Importance of Freedom of Choice

IMPORTANCE OF FREEDOM OF CHOICE The principle of non-coercion mentioned in the Quran (2:256) has not been confined to religious freedom alone. Rather, it has been extensively elaborated upon and widely applied to other social, cultural, and political spheres of society. This is conducive to developing a culture where individuals enjoy the freedom of expression, dissent, and criticism without fear or restriction. Two examples may explain how this fundamental human right was observed in some early Muslim societies. Once, Umar, the second Muslim Caliph, came to a well of the Banu al-Harith, where he met an outspoken person named Muhammad ibn Maslamah. “How do you find me?”, he asked Muhammad ibn Maslamah. “By God, I find you just as I would like you to be and as it would please any well-wisher to see you. I see you are good at accumulating money, but you keep your hands clean, distributing it equitably to others.” “But” Muhammad ibn Maslamah went on “if you adopt a crooked course, we will straighten you, just as we straighten swords by placing them in a sheath.” At these aggressively critical words, Umar exclaimed, “Praise be to God, who has put me among a people who will straighten me when I become crooked.” (Kitab al-Zuhd wa al-Raqa’iq by Ibn al-Mubarak, 512) The second incident again involves the Caliph Umar. This was at a time when in Madinah, Muslims, with their increasing affluence, began to settle huge dowers on their daughters. At this time, Umar, in his capacity as Caliph, ordered that no one should demand or pay a dower that exceeded