If Western philosophy is concerned with freedom, the quality or state of being free, Islamic philosophy is concerned with submission, the act of submitting to the authority or control of another. While Islam’s emphasis on submission may seem incompatible with Western notions of liberty it is not, however, a negation of freedom. There is freedom in Islam but it is qualified, conditional, defined and well-determined. It is not ambiguous, ill-defined and nebulous as it is in the West. For Muslims, true freedom can only be attained through submission to God.

In Islam, freedom is a fundamental right granted by God. It is not, however, an absolute right. Islam understands that while freedom is a good thing, too much freedom can be a bad thing. Unlimited liberty is a license for libertines. It leads to moral relativity, absence of absolute truth and ethical equivalency. Unrestrained freedom creates chaos and confusion, destruction and debauchery and the anathema of anarchy. In Islam, however, freedom and liberty cannot be disassociated from values and morality. Hence, Muslims are free to do as they please, so long as they do so within the confines of Islamic law, most of which is compatible with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In the few areas where differences do occur, the difference is in degree and not necessarily in principle.

For example, Islam recognizes the right to freedom of expression. It does not, however, recognize the right to spread corruption on earth. As far as Islamic thought is concerned, freedom of expression must not extend to hate propaganda and pornography. While Islam recognizes human rights, it does not forget about divine rights and the rights of society. Liberal capitalism is concerned with the rights of individuals while communism is concerned with the rights of the community. What Islam proposes is a balance between libertarianism and absolutism, between the rights of the individual and the rights of society.

In Islam, the purpose for creation is clear. As Almighty Allah explains in the Holy Qur’an:

“I created the jinn and humankind only that they might worship Me” (51.56).

The Creator is categorical that

“the religion before Allah is Islam [submission]” (3:19).

In the final revelation received by the Prophet, the Almighty confirmed that

“This day have I perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen for you Islam [submission] as your religion” (5:3).

The purpose of creation is not the pursuit of freedom. The purpose of creation is obedience to the Creator. The Muslim seeks not the freedom to sin. The Muslim seeks the freedom to submit.

In Islam, the spiritual chain of command is clear. Muslims are commanded to

“obey Allah, the Prophet and those charged with authority” (4:59),

the religious scholars, the guardians of the sacred sciences. The entire Islamic system is structured on a hierarchy of trust, obedience and submission which is never blind but based on faith and conviction. The very word Islam means submission whereas the word Muslim means one who submits. These words are derived from the tripartite Arabic root S-L-M which conveys the meanings of security, safety, peace and tranquility. So, in Islam, submission is not synonymous with subjugation. Submission is the source of salvation. For Muslims, freedom through submission is not an oxymoron, a paradox, a contradiction in terms and a logical impossibility. It is a reality based on a balance between divine rights, individual rights and collective rights. And Allah knows best.