Murder in the Name of Allah — Page 7
Religion drips with Blood human rights a glance at the life of the Prophet would more than prove that true religion does not cause hatred, persecution, repression or the suppression of thought. . But the Prophet did not confine his teachings to calling for religious tolerance. Since the Prophet of Islamsa is 'A mercy for the universe' (21. 108), a general proclamation is made by the Quran: 'There shall be no compulsion in religion. ' Compulsion is unnecessary because, 'Guidance and error have been clearly distinguished' (2. 257) and there is no possibility of confusing the two. On the face of it, this proclamation seems unusual and anomalous. On one hand there was an arbitrary authority, hell-bent on wiping out a small group of people becuase of their 'apostasy' with every means at its disposal. And when this group of ‘apostasy' gained power, it was told by the Quran to proclaim that:. There shall be no compulsion in religion, for guidance and error have been clearly distinguished; so whoever refuses to be led by those who transgress and believes in Allah, has surely grasped a strong handle - one which knows no breaking. (2. 257). But it must be noted that this proclamation is made in the second chapter of the Quran, Al-Baqarah, which was revealed in the first two or three years after the Prophet's arrival in Medina, a place where Muslims were not only free from Meccan persecution but also held power. What could be a more human and generous proclamation of peace from a prophet who, only a year or two earlier, had been persecuted for 'changing his religion'?. People who persecute in the name of religion are totally ignorant of the essence of religion. Religion is a metamorphosis of hearts. Religion is not politics and its adherents do not make up political parties. Neither is it a nationality with limited loyalties, nor a country with geographical borders. It is the transformation of hearts - transformation for the good of the soul. The home of religion is in the depths of the heart. It is beyond the sway of the sword. Mountains are not moved by the sword, nor are hearts changed by force. While persecution in the name of religion is the repetitive theme in the history of human aggression, freedom of conscience is the Quran's repetitive theme. . The Prophet was asked again and again to proclaim: 'This is the truth from your Lord; let him who will, believe, and let him who will, disbelieve. ' (18. 30) Truth is obviously a matter of the heart; it has nothing to do with force. Once it has been seen it cannot be blotted out by any power. Hence the Quran's assertion that once truth is known it is our 7