INTELLECTUAL FREEDOM IN ISLAM

discussion instead of attempting to put a stop to the act of criticism and disagreement itself. This is the demand of Islam as well as the demand of nature. The attribute of true believers described in the Hadith is: ‘Whenever a truth is presented to them, they accept it.’ (Musnad Ahmad). Here by truth is meant a matter of truth. In other words a believer is one who has full capacity of accepting truth. Whenever a truth is brought before him, whenever any error of his is pointed out to him, no personal complex comes in the way of his accepting the truth. The highest point of this attribute is that man is always prepared, rather he eagerly waits for someone to point out to him any shortcoming of his, so that he may immediately accept and correct it. He is almost greedy of his own reform and rectification. It is this attribute of a believer which has been expressed by Umar Faruq in these words: ‘May God bless the man who sends me the gift of my own shortcoming’. Acceptance of the truth is the greatest act of worship. It is an act for which man has to make the greatest of sacrifice. This is the sacrifice of one’s prestige; of losing one’s greatness. To lose one’s sense of greatness for the sake of truth is an occasion when man earns his entry into Heaven by paying its price. When does one receive the blessing of having performed this great form of worship? This opportunity comes to man only when there is full freedom of speech. When one can criticise another without any obstacle when such an atmosphere prevails in society where people can speak freely and frankly, and the listeners listen to them without raising any objection. Freedom of speech provides that conducive atmosphere in which great virtues flourish. It is in such an atmosphere that those situations are created when a person is given the credit of the pronouncement of truth and another rewarded for the acceptance of the truth. o Acceptance of the truth is the greatest act of worship. It is an act for which man has to make the greatest of sacrifice. This is the sacrifice of one’s prestige; of losing one’s greatness.