Freedom,What Freedom?

The idea of freedom is a hypothetical concept that does not exist in any society, even the so-called ''free societies.'' The definition of freedom is the absence of laws, rules, or constraints, and the very nature of societies renders this concept a fanciful one. In a free society, there would be no laws, so there would be no police, because the function of the police is to enforce/uphold the law. In a free society, there would be no courts, because the function of a court is to settle disputes - according to the law. In a free society, there would be no such thing as a criminal, because a criminal is the one who transgresses the boundaries laid down by the law.

This concept of freedom emerged as a by-product of the Western view of the nature of the human being. According to Western Culture, the human being is naturally good, and this idea was born primarily as a reaction to the idea propagated by the Church that the human being is inherently evil. The West concluded, based on this, that the evil that exists in the society is a result of restrictions that prevent the human being from expressing his innate goodness. Based on this notion, the West promoted certain freedoms, such as freedom of expression, personal freedom, and freedom of ownership.

The very foundation of this idea (the Western view of the human being) was incorrect from the outset. The human being is neither inherently good nor evil; rather, the human being possesses certain instincts and needs. In Arabic, this natural energy is known as ''Fitra.'' In addition, the human being possesses a mind which has the capacity to choose which manner to satisfy these instincts and needs. If the human being elects to satisfy these instincts and needs based on the System of Allah (swt), then he does good; however, if he chooses to satisfy these instincts and needs based on any other system or idea, then he does evil. For example, the human being possesses the instinct of sanctification, but this instinct can be channeled towards sanctifying Allah (swt) through the system that Allah revealed, or it can be channeled towards sanctifying a human being, an idol, an institution, or sanctifying Allah in the incorrect manner. Also, the human being possesses the sexual desires; if the human being satisfies these desires through the framework of marriage, then he does good, and he will do evil if he seeks to satisfy these desires through adultery or any other channel. Therefore, "good and evil" are descriptions of human actions, not human nature. The human nature is a creation of Allah, and this nature possesses certain attributes (namely, the instincts and needs) which were also created by Allah. Attributes cannot be classified as good or evil; they are simply attributes. The knife possesses the attribute of cutting, but this cannot be classified as good or evil. It is how this attribute is utilized that will be labeled as either good or evil. The knife can be used to perform a surgery (which is good) or it can be used to commit and act of murder (which is evil).

In addition, the West incorrectly diagnosed the source of evil as the presence of restrictions, which led them to promote freedom as the solution, which was not only an incorrect solution but was a hypothetical one. There exist many human beings who live under the most severe oppression and inhumane restrictions, yet they remain good human beings who possess the noblest of character. Similarly, there are human beings who have tremendous amounts of freedom, yet they remain criminals in spite of all the freedom they possess. Also, the presence of restrictions is a natural component of any society; the question that should be asked is: Where do the restrictions emanate from, and who is entitled to design the laws and restrictions? If the laws and restrictions emanate from human beings, then this is what will produce the evil and oppression in the society. However, if the laws and restrictions emanate from Allah, then abiding by these laws will result in goodness, prosperity, and justice in the society. Even if one were to make the society ''free'' in the true sense of the term, this period of no laws or restrictions would be transient, because Allah created human beings with different capabilities and resources. Those who have the most capabilities and resources (the ''lions'' of the jungle) would eventually control the resources and wealth, and they would begin to design restrictions and laws governing the behavior of the people as well as themselves.

As for the specific freedoms that the West promoted, contrary to their expectations that promoting such freedoms would result in good, in reality they created more evil than anyone could have possibly imagined. In the name of personal freedom, perversions such as prostitution, drugs, homosexuality, and a host of other illnesses have been allowed to proliferate, resulting in a complete breakdown of the moral fabric of the society and a degradation of the human being and society. And freedom of ownership has been used as a license by a few individuals to own a vast majority of the wealth while the population remains either impoverished or barely struggling to make a living. In the name of freedom of ownership, a few nations have given themselves the right to exploit the world for its resources using all means ranging from deception to brute force.

Therefore, as Muslims, we should resist this idea of freedom at all costs. Not only is the notion of freedom a hypothetical concept, but it has resulted in severe oppression and misery. Unfortunately, the concept of freedom is an attractive slogan because it appeals to the human senses and emotions, and it is presented as the only alternative to the brutal dictatorships and regimes that exist in the world (which, incidentally enough, are installed by the Western powers themselves in many cases). However, we should not be suckered by hypothetical slogans; rather, we should come to grips with the reality that Allah created and, based on this reality, make the choice: Either we live by the laws of human beings, or we live by the laws of Allah.

May Allah guide us to the Straight Path.