Through Force or Faith? — Page 70
?— A Reply to Pope Benedict XVI 70 continue fighting and continue to spread Islam with the force of sword till Islam spreads all over the world. This is their poor understanding and comprehension, and their maligning of Islam. If you look with reference to the context and consider other rel- evant verses, some of which I have already mentioned, it plainly implies that because the matter of faith of everyone is with his God, everyone should adopt whatever faith he likes. It is incum- bent on every Muslim to convey the message of Islam; but to for- cibly make people accept it is not his task. This is Allah’s domain. ‘Faith becomes wholly for Allah’ means that whatever you do, do it strictly for Allah, not that you force Islam on others. If someone does not accept, it is his prerogative. The action of everyone is in front of Allah, the Exalted; He will adjudge as He pleases. This accusation is also levelled against the person of the Holy Prophet s as that he too, God forbid, wantonly invaded and coerced people to become Muslims, and wars were fought for this very purpose. Besides this, another argument is also advanced that when the Holy Prophet s as wrote letters of preaching to the kings or when he dispatched armies or when a battle was engaged, he would send the message of اَسْلِم ْ تَسْلَم or اَسْلِمُوْا تَسْلَمُوْا that is, accept Islam and you will be safe. And they infer from it that it is a threat that either accept Islam or else we shall make you accept it with our might. Firstly, the Holy Prophet s as said it purely for the purpose of preaching that it is the message of Islam that is really the message of peace, therefore, submit to it and come under its shade. These critics look only with a worldly viewpoint. They should at least have the sense that the Holy Prophet s as wrote those invitational letters to mighty kings and wrote those letters simultaneously,