Through Force or Faith? — Page 152
?— A Reply to Pope Benedict XVI 152 declared pardon for thousands of extremely brutal and malicious people and they were given full amnesty. He surprised everyone by giving unconditional amnesty to Ikrima who was the son of Abū Jahl, the leader of idolaters and the most nefarious enemy of Islam. ( Ibn Hishām, vol. 2, Chapter on Death Sentence by the Prophet and Its Reason) Thus, firstly the words of the Quran, and secondly the prac- tice of the Holy Prophet s as , prove that in this Chapter there is no instruction to forcibly evict the infidels. At the most, there is the injunction to expel only such people who create disorder and are likely to persist in sedition. Such individuals are expelled by every government in the world and such action is not considered unrea- sonable. It is the retribution for their actions and everyone is held accountable for his deeds. َو ْمُه ْمُكْوُءَدَب َلَّوَا ٍةَّرَم١ؕ ْمُهَنْوَشْخَتَا١ۚ۠ ُهّٰللاَف ُّقَحَا ْنَا ُهْوَشْخَت ْنِا ْمُتْنُك َنْيِنِمْؤُّمَناَمْيَا ْمُهَل ْمُهَّلَعَل َنْوُهَتْنَي اَلَا َنْوُلِتاَقُت اًمْوَق اْۤوُثَكَّن ْمُهَناَمْيَا َو اْوُّمَه ِجاَرْخِاِب ِلْوُسَّرلا َو ْنِا اْۤوُثَكَّن ْمُهَناَمْيَا ْۢنِّم ِدْعَب ْمِهِدْهَع َو اْوُنَعَط ْيِف ْمُكِنْيِد اْۤوُلِتاَقَف َةَّمِٕىَا ِرْفُكْلا١ۙ ْمُهَّنِا ۤاَل And if they break their oaths after their covenant, and revile your religion, then fight these leaders of disbelief— surely, they have no regard for their oaths—that they may desist. Will you not fight a people who have broken their oaths, and who plotted to turn out the Messenger, and they were the first to commence hostilities against you? Do you fear them? Nay, Allah is most worthy that you should fear Him, if you are believers. Fight them, that Allah may punish them at your hands, and humiliate then, and help you to victory over