Islam and Human Rights — Page 192
Isl am and Hum an R ights 192 far as they affected non-Muslims. But within Muslim society, departure from whatever happened to be current as ap proved orthodox doctrine was suppressed with the utmost rigour. Persecution often proceeded to extreme limits. When bigotry donned the garb of politics, freedom of thought could be indulged in only at the risk of martyrdom. Some of the great Imams of juriprudence had to endure imprison ment and flogging for their refusal to subscribe to propo sitions which seemed to them erroneous or futile. On one matter of fundamental importance the doctrinal position became crystallized in a manner directly contra dictory to the express and clear declarations of the Quran. While it continued to be recognized that in the face of the emphatic directions of the Quran on freedom of con science, no one could be forced or coerced to believe, the dictum gradually developed that apostacy must be treated as a capital offence and punished as such. It was not appreciated that this involved a complete negation of the freedom of conscience repeatedly proclaimed by the Quran. The confusion arose in this manner. After the Prophet was forced to leave Mecca and migrated to