An Overview Of Freedom Which Is A Core Islamic Principle And A Prerequisite For Human Dignity - Part – 2
By Kaniz Fatma, New Age Islam
24 May 2023
Understanding the Concept of Freedom, a Fundamental Islamic
Value
Main Points
1.
Islam
emphasised freedom in its teachings and granted it to its followers, making it
the first and most important turning point in human history.
2.
Understanding
the underlying causes of the French Revolution is essential for understanding
freedom.
3.
Thinkers
have different views on the concept of freedom.
4.
Slavery
is the most obvious opposition to freedom.
5.
Tyranny
is the worst issue facing any country.
6.
Rousseau
divided freedom into four types: Natural, Civil, Political and Moral.
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Freedom, which is also what humanity most needs, is
one of the greatest gifts of Islam. Islamic perspective on freedom was
therefore clear-cut and straightforward from the beginning. Islam not only
emphasised freedom in its teachings but also granted it to its followers. What
is the meaning of the word "freedom"? What is the purpose of freedom,
and what are its tenets? What are the demands on freedom and its requirements?
Thus, in terms of freedom, Islam constitutes the first and most important turning
point in human history. Another crucial turning point on the road to freedom is
the French Revolution. But if the underlying causes are understood, it will be
simple to comprehend the entire discourse on freedom.
There are two key causes or factors behind the freedom that
resulted from the French Revolution and is widespread in both the Western world
and the entire modern world today. One reason is that there was a backlash
against the entire situation when exploitation and tyranny rose to
unconscionable heights and all traces of freedom were completely eliminated
from society.
Another important cause that contributed to the backlash is
the familiarity with the concept of freedom prescribed by Islam and how it was
used. The original notion and objective of freedom, or the original light from
whence the rays of freedom were emanating, were not employed in this usage,
even if the manifestations of freedom were largely utilised. Because of this,
even while the West has a great deal of freedom, man lacks the understanding of
how to use that freedom wisely or what should be its purpose.
Crucial life decisions, whether they relate to the political
and economic system or other facets of daily life, are, nevertheless, also
susceptible to error as a result of this freedom and ignorance of the divine
revelation. Similarly, there is a shocking lack of restraint when it
comes to freedom in the West. There is a group that simply advocates for
individual freedom, believing that society and collectivity have approximately
no status. On the other hand, collectivity is placed in such high regard that
individual freedom is given little consideration.
Understanding The Concept Of Freedom
Various individuals have offered varying but related
viewpoints on the concept and meaning of freedom. One of the most well-known
definitions was offered by Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a well-known writer and
philosopher in the West who is regarded as one of the leading experts on
freedom. According to Rousseau, every man should be allowed to make his own decisions
about what he wants to accomplish. In other words, no man should be forced to
impose his choice on himself or be given the chance to impose a choice on
another person.
Immanuel Kant, who is regarded as a key figure in the
development of Western culture and modernity, adds a new component to the idea
of freedom. He asserts that the only decision a man should make regarding his
course of conduct is the one that is morally and logically best for him. That
is, nothing should be imposed upon man by anyone, including societal
conventions, historical precedents, desires, or delusions; rather, man should
make his own choices based on reason. Even if he makes a decision without using
reason, it will be against freedom because he wasn't forced to make the decision;
instead, his internal enslavement to desires and superstitions caused him to
make the decision.
Consideration and acting in accordance with that
consideration are the two primary elements of freedom. One also tries to
understand freedom from its opponent in order to better comprehend it.
The most obvious opposition to freedom is slavery, which is
when a person is made the property of another person to be used as his or her
servant like cattle and to be sold or given away anytime he or she pleases.
Tyranny is yet another significant opponent of freedom.
Tyranny is when one person or group of individuals has total control over the
rest of the population and imposes rules that suit their preferences. According
to renowned Islamic thinker Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakbi, tyranny, particularly
political tyranny, is the worst issue facing any country. According to Kawakbi,
tyranny is related to many significant spheres of life, including political
tyranny, in which one group dominates national politics, religious tyranny, in
which one class monopolises religion and uses it for its own interests,
academic tyranny, in which one group decides what is right and wrong in the
scientific community, financial tyranny, in which one group controls all of
society's wealth, etc.
One of the antipodes of freedom is colonialism, in which one
government or nation uses force to rule over another. English and French
colonialism, which in the recent past used force to maintain their dominance
over multiple countries and only partially freed them after robbing them of
most of their wealth, are two notable examples of this.
Another antithesis of freedom is coercion, or the act of
forcing or compelling someone to do or not do something.
Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) divided freedom into four
types: Natural freedom, civil freedom or social freedom, political freedom or
democratic freedom and moral freedom. According to Rousseau, the first type of
freedom is related to the condition of man when he does not form a part of
society. Rather, in other words, he does not meet the full meaning of humanity.
This freedom is that which has no restriction, no law and no morality.
Therefore, it is the concept of freedom that is neither executable nor
acceptable in any human society. Instead, Rousseau developed this category to
comprehend the historical causes and influences that led to humans developing
into society, as though its need and importance were limited to a philosophical
level. The latter three types truly deal with the subject and examine it from
various angles.
Civil or social freedom is the autonomy each member of
society should have over his or her own life. It encompasses freedom of speech,
freedom of religion, freedom of thought, and freedom to make decisions for
oneself. Political freedom is the complete public engagement in political
decision-making and the protection of collective freedom. Thus, political
freedom places a greater emphasis on collectivity whereas social freedom places
a greater emphasis on individualism.
Another significant sort of freedom is moral freedom, which
refers to a person's freedom from a moral and legal perspective to be
constrained by laws and moral standards. As a result, it's also important to
remember the rule that says we should only use our freedom to do things that
are not wrong or difficult for someone else to exercise. Alternatively said,
giving full thought to morality in light of freedom.
Rousseau, therefore, claims that the social contract is
actually a solution to the fundamental conundrum of how to come together and
coexist in such a way that each person, although being with everyone, has his
or her own freedom, has free will, and is able to live a life. People create
laws with mutual consent in order to make this thing possible. And the creation
and application of these laws are fundamentally influenced by ethics. All
facets of freedom were mentioned and explored in the framework of freedom by
Rousseau, but most latest theorists tended to concentrate on a single component
while ignoring the others. Pure individualism or pure collectivism was
therefore more common ideas.
John Rawls, a leading figure in modern philosophy and
political science, mentions two essential liberties: political liberty and
liberty of conscience. Political liberty includes full and equal participation
in politics, whether it concerns enacting legislation or managing and
establishing a government. The first liberty covers the freedoms of thought,
religion, and lifestyle. In terms of freedom, norms should, nevertheless, give
justice and group interests more weight. In other words, freedom should be seen
as a societal goal that applies to all of society as opposed to being seen as a
particular trait.
(Continued)
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Kaniz
Fatma is a classic Islamic scholar and a regular columnist for New Age Islam.
URL:
https://newageislam.com/islamic-ideology/freedom-islamic-principle-human-dignity-part-2-/d/129845
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