Freedom of opinion and expression in Islam (10)

Islamic conquests had never been against freedom of expression, but came to penalize those betraying their countries

God Almighty sent down heavenly books with religions. He did not send down a sword or angels that order people to follow any of these religions. 

Prophet Muhammad {PBUH} spent ten days in Tabuk, stretching his eyes beyond the desert where the Romans were located. When he saw them sitting still, he returned to the city. He could have attacked them in their homes – as some Muslims do today – if his goal had been to attack. He was not commanded to do this at all.

The Christians of Najran returned to their country with a book of safety. The Prophet taught us through this situation that dialogue does not mean agreement and that a difference of opinion – even with the Messenger himself – should not be followed by harm to opponents or those who hold different points of view. 

God Almighty has not given His authority to some people so that they can punish – in his name – those who differ with them in opinion or those who disbelieve in God.

Islam does not close the door of free thinking in the face of man. It rather opens it wide. Those who strive in Islam are not sinful in what they strive for.

Debates between Grand Imam of al-Azhar Sheikh Ahmed al-Tayeb and Cairo University President Ahmed al-Khosht sparked widespread controversy.

They did this especially after the grand imam's response was taken for a restriction of renewal in Islam as an issue to those who had graduated from al-Azhar Mosque only.

The general public also understood that his eminence makes Ijtihad a no-go area for thinkers and intellectuals who are not graduates of al-Azhar graduates, at a time when our country is badly in need those who use their intellectual faculties and believe in their importance. 

This debate opened the door wide for a sincere, honest and trustworthy dialogue that seeks the good of this nation and monitors everything that raises the status of reason and grants thought its freedom and human dignity. We have started this series in Tuesday's issue under the title 'Freedom of opinion and expression'. We will keep launching it in the coming days. God is behind the intent and He guides the way.

In the Name of God, Most Compassionate, Most Merciful

{Then whoever argues with you about it after [this] knowledge has come to you - say, "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then supplicate earnestly [together] and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars [among us].}

God Almighty has spoken the truth.

In the previous episodes, we dealt with freedom of opinion and expression in Islam. We also began analyzing that matter according to what was stated in the Holy Qur’an, citing verses specifically revealed and clear to confirm that 'there is no compulsion in Islam', and that God Almighty did not refrain from descending into dialogue to the level of human beings to establish an argument against it. God Almighty has given us free will in the world to test us, and He sent down the religion that He commanded us to follow. He sent down with that religion the heavenly books. He did not send down with them a sword or angels that command people to follow that religion. He did not make Hell in this world, so that whoever disbelieves and disobeys is brought to be cast in Hell before the eyes of the rest of mankind. If he did that, there would be no test or examination. 

God Almighty did not give his authority to some people so that they can punish in his name those who differed with them in opinion, or those who disbelieved in God. And those who claim this alleged right for themselves, only corrupt the issue at its roots, and assume the role of God, where there is no god but God, and control what the Lord of Glory desires to control when he left the human mind free and unfettered, thinks without limits and believes if he wants and disbelieve if he wants, and declares that. 

Apart from falsifying religion and usurping the powers God reserved for Himself to the Day of Judgment, this group of people also gives the argument for those who deny the reckoning of the Hereafter and the torment of the Fire. 

Their argument is that if there is compulsion to faith, and if there is compulsion in religion, there is no room at that time for there to be an account and punishment on the Day of Judgment. 

Rather, they give the religion of God Almighty an ugly, hard, bloody, and ossified face that is late. They also contribute to alienating the majority of people from this religion. 

In confirmation of the foregoing, we have provided the evidence that Islam does not close the door of free contemplation in the face of man, but rather opens it in front of him. 

Those who independently find solutions to problems not precisely covered by the Qur'an and make a mistake are not considered sinful. They are rewarded once. The same people are rewarded twice, if they succeed, for their diligence and correctness.

We moved with explanation and clarification from the review of freedom of opinion and expression in the Qur’an, to the Prophet’s biography and how the Messenger {PBUH} preserved this divine command and worked to consolidate and implement it.

This became evident after the migration of the Messenger {PBUH} from Mecca to Medina, where he faced several types of enemies, which we dealt with in several episodes with explanation and clarification. The first type represented by Quraysh whose people fought the Messenger and showed enmity to him. The second type was made of the Jews of Medina, who were called by the Prophet on the condition that they do not fight him, incite his enemies against him or support them when attacking Muslims. 

Then we discussed in detail the third type of enemies which is the most dangerous. The enemies of their own countries fit into this category. They were the hypocrites who waited to see how things would transpire: if the prophet emerges victorious, they follow him, but if he is defeated, they follow Quraysh. 

God gave freedom to these people and preserved this freedom, despite their mockery of the verses of God, the Messenger and believers, their incitement to people not to fight and their lying. 

The rule of freedom of opinion and expression was present in all the actions of the Prophet {PBUH}, not only with the three aforementioned patterns, but we see it with war criminals after the conquest of Mecca.

This applies to the 15 whom the Messenger ordered to kill and then pardoned 11 of them. 

They converted to Islam after the conquest voluntarily, not unwillingly. This is supported by the fact that some of them remained in polytheism and did not embrace Islam. They were eighty-year-olds. The prophet kept them as they were before the conquest. When he walked from Mecca to the battle of Hunayn, they wanted to go with him, so he took them with him to it, and gave them from its spoils as he gave the Muslims. He even gave some of them more spoils to unite their hearts. These people converted to Islam obediently after seeing this generosity from the prophet, one that can only be demonstrated by a prophet.

This verse from the Qur'an sheds light on the last two examples in our approach to the Prophet's biography and freedom of opinion and expression with the closest of affection.

{You will find that the most people in enmity to the believers are the Jews and idolaters, and that the nearest in affection to the believers are those who say: 'We are Nazarenes'. That is because amongst them there are priests and monks; and because they are not proud.}

Sura Al-Maeda, Verse no. 82

Two examples of Christians:

First: The story of the Christians of Najran

The Holy Qur'an reveals the freedom that Christians enjoyed, not only in practicing their religious rites, but also in discussion and dialogue with the Messenger {PBUH} about the difference between the two religions. 

The Almighty says:

{Then whoever argues with you about it after [this] knowledge has come to you - say, "Come, let us call our sons and your sons, our women and your women, ourselves and yourselves, then supplicate earnestly [together] and invoke the curse of Allah upon the liars [among us].}

Sura Al-Imran, Verse no. 61

The story of this verse is that the people of Najran came with a delegation consisting of 14 men in some narrations, while other narrations estimated the delegation at 60 men. They call him 'The Master'. There was a third man in charge of religious matters, the bishop and pontiff of the trip, and his name was 'Aba Al-Harith'.  These three were the most important in the delegation. They were ones who negotiate.

The delegation came in an organized form, and in a highly stylized image to the point of exaggeration. They wore silk robes, and golden rings. The conversation was postponed to the next day, when they came wearing monks' robes. Then the prophet began to speak with them.

It was not the delegation's concern or its intention to convert to Islam or to think of Islam. It rather came to debate the Messenger, on one hand, and to dazzle him and Muslims, on the other.

Therefore, the conversation with them was in a manner that differed greatly from the conversation with other delegations.

The Messenger of God offered them Islam, but they refused. He welcomed them warmly, and the argument dragged on - in the best way - without agreement for many years.

The Prophet {PBUH} taught us through this position that dialogue does not mean agreement, and disagreement in opinion - with the Messenger himself - should not be followed by harm to opponents.

Second: The Battle of Tabuk

It came to the knowledge of the Messenger {PBUH} that the Christians of the Romans were preparing to attack Medina. So, he prepared an army called the 'Al-Usra' army to confront the Roman army.

He walked to meet them at a point far from Medina (as was the custom of ancient wars), but when he reached Tabuk, an area on the borders of the country of the Romans, he did not find any indication of plot or preparations for war by the Roman Christians.

He stayed there for a few ten days, looking beyond the desert where the Romans were, watching for any movement from them.

When he saw the people sitting still, he decided to close back to the city. If his goal was to attack, he would have attacked them in their homes, as some Muslims do today. However, he was not commanded to do so at all.

The previous episodes showed that the issue of freedom of opinion and expression is a stable and protected human right, affirmed through the Holy Qur’an and the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad {PBUH} which he followed during what he did in the only state he established in Medina and ruled by himself for ten years. 

It became clear to us that this freedom is the right of every human being (Muslim or non-Muslim), as long as he does not attack anyone and prefers to live in peace and security.

We still need to discuss the way the Rashidun Caliphs, the first four caliphs who led the Muslim community following the death of Prophet Muhammad {PBUH} stuck to this rule and this godly legislation. 

They, may God be pleased with them, were at the forefront of those who embodied, through their behavior and practices, the essence of pure Islamic thought in all fields. It is logical that they accorded freedom of opinion and expression a lofty position, which is clearly represented in many of their luminous practical positions.

We will see this in detail in the next episode.

References 

1- Dr. Abd al-Mu'taal al-Sa'idi: Islamic Politics in the Age of Prophethood

2- Dr. Ahmed Sobhy Mansour: About the relationship with the other

3- Muhammad Al-Ghazali: The Fiqh of Biography

4- Dr. Abdul-Mutaal Al-Saidi: The Great Issues in Islam