No Compulsion in Religion

By: Maged Taman


1- There is no compulsion in religion:

لاَ إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىَ لاَ انفِصَامَ لَهَا وَاللّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ (2:256)
2:256 (Picktall) There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error. And he who rejecteth false deities and believeth in Allah hath grasped a firm handhold which will never break. Allah is Hearer, Knower.

2- There is no keeper or conroller of faith:

مَّنْ يُطِعِ الرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللّهَ وَمَن تَوَلَّى فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا (4:80)
4:80 (Picktall) Whoso obeyeth the messenger obeyeth Allah, and whoso turneth away: We have not sent thee as a warder over them.

وَلَوْ شَاء اللّهُ مَا أَشْرَكُواْ وَمَا جَعَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا وَمَا أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِوَكِيلٍ (6:107)
6:107 (Picktall) Had Allah is willed, they had not been idolatrous. We have not set thee as a keeper over them, nor art thou responsible for them.

رَّبُّكُمْ أَعْلَمُ بِكُمْ إِن يَشَأْ يَرْحَمْكُمْ أَوْ إِن يَشَأْ يُعَذِّبْكُمْ وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَكِيلاً (17:54)
17:54 (Picktall) Your Lord is best aware of you. If He will, He will have mercy on you, or if He will, He will punish you. We have not sent thee (O Muhammad) as a warden over them. -

فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٌ (88:21)
88:21 (Picktall) Remind them, for thou art but a remembrancer, -
لَّسْتَ عَلَيْهِم بِمُصَيْطِرٍ (88:22)
88:22 (Picktall) Thou art not at all a warder over them.

3- It is not even logical for a prophet to compel his people to have faith: He can warn and give glad tidings as well give proofs to his argument but faith is not forced in people hearts.

قَالَ يَا قَوْمِ أَرَأَيْتُمْ إِن كُنتُ عَلَى بَيِّنَةٍ مِّن رَّبِّيَ وَآتَانِي رَحْمَةً مِّنْ عِندِهِ فَعُمِّيَتْ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنُلْزِمُكُمُوهَا وَأَنتُمْ لَهَا كَارِهُونَ (11:28)
11:28 (Picktall) He (Noah) said: O my people! Bethink you, if I rely on a clear proof from my Lord and there hath come unto me a mercy from His presence, and it hath been made obscure to you, can we compel you to accept it when ye are averse thereto?

4- Thus the main duty of the prophet is to convery the message clearly:

فَإِن تَوَلَّوْاْ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْكَ الْبَلاَغُ الْمُبِينُ (16:82)
16:82 (Picktall) Then, if they turn away, thy duty (O Muhammad) is but plain conveyance (of the message).

قَالُوا رَبُّنَا يَعْلَمُ إِنَّا إِلَيْكُمْ لَمُرْسَلُونَ (36:16)
36:16 (Picktall) They answered: Our lord knoweth that we are indeed sent unto you, -
وَمَا عَلَيْنَا إِلاَّ الْبَلاَغُ الْمُبِينُ (36:17)
36:17 (Picktall) And our duty is but plain conveyance (of the message).

فَإِنْ أَعْرَضُوا فَمَا أَرْسَلْنَاكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًا إِنْ عَلَيْكَ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ وَإِنَّا إِذَا أَذَقْنَا الْإِنسَانَ مِنَّا رَحْمَةً فَرِحَ بِهَا وَإِن تُصِبْهُمْ سَيِّئَةٌ بِمَا قَدَّمَتْ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَإِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ كَفُورٌ (42:48)
42:48 (Picktall) But if they are averse, We have not sent thee as a warder over them. Thine is only to convey (the message). And lo! when We cause man to taste of mercy from Us he exulteth therefor. And if some evil striketh them because of that which their own hands have sent before, then lo! man is an ingrate.

وَأَطِيعُوا اللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا الرَّسُولَ فَإِن تَوَلَّيْتُمْ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَى رَسُولِنَا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ (64:12)
64:12 (Picktall) Obey Allah and obey His messenger; but if ye turn away, then the duty of Our messenger is only to convey (the message) plainly.

5- The prophet give to the people the warning of God: after he lay out his message enough to people to digest.

فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا فَقُلْ آذَنتُكُمْ عَلَى سَوَاء وَإِنْ أَدْرِي أَقَرِيبٌ أَم بَعِيدٌ مَّا تُوعَدُونَ (21:109)
21:109 (Picktall) But if they are averse, then say: I have warned you all alike, although I know not whether nigh or far is that which ye are promised.

وَكَذَلِكَ أَوْحَيْنَا إِلَيْكَ قُرْآنًا عَرَبِيًّا لِّتُنذِرَ أُمَّ الْقُرَى وَمَنْ حَوْلَهَا وَتُنذِرَ يَوْمَ الْجَمْعِ لَا رَيْبَ فِيهِ فَرِيقٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ وَفَرِيقٌ فِي السَّعِيرِ (42:7)
42:7 (Picktall) And thus we have inspired in thee a Lecture in Arabic, that thou mayest warn the mother town and those around it, and mayest warn of a day of assembling whereof there is no doubt. A host will be in the Garden, and a host of them in the Flame.

6- When this warning will come true it is up to God and not to the prophet:

وَيَقُولُونَ مَتَى هَذَا الْوَعْدُ إِن كُنتُمْ صَادِقِينَ (67:25)
67:25 (Picktall) And they say: When (will) this promise (be fulfilled), if ye are truthful? -
قُلْ إِنَّمَا الْعِلْمُ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَإِنَّمَا أَنَا نَذِيرٌ مُّبِينٌ (67:26)
67:26 (Picktall) Say: The knowledge is with Allah only, and I am but a plain warner; -

7- Thus who follow the message or turn away is benfiting or harming himself and not the prophets:

إِنَّا أَنزَلْنَا عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ لِلنَّاسِ بِالْحَقِّ فَمَنِ اهْتَدَى فَلِنَفْسِهِ وَمَن ضَلَّ فَإِنَّمَا يَضِلُّ عَلَيْهَا وَمَا أَنتَ عَلَيْهِم بِوَكِيلٍ (39:41)
39:41 (Picktall) Lo! We have revealed unto thee (Muhammad) the Scripture for mankind with truth. Then whosoever goeth right it is for his soul, and whosoever strayeth, strayeth only to its hurt. And thou art not a warder over them.