ISLAM does not compel people of other faiths to convert. It has given them complete freedom to retain their own faith and not to be forced to embrace Islam. This freedom is documented in both the Qur'an and the prophetic teachings known as Sunnah. God addresses the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) in the Qur'an: “And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed, all of them together. So, will you (O Muhammad SAW) then compel mankind, until they become Believers.” (Qur'an 10:99) Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) would give people a choice between entering Islam and retaining their religion. He would ask them to accept Islam only after making an agreement with them, once they had become residents in the Islamic state and felt secure about their personal safety and property. This allowed them to appreciate the security of the covenant with God and His Prophet. It is precisely for this reason that the non-Muslim citizens are referred to as dhimmis. When the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent a commander of an army or a battalion off to war, Prophet Mohammad (peace be upon him) would command him to be conscious of God in his conduct and to treat his Muslim companions well. Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) would instruct him: “Set out for battle for the sake of God and fight those who disbelieve in Him. Go into battle, but do not go to extremes, behave treacherously, mutilate their dead, or kill children. When you meet your enemies, the unbelievers, offer them three options, and accept any one of them to which they agree and cease the battle: (a) Invite them to join Islam. If they agree, then accept this and cease the battle. Then invite them to move from their lands to the Land of the Immigrants (Madina), and inform them that if they do so, they will have the same privileges and obligations as the other migrants. If they refuse to migrate from their lands, inform them that they will have the same status as the nomadic Muslims: that they will be subject to the Law of God which applies to all Muslims, and that they do not have a share in wealth obtained from conquest, unless they participate in the jihad with the Muslims. (b) If they refuse, then ask them to pay the jizyah, and if they agree, then accept it from them and cease the battle. (c) If they refuse all this, then seek God's help and battle with them. These directives of the Prophet (peace be upon him) were in obedience to what God says in the Qur'an: “There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that will never break. And Allah is All-Hearer, All-Knower.” (Qur'an 2:256) Edwin Calgary, an American scholar, wrote about this verse: “There is a verse in the Qur'an that is filled with truth and wisdom, and it is known to all Muslims. Everyone else should know it as well; it is the one that says there is no compulsion in religion.” This verse was revealed concerning some of the residents of Madina. When none of the children of the pagan women of Madina survived infancy, they would make a vow to make the child a Jew or a Christian if he lived. When Islam came to Madina, they had adult children who were Jewish or Christian. The parents tried to compel them to embrace the new religion, so this verse was revealed to prevent them from doing so. The verse and the history of its revelation reveals that it is not permissible to force anyone to become a Muslim. This is the case even if it is the parent who wants the best for their offspring, and their children become members of another religion. The Qur'an rejects forcing anyone to join Islam. God says in the Qur'an: “And say: ‘The truth is from your Lord.' Then whosoever wills, let him believe, and whosoever wills, let him disbelieve. Verily, We have prepared for the Zalimun (polytheists and wrong-doers), a Fire whose walls will be surrounding them (disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah). And if they ask for help (relief, water) they will be granted water like boiling oil, that will scald their faces. Terrible is the drink, and an evil Murtafaq (dwelling, resting place)!” (Qur'an 18:29) Not only does Islam give the freedom of religious freedom to non-Muslims, its tolerant law extends to the preservation of their places of worship. God says in the Qur'an: Rights of non-muslims in Islam — V “Those who have been expelled from their homes unjustly only because they said: “Our Lord is Allah.” – For had it not been that Allah checks one set of people by means of another, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, wherein the Name of Allah is mentioned much would surely have been pulled down. Verily, Allah will help those who help His (Cause). Truly, Allah is All-Strong, All-Mighty.” (Qur'an 22:40) The Muslim caliphs used to order their military leaders who went on military campaigns to take steps to guarantee this matter. The first example is the command of Abu Bakr to Usamah Bin Zayd: “I command you to do 10 things: kill no woman, no child, nor an elderly person; do not cut down fruit trees, or vandalize homes, or wound a sheep or camel except if you must eat it; do not drown a palm tree, or burn it, do not be treacherous; do not be cowardly; and you will pass by people who have devoted themselves to monastery life; leave them alone to their devotions.' The second example is the treaty of Umar Ibn Al-Khattab with the people of Iliya of Jerusalem: “This is the security given by the slave of God, Umar, the Commander of the Faithful, to the people of Iliya: they are guaranteed the security if their persons, possessions, churches, crucifixes, and everyone within, whether sick or in good health, as well as everyone in their community. Their churches will not be occupied or demolished, nor will anything be taken from them: neither furnishings nor crucifixes or money. They will not be forced away from their religion, or harmed because of it. They will not be occupied by the Jewish settlers in Iliya.” As a result, since the era of the rightly guided caliphs, Jews and Christians have held their services in freedom and security. To be continued Courtesy: www.islamreligion.com __
