Through Force or Faith? — Page 141
Chapter 2 — Islamic Teachings about Jihad 141 cause disorder and turmoil, Muslims should stop the campaign against them forthwith. ( S u rah al-Baqarah, 2:194) Detailed explanation of ‘disorder’ has been mentioned earlier. As far as the words ِّ لل ُ يَكُون َ الدِّين are concerned, it does not mean at all that people should be coerced in accepting the religion of God as is obvious from the word, َ َ عُدْوَان ل فَإِن ِ انتَهَوا ْ فَ in the same verse, that if they desist, you should not pressure them. It is plainly evident from it that it only means that everyone should become free to adopt the religion of his choice. His Holiness Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, the Promised Messiah as says: That is, kill those idolaters of Arabia till there is no sedition left and ‘Deen,’ that is, sovereignty becomes that for Allah, the Exalted. How does it imply coercion? It means only this much that fight with them till their strength is broken and mischief and turmoil is eliminated and some people who have accepted Islam covertly may be able to discharge Islamic obligations openly. If Allah’s intent was faith by force, why were the jizya [tax of expiation] and truce and treaties allowed and what was the reason that the Jews and Christians were permitted to enter safety by paying jizya and live peacefully under the shelter of Muslims? ( Jang-e- Muqaddas, R uha n i Khaz’ a in, vol. 6. p. 263) The Meaning of ‘Fight in the Path of Allah’: The term ‘fight in the path of Allah’ is used at several places in the Holy Quran. In principle, the connotation of this term becomes quite evident when one considers S u rah al-Baqarah, 2:191 as recorded above.