18 November 07 - 22:53Saudi Arab News. There is no Compulsion in Islam but...
This would be laugibly Ironic except its trueSaudi Arab News
Websites That Spread Misinformation About Islamic Teachings
Adil Salahi, Arab News
Q. I read on a website that answers queries about Islam that it is right to force non-Muslims to accept Islam, even through war. The person who answered the question says that the verse stating that ‘there is no compulsion in religion’ has been abrogated by verses 8: 39 and 9: 5. Please comment.
A. Taqui
A. We need to be wary when we read something on the Internet. Cyber space is open to all and no one can have control over what is written. There are many sites that are hostile to Islam, but there are several which manage their hostility in a subtle way. They try to appear objective, or indeed Islamic, but they often resort to half-truths, or take statements out of context, or leave them incomplete, or apply a text in a universal way although it deals with a specific case. Therefore, if you read something which sounds unreasonable and you think the publishing website is a reliable one, you need to ask an authority on the subject. It may be a genuine mistake, or a piece of incomplete information, and, on the other hand, it could be false or hostile.
I do not know the website you mention, nor the scholar quoted. However, the information provided is grossly mistaken. The principle of “no compulsion in religion” is an essential Islamic principle, which was carried out throughout the Prophet’s lifetime and the rule of his rightly-guided successors. When Muslim armies swept through a large area of the world, they never forced anyone to embrace Islam.
They gave the people three choices: to accept Islam freely, which would mean that they join the Muslim community and become part of it; or to pay the jizyah, or tribute, to indicate that they will live in peace with the Muslims continuing to follow their own religions. If they accepted neither course then the only way left was to fight. This was the case throughout Muslim history. How else can people explain the uninterrupted existence of religious minorities everywhere in the Muslim world throughout 14 centuries of Islamic rule? Had people been forced to become Muslim, they might be secretly resentful, but within a couple of generations all resentment would have disappeared.
The principle of religious freedom is included in the following verse: “There shall be no compulsion in religion. The right way is henceforth distinct from error. He who rejects false deities and believes in God has indeed taken hold of a most firm support that never breaks. God hears all and knows all.” (2: 256) This verse was revealed toward the end of the Prophet’s blessed life, as it is clearly apparent from the statement that the right way, i.e. Islam, had become distinct. It could not have become so clearly distinct when it was still in the process of revelation. This surah took up to year 9 to be completed, and this verse was revealed toward the end of that period. Surah 8 was revealed in year 2, after the Battle of Badr, which provides its subject matter. How could a verse in the earlier surah abrogate a principle laid down in the later one? The verse in question reads: “Fight them until there is no more oppression, and all submission is made to God alone.” (8: 39) The verse speaks against oppression, particularly religious one. It aims to stamp out such oppression by making all submission to God alone. Such submission means implementing His law, which states that there is no compulsion in religion. If the verse makes the objective the removal of oppression, how can it be interpreted to allow forcing people to adopt a religion against their wishes? Is that not one of the worst types of oppression?
The other verse was revealed late, in year 9, but it relates to a particular situation in a particular area. It has no general application. If you read the opening of the surah, you will realize that it makes a general announcement abrogating all treaties signed between the Muslim state and the unbelievers in Arabia, if such treaties were made indefinite. The other party is given four-months to either embrace Islam or leave Arabia. If they remained in the Arabian Peninsula, then they were to be fought.
The reason for this notice is that by the time the surah was revealed, all Arabs realized that Islam was the message of the truth and recognized that Muhammad (peace be upon him) was God’s messenger. Therefore, they were required to be true to this recognition by adopting Islam, or else leave Arabia, which was to be the land of Islam. There were some hypocrites who continued to try to undermine Islam while pretending to be Muslims. They were assisted by those unbelievers. This meant that there was an enemy within, and Islam took steps to remove this enemy who could make much damage.
This situation never applied anywhere else. It was specific to that period in that area. If you read the verse that follows in the surah, it instructs the Prophet, and all Muslims, to give shelter to any unbeliever who seeks refuge with them and to give him safe conduct to wherever he feels secure.
Incidentally, the announcement made in the surah makes clear that those unbelievers who had treaties running for a specified period, their treaties would be honored in full up to the end of their terms.
This means that whatever the man on the website said is very wrong. The principle of no compulsion in religion applies for all times. This was the practice of all Muslim states ever since Islam began, and it will continue to be the practice for the rest of time. It is God’s order, and it must be honored. No comments No trackbacks
You will need to enable javascript to generate a trackback link
