Mahzarnama (The Memorandum) — Page 5
Mahzarnama 5 then such actions are also contrary to the teaching: "There is no compulsion in religion. " Forcibly declaring a Muslim to be a non- Muslim or declaring a Hindu to be a Muslim, while the former is a conscientious adherent of Islam and the latter that of Hinduism, would be tantamount to disobeying the verse of the Holy Quran: There is no compulsion in religion. Further support of this viewpoint is provided by the Holy Quran which states: (O ye who believe!). . . say not to anyone who greets you with the greeting of peace (i. e. says Assalamo Alaikum , like other Muslims) that ‘you are not a believer'" (4:95) It is an explicit injunction of the Holy Prophet sa that if a person affirms the Oneness of Allah, then to accuse such a person of merely verbally affirming it and alleging that he negates it in his heart, would make such an accuser to be guilty of transgression. The following Hadith of the Holy Prophet sa throws ample light on this subject: Hadhrat Usama bin Zaid ra relates that the Holy Prophet sa sent us to the oasis of Juhaina tribe. We caught them early in the morning at their water-fountains. An Ansari and I chased one of them and apprehended him. When we overpowered him, he exclaimed: La Ilaha Illallah (there is none worthy of worship except Allah) which caused my Ansari Companion to restrain his hand from him, but I pierced him with a spear and killed him. When we returned to Medina and the Holy Prophet sa came to know of the incident, he asked: "O, Usama! Did you kill him in spite of the fact that he had recited La Ilaha Illallah ?" I replied: "O, Prophet of Allah! He was saying (these words) merely to ensure his safety. " The Holy Prophet sa kept on repeating his question to a point when I wished I had not become a Muslim before that day. (Another tradition relates) The Holy Prophet sa said, "You still killed him, even though he had affirmed La Ilaha