By Ibrahim Poncardas Romas

Leaflet # 35


The word “freedom” varies in meaning from person to person and nation to nation. “Freedom of expression,” for example, varies its meaning even within a nation, and its application is changeable. Such freedom among the head of the State, the lawmakers, the judges, the generals of the Armed Forces, the Cabinet and local government officials, etc. covers a wide spectrum compared with that of the common citizens. Those in power (rank, wealth or influence) cannot be equal to the powerless in the exercise of “freedom of expression.” A poor person cannot divulge the anomalies of the elite, otherwise another freedom will be jeopardized – “to exist.” What is freedom for the rich and mighty is not freedom for the poor and weak. The word “freedom” is usually expressed ironically.


THE CREATOR

Without divine guidance from the Book of God, we cannot achieve true freedom. A highly sophisticated machine cannot execute its best without relying on its maker. Perhaps in a short span of time it can manage to perform its function, but such performance will not last unless its maker repairs or updates it from time to time. Who created us? Similarly, if “freedom” were interpreted solely by human intellect, the results will be chaotic. People who believe in God must interpret “freedom” within the context of God’s law (guidance). To separate the Will of our Creator in any dealings with human life we cannot find a real solution to our problems. From the Islamic point of view, then, “Freedom” refers to the expression and establishment of the proper belief and conduct of every human being in accordance with God’s Will towards his ownself, fellow human beings, animals, environment, etc. Certainly, a person who advocates this kind of freedom normally will meet opposition and even death. God instructed us: “O ye who believe! Be ye staunch in justice, witnesses for Allah, even though it be against yourselves or (your) parents or (your) kindred, whether (the case be of) a rich man or a poor man, for Allah is nearer unto both (than ye are). So follow not passion lest ye lapse (from truth)… (Qur’aan 4:135).


HUMAN RIGHTS

Rights? The rights to worship, own wealth and properties, marry,

dress, work, eat, play, talk, etc., will be legal and proper only when they do not undermine the laws of God. Whoever advocates this type of “Freedom” will no doubt be branded as a “dictator.” For an idolater, robber, land-grabber, fornicator, pork-eater, wine-drinker, deceiver, backbiter, etc., whose way of life is curtailed by this type of “Freedom” and is “dictated” to behave legally and lawfully, you will become Enemy Number One. In a lawless society, when a person introduces law and order, he will be a mortal enemy. “Rights” varies its meaning even with so-called civilized nations. Believers in God, do not be misled by people who pretend to be public servants, especially elected politicians whose motives and interests are far from God’s will! The Creator has identified them and warned us: “The hypocrites,…they enjoin the wrong and they forbid the right, and they withhold their hands (from spending for the cause of Allah). They forget Allah, so He hath forgotten them. Lo! The hypocrites, they are the transgressors.” (Qur’aan 9:67).

Once a human being, who has been brought up with wrong orientation and values, encounters something contrary to his belief and practice, he will unhesitantly react with arrogance, but a fair-minded and faithful man is humble and will investigate. In brief, Freedom and Rights in Islam are unlike Freedom and Rights in non-Islamic society. For instance, nudity, wine-drinking, usury, and other immoralities against God under the Islamic system are not covered by human rights and freedom. God Himself provides the “dos and don’ts” to humankind. Obeying Him will certainly lead to peace and happiness. He knows what are good and bad for mankind because He is the Creator. God sent His Last Testament (a manual) for mankind and the Last Prophet as a model for them how to live and worship Him. By His Mercy, He showed us the two paths: one going to Hell-Fire and the other, to Paradise, and He made Man above all other creations on this planet because of his Freedom and Intellect.


FREEDOM OF NON-ISLAMIC RELIGIOUS GROUPS

Hinduism. Buddhism, Shintoism, Zionism and Christianity do not have godly freedom and justice, for their teachings are based on fictitious books or mingled with fallacies and contradictions. Zionism is basically racism (chosen people: Isaiah 65:9). “God of Israel” is repeated 203 times in NRSV, 203 times in KJV, and 199 times in the NIV of the Bilbe (copyrighty 1992-1996 by Craig Rairdin & Parson Technology), read the Bible for few


examples; Exo. 5:1, 24:10, 32:27, Num. 16:19, Jos. 7:13. But you can never find “God of mankind.” Allah addresses “mankind” 196 times, and “humanity” 11 times in the Qur’an (translated by M. Pickthall), and a chapter name after “mankind,” the 114th chapter of the Qur’an. This is a proof that the Qur’an is the only true book for mankind which teaches freedom and mercy. The Qur’an begins with “IN THE NAME OF GOD MOST BENEFICENT, MOST MERCIFUL, ALL PRAISES AND THANKS BE TO GOD, THE LORD OF MANKIND.” And it ends with chapter “MANKIND”, which follows:


In the name of God, the Most Beneficent, the Most Merciful, Say: I seek refuge in the Lord of mankind

The King of mankind, The God of Mankind, From the evil of the sneaking whisperer

Who whispereth in the hearts of mankind, Of the jinn and of mankind


Hinduism, based on the Caste System, is also racism: “To the orthodox Hindu, the person of a Brahman is sacred; Brahmans are the chief of all created beings, and other mortals enjoy life through them.”1 The Hindus worship cattle, snakes, etc. and even penis (lingam) of human being. Yet those people claim to be civilized and have freedom when they can practice their way of life. Shintoism, which involves worship of ancestors and nature-spirits, is terribly illogical.


Christianity encourages oppression and humiliation, rather than freedom (“turn the other cheek,” Matt. 5:39). Further the Bible mentions, “Let the woman learn in silence with all subjection. But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence.” 1Timothy 2:11,12. I pity woman in Christianity, “with all subjection” and just keep silent? Is that freedom?

Books, beliefs, and practices can be easily identified by Muslims if those things are from God, because of our criterion – the Qur’aan. Our eyes are useless without light, our strength is limited. We need oxygen, food and water to live. Human mind needs guidance from God. The law of God cannot be legalized or illegalized through voting. The law of God is final. Do you think, non-Islamic politicians will ever formulate a law that forbids wine industry, gambling, premarital sex? If they were servants of God, they would obey what are godly. They are legalizing the handiwork of Satan: Yet they are announcing to the world that they are good public servants. One would ask, are they not good to be called Satan’s servants, since Satan contradicts God’s morals and values.

“O ye who believe! intoxicants and gambling, (dedication of) stones and (divination by) arrows are an abomination of Satan's handiwork: eschew such (abomination) that ye may prosper.” Qur’aan 5:90.



If society does not know how to identify what is godly or not, time will come when it will adhere to what is wrong and it will forbid what is right. Then continuously, we will face disaster and calamities.

“Otherwise, if disaster should afflict them because of that which their own hands have sent before (them),…” Qur’aan 28:47

“(The tribe of) Aad rejected warnings. Then how (dreadful) was My punishment after My warnings. Lo! We let loose on them a raging wind on a day of constant calamity, sweeping men away as though they were uprooted trunks of palm trees. Then see how (dreadful) was My punishment after My warnings!” Qur’aan 54:18-21

Is it “Freedom” in democracy, socialism, totalitarianism, etc. to employ the laws that are authored merely by men who are motivated by personal or party (group) interests? Is it freedom to reject (separate) godliness in the affairs of human life? In the times of Abraham, Noah, Moses, Lut and Jesus (peace be upon them all), many of their own people rejected the Guidance of God because they thought that people’s views and wills were excellent.

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