Freedom in Islam is defined as acting within the bounds of what is
permissible, without infringing upon the rights of others. This is governed by
Islamic law (Sharia) and its commands and prohibitions, which aim to bring
about good and avert evil. Alternatively, it is defined as "the
permissibility that enables a person to act in accordance with their will, in
any sphere of action and through any form of expression."
Freedom in Islam is a divine obligation, a religious duty, and a legal
obligation. It is not a right that a Muslim can relinquish at will. Freedom in
Islam is life, while slavery is death. Freeing a slave (emancipating their
neck) brings them from a state of virtual death to life. The expiation for
unintentional killing is freeing a slave. This means that when a killer kills
unintentionally, they remove themselves from the realm of the living.
Therefore, to return to the realm of the living, they must do so by restoring
life to a slave through emancipation or manumission, in accordance with the
words of God. Almighty: "It is not for a believer to kill a believer
except (that it be) by mistake, and whosoever kills a believer by mistake, (it
is ordained that) he must set free a believing slave, and a compensation (blood
money, i.e., Diya) be given to the deceased's family, unless they remit it. If
the deceased belonged to a people at war with you and he was a believer, the
freeing of a believing slave is prescribed, and if he belonged to a people with
whom you have a treaty of mutual alliance, compensation (blood money—Diya) must
be paid to his family, and a believing slave must be freed. And whoso finds
this (the penance of freeing a slave) beyond his means must fast for two
consecutive months in order to seek repentance from Allah. And Allah is Ever
All-Knowing, All-Wise." (Surat An-Nisa 4:92). Islam prohibited slavery and
abolished all the sources and tributaries that fed the swamp of slavery, unlike
what was happening in the Arabian Peninsula and the Roman and Persian empires
before Islam, where slavery was a pillar of their economic and social system,
and slaves were the international currency of the economy at that time. Islam
encouraged people to free slaves and even made it a legitimate use of public
funds, Muslims' charity and zakat, and an expiation for many sins. It also
established laws that ensured equality between slaves and their masters in
food, drink, and clothing, and emphasized good treatment and easing their
workload.
The Holy Quran gave freedom the same importance as other moral values,
as in God Almighty's words to our Prophet Muhammad: "So remind, [O
Muhammad]; you are only a reminder 21. You are not over them a controller"
(surat Al-Ghashiyah 88:21-22); and in His words: "We know best what they
say, and you (O Muhammad SAW) are not a tyrant over them (to force them to
belief)." But warn, by the Quran, him who fears My Threat. (Surat Qaf:
45); and in His words: “Those who follow the Messenger, the unlettered prophet,
whom they find written in what they have of the Torah and the Gospel, who
enjoins upon them what is right and forbids them what is wrong and makes lawful
for them the good things and prohibits for them the evil and relieves them of
their burden and the shackles which were upon them. So they who have believed
in him, honored him, supported him, and followed the light that was sent down
with him—it is those who will be the successful.” (Surat Al-A'raf: 157); and in
His words: “There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the right path has
become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes
in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never
break. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.” (Surat Al-Baqarah: 256); and in
His words: “For you is your religion, and for me is my religion” (Surat
Al-Kafirun: 6). All these verses come to emphasize that the call to Islam is a
call devoid of coercion or compulsion, a call whose essence is freedom of
belief. The call of Islam, in its foundations, came only to liberate humanity
from all tyrants who deprive them of will, freedom, and choice, and to
establish servitude to God alone, as stated in His words, the Exalted: “Say (O
Muhammad (Peace be upon him)): "He is Allah, (the) One. 1 Allah-us-Samad
(The Self-Sufficient Master, Whom all creatures need; He neither eats nor
drinks) 2 He begets not, nor was He begotten, 3 and there is none co-equal or
comparable unto Him" (Surat Al-Ikhlas: 1-4), and His saying: "Worship
Allah and join none with Him in worship, and do good to parents, kinsfolk,
orphans, Al-Masakin (the poor), the neighbor who is near of kin, the neighbor
who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet), and
those (slaves) whom your right hands possess. Verily, Allah does not like such
as are proud and boastful” (Surat An-Nisa 4:36).
Islam called for freedom of criticism and review of texts that mandate
enjoining good and forbidding evil, as Allah Almighty said: “Let there arise
out of you a group of people inviting to all that is good (Islam), enjoining
Al-Ma'ruf (i.e., Islamic Monotheism and all that Islam orders one to do) and
forbidding Al-Munkar (polytheism and disbelief and all that Islam has
forbidden). And it is they who are the successful.” (Surat Al Imran 3:104) It
also set limits for freedom of criticism so that people would not overstep
them, as Allah Almighty said: “And know that among you is the Messenger of
Allah. If he were to obey you in much of the matter, you would be in
difficulty, but Allah has endeared to you the faith and has made it pleasing in
your hearts and has made hateful to you disbelief, defiance, and disobedience.
Those are the [rightly] guided.” (Surat Al-Hujuraat 49:7) As for the procedural
criticism from the hypocrites who opposed the Prophet, it was not hidden and
was quite widespread until Allah Almighty revealed: “If the hypocrites, and
those in whose hearts is a disease (evil desire for adultery, etc.), and those
who spread false news among the people in Al-Madinah, cease not, We shall
certainly let you overpower them, then they will not be able to stay in it as
your neighbors but a little while.” (Surat Al-Ahzab, 60). And His saying, may
He be glorified and exalted: “And among them are some who criticize you
concerning the [distribution of] charities. If they are given from them, they
approve; but if they are not given from them, at once they become angry.”
(Surat At-Tawbah, 58). And His saying, may He be glorified and exalted: “But
no, by your Lord, they will not [truly] believe until they make you, [O
Muhammad], judge concerning that over which they dispute among themselves and
then find within themselves no discomfort from what you have judged and submit
in [full, willing] submission.” (Surat An-Nisa, 65).
Freedom in Islam is limited by a set of controls to prevent it from
descending into chaos. The most important of these are not threatening public
order, not harming others, not neglecting the common good, and being bound by
what is permissible and forbidden. Freedom of buying and selling is available.
Freedom of thought is available, but without infringing upon the beliefs of
others or violating people's honor.
Islam also restricts the freedom to misuse money by prohibiting giving
money to the foolish, as God Almighty says: "And do not give the
weak-minded your property, which Allah has made a means of sustenance for you,
but provide for them with it and clothe them and speak to them words of
appropriate kindness" (Surat An-Nisa 4:5). The prohibition is due to
mismanagement and the use of money for corruption and wrongdoing and for
anything that brings harm to the foolish, to Islam, and to Muslims.
During the time of the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon
him, Medina was characterized by freedom of dialogue, criticism, and review
from all Muslims, both the powerful and the weak, as in the saying of the
Messenger of God, peace and blessings be upon him: “Religion is sincere
advice.” We said, “To whom?” He said, “To God, His Book, His Messenger, the
leaders of the Muslims, and their general public.” (Narrated by Tamim al-Dari;
Source: Sahih Muslim). And in what was narrated on the authority of Jarir ibn
Abdullah: “I pledged allegiance to the Messenger of God, peace and blessings be
upon him, on the testimony that there is no god but God and that Muhammad is
the Messenger of God, on establishing prayer, on paying zakat, and on listening
and obeying.” And giving sincere advice to every Muslim” (Narrator: Jarir bin
Abdullah; Source: Sahih al-Bukhari). The freedom of criticism and review
included private and public actions and even administrative measures. An
example of this is the strong opposition of our master Umar bin al-Khattab to
the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah that was concluded with the Quraysh in the sixth year
of the Hijra, and he said, “By God, I have never doubted since I embraced Islam
except on that day, so I came to the Prophet, may God bless him and grant him
peace, and said, ‘O Messenger of God, are you not truly the Prophet of God? Are
we not on the right path and our enemy on the wrong path? So why should we
accept humiliation in our religion and return before God has judged between us
and our enemies?” (Zad al-Ma’ad). Some people criticized the appointment of
Usama ibn Zayd as commander of the army going to conquer Syria, as he was
young, not yet seventeen years old. When the Messenger of God learned of this,
he responded to their criticism, as narrated by Abdullah ibn Umar, who said,
“The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, appointed Usama
as commander of a group of people, and they criticized his appointment. He
said, ‘If you criticize his appointment, then you criticized the appointment of
his father before him. By God, he was worthy of command, and he was one of the
people dearest to me, and this one is one of the people dearest to me after
him.’” (Narrator: Abdullah ibn Umar (Source: Sahih al-Bukhari); and the Ansar's
criticism of the policy regarding the distribution of the spoils of Hunayn
after the Battle of Autas, and the Prophet's (peace and blessings be upon him)
appeasement of them in a scene that history will not witness again. What
happened in the incident of the division of the spoils of Hawazin is an example
of the freedom of criticism recorded in history, despite its excesses and
fabrications. Jabir bin Abdullah said regarding this incident: “The Messenger
of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, was at Al-Ji’ranah, distributing
gold and spoils of war, and he was in Bilal’s lap. A man said, ‘Be just, O
Muhammad, for you have not been just.’ He said, ‘Woe to you! Who will be just
after me if I am not?’ Umar said, ‘Leave me, O Messenger of God, until I strike
the neck of this hypocrite.’ The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant
him peace, said, ‘This man is among companions or friends of his who recite the
Qur’an, but it does not go beyond their throats. They pass through the religion
as an arrow passes through its target.’” (Narrator: Jabir bin Abdullah; Source:
Sahih Ibn Majah). Islam has given man freedom of thought, freedom of speech,
and freedom of action, but without causing harm or being harmed, as the
Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: “There should be
no harm nor reciprocation of harm.” (Narrated by: Abu Saeed Saad bin Sinan
Al-Khudri; Source: Muwatta Malik).
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