Can People be Forced to Accept Islam? A Qur’anic Perspective

Unlike animals and other phenomena of nature which are forced to
follow the nature God has made for them, mankind have been given
freedom of choice and the intellect to observe and harness the forces
of nature and derive benefits from them. For example, a goat eats only
leaves and grass, not meat, since it is not in its nature to do so. It
does not have any freedom of choice. But mankind, on the other hand,
has the power and faculties to ponder nature and derive benefit from
it, or distort it and create corruption. The same faculties may be
used for observing and following the law of Allah for human affairs,
i.e. His guidance in Al-Qur'an.



When Allah sent mankind to earth, they were informed that they would get
his guidance to lead peaceful lives. The Qur'an informs us:



[Quran 2:38] "We said: Go forth from this (state) all; so surely there
will come to you guidance from Me, then whoever follows My guidance, no
fear shall come upon them, nor shall they grieve."



But along with the merits of following the laws of Allah - which
includes laws relating to the physical world, i.e. physics, biology
etc. as well laws governing 'Human life' i.e. social and economic
laws - mankind was also told about the consequences of disobeying such
laws.



[Quran 2:39] "And (as to) those who disbelieve in and reject My Ayat
(Signs), they are the inmates of the fire, in it they shall abide."



Mankind has been shown both ways, and has been blessed with the
powers to grasp whatever path it wishes.



[Quran 90:8] "Have We not given him two eyes,"


[Quran 90:9] "And a tongue and two lips,"


[Quran 90:10] And pointed out to him the two conspicuous ways?"



Man has been pointed out the benefits of following the laws of Allah and
the consequences of going against them It is upto him to choose
to accept the laws of Allah or become ungrateful. The following verse
reminds us of this aspect:


[Quran 76:3]"Surely We have shown him the way: he may be thankful or
unthankful."



In accepting the laws of Allah, we have to use our own freedom of choice
and free will, without any coercion or force applied from outside;


[Quran 18:29]"And say: The truth is from your Sustainer, so let him
WHO WILLS, believe, and let him WHO WILLS disbelieve.."


If man accepts the laws of God, then it is for his own benefit and if
he goes against them then the consequences will again be upon his own
self. The person delivering the message of God is not a custodian
over the people, as the Qur'an says:



[Quran 39:41] "Surely We have revealed to you the Book with the truth
for all mankind; so whoever follows the right way, it is for his own
soul and whoever errs, he errs only to its detriment; and you are not
a custodian over them."



The messenger of God cannot force people to accept the laws of Allah. He
is not allowed by Allah to force people into accepting his message, and
the message has to be accepted by one's own free will and own
initiative, as the following verse points out:



[Quran 10:99] "And if your Sustainer had pleased, surely all those who
are in the earth would have believed, all of them; will you then force
men till they become believers?"



The laws of Allah are to be accepted ’on merit' and not for any
conditions, vested interests or by force. Following or disobeying them
is against one's own self. We have to use our free will to ascertain the
benefits of following the law of Allah and accept them willingly without
any compulsion on ourselves. The consequences of accepting or rejecting
the law have been laid on our own selves. The Qur'an says;



[Quran 6:104] "Indeed there have come to you clear proofs from your
Sustainer; whoever will therefore see, it is for his own soul and
whoever will be blind, it shall be against himself and I am not a
keeper over you."



Had Allah willed he would have made us without a free will of our own,
but unlike animals we are given the freedom of choice to select our
line of action:



[Quran 6:107] "And if Allah had pleased, they would not have set up
others (with Him) and We have not appointed you a keeper over them, and
you are not placed in charge of them."



Accepting the message of God requires intellectual analysis of the
message and agreement after reasoning and pondering over its
validity. Even God does not force people to disown their faculties of
reasoning and stoop to considering supernatural feats. The Qur'an
reminds us this aspect:



[Quran 26:3] "Perhaps you will kill yourself with grief because they do
not believe."



[Quran 26:4] "If We please, We should send down upon them a sign from
the heaven so that their necks should stoop to it."



The invitation of Qur'an is based upon evidence of its validity,
insight and justification for its laws. Therefore the question of
forcing someone to accept it, does not arise:



[Quran 12:108] "Say: This is my way: I invite unto Allah upon Insight, I
and those who follow me, and glory be to Allah, and I am not from those
who associate (with Allah)."


Who are the people who use force to make others agree to their way of thinking?


While the Qur'an has stressed that Man has been given the intellectual
faculty to determine his line of action and is not under compulsion to
accept the law of Allah, at the same time it has also identified who
those people are who use force and compulsion to make others agree to
their point of view. ’Firaon' (Pharaoh) who is the representative of
tyrrany, oppression, and disobedience to God's law has been identified
as a person who used to force people to remain in his religion. It is
people having the traits of Firaun who use compulsion for faith:



[Quran 7:123] "Firaon said: Do you believe in Him before I have given
you permission? Surely this is a plot which you have secretly devised
in this city, that you may turn out of it its people, but you shall
know:"



It is a Pharonic law to give death to those who change their religion
and beliefs. It is Firaun who threatened to give death to Apostates:



[Quran 26:49] "Said he: You believe in him before I give you
permission; most surely he is the chief of you who taught you the
magic, so you shall know: certainly I will cut off your hands and your
feet on opposite sides, and certainly I will crucify you all."



In the Quran it is the UNBELIEVERS who have been identified as
forcing people to remain in their faith and threatening those who
demonstrate disagreement to their doctrines, with dire consequences:



[Quran 7:88] "The chiefs, those who were proud from among his people
said: We will most certainly turn you out, O Shu'aib, and (also) those
who believe with you, from our town, or you shall come back to our
faith. He said: What! though we dislike (it)?"



[Quran 14:13] "And those who disbelieved said to their Messengers: We
will most certainly drive you forth from our land, or else you shall
come back into our religion. So their Sustainer revealed to them: Most
certainly We will destroy the unjust."



Compared to the oppression of the unbelievers, the Believers are
commanded that even if a person from the opposite camp approaches them
for safety then even he is to be given protection:



[Quran 9:6] "And if one of the idolaters seek protection from you, grant
him protection till he hears the word of Allah, then make him attain his
place of safety; this is because they are a people who do not know."



The question of forcing someone to believe does not arise at all,
because the Qur'an identifies 'Iman' i.e. belief as something not just
professed by the lips, but something which has entered one's heart
deeply, and that is possible only if a person analyses the message
through his reason and accepts it willingly:



[Quran 49:14]"The dwellers of the desert say: We believe. Say: You do
not believe but say, We submit; and IMAN has not yet entered into
your hearts; and if you obey Allah and His Messenger, He will not
diminish aught of your deeds; surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."



The above verse establishes that "Iman" is something which is deep
rooted into a persons heart. In case a person does not have deep
conviction on the Laws of God then that does not comprise
"Iman". Therefore it is not possible to force someone to believe, as
then the person would merely declare his agreement by mouth while his
heart would be not be inclined.


Punishment for Apostasy


[Quran 16:106] "He who disbelieves in Allah after his having believed,
not he who is compelled while his heart is at rest on account of
faith, but he who opens (his) breast to disbelief-- on these is the
wrath of Allah, and they shall have a grievous chastisement."



[Quran 16:107] "This is because they love this world's life more than
the hereafter, and because Allah does not guide the unbelieving
people."



[Quran 16:108] "These are they on whose hearts and their hearing and
their eyes Allah has set a seal, and these are the heedless ones."

[Quran 16:109] "No doubt that in the hereafter they will be the losers."

The above verses clearly inform that the consequences of not agreeing to
the Law of Allah is deprivation of the benefits that are acquired as a
result of following the Divine guidance in our lives, and the wrath of Allah
is incurred upon those who disbelieve. The Qur'an proclaims that man has
the freedom of choice to accept or reject the permanent values of
God. He CANNOT be forced to accept those values, but has the free will
to accept them, as the following verse informs:



[Quran 2:256] "There is no compulsion in 'Deen' (way of life according
to laws of Allah); truly the right way has become clearly distinct
from error; therefore, whoever disbelieves in the rebel and believes
in Allah he indeed has laid hold on the firmest handle, which shall
not break off, and Allah is Hearing, Knowing."



With the straight path of God having being made distinct, the
consequences of not accepting the way of life prescribed by Allah have
also been identified:



[Quran 3:85] "And whoever desires a religion other than Islam, it
shall not be accepted from him, and in the hereafter he shall be one
of the losers."



In case of Apostasy, i.e. a situation in which a person believes, and after
believing disbelieves in the message of Allah, the consequences of such
a state are also made evident to us in the Qur'an:



[Quran 3:86] "How shall Allah guide a people who disbelieved after
their believing and (after) they had borne witness that the Messenger
was true and clear arguments had come to them; and Allah does not
guide the unjust people."



For such (Apostates) the penalty is the curse of Allah, i.e. deprivation of
the benefits that result from following the guidance of Allah:



[Quran 3:87] "(As for) these, their reward is that upon them is the
curse of Allah and the angels and of men, all together."



[Quran 3:88] "Abiding in it; their chastisement shall not be lightened
nor shall they be respited."



But as the Qur'an identifies the consequences of Apostasy,it also
confirms that there is room for repentance and that Apostasy does not
qualify one for the death penalty. The following verse identifies this
aspect:



[Quran 3:89] "Except those who repent after that and amend, then surely =
Allah is Forgiving, Merciful."



Had the punishment for Apostasy been prescribed as ’Death' then the
above verse would not have accommodated the room for amending one's
conduct and repentence, but with the inclusion of a condition of
repentance and amending one's conduct, the Qur'an confirms that for
Apostates the punishment is not death.The following verse is even more
clear regarding this aspect:



[Quran 4:137] "Surely (as for) those who believe then disbelieve, again
believe and again disbelieve, then increase in disbelief, Allah will not
forgive them nor guide them in the (right) path."



The above verse clearly establishes that a person does not get the
death penalty for Apostasy, as it identifies stages where a person
believes, then disbelieves, then again believes and after that again
disbelieves. Now had the law been there stating death for Apostasy,
then the above verse would not have identified these stages of
beliveing, then rejecting, then believing and then again rejecting, as
a person who after believing rejects would then be qualified for the
death penalty at the first instance of Apostasy, and would not have
the opportunity to believe one more time again after disbelieving. The
above verse is abundantly clear in describing that there is room for a
person who out of any reason has turned his back on Islam, to amend
his conduct and revert to the Guidance of God.

The Qur'an informs us that incase we turn back from the true path, Allah
will bring others in our place:



[Quran 5:54] "O you who believe! whoever from among you turns back
from his religion, then Allah will bring a people, He shall love them
and they shall love Him, lowly before the believers, mighty against
the unbelievers, they shall strive hard in Allah's way and shall not
fear the censure of any censurer; this is Allah's Face, He gives it to
whom He pleases, and Allah is Ample-giving, Knowing."



In turning away from the guidance of God, we do not do any harm to
Allah, but in reality we harm our own selves:



[Quran 3:144] " And whoever turns back upon his heels!, he will by no
means do harm to Allah in the least"



Those who are turned away from the straight path pose no threat to the
believers, provided the believers are steadfast on the Law of God:



[Quran 5:105] "O you who believe! take care of your souls; he who errs
cannot hurt you when you are on the right way; to Allah is your
return, of all (of you), so He will inform you of what you did."



In case someone shows ingratitude then that does not harm Allah in the
least:



[Quran 14:8] "If you are ungrateful, you and those on earth all
together, most surely Allah is Self-sufficient, Praised;"



Our duty is to propagate the Message of the Qur'an to the best of our
ability and in propagating that message there is to be no use of
force, as the following verse identifies:



[Quran 50.45] "We know best what they say, and you are not one to compel
them; therefore remind him by means of the Quran who fears My promise."

To spread the Message of Qur'an by wisdom and reason. This is the duty of
every believer.




About the Author: Mr. Kashif Ahmed Shehzada conducts research on the Qur'an and comparative religion for the purpose of Islamic Dawah (Propagation of Islam). He is not affiliated with any existing religious or political school of thought or sect, but simply presents what it is that the Quran has to say about any issue. He is based in Karachi, Pakistan.