FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
The revolution set in motion by Islam on the basis of monotheism brought into existence for the first time in human history a truly egalitarian social structure. It paved the way for a society in which everyone enjoyed freedom of expression with no constraints whatsoever. Nothing of this nature had ever hitherto been experienced. Let us compare this with the human condition under Chosroes I, the Persian emperor who ruled the Sassanid Empire from 531 to 579. Chosroes I was known as one of the just rulers of Persia, but even during his reign, a courtier was once bludgeoned to death in the Court at the instance of the King simply for having dared to criticize the royal policy. Such a punishment was not an exception. Any criticism or difference of opinion amounted to treason. In fact, the mildest punishment for this crime was instant execution.
Not only did Islam advocate freedom of thought and speech with unmistakable earnestness, but it also wrought such social changes as emboldened the people to break with ancient practices, thus enabling them to openly express their differences with and criticism of their chiefs and rulers.
Prophet Muhammad may have had the status of a political ruler in Arabia, but still he lived like any other ordinary man, and everyone was free to express himself in his presence. One such instance occurred on the Badr expedition. During the journey, the Prophet decided to encamp at a particular place. At that point a man by the name of Khabbab ibn al-Mundhir approached him and asked; “Have you chosen to halt here because you were guided by divine revelation, or is this choice of halting place purely a matter of your own private opinion?” The Prophet replied, “I have chosen this place myself.” At this, Khabbab ibn al-Mundhir said, “This is no place to halt. Move from here with all your companions.” (Seerah Ibn Hisham, vol. 1, p. 620) The Prophet, far from rebuking the man for this audacity, simply asked him why he thought they should camp elsewhere. When he had heard his reasons, he immediately agreed with him, and he and his companions then set off to find another halting place. The fact that neither the Prophet nor his companions took exception to Khabbab ibn al-Mundhir’s behaviour is a clear illustration of the degree to which egalitarianism was encouraged by Islam.
This revolution, imbued as it was with the spirit of Islamic monotheism, was so powerful that its effects continued to be felt throughout the whole of Islamic history. After the Prophet, during the period of the pious caliphs, anyone, irrespective of his social status, could freely criticize the caliphs. The history of this period abounds in such instances.
This Islamic revolution had such far-reaching effects, that even in the later period of Islam, when a form of monarchy had replaced the Caliphate, and throughout the entire fourteen-hundred-year span of Islamic history, there was never again a ruler who succeeded in placing curbs on the right to expression.
