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What
Does Islam Say About "Converting People in
Religion?"
A
basic and fundamental truth established by the sacred
texts of Islam (Quran and Hadeeth) is that: -
"No one can be compelled to accept Islam!"
It
is the duty of the Muslims to establish proof of
validity of Islam to the people in order for the truth
to be distinct from falsehood. Once that is done,
whoever wishes to accept Islam may do so and whoever
wishes to continue upon their belief may do so. No one
is to be threatened or harmed in any way should they
chose not to accept Islam.
Note:
It is not only forbidden to compel someone to accept
Islam, it is impossible to do so.
Please consider the meaning of the word"Islam"
before continuing to read:
['Islam'; Ar. from the
root 'slm' (silm), to be in peaceful
submission; to surrender; to obey; peace; "Islam"
lit. 'The active willful surrender,
submission, obedience, in purity to the will of
another (Allah) in complete peace.']
The
understanding from the meaning of the word "Islam"
itself makes it clear that there is no way that you
could possibly force someone to do something that
requires them to do it of their own free will and
accord. If someone were "forced to
enter Islam" then it would not be "Islam"
anyway, as a condition of "Islam" is that
it is by free choice in peace. Forcing people into
Islam is totally illogical and certainly not
acceptable in concept nor practice.
More
about the word "Islam"
[click]
[Y. Estes]
It
is the duty and obligation of the Muslims to establish
the truth and proofs of Islam and then allow others the
freedom of choice to accept or reject the proofs.
There
are two principle sources of proof for the Muslim. They
are:
The
Quran - considered by Muslims
to be the absolute Speech or Recitation of Allah, the
Almighty. ('Quran' Ar. from the root; qr'a:
to recite; Quran; lit. "That which is
recited"). More about Quran . . . [click]
The
Hadeeth - teachings of
Muhammad, peace be upon him. (hadeeth - Ar. meaning,
stories or narrations. The hadeeths have been collected,
authenticated [in collections by Bukhari and Muslim
called 'sahih', categorized, preserved and memorized for
over 1,400 years; all in the original language
[Arabic]). More about Hadeeth . . . [click]
Among the many decisive pieces of evidence in Islam to
prove that "There is no compulsion in
Islam" are the following:
Allah says in His Quran:
“Let
there be no compulsion in religion. Truth has been made
clear from error. Whoever rejects false worship and
believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy
handhold that never breaks. And Allah hears and knows
all things.” [Surah al-Baqarah: 256]
Allah also says in Quran: “If
it had been your Lord’s will, all of the people on
Earth would have believed. Would you then compel the
people so to have them believe?” [Surah
Yunus: 99]
And Allah says: “So
if they dispute with you, say ‘I have submitted my
whole self to Allah, and so have those who follow me.’
And say to the People of the Scripture and to the
unlearned: ‘Do you also submit yourselves?’ If they
do, then they are on right guidance. But if they turn
away, your duty is only to convey the Message. And in
Allah’s sight are all of His servants.”
[Surah Al `Imran: 20]
Allah The Almighty has also said: “The
Messenger’s duty is but to proclaim the Message.”
[Surah Al-Maidah: 99]
It is important to note that these last two verses were
revealed in Madinah. This is significant, since it shows
that the ruling they gave was not just contingent on the
Muslims being in Mecca in a state of weakness.
Some people might be wondering that
if Islam indeed advocates such an approach, then what is
all this we hear about jihad? How can we explain the
warfare that the Prophet (peace be upon him) and his
Companions waged against the pagans?
The answer to this is that jihad in Islamic Law can be
waged for a number of reasons, but compelling people to
accept Islam is simply not one of them.
The reason why jihad was first permitted in Islam was so
the Muslims could defend themselves against persecution
and expulsion from their homes.
Allah, Most High says: “To
those against whom war is made, permission is given (to
fight), because they are wronged – and verily Allah is
Most Powerful for their aid – (They are) those who
have been expelled from their homes in defiance of right
– (for no cause) except that they say, ‘Our Lord is
Allah’. Did Allah not check one set of people by means
of another, there would surely have been pulled down
monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which
the name of Allah is commemorated in abundant measure.
Allah will certainly aid those who aid his cause, for
truly Allah is full of strength and might.”
[Surah al-Hajj: 39-40]
Many of the earliest scholars mention that these were
the first verses of the Quran that was revealed
regarding jihad. Thereafter the following verses were
revealed:
“Fight
in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not
transgress limits; for Allah loves not transgressors.
And slay them wherever you catch them and drive them out
from whence they drove you out, for oppression is worse
than killing. But fight them not at the sacred mosque
unless they fight you there. But if they fight you, slay
them. Such is the reward of those who suppress faith.
But if they cease, Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most
Merciful. And fight them on until there is no more
tumult or oppression and there prevail justice and faith
in Allah. But if they cease, let there be no hostility
except to those who practice oppression.”
[Surah al-Baqarah: 190-193]
From this point on, the scope of jihad was broadened
from being purely for defense against direct attack to
being inclusive of resistance against those who suppress
the faith and deny people the freedom to choose their
religion for themselves. This came later, because it is
legislated for the Muslims only when they are capable of
doing so. In times of weakness, Muslims may only fight
against direct attack.
As for the spread of Islam, this is supposed to take
place peacefully by disseminating the Message with the
written and spoken word. There is no place for
the use of weapons to compel people to accept Islam. Weapons
can only be drawn against those who persecute and
oppress others and prevent them from following their own
consciences in matters of belief. The Muslims cannot
just stand by while people are being denied the right to
believe in Islam and their voices are being crushed.
This is the meaning of Allah’s
words: “And
fight them on until there is no more tumult or
oppression and there prevail justice and faith in
Allah.” [Surah al-Baqarah: 193]
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said in his letter to
the Roman governor Heracles: “I invite you to
accept Islam. If you accept Islam, you will find safety.
If you accept Islam, Allah will give you a double
reward. However, if you turn away, upon you will be the
sin of your subjects.” [Sahih Bukhari and
Sahih Muslim]
Once people have heard the Message without obstruction
or hindrance and the proof has been established upon
them, then the duty of the Muslims is done. Those who
wish to believe are free to do so and those who prefer
to disbelieve are likewise free to do so.
Even when the Muslims are compelled to fight and then
subdue the land, their duty thereafter is to establish
Allah’s law in the land and uphold justice for all
people, Muslim and non-Muslim. It is not their right to
coerce their subjects to accept Islam against their
will. Non-Muslims under Muslim rule must be allowed to
remain on their own faith and must be allowed to
practice the rights of their faith, though they will be
expected to respect the laws of the land.
Had the purpose of jihad been to force the unbelievers
to accept Islam, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would
never have commanded the Muslims to refrain from
hostilities if the enemy relented. He would not have
prohibited the killing of women and children. However,
this is exactly what he did.
During a battle, the Prophet (peace be upon him) saw
people gathered together. He dispatched a man to find
out why they were gathered. The man returned and said: “They
are gathered around a slain woman.” So
Allah’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “She
should not have been attacked!” Khalid b. al-Walid
was leading the forces, so he dispatched a man to him
saying: “‘Tell Khalid not to kill women or
laborers”. [Sunan Abu Dawud]
Note:
This
should not be misconstrued to indicate that the
prophet, peace be upon him, made the killing of
women (and children, elders, clerics and other
innocents) to be haram (forbidden) at this
particular point and time. In fact, it was always haram
(forbidden) and the prophet, peace be upon him, was
only reconfirming what was already in place by the shari'ah
(Islamic Law). [Y. Estes]
Therefore, even in
the heat of battle against a hostile enemy, the only
people who may be attacked are those who are actually
participating in the fighting.
Had the purpose of jihad been to force the unbelievers
to accept Islam, the rightly guided Caliphs would not
have prohibited the killing of priests and monks who
refrained from fighting. However, this is exactly what
they did. When the first Caliph, Abu Bakr, sent an army
to Syria to fight the aggressive Roman legions, he went
out to give them words of encouragement. He said:
“You are going to find a group of people who have
devoted themselves to the worship of Allah (i.e.
monks), so leave them to what they are doing.”
We have demonstrated that it is a principle in Islam
that there is no compulsion in religion and we have
discussed the objectives of jihad. Now, we shall turn
our attentions to some texts that are often
misunderstood.
One of these is the verse: “But
when the forbidden months are past, then fight the
pagans wherever you find them, and seize them and
beleaguer them and lie in wait for them in every
stratagem (of war). But if they repent and establish
regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open
the way for them, for Allah is oft-forgiving, most
merciful.” [Surah al-Tawbah: 5]
Some people – especially some contemporary non-Muslim
critics of Islam – have tried to claim that this verse
abrogates the verse “Let there be no compulsion in
religion.” They argue that the generality of this
statement implies that every unbeliever who refuses to
accept Islam must be fought. They support their
allegation by pointing out that this verse is one of the
last verses to be revealed about fighting.
However, this verse in no way abrogates the principle in
Islamic Law that there is no compulsion in religion. It
may be general in wording, but its meaning is quite
specific on account of other verses of the Quran that
are connected with it as well as on account of a number
of pertinent hadîth. We will be discussing these texts
shortly.
The people being referred to by this verse are the pagan
Arabs who had been waging war against the Prophet (peace
be upon him) and who had broken their covenant
and treaties with him. This verse is not
speaking about the other pagan Arabs who did
not break their treaties and take up arms against the
Muslims. It is also most definitely not speaking
about the Jews or Christians, or, for that matter, the
pagans who were living outside of Arabia.
If we look at the verses in Surah al-Tawbah immediately
before and after the one under discussion, the context
of the verse becomes clear.
A few verses before the one we are discussing, Allah
says: “There
is a declaration of immunity from Allah and His
Messenger to those of the pagans with whom you have
contracted mutual alliances. Go then, for four months,
to and fro throughout the land. But know that you cannot
frustrate Allah that Allah will cover with shame those
who reject Him.” [Surah al-Tawbah:
1-2]
In these verses we see that the pagans were granted a
four month amnesty with an indication that when the four
months were over, fighting would resume. However, a
following verse exempts some of them from the resumption
of hostilities. It reads: “Except
for those pagans with whom you have entered into a
covenant and who then do not break their covenant at all
nor aided anyone against you. So fulfill your
engagements with them until the end of their term, for
Allah loves the righteous.” [Surah al-Tawbah:
4]
So when Allah says: “But
when the forbidden months are past, then fight the
pagans wherever you find them, and seize them and
beleaguer them and lie in wait for them in every
stratagem (of war)”, we must
know that it is not general, since the verse above has
qualified it to refer to the pagan Arabs who were
actually at war with the Prophet (peace be upon him) and
those who broke their covenants of peace.
This is further emphasized by a few verses later where
Allah says: “Will
you not fight people who broke their covenants and
plotted to expel the Messenger and attacked you
first?” [Surah al-Tawbah: 13]
Ibn al-Arabi, in his commentary on the Quran, writes: “It
is clear from this that the meaning of this verse is to
kill the pagans who are waging war against you.”
[Ahkam al-Quran: (2/456)]
Allah also say right after the verse under discussion:
“How
can there be a covenant before Allah and His Messenger
with the pagans except those with whom you have made a
treaty near the Sacred Mosque? As long as they stand
true to you, stand true to them, for Allah does love the
righteous.” [Surah al-Tawbah: 7]
Another misunderstood text is the hadîth where the
Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “I have been
commanded to fight the people until they bear witness
that there is no God but Allah and that I am Allah’s
Messenger. If they do so, then there blood and their
wealth are inviolable except in the dispensation of
justice, and their affair is with Allah.” [Sahih
Bukhari and Sahih Muslims]
There can be no qualms about this hadîth’s
authenticity, since it is recorded in both Sahih al-Bukhari
and Sahih Muslim. However, this hadîth is also not to
be taken generally, out of context, and in complete
disregard to all the other textual evidence.
The term “people” here is not referring to all
humanity. Ibn Taymiyah says: “It
refers to fighting those who are waging war, whom Allah
has permitted us to fight. It does not refer to those
who have a covenant with us with whom Allah commands us
to fulfill our covenant.” [Majmu al-Fatawa
(19/20)]
Islam commands the Muslims to be just with people of
other faiths, whether they be Jews, Christians, or
pagans. Islam calls us to treat them kindly and try to
win their hearts as long as they do not take up arms
against us. Allah says: “Allah
forbids you not with regard to those who neither fight
against you for your faith nor drive you out of your
homes from dealing kindly and justly with them, for
Allah loves those who are just.” [Surah
al-Mumtahanah: 9-10]
Allah commands Muslims to respect their non-Muslim
parents and to accompany them in this world in a good
manner.
The Quran commands us to argue with them in the best
manner. Allah says: “Argue
with the People of the Scripture in the best manner
except those among them who act oppressively. Say: We
believe in the revelation that has come down to us and
in that which came down to you. Our God and your God is
one, and it is to Him we submit ourselves as Muslims.”
[Surah al-Ankabût: 46]
We are ordered to uphold our covenants with the
non-Muslims and not betray them or transgress against
them. The Prophet (peace be upon him) gave a stern
warning to us against killing a non-Muslim with whom we
are at peace. He said: “Whoever kills one with
whom we have a covenant will not smell the scent of
Paradise.” [Sahih Muslim]
The faith of a Muslim is not acceptable unless he
believes in all of the Prophets who were sent before
(peace be upon them all). Allah says: “O
you who believe! Believe in Allah, His Messenger, the
scripture that He revealed to His messenger and the
scripture that he revealed before. Whoever disbelieves
in Allah, His angels, His books, His Messengers, and the
Last Day has gone far astray.” [Surah
al-Nisa]
There are two important points that we would like to
visit regarding this most discussed and often
misrepresented topic called, "jihad."
- The
meaning of the word; ['jihad'; Ar.
from the root 'jahada',to struggle;
assert oneself, as in "making great effort to
arrive at a conclusion as to the meaning and
interpretation of Islamic Law (ijtihad)";
strive, as in, "striving to complete a
monumental task (jahed)"; "jihad"
lit. 'The struggle to attain the
objective.]
- The
principle purpose of the institution of "jihad".
It must be understood that "jihad"
according to "shari'ah"
(Islamic Law) was instituted by Allah, The Law
Giver Himself, only for the purpose of raising,
protecting and defending the "deen"
(way of Islam; "Laa elaha illa
lah" [none has the right to be
worshipped, except Allah."]).
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