrary to its desires.
The Holy Qur’an refers to those who blindly follow their commanding self as individuals who have taken their desires as their deity: “أَفَرَأَيْتَ مَنِ اتَّخَذَ إِلهَهُ هَواهُ وَأَضَلَّهُ الله عَلى عِلْمٍ وَخَتَمَ عَلى سَمْعِهِ وَقَلْبِهِ وَجَعَلَ عَلى بَصَرِهِ غِشاوَةً” Translation: “Have you seen the one who takes his own desire as his god? Allah has knowingly led him astray and has set a seal upon his hearing and his heart, and placed a veil upon his sight.”
Overcoming the demands of the commanding and animalistic self and liberating oneself from its dominance is a significant stage in the process of human freedom. This lies within the domain of negative freedom, which means breaking the chains and bonds of base desires. As a result, the rational self is freed from the grip of the animal self, and the civil self is liberated from the savage self. (1)
After this liberation, unruly instincts such as anger, lust, ignorance, envy, greed, and egotism can no longer rule over a person. Such a free individual, acting on the basis of reason and rational will, seeks personal benefit and interest within a free space and chooses the path of happiness, development, well-being, and peace.
External Freedom:
A person’s freedom in relation to others takes on various forms based on different aspects of life, dignity, and social context, and can be categorized into individual, social, political, and international freedoms.
Individual Freedoms:
Individual freedom means that people have no right to harm one another in terms of physical and emotional health, spouses, children, property, wealth, dignity, status, and personal or family secrets. Much of what falls under civil law and a significant part of criminal law pertain to individual freedoms, which Islam acknowledges and upholds. Among them are:
1.Right to ownership for both men and women, and the right of every person to benefit from their own achievements: “لِّلرِّجَالِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبُواْ وَلِلنِّسَآءِ نَصِيبٌ مِّمَّا اكْتَسَبْنَ وَاسْأَلُواْ الله مِن فَضْلِهِ” Translation: “Men shall have a share of what they earn, and women shall have a share of what they earn. And ask Allah of His grace.” (2)
2.Respect for the social and human dignity of both men and women, and even of different social groups, must be preserved. The Qur’an states: “يا أَيُّهَا الَّذينَ آمَنُوا لا يَسْخَرْ قَوْمٌ مِنْ قَوْمٍ عَسى أَنْ يَكُونُوا خَيْراً مِنْهُمْ وَ لا نِساءٌ مِنْ نِساءٍ عَسى أَنْ يَكُنَّ خَيْراً مِنْهُنَّ وَ لا تَلْمِزُوا أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَ لا تَنابَزُوا بِالْأَلْقابِ بِئْسَ الاِسْمُ الْفُسُوقُ بَعْدَ الْإيمانِ وَ مَنْ لَمْ يَتُبْ فَأُولئِكَ هُمُ الظَّالِمُونَ” Translation: “O you who believe! Let not some men ridicule others—it may be that they are better than them—nor let some women ridicule others—it may be that they are better than them. Do not defame one another, nor insult one another with nicknames. How evil it is to be called wicked after having faith. And whoever does not repent, they are the wrongdoers.” (3)
3.Spiritual dignity, purity, and the presumption of innocence for all individuals, and the prohibition of baseless suspicion, spying, and defamation: “يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا اجْتَنِبُوا كَثِيراً مِنَ الظَّنِّ إِنَّ بَعْضَ الظَّنِّ إِثْمٌ وَلا تَجَسَّسُوا وَلا يَغْتَبْ بَعْضُكُمْ بَعْضاً أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ لَحْمَ أَخِيهِ مَيْتاً فَكَرِهْتُمُوهُ وَاتَّقُوا الله إِنَّ الله تَوَّابٌ رَحِيمٌ” Translation: “O you who believe! Avoid much suspicion, for some suspicion is sinful. And do not spy, nor backbite one another. Would any of you like to eat the flesh of his dead brother? You would detest it! And fear Allah; indeed, Allah is Most Accepting of repentance, Most Merciful.” (4)
4.Right to life and the severe prohibition of violating this right: “وَمَنْ يَقْتُلْ مُؤْمِناً مُتَعَمِّداً فَجَزاؤُهُ جَهَنَّمُ خالِداً فِيها وَغَضِبَ الله عَلَيْهِ وَلَعَنَهُ وَأَعَدَّ لَهُ عَذاباً عَظِيماً” Translation: “And whoever kills a believer intentionally—his recompense is Hell, to abide therein forever. And the wrath and curse of Allah are upon him, and He has prepared for him a great punishment.” (5)
There are many more verses in the Qur’an that address individual rights. However, from these examples alone, one can conclude that—contrary to the assumption of some legal schools—in the Islamic worldview, rights, ethics, human values, and ideological beliefs are inseparable components.
Continues…
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References:
[1] – Surah Al-Jathiyah, Verse: 23
[2] – Surah An-Nisa, Verse: 32
[3] – Surah Al-Hujurat, Verse: 11
[4] – Surah Al-Hujurat, Verse: 12
[5] – Surah An-Nisa, Verse: 93
