Freedom of Belief in Islamic Thought and Its Impact on Social Peace: Analytical Study

Abstract

This study explores freedom of belief in Islamic thought and its impact on social peace through a comparative analytical approach with Western perspectives. The research addresses the problem of the absence of a balanced vision of freedom in many contemporary discourses, where it is either viewed as absolute without limits or restricted by authoritarian constraints. Using the comparative analytical method, the study examines the linguistic and conceptual foundations of freedom, its types, and its development in both Islamic and Western thought. It then analyzes the consequences of deficiency in freedom through religious persecution, and excess through unrestrained dissolution, highlighting the Islamic model of balanced freedom. The findings reveal that balanced freedom—rooted in recognition of diversity and guided by ethical and religious values—is the true guarantee for achieving stability and peaceful coexistence, unlike excess or deficiency which lead to violence or disorder