hurriyah

Hurriyah, often transliterated as hurriya or hurriyah, is an Arabic term meaning freedom or liberty. It denotes the state of being free from coercion or oppression and the capacity for autonomy and self-determination.

Etymology and usage: The word stems from the Arabic root Ḥ-R-R, which conveys the sense of being free or unbound. The feminine noun hurriyah expresses the abstract concept of freedom and appears in various forms of discourse, including political, social, and philosophical discussions, as well as in everyday speech.

Political and civil contexts: In contemporary usage, hurriyah commonly refers to civil liberties such as freedom of expression, religion, assembly, and the press. It also signals aspirations for democratic governance, rule of law, and human rights within constitutions, manifestos, and public movements across Arabic-speaking communities and beyond.

Religious and philosophical contexts: In Islamic thought, hurriyah can denote both personal moral or spiritual freedom and freedom from oppression, and it is sometimes discussed in relation to human agency within the framework of divine sovereignty and responsibility.

See also: Civil liberties, freedom of expression, human rights, democratic rights.