Examining Freedom of Choice of Belief from the Perspective of Islam

چکیده

Freedom of choice of belief or change of religion is one of the fundamental issues in human rights discourse and contemporary political thought. In Islam, the issue of changing one’s belief also holds a significant position, particularly when the change is towards Islam. Despite the Qur’an’s explicit emphasis on human free choice in accepting religion, certain limitations have been discussed in some Islamic interpretations. This diversity of perspectives highlights the necessity of a scholarly examination of the position of freedom of belief in Islam. Therefore, the main question of this research is whether Islam recognizes the freedom to choose a belief or to change to a religion other than Islam as a right. The aim of this research is to explain the Qur’anic and Sunnah-based foundations regarding freedom of belief, analyze various viewpoints on the choice of belief or change of religion, and demonstrate Islam’s capacity to accommodate freedom of belief in light of the contemporary legal needs of human beings. This research employs a descriptive-analytical method and utilizes library-based research tools. The primary sources include the Qur’an, Sunnah, Islamic jurisprudential texts, and other Islamic writings. The findings of the research indicate that the Qur’anic texts and Sunnah extensively emphasize human choice and the prohibition of coercion in matters of belief and religion. They recognize freedom of belief as a component of human dignity.