(21) Free will and concept of State

OUTLINE OF CHAPTER
Freedoms and restraints: Evil and virtuous deeds and consequences in hereafter, rejection of doctrine of predestination, all is from God (God’s omnipotence verses predestination), subjection of all created beings to God’s will except man, man endowed with free will by God.
Divine guidance: Life’s journey on highways of good and evil, God shows the right path but does not impose guidance; man’s freedom of moral choice, God helps those who help themselves. Natural law of cause and effect: going astray.
Accountability: Individual responsibility, divine guidance and punishment.
Freedom of religion: No compulsion in faith; miracles undermine man’s free will, freedom of religion for non-believers. Religious tolerance: prohibition of religious discrimination, leave alone those who choose to remain ignorant, forgive men’s short comings, do not shun non-Muslims who believe in God, prohibition of reviling what others hold sacred, argue kindly with non-Muslims. Religious diversity and pluralism: many paths to God, protection of mosques, churches and synagogues. Apostasy: Remaining steadfast during religious persecution, apostasy under duress, punishment for apostasy only in afterlife. Freedom of thought and speech: Intellectual development of mankind, God’s messages and dissension among human beings, divergent views as basis of man’s intellectual and moral development, divergent views and free will, freedom of speech.
Individual rights: Inviolability of person’s home, individual’s right to privacy, do not pry into the affairs of others.
Race relations: prohibition of racism. Slavery: True piety and abolition of slavery as social objective of Islam, helping fellow man, neighbors and freeing slaves, prohibition to acquire slaves (except prisoners of war), equal treatment of slaves and dependents, prohibition of concubinage, marriage with female slaves, freedom for slaves.
The State: The Muslim community (ummah). Democracy and Islam, mutual consultation, government by consent, loyal opposition and the right to dissent, judge with justice, conduct of individual believer in Islamic state, rejecting ties of kinship (with unbelievers) and national affiliations, secrecy for beneficial end. Qualities of a powerful and just ruler: parable of two horned one, Gog and Magog (Mongols and Tatars). Immoral leadership: Evil men with super-egos. punishment in afterlife for corrupt leaders: Judgment day for tyrants and oppressors, dialogue between leaders and damned followers on the Judgment day, accounting of leaders who led others astray, successors on earth.
 
 
 
 
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