“Have you seen him who takes his own lust (vain desires) as his ilah (god), and Allah knowing (him as such), left him astray, and sealed his hearing and his heart, and put a cover on his sight. Who then will guide him after Allah? Will you not then remember?”
Quran 45:23
Human beings are in constant need of guidance and in absence of the same they are lost, misguided, and confused. By enabling absolute or unrestricted freedom, the very essence of a meaningful existence is jeopardized. The real meaning of freedom therefore is realized only by navigating within the boundaries marked by God. In this way, it is ensured that the individual does not inflict harm on his own self or on the society around him.
Quran 45:23
This idea aligns well with the Islamic ideology wherein human beings submit their will to God (Allah) in exchange for a permanent abode in heaven. The relevant Qur’anic verse in this regard is quoted below: –
“Indeed, Allah has purchased from the believers their lives and their properties [in exchange] for that they will have Paradise.”
Quran 9:111
Thus, it can be concluded based on the above discussion that the real meaning of freedom is the ability of an individual to exercise the legitimate freedom to think and act upon his will without violating the sanctity of his relationship between him and other humans or God. In this way, his/her true purpose of existence and self-actualization is duly satisfied which the Qur’an describes as follows:
“And I did not create jinns and men except for My worship alone. I did not create them to make a partner for Me.”
Quran 51:56
Really a good article with clarity of thought. Exercise of
every fundamental right is subject to reasonable restrictions. One aspect of telling truth to power which Islam calls the best of Jihad could be highlighted with shining examples from Islamic history.