Islam and Forced Conversion
Islam and Forced Conversion
Is there really 'No Compulsion in Religion'?
Can anyone be forced to become a Muslim? Muslims will generally answer this question by quoting one of the famous tolerance verses of the Qur’an: “Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.” (Qur’an 2:256). This was ‘revealed’ during the early Medinan period when the experience of leading a small, beleaguered minority in Mecca must still have been fresh in Muhammad’s memory. This verse can, therefore, be read as a plea for tolerance from pagans towards Muslims rather than as a blanket endorsement of religious pluralism.
When the shoe was on the other foot, i.e., when Muhammad commanded a large army and was able to oppress the pagans, he took a totally different line. In Qur'an 8:39 Muslims are given a clear military objective to fight their enemies until “All religion is for Allah” (wayakūna l-dīnu kulluhu lillahi). They are therefore to fight to gain a religious objective, i.e., to compel people to accept ‘Allah’s religion’. The very fact that this religious objective is spelled out contradicts the claim that there is ‘no compulsion in religion’. Many Muslim jurists therefore claim that Qur’an 2:256 was abrogated by this later revelation and that it is perfectly legitimate to fight unbelievers to bring them into the Islamic fold.
Some readers may be thinking that I arrived at a novel interpretation in stating that forced conversion is presented as a military objective in the Qur’an. Quite the contrary! This is a view with a long history, and it is confirmed by several hadiths:
"Allah's Apostle said, 'I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah.' And if they say so, pray like our prayers, face our Qibla and slaughter as we slaughter, then their blood and property will be sacred to us and we will not interfere with them except legally and their reckoning will be with Allah.” (Sahih Bukhari 8:387)
The Messenger of Allah said: "I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and they establish prayer and pay zakat." (Sahih Muslim 1:33)
It is clear from other hadiths that Muhammad did not intend his statements about fighting people until they accept Islam to be taken in the abstract sense. There are several examples of incidents where people were forced at the point of a sword to testify to the prophethood of Muhammad. Some examples:
Ibn Ishaq’s Sira relates an incident during which one of Muhammad’s enemies was brought to him as a captive. Muhammad’s conduct in this instance is instructive. He said: “Woe to you, Abu Sufyan, isn’t it time that you recognize that I am Allah’s apostle?” He answered, “As to that I still have some doubt.” I said to him, “Submit and testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the apostle of Allah before you lose your head,” so he did so.” Muhammad accepted Abu Sufyan’s conversion and later claimed that he came to Islam out of conviction, but there can be no doubt that the primary reason for his rather hasty acceptance of Islam was a clear death threat.
In another incident, Muhammad sent an emissary to Yemen where he met a local pagan leader, who practiced sorcery with arrows. “The emissary instructed the pagan to: Break them (i.e., the arrows) and testify that None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, or else I will chop off your neck." So, the man broke those arrows and testified that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah. (Sahih Bukhari 5:59:643) Did Muhammad scold his followers by reminding them that ‘there is no compulsion in religion’? Hardly! Instead, he ‘Blessed the men and their horses five times’ (Bukhari Volume 5:59:643).
It should be clear from all this that Muhammad did not operate a take it or leave it approach as far as acceptance of his message was concerned and that people were often violently induced to accept Islam. So much for ‘no compulsion in religion’!
For much more about the links between Islamic teaching and violence, please see my book ‘Nothing to do with Islam - Investigating the West’s Most Dangerous Blind Spot’.
Kind regards,
Peter
If you received this post via email, please forward it to your friends who might be interested. Otherwise, use the button below to share it on social media.
Please use the button below to subscribe, or to support my work by upgrading to a paid subscription.