RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN ISLAM

RELIGIOUS FREEDOM IN ISLAM No Compulsion at All CONTRARY to the common misconception that Islam denies religious freedom to others, Islam upholds religious freedom for everyone. Religious freedom is the basic human right whose violation has caused conflicts, wars and bloodshed in both ancient and modern societies. The Quran, therefore, declared for the first time in human history: “There shall be no compulsion in religion.” (2: 256) The Quran also states clearly, “You have your religion and I have mine.” (109: 6) The principle that we obtain from the above verses of the Quran is generally referred to, in today’s context, as religious freedom. In view of this prohibition of compulsion, all Islamic jurists without any exception hold that forcible conversion is under all circumstances null and void. Any attempt to coerce a person to accept Islam is a grievous sin. According to this principle of ‘non-coercion’, it is not permissible to exploit or manipulate personal weaknesses or calamities (e.g. poverty, sickness, famine, etc.) for religious conversion. That is why old and downtrodden non-Muslims were exempted from taxes and given all monetary support by the Islamic state without ever being asked to embrace Islam just for the advantages it would give them. Once, a Jewish widow came to the Caliph Umar asking for some financial aid. Umar promised to take care of her needs and also presented Islam to her. But the lady refused. Umar then gave her more than she had asked for. When she departed, Umar raised his hands towards heaven and said: “O God, bear witness that I have not exercised any coercion on this lady.” (Tarikh Umar ibn al-Khattab by Ibn al-Jawzi) The principle of non-coercion mentioned in the Quran (2: 256) has not been confined to religious freedom alone. Rather, it has been extensively elaborated upon and widely applied to all social, cultural, and political spheres of society. This has led to the development of a new culture in which individuals enjoy freedom of expression, dissent and criticism without any fear or restriction. Two examples may suffice to explain to what extent this essential human right was observed in early Muslim societies.