No compulsion in Islam!

Society Religion & Philosophy
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AsSalaam Alaikum!

There is no compulsion in Islam. Is that also true for those who are already muslim?

Let me explain:

Your best friend has a muslim name, comes from a noble muslim family. You have known him/her for as long as you can remember. BUT! He/she does not practice Islam.

If you were to encourage your friend, and remind your friend about what a terrible end awaits. Would that be considered compulsion? Is the leniency about compulsion exclusive to non-muslims who have not yet declared the Kalma?

The reason I ask is for my own knowledge sake, and to get others’ views. Aren’t muslims in essence signing up for following the pillars of Islam when they recite the Kalma and proclaim “There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad (s.a.w) is His messenger”. If I understand correctly, if you declare that you are muslim, then do not follow what Islam prescribes, do your brothers/sisters in Islam have certain rights over you? Such as guiding, encouraging and reminding regarding the requirements of the faith. Declaring faith in Allah (swt) as the only One worthy of worship with no partners, and Muhammad (s.a.w) as His messenger makes you a part of a larger community; ummah. What rights do you have over the ummah, and what rights does the ummah have over you?

I would appreciate the points of view of muslims in this regard, since it’s a very Islam-specific question. JazakAllah khair.

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Re: No compulsion in Islam!

Ghair Muslim ke liye tableeGh aur muslims ke liye talqeen kaa tareeqa hai raah-e-raast par laane ke liye...talqeen kaa sahaaraa lenaa chaahiye.

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Re: No compulsion in Islam!

Please elaborate on Talqeen. What does it entail?

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Re: No compulsion in Islam!

May be the compulsion here mean making some one muslim by compulsion as this kills the very basic purpose of conversion.

Amr bil maroof wa Nahi anil munkar is a duty of all muslims (Should be given under certain shariah rules and with hikmat).

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Re: No compulsion in Islam!

I believe it says "no compulsion in religion" and most commentators say that it means that people should not be forced to accept a certain belief.

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Re: No compulsion in Islam!

True. And this also includes not forcing anyone to accept a certain school of thought within in Islam.

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Re: No compulsion in Islam!

Brothers!

You're misunderstanding me. I do not mean "Are muslims allowed to impose their specific understanding of Islam unto other muslims". What I am inquiring about is: Our rights over each other as Brothers/Sisters in Islam. If you see one of your brothers/sisters not offering salah, or indulging in what Islam prohibits, isn't it your duty to deter your brother/sister for their own sake, to save them from the edge of a never-ending pit they're headed towards without knowing, and to remind them that a muslim is one who accepts Islam and then practices it. Not everyone may be a momin, but shouldn't muslims at the very least be muslims?

I'm speaking more in terms of guidance. How do you provide that Guidance? How far do you go to fulfill your obligation as a fellow muslim in terms of guiding those you care about, or just muslims in general?

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Re: No compulsion in Islam!

Peace All,

Kaka is right. Most commentators translate it same as mentioned above “There is no compulsion in ‘religion’”, which is correct. But if we ask our self that compulsion is in which “religion”? Answer of it is also mentioned in very same book “The Holy Qur’an”, in Chapter 3 verse No. 19, Almighty Allah says: “Indeed, the religion in the sight of Allah is Islam….”, so we can say that there is “no compulsion in religion of Islam”, but that doesn’t mean one should stop offering namaaz, stop keeping fast etc., by saying that because there is no compulsion in religion (Islam). That is completely wrong.

The verse “no compulsion in religion (Islam)”, means that we (Muslims) cannot force any Non-Muslim(s) to embrace ‘Islam’. Our duty is to spread the message of ‘Islam’, not to force it on others to accept (embrace) it. Because it is Will of Almighty Allah that if He puts ‘noor’ in heart of a non-believer, he/she accept (embrace) Islam and if He seals the heart then no one can make a non-believer to accept (embrace) Islam.

Before we talk about our ‘duty’ and ‘rights’, lets read translation of a verse No. 208 from Chapter 2 where Almighty Allah says: “O you who have believed, enter into Islam completely [and perfectly] and do not follow the footsteps of Satan. Indeed, he is to you a clear enemy.” Means one who embrace Islam, he/she should also accept/must obey all the legislation which falls under this religion of ‘Islam’ and also must follow it because it increase our ‘good deed [cause ajr]’ and anything opposite to that legislation is 'following the footstep of 'evil [shaitan] which known as ‘sin’.

Now coming towards the part of our ‘duty’ and ‘rights’, Almighty Allah says in Chapter 5 verse No.2: “…And cooperate in righteousness and piety, but do not cooperate in sin and aggression…”. Bukhari recorded this Hadith through Hushaym. Imam Ahmad recorded that Anas bin Malik said that the Prophet Muhammad :saw2: said: "Support your brother whether he was unjust or the victim of injustice. Prophet Muhammad :saw2: was asked that 'we know about helping the victim who is suffers injustice, so what about helping him who commits injustice?'Prophet Muhammad :saw2: said: “Prevent and stop him from committing injustice, and this represents giving support to him”. Also narrated that 'the believer, who mingles with people and in patient with their annoyance, earns more reward than the believer who does not mingle with people and does not observe patience with their annoyance.

Further more, Muslim recorded a hadith that states, 'He who calls to a guidance, will earn a reward similar to the rewards of those who accept his call, until the Day of Resurrection, without decreasing their rewards and whoever calls to a heresy, will carry a burden similar to the burdens of those who accept his call, until the Day of Resurrection, without decreasing their own burdens.

In terms of guidance, it is our ‘duty’ and ‘rights’ to call to a guidance and we must push forward ourselves as much as we can just for the sake of Almighty Allah.

[Note: Some hadith/tafsir quoted from Ibn-Katheer’s book (of interpretation)]