Jesus In India — Page 22
12 JESUS IN INDIA لا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ Meaning that, there is no compulsion in religion. This means that you are simply not allowed to convert people by force. Can we ever accuse the great Prophet [Muhammad, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] of using force, while, for thirteen long years of his Meccan life, he continued day and night to exhort his companions to remain patient and not to confront evil? When mischief exceeded all limits, and everyone joined hands to try to obliterate Islam, God's wrath required that those who kill by the sword should be killed by the sword. Except for this, the Holy Quran does not at all approve of compulsion. Were it so, the companions of our Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, in moments of trial, would not have succeeded in proving their sincerity as true believers. While the loyalty of the companions of our Lord and Master, the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is a mat- ter upon which I hardly need to dwell, it is no secret that the examples of upholding the truth and loyalty displayed by them are unparalleled in the history of other nations. This band of the faithful did not waver in their loyalty and steadfastness even under the shadow of swords. The unrelenting steadfastness they exhibited in the company of the Holy Prophet, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, is not humanly possible unless one's heart and whole being is lit up with the light of genuine belief. In short, there is no room for compulsion in Islam. Wars in Islam fall under three categories: 1. Defensive War-war by way of self-protection; 1. Surah al-Baqarah, 2:257 [Publisher]