1- There is a fundamental rule stated in the Quran namely the right to choose
one's religion:"let there be no compulsion in religion," (2/256).Accordingly
Islam emphasized that a person's belief in Islam or his rejecting to believe in
it is a matter that depends upon man's free will and his sincere conviction.
This is stated in the following Quranic verse:"Let him who will,
believe,and let him who will,reject (it) ". (18/129) God, in the verses of
the Quran, drew the Prophet's attention to this fact and emphasized that he was
only a messenger whose duty was only to relate the Divine Message and that he
had no authority to force people into conforming to Islam. This is clearly expressed
in the following Quaranic verses:"Will you then compel mankind, against
their will, to believe!"(10/99) "You are not one to manage (men's)
affairs". (88/10)" If then they turn away, We have not sent you as a
guard over them. Your duty is but to convey (The Message)". (42/48).The
aforementioned verses make it clear that Holy Book of the Muslims definitely
prohibits forcing anyone to follow the Faith of Islam.
2- Islam has defined the course that Muslims must follow when inviting people
to believe in the Faith of Islam and the manner in which the Faith should be
spread everywhere. The manner in which Muslims should invite people to embrace
Islam is stated in the following Quranic verses:" Invite (all) to the way
of your God with wisdom and beautiful preaching, and argue with them in ways
that are best and most gracious". (16/125). Also "Speak fair to the
people." (2/83)
The Quran contains no less than one hundred and twenty verses, which emphasize
that the basic rule to be followed, when Muslims invite people to believe in
Islam, is to convince them calmly and graciously and then to leave them
to decide for themselves whether to accept or reject the faith. After the
conquest of Mecca:
the Prophet addressed its people saying:"You are free now''and he did not
force them to adopt Islam in spite of his decisive victory.
3-The Muslims never forced a Jew or a Christian to adopt Islam and Omar ben Al
khattab - the Second Orthodox Caliph - assured people of Jerusalem that their
lives, their churches and their crosses would be harmed on account of his faith
. The Prophet recorded in his first constitution for AI Madina, after
having emigrated from Mecca
that the Jews were a nation living with the Muslims and that he acknowledged
their right to believe in their faith.
4- In her book:"Allah is completely different ", the German
Orientalist, Sigrid Hunke refutes the accusation that Islam was spread by the
sword. She wrote: "The tolerance of the Arabs played an important role in
the spreading of Islam, contrary to what has been falsely claimed that it was
spread by fire and the sword, which is an unjust and unverified accusation
against Islam ."She also wrote: "Christians, Jews, Sabians and Pagans
embraced Islam of their own free will .
It
is a well-known fact that Muslim armies never invaded South Asia or West Africa, yet Islam spread and flourished in these
countries after Muslim merchants travelled with their merchandise to these
countries. Muslim Sufis with their peaceful attitude also impressed the
inhabitants of these lands. The natives of these distant countries saw for
themselves the conduct, morals and the dealings of the Muslims and accordingly
embraced Islam of their own free will .