Freedom of Expression in Multicultural Society: A Study based on the Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)

Abstract

Islam encourages people to speak, share, or express their views for the betterment of individuals and society, for the same in some cases right of speech and sharing views becomes a responsibility. As the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) declares: “The best fighting (jihad) in the path of Allah is (to speak) a word of justice to an oppressive ruler.” Freedom of expression is also important for human beings to familiarize themselves with the views and ideas of others and to train them to listen to and tolerate others. However, without any limitation, the right or freedom of expression can violate others’ rights, especially in a multicultural society. Therefore, when the religion ‘Islam’ speaks about freedom of expression, some limitations are also mentioned there in order to maintain social harmony and peace among human beings. This paper is a qualitative study to understand the Islamic view of freedom.