Freedom of Thought in Islam

Islam 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 absolutism 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. Islam is a religion which provides and guarantees freedom of ideas, thought and life. It has issued commands to prevent and forbid tension, disputes, slander and even negative thinking among people. In the same way that it is determinedly opposed to terrorism and all acts of violence, it has also forbidden even the slightest ideological pressure to be put on them. A model of society in which people are forced to worship is completely contradictory to Islam. Belief and worship are only of any value when they are directed to Allah by the free will of the individual. When we look at Islamic history, we can see clearly how Muslims established this important precept of the moral teaching of the Qur'an in their social life. At every point in their advance, Muslims destroyed unlawful practices and created a free and compassionate environment. In the areas of religion, language and culture, they made it possible for people totally opposite to each other to live under the same roof in freedom and peace

All children born in this world are equal by birth on account of their being human beings. None of them is rich or poor, high caste or low caste, officer of servant. But these differences are brought into being soon after birth. Everybody shall try to take care of rich parents child but few shall try even to look at a child born in a poor house. A child born inside the room of a bungalow and the other one born in the servant quarters of the same bungalow become differentiated immediately after birth. All shall pay respect to the child of an officer but shall rebuke the child of a servant. It is no fault of any one child to take birth in a poor house and it is no virtue of any other child to take birth in a rich family. Thus it is unjust to differentiate one from the other. Similarly it is absolutely a wrong attitude to distinguish between people as one of low caste and the other of high caste. Allah has said: We have honoured humanity as a whole. (17/70) Therefore all human beings belonging to any country, nation or race, speaking any language having been born in a rich or poor family and belonging to any religion are equal and worth of respect. Then what is the criterian of one's position in a society? The Quran says: And to all are (assigned) degrees according to the deeds (which they have done). (46/19)

One who does good deeds is more respectable than the one who does bad deeds. On the other hand one who performs good deeds, if he begins to do bad deeds, his position in the society shall be lowered. Similarly the one who does bad deeds if he begins to do good deeds, his position shall be gradually raised in the society. Thus one's position in the society shall be in proportion to the quality of his deeds. The Quran says: The most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is the one who is more obedient to the laws of Allah Almighty. (49/13) Most of the people attach more importance to boys as compared with the girls and men are considered superior to women. This is a bad thing. According to the Holy Quran men and women are all human beings, equal to each other by birth and equally worth of respect. As said earlier, the criterion of respect and of being high or low among all human beings, men as well as women is the quality of their deeds