Forty Gems of Beauty — Page 94
94 3. In the event of the enemy committing a hostile act leading to war with them, fight them with patience, perseverance, and determination. 4. In the event of an engagement with the enemy, be sure of one of the two trophies: either you will be victorious, or win martyrdom and gain admittance to Paradise. No religion of the world, nor any country, nor any period of human history has a better code of morality to offer in respect of wars, whether they are of a secular or of a religious nature. Incidentally, this Hadith also proves that there is no compulsion in Islam in the matter of religious faith. For, if forcible conversions were permissible, the Holy Prophet (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) would have never warned against seeking war with the enemy. A believer in force tries to find excuses to attack others so that he may subjugate them and thus mould them to his own fashion. Therefore, this command that ‘seek ye not to engage the enemy’ is the decisive argument of Islam against leave to use force in the matter of faith. This is the teaching that the Holy Quran has clearly enunciated in the words: ? 5 { ;9 | “There is no compulsion in religion. ” 20 Forbidding Muslims to provoke hostilities, on the one hand, and exhorting them to fight determinedly on the other, points to the subtle truth that while Islam warns Muslims against being aggressors, in any case, it aims at the same time at steeling the hearts of Muslims against the fear of death. And this is the middle course which serves as 20 The Holy Quran, Ch: 2 (Al-Baqarah), V: 257