Welcome to Islam, - Freedom in Islam and in democracy

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nations have called for, spoken about in length, and desired fervently in their hearts more than freedom. People have delivered speeches about it, written books on the subject, composed newspaper columns in support of it, and have raised banners calling for it; they have made it an objective for which all other matters could be sacrificed. On many occasions, people have keenly called for it while being unaware of what they wished to get from it.
This has remained the case until it became the means by which politicians achieved their political aims and personal interests, and used their apparent pursuit of it to attract people’s attention and gain their support. In many cases, this claimed pursuit of freedom has become a means and a justification to destroy any real freedom and wage wars against many nations.
It was made to sound as if democracy is the way to achieve such freedom, because democracy is founded upon freedom; thus the proponents of this ideology have made having a democratic system mandatory for achieving freedom; they argue that one leads to the other, and must exist in order for the other to do so; therefore, one who loves freedom must call for democracy and love it, and vice versa.Such people also claim that, consequently, whoever hates democracy and is an enemy of it is also an enemy of freedom.
The questions that arise here are: does democracy )as practiced by the Western nations( truly achieve the freedom that mankind desires and requires? Does it even raise the level of freedom that people enjoy? What is the type of freedom that democracy achieves for nations, and where are its boundaries? Is an American or a European truly free? Are the lives that they live in their nations ones of freedom, or even partly so? Does Islam oppose the principle of freedom or does it approve of it and call for it? If Islam does approve of it, then how does it deal with it and expect people to practice it, and what are the permissible types of freedom within Islamic boundaries? Also, is freedom in Islam the same as that in democracy, or are they different? Which one of the two 'freedoms' is more realistic and coincides with the sought freedom, the one in Islam or the one in democracy?
All these questions and many others force one to compare between freedom as Islam presents it and calls for it - how it was practiced under Islamic rule for fourteen hundred years and is still being practiced today, and how freedom is practiced in democratic systems, and how contemporary countries and nations apply it.
This comparison must be made in order to see which of the two is more beneficial, more realistic, more honest and closer to the truth.
The limited human mind is what defined freedom in democracy and decided what is good and what is bad in it according to what its desires and lusts imposed, which entails that freedom in democracy becomes limited at times and broadens at others, depending on what the decision makers feel is beneficial at the time.
This means that the nations who practice such systems become experimental laboratories and are in a state constant flux regarding what is allowed and what is not.
In Islam on the other hand, freedom is clearly defined and its limits and boundaries have been set by Allaah alone, who is the infallible Creator of all mankind Whose Qualities are perfect and beyond defect, weakness or incapability. He is All-Knowing of the condition of His creation and Knows best what their requirements are and what suits them.
Thus, freedom in Islam has a distinct feature, which is stability - what was permissible in Islam fourteen hundred years ago remains so until the Day of Resurrection.
In Islam, every person knows what he can and cannot do as well as the areas in which there is room for manoeuvre, according to what Allaah has permitted. Furthermore, freedom in Islam is underpinned by ultimate justice and authority because it comes from Allaah, contrary to that defined by democracy, which is man-made and therefore fallible and subject to shortcomings and injustice. In democracy, the limits of freedom move within the circle that has been defined by human legislators.
In democracy, freedom is opposed to and conflicts with whatever is defined as evil by human legislators, which, due to their limited knowledge and abilities, entails the inclusion of much evil in the circle of what is good and allowable. It also implies that much good will be included in the circle of the evil and forbidden.
Under democracy, many evil things have been made permissible based on its definition of freedom, but were later found to be immoral and oppressive, which caused them to then be prohibited. Likewise, many matters that were later found to be beneficial were initially prohibited, and this constant fluctuation causes the concept of freedom in democracy to be undermined and belittled.
Conversely, in Islam, freedom is opposed to and conflicts with whatever Allaah has defined as evil due to His comprehensive Knowledge and infallibility. Allaah has only permitted what is good and beneficial for mankind and has prohibited only that which is evil and dispraised. Consequently, the range of freedom in Islam is only from what is good to what is praiseworthy.
Freedom in democracy only serves to enslave people to one another - people who should in reality be slaves to Allaah only; it causes people to be under the control of others who may be lower in status than themselves; those who are in control are the ones who set their rules and forbid and allow them whatever they wish – all that those who are under such control can do is to submit and obey. What type of freedom is this which entails enslavement to other humans?
In Islam, freedom frees man from enslavement to other humans to the comprehensive enslavement to Allaah Alone. One might argue that both are forms of enslavement, so what is the difference?
- Allaah is the Creator; He provides for man, facilitated the universe for him and guided him to the right path; therefore, Allaah alone has the right to be worshipped and man should be grateful to Him and obey His commandments. Worshipping the Creator gives the slave might, honour and dignity, while on the other hand, being enslaved by other humans who are weak and incapable is a form of oppression and punishment.
- Man was created with the natural disposition of being a slave, so if he is not a slave to Allaah, then he will certainly become a slave to another human, and this is a false state of affairs, regardless of the form it takes and the status of the human who he is enslaved to.
- Worshipping Allaah represents the ultimate freedom because it frees one from being enslaved to other false gods. In democracy, freedom places man under varied types of pressures and external strains that make him lose a great portion of his freedom of thinking and choice.
Examples of these pressures are the media; the pressure of fulfilling his lusts using different means to do so; the pressure of earning provisions, which is one of the greatest that people face; the pressure that politicians and religious leaders place upon people, and how some of these people fabricate and alter facts; the pressure of intoxicants and drugs, which are now widespread; and the latest pressure, which is the threat to anyone who refuses to give in to the instructions that have been set to deal with the phenomenon of 'terrorism,' which is a powerful means of placing great pressure upon people.
These types of pressure deprive man from a great deal of the freedom of choice, freedom of thinking and freedom of adopting opinions that he would have taken if these pressures did not exist. These pressures deprive man from his freedom, despite the claim of some who live under such a system to be free.
The contemporary tyrants do not need to exert much effort to accomplish what they wish from other nations; all they have to do is apply some of these pressures for a short period, and sure enough, other nations usually surrender to their requests. These pressures are referred in the Quran.
Allaah Says )what means(:“Those who were oppressed will say to those who were arrogant: 'Rather, ]it was your[ conspiracy of night and day when you were ordering us to disbelieve in Allaah and attribute to Him equals.' But they will ]all[ confide regret when they see the punishment; and We will put shackles on the necks of those who disbelieved. Will they be recompensed except for what they used to do?”]Quran 34: 33[ They plot continuously, day and night, in a way that prevents one from having an opportunity to pause and think correctly in order to be guided to a sound decision.
In Islam, man is freed from all external pressures and effects that may limit or even deprive him from his freedom of choice and decision. Islaam frees man from all such pressures.
In democracy, freedom exposes man to all evils, corruption, and everything else that would ruin his good morals and pure nature; it causes him to become inclined towards aggression and abnormality. Its similitude is like that of a person driving a car without brakes who is also negligent of other drivers and pedestrians, therefore, he would slam into others and cause many accidents.
On the other hand, in Islam, freedom is a cause for one to adopt the finest and most courteous morals and behaviour, it does not allow one to transgress in any way and preserves man’s health, faith and thinking; its similitude is like that of one who drives a car with excellent brakes and who stops where he is supposed to and drives only when it is safe to do so.
Freedom in democracy appears as if it is a gift that man gives to another fellow human, and it is as if he has the right to give him as much of it as he desires and whenever it suits him. In Islam however, it is a right that Allaah has granted to His slaves, and no human has the right to deprive others from it except for a reason that is legislated by Allaah.
The words of‘Umar,may Allaah be pleased with him, clearly reflect this when he said: “Who gave you the right to enslave others when they were born free?”
This is freedom in democracy and in Islam, so which is worthier for the title?
Allaah Says )what means(:“…And remain on a right course as you are commanded and do not follow their inclinations]Quran 26:15[

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Welcome to Islam, - The light of the truth andthe fire of misconception

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world. We encounter waves upon waves of darkness. One who searches for the truth will struggle to see it, except for he upon whom Allaah bestows His mercy and guides to it.
There are a multitude of television channels that people are exposed to today, to the extent that the average university graduate watches six hundred )600( hours of television annually. Eighty percent )80%( of teenagers consider television as their main source of information, to say nothing of the effects of the internet. This is how great the effect of this device is on them, to the point that one of those surveyed stated that he flips between fifty two )52( television channels daily.
Add to this other means, whether, text, audio or video, that influence people's minds, and we come to realise that there is an immense negative effect.
It is a common tool that has always been used by the enemies of Islam. They do not touch upon any aspect of our religion except that they arouse misconceptions regarding it, and this represents a round in the battle between the followers of the truth and the followers of falsehood.
Man’s natural disposition is to follow Islam as Allaah Says )what means(:“So direct your face ]i.e., self[ toward the religion, inclining to truth. ]Adhere to[ the Fitrah ]i.e., natural disposition[ of Allaah upon which He has created ]all[ people…”]Quran 30: 30[ This is what the enemies of Islam have launched a war against, in an attempt to divert people from our religion. In a Sacred Hadeeth, the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam narrated that Allaah Says:“Ihave created people upon natural disposition )Islam(, but the devils then divert them from their religion and deem lawful for them what I have prohibited and command them to associate with Me that for which I have not sent down authority.”
The situation has stemmed into people being divided into two groups: those who believe and those who disbelieve. This is the wisdom of Allaah, as He Says )what means(:“And if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community; but they will not cease to differ.”]Quran 11: 118[ A group of people will go to Hell and a group will go to Paradise. This is based on His ultimate wisdom. Hell will be filled, as Allaah Says )what means(:“…And the word of your Lord is to be fulfilled that: 'I will surely fill Hell with jinn and men all together.'”]Quran 11: 119[ Allaah has addressed both Hell and Paradise and informed them that He will admit into each enough inhabitants to fill them.
Allaah has distinguished the people of the truth from those of falsehood saying )what means(:“Not equal are the blind and the seeing. Nor are the darkness and the light. Nor are the shade and the heat. And not equal are the living and the dead. Indeed, Allaah causes to hear whom he wills, but you cannot make hear those in the graves. You ]O Muhammad[ are not but a warner.”]Quran 35: 19-23[
This propagation of misconceptions through satellite television channels, radio stations, magazines and newspapers is such a dangerous development that it could lead to mass confusion and disorder; it may thereby kill people’s hearts so that they may no longer possess the ability to distinguish the truth.
It is the will of Allaah that he established proof against mankind by revealing His books and sending His messengers, the Quran being the last and final proof against His creation. Allaah Says )what means(:“And thus We have revealed to you an inspiration of Our command ]i.e., the Quran[. You did not know what is the Book or ]what is[ faith, but We have made it a light by which We guide whom We will of Our slaves...”]Quran 26: 52[
It is the light of guidance and the rescue for those who are exposed to such misconceptions. Allaah Says )what means(:“Allaah is the Light ]i.e., the source and bestower of light and enlightenment[ of the heavens and the earth. The example of His light ]i.e., guidance[ is like a niche within which is a lamp. The lamp is within glass, the glass as if it were a pearly ]white[ star lit from ]the oil of[ a blessed olive tree, neither of the east nor of the west, whose oil would almost glow even if untouched by fire…”]Quran 24: 35[
These misconceptions and falsehoods which the disbelievers propagate are described by Allaah as )what means(:“But the disbelievers – their deeds are like a mirage in a lowland which a thirsty one thinks is water until, when he comes to it, he finds it nothing but finds Allaah before him, and He will pay him in full his due; and Allaah is Swift in Account. Or ]they are[ like darknesses within a deep sea which is covered by waves, upon which are waves, over which are clouds – darknesses, some of them upon others. When one puts out his hand ]therein[, he can hardly see it. And for he for whom Allaah has not granted light – for him there is no light.”]Quran 24: 39-40[
Some people are deafened to hearing the truth and blinded from seeing it, they can never be guided to it. There are, however, others for whom Allaah opened their hearts and guided to the truth; these people acknowledged and accepted this and are alert to what Allaah has revealed. Such people can clearly see the truth and easily recognise it, and this is the light that Allaah addressed in the abovementioned )thirty-fifth( verse of chapter An-Noor.
Imaam Ibn Al-Qayyim, may Allaah have mercy upon him, stated: “Belief is complete light, and produces light, and the abode of this light is the slave's heart and soul; disbelief is utter darkness and leads to darkness, the place of which is also in the heart and soul… When one whose heart is filled with light reads the Quran, he feels as if its meanings were written in his heart.”
One of the ways of Allaah is His decree that conflict would always exist between the followers of the truth and those of falsehood, as He Says )what means(:“…And if it were not for Allaah checking ]some[ people by means of others, the earth would have been corrupted…”]Quran 2: 251[ This is something that is continuous, but the final victory and good end will be in favour of the believers, as Allaah Says )what means(:“Allaah has written ]i.e., decreed[: 'I will surely overcome, I and My messengers' …”]Quran 58: 21[
Allaah willing, nobody can mislead with a misconception one whose heart is pure and upon the sound nature on which he was created. When a misconception presents itself to a believer whose heart is filled with light that he derives from the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah of the Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, such a believer will strike truth upon the falsehood and it destroys it, causing it to vanish.
True happiness and guidance lies in following the way of the Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and real misery is the fruit of differing from his way. Imaam Ibn Taymiyyah, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “The message )of Muhammad sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam( is light and life for the universe, and is the way to its reformation. If life and light are missing, life becomes dark and cursed, except for the parts of it on which the message was revealed. Likewise is the case for the slave: unless the light of the message has risen in his heart and has affected him, he will live in darkness until death.”
The door of misconception was closed during the time of the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and during the caliphate of Abu Bakr, may Allaah be pleased with him, but it was burst open by the assassination of ‘Umar, may Allaah be pleased with him. It was then that religious innovations began to appear, and the companions of the Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam who had remained resisted them resiliently. Things have continued to deteriorate from that time until misconceptions have prevailed.
Allaah with His comprehensive Knowledge knew that such misconceptions would appear, which is why He has instilled refutations for them in the Quran. For example, a man once approached one of the Companions, may Allaah be pleased with him, holding a bone of a dead person and then crushed it in front of him, asking: “Can your Lord revive this after what I have just done to it?” Allaah then revealed the following verses )which mean(:“Does man not consider that We created him from a ]mere[ sperm-drop – then at once he is a clear adversary. And he presents for Us an example and forgets his ]own[ creation. He says: 'Who will give life to bones while they are disintegrated?' Say: 'He will give them life who produced them the first time; and He is, of all creation, Knowing.'”]Quran 36: 77-79[
Also, the disbelievers claimed that the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam was receiving and relating the Quran from a non-Arab carpenter in Makkah, so Allaah revealed the following verse )which means(:“And We certainly know that they say: 'It is only a human being who teaches him ]i.e., the Prophet sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam[.' The tongue of the one they refer to is foreign, and this ]recitation, i.e., Quran[ is in a clear Arabic language.”]Quran 16: 103[
The enemies of Islam have not left a single field except that they have aroused misconceptions regarding it, even when it comes to Allaah, an example of which is the claim of the Christians that Allaah is one of three )i.e., the concept of trinity(.
An important contemporary example of mass misconception is globalisation, and this is something that we must all combat. Under the pretext of this, everything is allowed, including television channels that propagate Christianity and attack Islam, the Quran and the Messenger sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, and some of these attacks are claimed, deceitfully of course, to be based on authentic prophetic narrations from Al-Bukhaari. People therefore watch this and complain of thereby becoming confused.
It is important, therefore, that a Muslim distances himself from misconceptions and refuses to expose himself to them; he must leave the matter of refuting misconceptions and debating with those who propagate them to the scholars. How can a Muslim who believes in Allaah and the Last Day attend gatherings or locations in which misconceptions are discussed and expose his eyes to the prohibited matters that occur in them and then complain of being confused? When one watches any of the multitudes of satellite television channels that propagate misconception, he is committing a prohibition, because Allaah Says )what means(:“And when you see those who engage in ]offensive[ discourse concerning Our verses, then turn away from them until they enter into another conversation. And if Satan should cause you to forget, then do not remain after the reminder with the wrongdoing people.”]Quran 6: 68[
Imaam Ash-Shawkaani, may Allaah have mercy upon him, said: “This verse includes a stern reminder to those who undermine sitting with innovators who play with the words found in the Book of Allaah and the Sunnah and who distort the correct usage of words. The very least that one is required to do regarding such people is to abandon sitting with them, which is an effortless action.”
We have seen some of these cursed gatherings, refuted falsehood and supported the truth on many occasions to the best of our ability, but even those who are well founded upon knowledge have problems when they sit with the people who propagate such filth. Therefore, if a common man allows such people to talk and sits and listens to them, he will certainly become confused.

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Dought & clear, - Should he fast on the fifteenth of Sha’baan even if the hadeeth is da'eef?

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Is it permissible, even after finding out that a hadeeth is da’eef (weak), to follow it, by way of doing righteous deeds? The hadeeth says: “When it is halfway through Sha’baan, spend that night in prayer and fast on that day.” The fast is observed as a voluntary act of devotion to Allaah, as is spending that night in prayer (qiyaam al-layl).
Praise be to Allaah.
Firstly:
What is narrated concerning the virtue of praying, fasting and worshipping on the fifteenth of Sha’baan (al-nusf min Sha’baan) does not come under the heading of da’eef (weak), rather it comes under the heading of mawdoo’ (fabricated) and baatil (false). So it is not permissible to follow it or to act upon it, whether that is in doing righteous deeds or otherwise.
A number of scholars ruled that the reports concerning that were false, such as Ibn al-Jawzi in his bookal-Mawdoo’aat, 2/440-445; Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyyah inal-Manaar al-Muneef, no. 174- 177; Abu Shaamah al-Shaafa’i inal-Baa’ith ‘ala Inkaar al-Bida’ wa’l-Hawaadith, 124-137; al-‘Iraaqi inTakhreej Ihyaa’ ‘Uloom il-Deen, no. 582. Shaykh al-Islam [Ibn Taymiyah] narrated that there was consensus on the fact that they are false, inMajmoo’ al-Fataawa, 28/138.
Shaykh Ibn Baaz (may Allaah have mercy on him) said inHukm al-Ihtifaal bi Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan(Ruling on celebrating the fifteenth of Sha’baan):
Celebrating the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan (Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan) by praying etc, or singling out this day for fasting, is a reprehensible bid’ah (innovation) according to the majority of scholars, and there is no basis for this in sharee’ah.
And he (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:
There is no saheeh hadeeth concerning the night of the fifteenth of Sha’baan (Laylat al-Nusf min Sha’baan). All the ahaadeeth that have been narrated concerning that are mawdoo’ (fabricated) and da’eef (weak), and have no basis. There is nothing special about this night, and no recitation of Qur’aan or prayer, whether alone or in congregation, is specified for this night. What some of the scholars have said about it being special is a weak opinion. It is not permissible to single it out for any special actions. This is the correct view. And Allaah is the Source of strength.
Fataawa Islamiyyah, 4/511.
See also question no. 8907.
Secondly:
Even if we assume that the hadeeth is da’eef (weak) and not mawdoo’ (fabricated), the correct scholarly view is that weak ahaadeeth should not be followed at all, even if they speak of righteous deeds or of targheeb and tarheeb (promises and warnings). The saheeh reports are sufficient and the Muslim has no need to follow the da’eef reports. Nothing is known in Islam to suggest that this night or day is special, either from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) or from his companions.
The scholar Ahmad Shaakir said: There is no difference between rulings or righteous deeds; we do not take any of them from da’eef reports, rather no one hast he right to use any report as evidence unless it is proven to be soundly narrated from the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) in a saheeh or hasan hadeeth.
Al-Baa’ith al-Hatheeth, 1/278.
For more information, see:al-Qawl al-Muneef fi Hukm al-‘Aml bi’l-Hadeeth al-Da’eef.
And Allaah knows best.

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Dought & clear, - Celebrating a child’s first fast

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In my country, the family celebrates the first day that their son or daughter fasts, by making food on that occasion and inviting the family to come and eat at the time of iftaar (breaking the fast). This event is called a “celebration of the first fast.” I would like to know the following:
1. What is the Islamic ruling on celebrating this event; is it permissible to attend if I am invited, and to eat this food?
2. What is your view on parties to celebrate the iftaar by inviting the people to come and have iftaar in a particular place?
3. In most of the mosques, the Qur’an is completed on the night of the twenty-seventh and sweets are handed out in the mosque; what is the Islamic ruling on that?
May Allah reward you with good for your efforts for His sake.
Praise be to Allah.
Firstly:
There is nothing wrong, in sha Allah, with the family celebrating the first time a boy or girl fasts, so long as it is limited to this occasion only, and will not become something that is repeated. There is nothing wrong with expressing happiness when the child reaches the age to observe this act of worship, or to encourage him and help him understand that this is an important event in his life. It is also a blessing for which thanks should be given to Allah. Some of the scholars regard it as mustahabb to make food for every happy occasion, and they specifically mentioned making food when a child completes the Qur’an.
See the answer to question no. 89705
Secondly:
If the reason for meeting to have iftaar is to spread love and harmony among those who gather, especially if they are relatives or if they are in a foreign land, and to encourage them to uphold ties with one another and show compassion towards one another, and to strengthen the bonds between Muslim families and their children, or that is done to help feed people and give iftaar to those who are fasting, and other valid purposes, then there is nothing wrong with it. In fact it is something praiseworthy that should be encouraged according to the purpose for which it is done, so long as it is not regarded as a Sunnah and is not taken by the participants as a regular “eid” other than the Eids prescribed in Islam, such that they gather on a particular day or in a particular manner, thinking that doing so has a particular virtue in Islamic terms.
Shaykh Ibn ‘Uthaymeen (may Allah have mercy on him) was asked:
I announce in one of the mosques that there will be an iftaar for everyone who wants to fast every Thursday. What is the ruling on that?
He replied: There is nothing wrong with making this announcement, because it is an announcement that is calling to good and the aim of it is not to buy or sell. What is haraam is to make announcements having to do with buying and selling, or renting and hiring, which are purposes for which the mosques were not built. As for calling people to good, feeding people and giving charity, there is nothing wrong with that.
With regard to its nature, and whether it is a gathering to perform a kind of worship, in fact they did not announce a communal fast; rather they announced iftaar only, so there is nothing wrong with that. And Allah knows best. End quote.
Thirdly:
The night of the twenty seventh of Ramadan is one of the odd-numbered nights among the last ten, on which Laylat al-Qadr may occur, according to the saheeh report narrated from the Prophet (blessings and peace of Allah be upon him). But Laylat al-Qadr is not necessarily on this particular night according to the correct view; rather it may be on this night or on some other of the last ten nights, although this night is the most likely of those nights.
Based on that, it is not correct to be certain that it is always Laylat al-Qadr or to believe that. But if a person increases his prayers or strives harder in that, on the basis that it is the most likely of the last ten nights, there is nothing wrong with that, in sha Allah. As for singling it out for completing the Qur’an on that night, that is something that should not be done, lest it be believed for certain that it is Laylat al-Qadr. We know of no basis for doing that from the practice of the early generations.
With regard to distributing sweets on that night, we do not know of any basis for that. It seems that this is a kind of taking that night as an Eid. It is not prescribed to single out that night for that purpose; rather it is not prescribed to do that deliberately on that night or any of the other nights on the basis of its virtue. However, if the purpose of giving out these sweets is to be kind to small children and do something nice for them, it should not be done only on that night; rather if it is done every time there is a need for it, that is Islamically acceptable.
And Allah knows best.

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