At five in the afternoon, Cairo time (68).. Islam and Freedom of Opinion and Expression (7)

The Legitimacy of Pluralism:

If, in previous installments, we have clarified that faith in the Qur’anic conception is a free act—neither imposed nor extracted by force—then the next logical question becomes:

If God has granted human beings the freedom to believe,
why did He not create humanity with a single opinion,
a single creed,
and a single understanding?

In other words:
Is difference an accidental flaw in human existence?
Or is it an intentional part of its design?

Difference… A Divine Decision:

The Qur’an provides a clear answer that admits no evasion:

“And if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community, but they will not cease to differ.” (Hud: 118)

The verse does not merely affirm the reality of difference;
it links it directly to the will of God.

Difference here is not the result of human corruption,
nor the deviation of minds,
nor a historical conspiracy,
but an existential truth willed by God.

Had God wished to unify humanity by compulsion, He would have done so—
but He did not.

Here, as in the matter of faith,
the same meaning returns:

Divine power is complete,
but freedom is intentional.

Why Difference?

The Qur’an does not present difference as a burden to be eliminated,
but as a condition of the human test:

“And if God had willed, He would have made you one community, but He tests you through what He has given you.” (Al-Ma’idah: 48)

The test is not in blind obedience,
nor in perfect uniformity,
but in how difference is managed.

A human being is not tested when repeating what everyone else says,
but when choosing a position
and bearing responsibility for it
amid a plurality of opinions and perspectives.

From Difference to Conflict… Where Did the Fault Occur?

The fault has never been in the existence of difference itself,
but in transforming it into a threat.

When difference is understood as a danger to faith,
or as an assault on the “unity of the community,”
or as a departure from the “straight path,”
a chain of disasters begins:

• Questions are criminalized,
• Opinions are branded as treachery,
• Expression is suppressed,
• Diversity is presented as sedition.

At that point, religion ceases to be a unifying moral framework
and becomes instead an instrument of sorting and exclusion.

Does Religion Fear Difference?

The Qur’an answers with an unequivocal no.

The Qur’anic discourse itself is founded on dialogue,
the presentation of arguments,
and engagement with opponents in the best manner:

“Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction, and argue with them in the most gracious way.”
(An-Nahl: 125)

If difference were a threat to religion,
the Qur’an would not have called for debate in the first place.

A religion that needs to suppress dissent in order to survive
is not strong,
but a fragile discourse that fears dialogue.

Difference and Freedom of Opinion:

From this perspective, freedom of opinion is not merely a civil right
nor a cultural luxury,
but a religious necessity in a world created diverse.

A dissenting opinion is not a departure from the cosmic order,
but an expression of it.

Attempts to impose a single opinion,
a single understanding,
or a single interpretation
are not a defense of religion,
but a rebellion against the very logic of creation.

Why Did Some Currents Resist Difference?

Because difference unsettles authority.

• It unsettles political authority, which dislikes accountability.
• It unsettles religious authority, which fears losing monopoly.
• It unsettles ideological organizations, which rely on discipline rather than debate.

Thus, fear of difference
was transformed into religious discourse,
then into jurisprudence,
then into repressive practice—
falsely attributed to Islam.

What Does the Qur’an State Clearly?

It states that:

• Difference is an inescapable reality,
• Plurality is a norm, not a flaw,
• Dialogue is a principle, not an exception.

“And whatever you differ about, its judgment rests with God.”
(Ash-Shura: 10)

That is: not with the sword,
nor with prison,
nor with excommunication.

Conclusion:

God did not create human beings different in vain,
nor grant them intellect in order to remain silent,
nor freedom in order to abolish it.

In the Qur’anic conception, difference
is not a problem to be solved,
but a reality that requires ethical and rational management.

Without recognizing the legitimacy of difference,
talk of freedom of opinion in Islam is meaningless.

In the Next Installment:

We will pose the most dangerous question:

How did legitimate difference turn into bloody conflict in Islamic history?
And where was the line between diversity and violence lost?

To be continued…

Cairo: Five o’clock in the evening, local time of al-Mahrousa