Freedom Of Religion

Islam guarantees religious freedom for non-Muslims and prohibits forced conversion and spreading the religion by violence. This teaching is established in numerous verses of the Quran and in the Prophet’s practice.

Allah said:

And Allah said:

The Prophet (ﷺ) would peacefully call people to the religion with beautiful preaching and sound arguments.

Anas ibn Malik reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said to a man:

أَسْلِمْ

Embrace Islam

The man said, “I find that I dislike it.” The Prophet said:

وَإِنْ كُنْتَ كَارِهًا

Even if you dislike it.

Source: Musnad Ahmad 11650, Grade: Sahih (authentic)

In this tradition, the Prophet (ﷺ) did not call the man to Islam using threats or intimidation, but rather by telling him that Islam is good for him even if he disliked it.

Rashid Rida writes:

قَاعِدَةٌ كُبْرَى مِنْ قَوَاعِدِ دِينِ الْإِسْلَامِ وَرَكْنٌ عَظِيمٌ مِنْ أَرْكَانِ سِيَاسَتِهِ فَهُوَ لَا يُجِيزُ إِكْرَاهَ أَحَدٍ عَلَى الدُّخُولِ فِيهِ وَلَا يَسْمَحُ لِأَحَدٍ أَنَّ يُكْرِهَ أَحَدًا مِنْ أَهْلِهِ عَلَى الْخُرُوجِ مِنْهُ

This is a major rule among the principles of the religion of Islam and a great pillar among the pillars of administration. It is not permissible to force anyone to enter the religion and it is not allowed to expel anyone among his people from his religion.

Source: Tafseer Al-Manar 2:256

The Prophet (ﷺ) never forced anyone into Islam and neither would he fight them because they followed a different religion. He only fought people who declared war against the Muslim community or violated people’s rights.

Ibn Al-Qayyim writes:

وَلَمْ يُكْرِهْ أَحَدًا قَطُّ عَلَى الدِّينِ وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ يُقَاتِلُ مَنْ يُحَارِبُهُ وَيُقَاتِلُهُ وَأَمَّا مَنْ سَالَمَهُ وَهَادَنَهُ فَلَمْ يُقَاتِلْهُ وَلَمْ يُكْرِهْهُ عَلَى الدُّخُولِ فِي دِينِهِ

The Prophet never forced the religion upon anyone, but rather he only fought those who waged war against him and fought him first. As for those who made peace with him or conducted a truce, then he never fought them and he never compelled them to enter his religion.

Source: Hidayat Al-Hayara 237

The many verses of the Quran that declare freedom of religion must be understood as the general rule.

To achieve this we need to have a common ground and focus at one point on the awareness about the beauty of creation and all of its intricacies. Likewise it is important to use the pronoun “we” instead of you . Because it is we who have been lost, who had been in the wrong understanding correspondingly to the speech of Jafar . It is important to show that the guidance of Islam is a gift bestowed by Allah on whoever He chooses and we are inviters to embrace that same path. The invitee a priori is not our enemy he or she is in need of guidance and we should make it easy for him or her to embrace the right path.

We need to be gentle and at first to listen attentively to our invitee.

Indeed, Allah sent Moses and Aaron, peace be upon them, to Pharaoh and He commanded them to speak mildly to him and to begin their invitation to Islam with gentleness.

Allah said:

If this is how Allah commanded the prophets to speak to the greatest of oppressors, then how much more deserving of kindness are those lesser than him?

Al-Baghawi reported:

وقرأ رجل عند يحيـى بن معاذ هذه الآية (فَقُولاَ لَهُ قَوْلاً لَّيِّناً) فبكى يحيى وقال إلهي هذا رفقك بمن يقول أنا الإِله فكيف رفقك بمن يقول أنت الإِله

A man recited this verse in front of Yahya ibn Mu’adh and he began to weep. Yahya said: My God, this is Your gentleness with one who claims to be God, then how is Your gentleness with one who says You are God?

Source: Tafseer Al-Baghawi 20:44

Likewise, Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) was commanded to begin inviting the unbelievers of Mecca to Islam with gentleness, even though they were plotting against him and the Muslims.

Allah said:

For this reason, the Prophet (ﷺ) was patient and forbearing with their abuse for more than twenty years. Only after the persecution became so intense was he allowed to fight back in self-defense. Even so, the Prophet (ﷺ) was given clear instructions to accept their repentance or at least accept their offer of peace.

Allah said:

Thus, the door of mercy and gentleness is never closed, as even the worst of criminals are given the opportunity to repent and make amends.

Furthermore, kindness and gentleness should be shown to the animals and indeed all of creation.

Aisha reported: I was upon a camel which was misbehaving so I began to beat it. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

عَلَيْكِ بِالرِّفْقِ فَإِنَّ الرِّفْقَ لَا يَكُونُ فِي شَيْءٍ إِلَّا زَانَهُ وَلَا يُنْزَعُ مِنْ شَيْءٍ إِلَّا شَانَهُ

You must be gentle. Verily, gentleness is not in anything except that it beautifies it, and it is not removed from anything except that it disgraces it.

Source: Musnad Ahmad 24417, Grade: Sahih (authentic)

Small acts of kindness, although it might be trivial in the eyes of people, are an important means for us to be saved from Hellfire and admitted into Paradise.

Ibn Mas’ud reported: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said:

أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِمَنْ يَحْرُمُ عَلَى النَّارِ أَوْ بِمَنْ تَحْرُمُ عَلَيْهِ النَّارُ عَلَى كُلِّ قَرِيبٍ هَيِّنٍ سَهْلٍ

Shall I not tell you for whom the Hellfire is forbidden? It is every person accessible, polite, and mild.

Source: Sunan At-Tirmidhi 2488, Grade: Hasan

Therefore, we should train ourselves and our children to be kind and gentle in all matters, among the Muslims, among unbelievers, and even with the animals. We should resist the temptation to indulge in cruelty and savagery. Times will come when must apply justice to criminals, but we have to remember that the opportunity for repentance will remain and even a great tyrant like Pharaoh should be given his portion of kindness.

We ask Allah to beautify our manners with kindness and to protect us from falling into harshness.

Most of the time when we engage in a discussion with the intention of Da’wah (invitation to Allah) we have the advantage that our invitee knows that we are Muslims so the art of the discussion is to have him or her ask questions. And certainly if they ask questions they want to know the answers. Also if we let our invitee talk he or she will talk about himself and that will give clues about what is their personality. Different invitee’s belief background. Christians Buddhi Hindus Atheist etc.