Invitation to Ahmadiyyat — Page 59
59 When the hypocrites come to you, they say, ‘We bear witness that you are indeed the Messenger of Allah. ’ And Allah knows that you are indeed His Messenger, but Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are surely liars. Had it been permissible to wage Jihad with the sword for the propagation of Islam, would God have used such words for those who accepted Islam but were hypocrites at heart? Who can expect to create a community of devoted followers by force? Far from wanting to convert people by force, Islam is the first religion that taught freedom of faith. Allah says: 55 ۤاَل َهاَرْكِا يِف ِنْيِّدلا١ۙ۫ ْدَق َنَّيَبَّت ُدْشُّرلا َنِم ِّيَغْلا١ۚ There should be no compulsion in religion. Surely, right has become distinct from wrong. Thus, everyone has the right to accept or reject the truth based on reason and argument. Allah also says: 56 َو اْوُلِتاَق ْيِف ِلْيِبَس ِهّٰللا َنْيِذَّلا ْمُكَنْوُلِتاَقُي َو اَل اْوُدَتْعَت١ؕ َّنِا َهّٰللا اَل ُّبِحُي َنْيِدَتْعُمْلا۰۰ And fight in the cause of Allah against those who fight against you, but do not transgress. Surely, Allah loves not the transgressors. Islam only permits Muslims to fight those who fight them in the name of religion and seek to forcibly convert them. However, even in such cases, it warns that there must be no transgression and that Muslims must stop fighting if the enemy backs down. In