Qur'an, Hadith and Scholars:Forced Conversion: Difference between revisions

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The topic of forced conversion is a complicated one within the Islamic tradition. According to the Qur'an, there is "no compulsion in religion" and the traditional laws of jihad state that before attacking a Christian or Jewish enemy they must be offered the choice of submitting to Islamic political rule, paying the jizyah and entering dhimmitude. At the same time, however, the Islamic tradition records that Muhammad gave the pagans of Mecca and later all of Arabia only two choices: conversion to Islam or the sword. As such, people not considered "people of the book", id est Jews or Christians, are on this example to be given the choice of conversion to Islam or death. In many cases, such as when Muslims found themselves ruling over a polytheist population in India, the forced conversion of so many people has been seen to be impossible, and in its place these people have been offered dhimmitude. These practical exceptions did not, however, change the opinion of the fuquhaa' that all non-believers who are not Jews or Christians ought to be given the choice of Islam or death, forced conversion in effect.  

{{Quote|1={{Quran|9|5}}, translated by Yusuf Ali|2=But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the ''Pagans'' (ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ) wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war); but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practise regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful.}}

The word ٱلْمُشْرِكِينَ (''al-mushrikeen'') was also translated as "polytheists" (by Sahih International) or "idolaters" (by Pickthall) or "associators" (by Dr. Ghali) <ref>https://quran.com/9/5</ref>. Literally, al-mushrikeen are people who commit "shirk", that is "associating partners with Allah". Christians and Jews are also mushrikeen because Christians believe that Jesus is the son of god and Jews (according to Islam) believe that Ezra is the son of god and "they took their rabbis as lords besides Allah" (verses 9:30-31).<ref>https://islamqa.info/en/67626</ref> The words "mushrikeen" and "kaafireen" (infidels) are used interchangeably in this sura.<ref>

The verse 9:1 says "mushrikeen" (الْمُشْرِكِينَ). The verse 9:2 calls them "kaafireen" (الْكَافِرِينَ). It's the last word of both verses. https://quran.com/9/

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{{Quote|1={{cite web|url=https://sunnah.com/bukhari/2/18 |title=Sahih Bukhari 1:2:25 |publisher= |author= |date= |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019180506/http://sunnah.com/bukhari/2/18 |deadurl=no}}|2=Narrated Ibn 'Umar: Allah's Apostle said: "I have been ordered (by Allah) to fight against the people until they testify that none has the right to be worshipped but Allah and that Muhammad is Allah's Apostle, and offer the prayers perfectly and give the obligatory charity, so if they perform that, then they save ''their lives'' (دِمَاءَهُمْ) and property from me except for Islamic laws and then their reckoning (accounts) will be done by Allah."}}

{{Quote|[https://sunnah.com/urn/42350 Sahih Bukhari 6:60:80]|Narrated Abu Huraira: The Verse:--"You (true Muslims) are the best of peoples ever raised up for mankind." (3:110) means, the best of peoples for the people, as you bring them with chains on their necks till they embrace Islam.

{{Quote|1={{Bukhari|1|8|387}}|2=Narrated Anas bin Malik: Allah's Apostle said, "I have been ordered to fight the people till they say: 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah.' And if they say so, pray like our prayers, face our Qibla and slaughter as we slaughter, then their blood and property will be sacred to us and we will not interfere with them except legally and their reckoning will be with Allah." Narrated Maimun ibn Siyah that he asked Anas bin Malik, "O Abu Hamza! What makes the ''life'' (دَمَ) and property of a person sacred?" He replied, "Whoever says, 'None has the right to be worshipped but Allah', faces our Qibla during the prayers, prays like us and eats our slaughtered animal, then he is a Muslim, and has got the same rights and obligations as other Muslims have."}}

{{Quote|1={{Bukhari|5|59|643}}|2=Narrated Qais: Jarir said "Allah's Apostle said to me, "Won't you relieve me from Dhul-Khalasa?" I replied, "Yes, (I will relieve you)." So I proceeded along with one-hundred and fifty cavalry from Ahmas tribe who were skillful in riding horses. I used not to sit firm over horses, so I informed the Prophet of that, and he stroke my chest with his hand till I saw the marks of his hand over my chest and he said, O Allah! Make him firm and one who guides others and is guided (on the right path).' Since then I have never fallen from a horse. Dhul-l--Khulasa was a house in Yemen belonging to the tribe of Khatham and Bajaila, and in it there were idols which were worshipped, and it was called Al-Ka'ba." Jarir went there, burnt it with fire and dismantled it. When Jarir reached Yemen, there was a man who used to foretell and give good omens by casting arrows of divination. Someone said to him. "The messenger of Allah's Apostle is present here and if he should get hold of you, he would chop off your neck." One day while he was using them (i.e. arrows of divination), Jarir stopped there and said to him, "Break them (i.e. the arrows) and testify that None has the right to be worshipped except Allah, or else I will chop off your neck." So the man broke those arrows and testified that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah. Then Jarir sent a man called Abu Artata from the tribe of Ahmas to the Prophet to convey the good news (of destroying Dhu-l-Khalasa). So when the messenger reached the Prophet, he said, "O Allah's Apostle! By Him Who sent you with the Truth, I did not leave it till it was like a scabby camel." Then the Prophet blessed the horses of Ahmas and their men five times.}}

{{Quote|1={{Muslim|1|29}}|2=It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that when the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) breathed his last and Abu Bakr was appointed as his successor (Caliph), those amongst the Arabs who wanted to become apostates became apostates. 'Umar b. Khattab said to Abu Bakr: Why would you fight against the people, when the Messenger of Allah declared: I have been directed to fight against people so long as they do not say: There is no god but Allah, and he who professed it was granted full protection of his property and life on my behalf except for a right? His (other) affairs rest with Allah. Upon this Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I would definitely fight against him who severed prayer from Zakat, for it is the obligation upon the rich. By Allah, I would fight against them even to secure the cord (used for hobbling the feet of a camel) which they used to give to the Messenger of Allah (as zakat) but now they have withheld it. Umar b. Khattab remarked: By Allah, I found nothing but the fact that Allah had opened the heart of Abu Bakr for (perceiving the justification of) fighting (against those who refused to pay Zakat) and I fully recognized that the (stand of Abu Bakr) was right.}}

{{Quote|1={{Muslim|1|30}}|2=It is reported on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah said: I have been commanded to fight against people so long as they do not declare that there is no god but Allah, and he who professed it was guaranteed the protection of his property and life on my behalf except for the right affairs rest with Allah.}}

{{Quote|1={{Muslim|1|31}}|2=It is reported on the authority of Abu Huraira that he heard the Messenger of Allah say: I have been commanded to fight against people, till they testify to the fact that there is no god but Allah, and believe in me (that) I am the messenger (from the Lord) and in all that I have brought. And when they do it, their blood and riches are guaranteed protection on my behalf except where it is justified by law, and their affairs rest with Allah.}}

{{Quote|1={{Muslim|1|32}}|2=It is narrated on the authority of Jabir that the Messenger of Allah said: I have been commanded that I should fight against people till they declare that there is no god but Allah, and when they profess it that there is no god but Allah, their blood and riches are guaranteed protection on my behalf except where it is justified by law, and their affairs rest with Allah, and then he (the Holy Prophet) recited (this verse of the Holy Qur'an):" Thou art not over them a warden" (lxxxviii, 22).}}

{{Quote|1={{Muslim|1|33}}|2=It has been narrated on the authority of Abdullah b. 'Umar that the Messenger of Allah said: I have been commanded to fight against people till they testify that there is no god but Allah, that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, and they establish prayer, and pay Zakat and if they do it, their blood and property are guaranteed protection on my behalf except when justified by law, and their affairs rest with Allah.}}

{{Quote|1={{Muslim|1|34}}|2=It Is narrated on the authority of Abu Malik: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say: He who professed that there is no god but Allah and made a denial of everything which the people worship beside Allah, his property and blood became inviolable, an their affairs rest with Allah.}}

{{Quote|1={{Muslim|1|35}}|2=Abu Malik narrated on the authority of his father that he heard the Apostle (may peace be upon him) say: He who held belief in the unity of Allah, and then narrated what has been stated above.}}

{{Quote|1=[http://www.amazon.com/Life-Muhammad-I-Ishaq/dp/0196360331/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1252901691&sr=8-1#reader The Life of Muhammad]<BR>Ishaq. I (Author), Guillaume. A (Translator), Oxford University Press, 2002, p. 547|2=[Abu Sufyan] stayed the night with me [the narrator] and I took him in to see the apostle early in the morning and when he saw him he said, "Isn't it time that you should recognize that there is no God but Allah?"

{{Quote|1={{Quran|9|29}}|2=''Fight'' (قَٰتِلُوا۟) those who believe not in Allah nor the Last Day, nor hold that forbidden which hath been forbidden by Allah and His Messenger, nor acknowledge the religion of Truth, (even if they are) of the People of the Book, until they pay the Jizya with willing submission, and feel themselves subdued.}}

The word قَٰتِلُوا۟ (''qaatiloo''), translated as "fight", is derived from the root ق-ت-ل (q-t-l). The basic [[The Meaning of Qatal|meaning of this root]] is "to kill" <ref>https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/%D9%82_%D8%AA_%D9%84</ref>. Nouns like "murder" (قتل) and "murderer" (قاتل) are also derived from this root. The word qaatiloo is an imperative verb <ref>http://corpus.quran.com/wordmorphology.jsp?location=(9:29:1)</ref>, which commands to murder people [until they are giving money to the Muslims].

{{Quote|1={{Muslim|19|4294}}|2=It has been reported from Sulaiman b. Buraid through his father that when the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) appointed anyone as leader of an army or detachment he would especially exhort him to fear Allah and to be good to the Muslims who were with him. He would say: Fight in the name of Allah and in the way of Allah. Fight against those who disbelieve in Allah. Make a holy war, do not embezzle the spoils; do not break your pledge; and do not mutilate (the dead) bodies; do not kill the children. When you meet your enemies who are polytheists, invite them to three courses of action. If they respond to any one of these, you also accept it and withold yourself from doing them any harm. Invite them to (accept) Islam; if they respond to you, accept it from them and desist from fighting against them. Then invite them to migrate from their lands to the land of Muhairs and inform them that, if they do so, they shall have all the privileges and obligations of the Muhajirs. If they refuse to migrate, tell them that they will have the status of Bedouin Muilims and will be subjected to the Commands of Allah like other Muslims, but they will not get any share from the spoils of war or Fai' except when they actually fight with the Muslims (against the disbelievers). If they refuse to accept Islam, demand from them the Jizya. If they agree to pay, accept it from them and hold off your hands. If they refuse to pay the tax, seek Allah's help and fight them. When you lay siege to a fort and the besieged appeal to you for protection in the name of Allah and His Prophet, do not accord to them the guarantee of Allah and His Prophet, but accord to them your own guarantee and the guarantee of your companions for it is a lesser sin that the security given by you or your companions be disregarded than that the security granted in the name of Allah and His Prophet be violated. When you besiege a fort and the besieged want you to let them out in accordance with Allah's Command, do not let them come out in accordance with His Command, but do so at your (own) command, for you do not know whether or not you will be able to carry out Allah's behest with regard to them.}}

{{Quote|1={{Muslim|19|4366}}|2=It has been narrated by 'Umar b. al-Khattib that he heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon him) say: I will expel the Jews and Christians from the Arabian Peninsula and will not leave any but Muslim.}}

{{Quote|1={{Muslim|19|5917}}|2=Suhail reported on the authority of Abu Huraira that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said on the Day of Khaibar: I shall certainly give this standard in the hand of one who loves Allah and his Messenger and Allah will grant victory at his hand. Umar b. Khattab said: Never did I cherish for leadership but on that day. I came before him with the hope that I may be called for this, but Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) called 'Ali b. Abu Talib and he conferred (this honour) upon him and said: Proceed on and do not look about until Allah grants you victory, and 'Ali went a bit and then halted and did not look about and then said in a loud voice: Allah's Messenger, on what issue should I fight with the people? Thereupon he (the Prophet) said: Fight with them until they bear testimony to the fact that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is his Messenger, and when they do that then their blood and their riches are inviolable from your hands but what is justified by law and their reckoning is with Allah.}}

{{Quote|1={{Muslim|19|5918}}|2=Sahl b. Sa'd reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said on the Day of Khaibar: I would certainly give this standard to a person at whose hand Allah would grant victory and who loves Allah and His Messenger and Allah and His Messenger love him also. The people spent the night thinking as to whom it would be given. When it was morning the people hastened to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) all of them hoping that that would be given to him. He (the Holy Prophet) said: Where is 'Ali b. Abu Talib? They said: Allah's Messenger, his eyes are sore. He then sent for him and he was brought and Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) applied saliva to his eyes and invoked blessings and he was all right, as if he had no ailment at all, and coraferred upon him the standard. 'Ali said: Allah's Messenger, I will fight them until they are like us. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Advance cautiously until you reach their open places, thereafter invite them to Islam and inform them what is obligatory for them from the rights of Allah, for, by Allah, if Allah guides aright even one person through you that is better for you than to possess the most valuable of the camels.}}

Note that this verse has been [[List of Abrogations in the Qur'an|abrogated]] by {{Quran|9|5}}

{{quote|{{Abudawud|14|2676}}|Narrated Abdullah ibn Abbas<BR>

[[Category:Dhimmitude]]

[[Category:Islamic Law]]