THRERE IS NO COMPULSION IN RELIGION

THRERE IS NO COMPULSION IN RELIGION

Qur’aan 2:256: The most misunderstood & exploited Ayaah آيه

Pseudo-Muslim Scholars spreading Shariah made in USA

By: Shahid Bin Waheed شاهد بن وحيد

بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

الحمدلله رب العالمين والصلوة والسلام على اشرف الانبياء وسيدالمرسلين نبينا محمد صل ا لله عليه وعلى آله واصحابه وازواجه اجمعين - امابعد

All the praises and thanks be to Allaah, Sustainer of the Universe, and blessing and salutation to be the most distinguish of the Messengers and foremost among the Prophets, our Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allaah be on him and on his wives, children and Companions.

“There is no compulsion in religion.” This phrase has become a catch phrase and synonym to nescience and/or benightedness among some ignorant Muslims and Pseudo-scholars among Muslims without any qualifications to offer opinions, not to mention especially among Pseudo-Islaamic cults. To elaborate this absolute absurdity, these imbeciles’ claims that Islaam gives a complete freedom of religion and one can practice any religion of his/her choice including Muslims [not true]. Let us first read [the most exploited by the benighted] Ayaah آيه 2:256,

لاَ إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىَ لاَ انفِصَامَ لَهَا وَاللّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taghoot and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.

It is understandable if majority of people don’t know Arabic, but those who misquote and misinterpret the Ayaah آيه 2:256 are absolutely ignorant and/or have ulterior motives to obscure and obfuscate the truth. Many of these Pseudo-scholars without qualifications are on the payroll of the West or on the payroll of Christian college/s and/or universities. Unfortunately there are few renowned Islaamic websites that are passing these Pseudo-scholars as legitimate “Mufti/s” and/or Islaamic scholars with absolute qualification, which is not the case. These Pseudo-scholars have created some fancy organization/s to control the masses and remain under spotlight. Therefore, Muslims should examine the resume and/or qualifications of every scholar before putting their faith and trust in them. Getting the B.S. degree from an institute of USA and thereafter Masters and PhD does not qualify one to offer opinions on issues related to Islaamic Shariah and/or Fiqh.

Recently such a Pseudo-scholar has responded to variety of questions on the subject of apostasy on a renowned Islaamic website. The irony of his answers is that he did conceal the facts, or he has confuse the situation by claiming that there is no punishment of apostasy in the Qur’aan (he spoke the half truth leaving the authority of Sunnah), he concealed the fact that “apostasy” is a “Hadd” crime and/or concealed and/or confused the issue with following gobbledygook to save the time and space I am quoting only one of his questionable answer here out of many:

Question: What is the punishment for apostasy in Islam and when should the apostate be killed?

Answer: There is no single verse in the Qur’an that prescribes a worldly punishment for apostasy. The Qur’an states the punishment only in the Hereafter. However, numerous verses in the Qur’an affirm freedom of religion and reject compulsion or coercion in religion; for example, see Chapter 2, verse 256.

In hadith, however, there are some texts signifying capital punishment for apostasy. However, scholars differed about the interpretation of these texts. Some made a distinction between apostasy which coupled with fighting against Muslims, committing a capital crime or committing an act of “high treason” against the state. According to this interpretation, capital punishment is because of these crimes, not mere leaving Islam. Other scholars made no such distinction. However, the first interpretation is supported by a number of other sound hadiths which show that when a man in Madinah apostated from Islam, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) neither ordered his execution nor punished him in any other way, and when the man finally left Madinah, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) never sent anyone to arrest him or punish him because of his apostasy.

If indeed the capital punishment for apostasy is a hadd (specified mandatory punishment) one would expect that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) would be the first one to implement the law of Allah.

These hdadiths are reported in Al-Bukhari, the most authentic collection of hadith, in the book of Al-Ahkaam which is found in the English translation by M. Mohsen Khan, Volume 9, hadith number 316, 318, and 323, pages 241, 242, and 246. They are also reported in Fath Al-Bari, volume 13 under Kitab Al-Ahkam, hadith number 7209, 7211, and 7216.

In the above response, readers will notice that this Pseudo-scholar has given a spin in the highlighted text and has deliberately offered incomplete and/or inclusive references. Compare the above response to the facts found here. This Pseudo-scholar goes on to spin many answers that conveniently help the Christian missionaries’ agenda, rather educating the Muslims and non-Muslims alike with facts whether they like it or not. Nevertheless, the most questionable quote by this Pseudo-scholars in highlighted in red with reference of Glorious Qur’aan 2:256. This reference not only exposes the absolute ignorance of this Pseudo-scholar, it also shows his ulterior motives.

Let us examine the Ayaah 2:256,

Calling this Ayaah (verse) about freedom of religion in a very loose sense leaving no room for punishment for apostasy is absurd. That would make the teachings of Jihaad and Qitaal in Islaam appear contrary to this principle.

Had this Pseudo-scholar and/or his ilk possessed real Islaamic knowledge and had they been honest, they would have known that a careful examination of Ayaah 2:256 would reveal that their claim is not valid. Since the teaching of Jihaad and Qitaal in Islaam is not to coerce people into accepting faith (Islaam) like in Christianity. Had that been true, then why would there be an Islaamic injunction of Jizyah to provide umbrella of security for Kuffar (disbelievers) that protects their life, property and honor? In a matter of fact, this is to remove disorder, strife and/or fasaad, since Allaah dislike fasaad (see Qur’aan 5:54)

Islaam makes it clear that it does not force people to accept Islaam and enter the faith, instead of it as a method of stopping oppression in the world; Islaam hopes to establish justice, equity, peace and security. When the 2^nd Khalifa (Caliph) Umar (RA) invited an old Christian female to accept Islaam, she said in reply,

أنا عجوز كبيرة والموت إلی قريب

I am an old woman nearing death

Hearing this, Umar (RA) did not force her to come into the fold of Islaam. In fact he recited the very Ayaah 2:256 لاَ إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ.

That is ‘There is no compulsion in religion.’ We find another such example during the era of 3^rd Khalifa (Caliph) Usmaan (RA) here.

Shaikh Mazhari and Qurtubi have opined that coercion and compulsion to make one accept a faith are not possible at all because faith is not related to outward physical response, it relates to the heart. Coercion and compulsion affect nothing but the outsides of physique and this is all that is affected by Jihaad and Qitaal (fighting in the way of Allaah). Consequently, it is just not possible that people can be forced to accept faith through these measures. This proves that the Ayaat of Jihaad and Qitaal are not contradictory to the Ayaah 2:256 لاَ إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ (There is no compulsion in religion). This Ayaah 2:256 is not about leaving Islaam and choosing other religion/s, it is rather about prohibiting the use of coercion and/or compulsion to convert disbelievers into Islaam.

Friday, March 31, 2006

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