The Freedom of Opinion In Islam by Abdus-Salam al-Basuni

In this short but important treatise, Sheikh Abdus-Salam al-Basuni weighs in on the ongoing global discourse about freedom of expression. He reviews the history of freedom of opinion in the West and compares that with how Islam approaches the issue. He examines the arguments in favour of unrestricted freedom of expression in light of some actual consequences. Sheikh Abdus-Salam al-Basuni demonstrates that the freedom to express one's opinion is a fundamental right that is respected and protected by Islamic law. He argues that this right is embedded in the laws and principles of Islam, and shows how crucial limitations placed upon freedom of opinion work to protect the rights of individuals, their privacy and their honour, as well as to preserve the sanctity of human life and the security of human societies.

IIPH (International Islamic Publishing House)

• Abdus-Salam al-Basuni

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'Abdus-Salam al-Basuni
of
the freedom opinion islam
حرية الرأي في الإسلام
الدار العالمية للكتاب الإسلامي
INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC PUBLISHING HOUSE
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FOREWORD
By 'Abdul-Haleem Lee
In the Name of Allah, the All-Compassionate, All-Merciful
All praise
I praise be to Allah, the Glorified and the Exalted, the Lord of the Worlds, and may Allah's Blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon his family and Companions.
It is with gratitude, humility and a deep sense of purpose that we introduce to the English reader a work, based upon Hal bi al-Islâm Hurriyah li ar-Ra'y - The Freedom of Opinion in Islam originally published in Arabic language, by ash-Shaykh 'Abdus- Salâm al-Basyony. That major work was initially written in 1994 to address the media assault by the West upon Islam, asserting that the West alone is the sponsor of freedom and the advocate of human rights and equality for the sexes. Their strategy is to defame Islam, accusing it of being the cause of 'backwardness' among the people and asserting, therefore, that Islam should be abandoned. They further assert that the only way to 'progress' lies in embracing the standards and culture of the West and to accept its leadership in all worldly matters. In addition, they accuse Islam of restricting freedom or free expression of opinion.
In The Freedom of Opinion in Islam, ash-Shaykh al- Basyony provides a frame of reference within which to view and compare the Islamic system and the secular human systems. He
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'Abdus-Salam al-Basuni
the freedom
opinion islam
حرية الراق في الإسلام
INTERNATIONAL ISLAMIC PUBLISHING HOUSE
In this short but important treatise, Sheikh 'Abdus-Salam al-Basuni weighs in on the ongoing global discourse about freedom of expres- sion. He reviews the history of freedom of opinion in the West and compares that with how Islam approaches the issue. He examines the arguments in favor of unrestricted freedom of expression in light of some actual consequences.
Sheikh al-Basuni demonstrates that the freedom to express one's opinion is a fundamental right that is respected and protected by Islamic law. He argues that this right is embedded in the laws and principles of Islam, and shows how crucial limitations placed upon freedom of opinion work to protect the rights of individuals, their privacy, their property and their honor, as well as to preserve the sanctity of human life and the security of human societies.
IIPH
ISBN 9960-850-86-2
9789960850863
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LIST OF CONTENTS
Transliteration Chart..
Foreword.........
Introduction........
Guarantees for freedom of opinion........
Results of freedom of opinion........
Ways of expressing opinion......
Forbidden ways of expressing opinion..
Freedom to express opinion:
Islam vs Human legislation...
The liberal systems.........
Notes on freedom of opinion in the world today..
The Islamic restrictions.......
Restrictions on freedom of opinion...
Violations of human rights and freedom of opinion.................82
The sanctity of homes, shops and
the other private properties.........
Conclusion.....