In the Name of Allah, the Merciful, the Gracious

As-Salaamu Alaikum wa Rahmatullaahi wa Barakaatuhu

ISLAMIC

RESEARCH AND INFORMATION CENTRE

The Concept of Freedom

The modern civilization is recognized for the freedom that it gives to man. We must know that no human society can give absolute freedom to anyone: there must be some limitations of one kind or another, if, at all, the society has to function. So, human society must provide man with such a kind of freedom that must be beneficial to him, not harmful to him. Let us study what kind of freedom the modern civilization gives to man and what kind of freedom Islam gives to the same, and which is beneficial to mankind and which is harmful to the same.

Islam gives both men and women freedom in Ma’roofaat (right and good things) and does not give any freedom to anyone in Munkaraat (wrong and bad things). Allah says:

“(They are) those who, if We establish them in land, establish Salaat and give Zakaat, enjoin Ma‘roof (right) and forbid Munkar (wrong). With Allah rests the end (and decision) of (all) affairs.” (22: 41)

This is the Islamic concept of freedom. After studying the Islamic concept of morality, one can easily realize that Munkaraat harm not only the person who commits them, but also others who are related to the person. The Islamic concept of freedom saves man from all sorts of losses and harms by keeping him away from every wrong and bad thing (Munkaraat), and encourages man to grow in every right and good thing (Ma’roofaat).

Let us have a glance over the freedom that is given to people by non-Islamic governments and systems of living. In non-Islamic states, we see the freedom is given in the following things:

By paying tax to the governments, one can buy, sell and keep intoxicants. If one pays tax to the government, one can see, show and sell blue films and pornography publicly. If one pays tax to the government, one can practise prostitution or go to prostitutes. If some one pays tax to the government, the government allows him to run the clubs of discos and gambling publicly. One is free to buy, sell, chew and smoke tobacco publicly provided that one has paid tax of it to the government. Moreover, the government itself runs the banks that practise usury and allows others also to run the banks of usury on paying tax to the government. In short, people are free to commit most of the Munkaraat by paying tax to the government. But if some one does not pay tax to the government, he will not be free to sell and buy even the basic things like edible things, clothes, shelter, medicine et cetera.

This manifests that the non-Islamic governments give people freedom and facilities in Munkaraat (wrong and bad things), although we know how detrimental these things (intoxicants, tobacco, pornography, blue films, prostitution, gambling, usury, etc.) are to our health, wealth, relations, capabilities, peace, morals, time et cetera.

How can such governments be well-wishers of their peoples? What goodness can anyone expect from such governments and such systems of living? One can easily surmise that how detrimental such governments and systems of living are to humanity! Behold! Where moral values are not observed, there we can see people harming each other, the government harms its people and vice versa. But alas! Even after harming its own people’s health, wealth, peace, capabilities etc., modern governments and systems of living could neither solve their economic problems, nor achieve moral goals. This is the matter of great distress.

Here defending non-Islamic governments and systems of living, one may say that the governments and the systems of living do not force people to commit Munkaraat; people are free if they want to eschew Munkaraat; so, the governments are not responsible for the loss of health, wealth, peace, etc. of individuals, because of committing Munkaraat. The individuals themselves are responsible for it.

Only an irresponsible and irrational person can say such things. It is the duty of the government to look after not just the administration of the state, but also health, wealth, peace, relations etc. of individuals because the deeds of individuals surely influence on the collective life of the state. So, the behaviour of the government with its people must be like just and responsible parents. As parents do not let their children commit Munkaraat, so the government must not let its people commit the same. No responsible well-wishing and just parents provide their children with opportunities and environment that facilitate them for committing Munkaraat. So the government must not provide its people with opportunities and environment that that facilitate them for committing Munkaraat.

Islam wants, “the state must be like a home for all Muslims. The government must be like responsible, just and well-wishing parents. And all Muslims must be like responsible, sincere and well-wishing children.”

Islam wants the state to be free from Munkaraat. So it does not allow any Munkaraat to exist in the state.

The kind of freedom that has been given to people by non-Islamic systems of living and modern ideologies is destructive, detrimental and harmful. There are innumerable ways and facilities for Munkaraat to grow in it. Therefore, we see that the crime-rate is increasing day by day where such kind of freedom has been given. How can humanity be then safe in it? We know what cost people have to pay for living in it. For instance:

1)      There are innumerable people and their families who are suffering from intoxicants, gambling, rapes, pre-marital and extra-marital courtship and sex, usury, tobacco chewing and other bad characters.

2)      Almost all governments of the world are suffering from corruption, bribery, theft of electricity, insincerity of most of their officers and countrymen et cetera.

In our India alone, corruption is so high that, it is said that anyhow if India reduces about 5% of corruption, it will be able to solve all its financial problems, and if another 5% of corruption is reduced, India will be able to solve the problems of poverty and unemployment.

 Freedom and Women

In modern society, women are misused and exposed as a sexual object in the name of freedom.  Dr. Kamal Omar describes some of the characteristics of the modern urban culture in the following words:

“Unnecessary body jerks and allurement in female tone and sedateness with boldness in the male voice; ‘sleeveless’ for the females and full sleeves for the males; underwear for the females and full pants for the males; open chest for the females and neck-tie for the males; open-belly for the females and in-going shirts for the males. The shirts worn by the males cover the whole of the back including the interscapular region but the females are obliged to keep this area uncovered. Men’s dress patronizes opaque cloth whereas the female is forced to wear transparent. The modern society labels a male as improperly dressed when he is not in full suit but taunts upon its women when they want to cover their legs in a shivering night. If a male happens to repeatedly open up and adjust his coat in public he is ridiculed but the females are expected to ‘drop’ and then ‘readjust’ their dopatta or the respective portion of the sari as frequently as possible. This civilization that condemns the exhibition of male physical curves and labels this as sex-perversion provides ‘artificial aids’ to ‘underdeveloped areas’ of the female. Everyone has been made familiar with the term ‘unwed mother’ but one never hears about the unwed father! Banners with inscriptions like, ‘down with virginity’ have been allowed within the university campus of the ‘most progressive’ country. The fashion world controlled by the males has a daily change programme to create instability in the female mind. The tailors and designers are acting as accomplices. Those women who do not easily uncover are tackled in a unique way- skin-tight and skin-coloured dress is invented to present their nakedness in a clothed condition. Woman’s thinking has been poisoned. She is made to think that wearing the least is something that builds the ‘Status’. She is taught to hate her own body- the form of her eye-lashes and brows, the style of her walking and speech, the colour of her lips, nails and cheek are all given an artificial look. She hates her natural trend of her hair – if they are straight she tries to give them artificial curls and if they happen to be kinky she is busy in straightening them. She is also expected to copy the animals’ part like the hump of the camel or the tail of a horse for her hairstyle. Disastrous dieting is enjoined upon her to ‘normalise’ her figure. At the same time her buttocks bulge out while she balances on half a centimeter heel creating abnormality called Lordosis in the medical language. And the males who themselves balance on a three-inch base are busy in displaying the female nakedness through the ‘respectable’ trades called cabarets, fashion shows, physical culture parades, commercial advertising, nude painting and sculpture, feature films and acrobatic shows, etc. The lands that specialize in the above mentioned trends are engulfed in the following horrible situation:

The alarming statistics of unwed mothers, illegitimate children, broken families, suicide attempts, sex crimes, divorces, asylums for unclaimed children, homes for unwanted parents, clinics for delinquent youth and neurotic adults etc.”  (Deep into the Quraan pg. #:  112-114)

If this is the freedom which women expect from Islam, then, sorry! Islam does not give such kind of freedom. And what is the use of the freedom, which misuses women and expose them as a sexual object? Moreover, the freedom, in modern culture, is given to impose more burdens of duties and responsibilities on women by employing them both outside and within the house.

Islam gives the required freedom to women in Ma’roofaat as it gives freedom to men. In Islam, women are encouraged to get education; women are free to earn money, although Islam does not impose any financial responsibility on them; women are free to accept or reject any marriage proposal, and no one can force them to marry any one whom they do not like; women have the right of khula’ (divorce); women are free to marry after divorce or husband’s death; women have the right to ownership, i.e. they have right to possess the money and the property that they earn and that they get in inheritance, Mahr and gifts; woman have right to criticize her husband and even the ruler of the state; Women have right to form a decision in many matters et cetera. What do women want more than these rights to live a successful and happy life?

Many people say that Islam does not allow women to go out of house: it restricts women to the four walls of house. They quote a Quraanic Verse as evidence, “Qharna fi buyooti kunna. (Stay within your house).” (33: 33)

This is true that Islam asks women not to go out of their houses unnecessarily. But it is not true that Islam has restricted women to the four walls of house. If it had been so, Prophet Muhammed and his companions would not have taken their wives along with them when they used to go to war, Prophet Muhammed would not have said to his companions, “Whoever of your women wants to go to the Mosque to say Salaat, don’t withhold them.” (Saheeh Muslim). Moreover, to consult in their matters, women used to come to the Prophet. All these things prove that Islam does not restrict women to the four walls of house. Of course, it asks women not to go out of house unnecessarily. This is because, as we all know that when women go out of house, they have to face unnecessary problems like sexual embarrassment, exploitation and even rapes. Since, Islam cares for women, so it asks women to stay within their houses as much as possible. This is a safety measure for women. Moreover, in the absence of woman, home does not remain home; it becomes house. So, it is recommended that women should not go out unnecessarily.

Many women often ask, “What does Islam say about the women who want to earn money?”

Islam gives the freedom to women so that she may earn money, but it does not compel her on the same. Because, this includes various types of risks mentioned above, increases workload for women and creates the problem of unemployment for men. At one side, Islam does not do any injustice by giving her freedom to earn. On the other side, it also solves the problem of unemployment for men by encouraging women on household responsibilities. In most cases, if a woman earns, her earning adds just more comforts to her family. But, if a man earns, his earning is the livelihood for his family. Instead of providing more and more comforts for some families, Islam seems to be interested in providing basic needs for more and more families. This we can achieve only if we encourage women on looking after household responsibilities. This may hurt our modern women. But, if they compare the lives of earning women and housewives, they will surely find, Insha-Allah, that housewives are living happier and better life than the earning women, although housewives may have less material comforts than earning women. There may be some exceptions, but majority of housewives are living happier and better lives than the women who earn. This is because, when women begin to earn, then they get such men as their spouses who are more interested in their earnings than in them. Earning women are exploited. Moreover, earning women cannot get enough time to spend with their family. They will have to work both at office and at home. Thus their life becomes hard and tasteless. They cannot enjoy family life. And their children do not get enough love and care. On contrary, the women, who do not earn, get such men who take interest in them. They have less workload. Moreover, they get enough time to enjoy family life. Their children get more than enough love and care. These are the social and psychological realities. None can deny them. Of course, some families face financial crisis. If women of such families go to earn maintaining hijaab, Islam has no objections.

Many people say, “In Islam, woman is made dependent on man: she is not independent.”

In Islam, not just woman is made dependent on man, but also man is made dependent on woman. In any society - be it a human or an animal -, neither male nor female can be independent. Both male and female are dependent on each other. They are bound to some or other Commitments. And to live a successful life, they will have to fulfill those Commitments. Man is born dependent. And he is bound to be so. Look, when a child – be it a male or a female - is born, it depends on its parents until it grows up. Then he/she depends on his/her family and society. Thus man cannot be independent. In some or other way, he is dependent. So, it is wrong to try to make a man and a woman independent of each other as it excludes mutual care and co-operation, love and respect. Moreover, it is against nature. And the consequences of going against nature are disastrous. Broken marriages, broken families and forsaken children are the evident proofs. So, Islam makes man and woman interdependent, and thus keeps them united.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © NOORUL HUSSAIN K. 2004