Principles of Islam
11. Freedom of Expression
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11. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
Islam grants human beings total intellectual
freedom. Rather it would be truer to say that it was
Islam, which for the first time in human history
brought about a revolution in freedom of thought.
In all the ages of history prior to Islam, the system
of despotism prevailed, and man was consequently
denied freedom of thought. This was a matter of the
utmost gravity for it is a fact that the secret of all
human progress lies hidden in such freedom.
The first benefit of intellectual freedom is to enable
man to achieve that high virtue which in the Qur’an
is called “fearing the unseen.” That is, without any
apparent compulsion or pressure from God, man, of
his own free will, acknowledges God and leads his
life in this world, going in fear of Him. In the
absence of an atmosphere of total freedom, no one
can undergo this spiritual experience – an
indescribable spiritual pleasure, which is called in
the Qur’an, going in fear of the Lord. Without such
freedom it is not possible to give credit to anyone
for this highest of human virtues.
