Running head: FREEDOM IN ISLAMIC AND WESTERN VIEWS

The Differences of Freedom in Islamic and Western Perspectives

Adlin Nurnisa binti Zuhaimi

1711204

Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences

[Name]

[Matric no]

Islamic Revealed Knowledge and Human Sciences

Sir. Khairil Azhar Haji Md Yassin

SOCA 4310 Section 1

Semester 2, Session 2019/2020

International Islamic University Malaysia

19 March 2020

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Running head: FREEDOM IN ISLAMIC AND WESTERN VIEWS

The Differences of Freedom in Islamic and Western Perspectives

Introduction

Freedom has always been a state that every individual desires in their lives. This
involves the ability to exercise one’s free will and free from being treated unjustly. Freedom
is referred to the capacity of an individual to do or to put into practise a thing without being
restricted by anyone or any institutions. According to Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries, the
word ‘freedom’ means “the power or right to do or say what you want without anyone
stopping you” while the words ‘Islamic’, ‘western’ and ‘perspective’ means “connected with
the Muslim religion”, “located in the west or facing west” and “a particular attitude towards
something; a way of thinking about something” respectively. Freedom can be simply defined
as the condition of liberty in mind and in spirit.

On a more personal level, freedom is the escapism from constraints mentally and
physically by outside forces. However, it must be noted that in Islamic viewpoint, without
having any barriers in exercising individual’s freedom mentally and physically, this could
also influence society’s well-being and in the worst case scenario, bore the seeds of society’s
destruction. According to Madani (2011), in the absence of individual’s sacrifice in the name
of society, freedom in its truest sense cannot be achieved without putting justice into practise
for any society to nourish. This means that, freedom can only become a reality when each and
every member of the society gives up their individual’s desire in order for the society to
develop. Apart from only sacrificing individual’s desire, justice must also be taken into
consideration when speaking of freedom. This view is supported by Kamali (1999) which
reported that “freedom is control of self”.

Conversely, there are certainly opinions which claimed that freedom is a western
value and it is very personal as opposed to Islamic standpoint that put forth the sanctity of
society in order for individuals to achieve real freedom. As claimed by Franck (1997) :

The emphasis of personal belief rather than formal ceremony, of course, did not guarantee
freedom of conscience, but it did emphasize the inauthenticity of coerced communitarian
conformity and led in time to the ‘secularization of personhood and association’. As social
relations were secularized the sanctity of society was replaced by the sacredness of the
individual. (p. 596).

This means that, the detachment of all aspects of life from religious attachment that occurred
in large-scale during the era of “Enlightenment” in the West has proposed that the exercise of
individual free will has replaced the interest of the society. Due to that, it is strongly agreed

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Running head: FREEDOM IN ISLAMIC AND WESTERN VIEWS

that freedom in Islamic and Western perspective is very different from one another and is
distinguished in mainly its history, sources and range in freedom.

Main Points

1. Freedom in Islamic and Western perspective differs in terms of its history.

2. Freedom in Islamic and Western perspective differs in terms of its sources.

It has been reported that the granted of freedom in Islam is due to Allah SWT.
Freedom is a blessing by Allah SWT to mankind in search for truth (haqq). In order for
human to do that, they will have to exercise their mental faculty and to recognize their honour
as human being, which is what distinguished them from all other creatures. As mentioned by
Israrul-Haq (2007), “the human rights and civil liberties in Islam are granted by Allah SWT;
these rights and liberties are not granted by any state or society. Consequently, no state or
society, king or assembly can eliminate them forever” (p. 133). This means that Allah is the
sole source of freedom and freedom is a unique gift, granted by Allah SWT to mankind out of
His generosity, and without due to any historical events or struggles by human beings.
Freedom is granted by Allah SWT to humankind forever and therefore, only Allah SWT can
alter the permanency of freedom to human beings. No institutions or individual can terminate
or in any way, provide freedom whenever needed. The rights of freedom to humanities is also
stated in the Qur’an, “So judge between them by what Allah SWT hath revealed, and follow
not their vain desires, diverging from the Truth that hath come to thee”. Thus, Divine
Revelation (Wahy), which is the Qur’an is the most crucial source that endorses freedom as
human rights. This view is supported by Saeed (2016), who claimed that the first important
source of this fundamental human right is the divine revelation in Islamic perspective and
followed by divine revelation is the Prophet Muhammad SAW saying (Ahadith) and actions
(Sunnah). [217 words] Examples of freedom in Qur’an and Sunnah

Sunnah : In addition, Islamic histories observe the age of caliphate was the standard era of all
kind of Islamic liberties and fundamental rights. Thus, Sheikh Hāmid Ansārī absolutely
commented; Hazrat ‘Umar’s (RA) era was the excellent period for freedom of expression and freedom of
speech. It is his routine approach that he called people in Masjid of the Prophet Muhammad ( SAW), when an
important issue occurred. Every person freely expressed his opinion in front of the Khalīfah (the head of state).
Also, He incorporated the spirit of common consultation in the Islamic government. 7 So, this and many
other historical evidences show that the concept and practice of freedom of consultation and
thought which is fundamental part of freedom of speech, expression and criticism in Islamic
state and society since early ages. It is also a notable point that Islam grants these rights and
liberties without any human efforts and struggle. Therefore, these rights and freedom are
permanent and no power can alter and terminate them.

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Running head: FREEDOM IN ISLAMIC AND WESTERN VIEWS

On the contrary, as much as how the Western claimed themselves as the proprietor of
freedom, especially freedom of expression as claimed by Saeed (2016), Islam has been
promoting freedom as human rights and civil liberties way more than one thousand and four
hundred years ago. As mentioned by Ahmad (2010), by claiming that the West is the
propagator of individual as well as public freedom, they seem to have created a joke out of
themselves since Islam has granted these rights and liberties without due struggles or
historical background that led to the freedom granted to humankind. This means that, in
comparison to the west, Islam has advanced way ahead of time in terms of freeing the Muslis
and humankind at large from superstitious beliefs and meaningless customs. The Greeks are
among the earliest proprietor of freedom as well as the pioneer who originates political and
civil liberty in the west (Davis, 1995). Conversely, the source of freedom in the West is due
to man-made legislation. One consequence about man-made legislation in comparison to that
of the Divine Revelation is that, it can be eliminated and granted by anyone, especially those
at the top position as he please. Besides that, through man-made legislation, absolute freedom
can be granted in the sense that, it may as well overpower any entity. For instance, religion.
Thus, this may harm the society at large. As reported by Naim (n.d.) in Saeed (2016), “human
rights are specific entitlements of different types and spectrum that are enacted by the
legislature, under certain condition of thought, so as to practice by secular arrangements”. On
the contrary, Islamic freedom is not absolute but rather, it has some boundaries to govern
human actions and to suppress them from following their lust whenever freedom is at hand.
[488 words]

3. Freedom in Islamic and Western perspective differs in terms of its range.

Conclusion

- Islamic perspectives – Qur’anic verses.

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Running head: FREEDOM IN ISLAMIC AND WESTERN VIEWS

References

Ahmad, K. (2010). “Secular democratic rights and blasphemy”. Policy Perspectives, 

7(2), 2-53.

Davis, R. W. (Ed.). (1995). The Origins of Modern Freedom in the West. Stanford

University Press.

Israrul-Haq. (2007). Islam Aur Mgharib ka Tasadum (The Clash of Islam and the
West, URDU). Lahore: Bait-ul-Hikmah. p. 133.

Franck, T.M. (1997). “Is personal freedom a western value?”. American Journal of

International Law 91(4). 593-627

Madani, A.H. (2011). Freedom and its concept in Islam. In 2nd International Conference

on Humanities, Historical and Social Sciences IPEDR (Vol. 17).

Kamali, M.H. (1999). Freedom, Equality and Justice in Islam. London: Islamic Texts
Society. p. 198

Kamali, M.H. (2000). “Freedom, Equality and Justice”. Cambridge: The Islamic Texts
Society. p. 198.

Qur’an (Al-Ma’idah) 4: 48

Saeed, R. A. (2016). “Exploration of freedom of expression in Islam and West: Its

relation with blasphemy and religious defamation”. Journal of Islamic Thought
and Civilisation, 6(1). 17-36.