Category:
Let the be no compulsion in religion:
 Who will save you from me now?"
Dates:Relief of pain
A Messenger to Entire Humanity
The common origin of humanity
Piety and wickedness
Consideration for neighbors

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Let the be no compulsion in religion:

Description: In no way does Islam preach forced conversions, rather, this is something forbidden by clear texts

One of the fundamental truths established by the sacred texts is that no one can be compelled to accept Islam.  It is the duty of Muslims to establish the proof of Islam to the people so that truth can be made clear from falsehood.  After that, whoever wishes to accept Islam may do so and whoever wishes to continue upon unbelief may do so.  No one should be threatened or harmed in any way if he does not wish to accept Islam.

Among the many decisive pieces of evidence in this regard are the following.  God says:

“Let there be no compulsion in religion.  Truth has been made clear from error.  Whoever rejects false worship and believes in God has grasped the most trustworthy handhold that never breaks.  And God hears and knows all things.” (Quran 2:256)

God says:

“If it had been your Lord’s will, all of the people on Earth would have believed.  Would you then compel the people so to have them believe?” (Quran 10:99)

God says:

“So if they dispute with you, say ‘I have submitted my whole self to God, and so have those who follow me.’  And say to the People of the Scripture and to the unlearned: ‘Do you also submit yourselves?’  If they do, then they are on right guidance.  But if they turn away, your duty is only to convey the Message.  And in God’s sight are all of His servants.” (Quran 3:20)

God says:

“The Messenger’s duty is but to proclaim the Message.” (Quran 5:99)

It is important to note that these last two verses were revealed in Medina.  This is significant, since it shows that the ruling they gave was not just contingent on the Muslims being in Mecca in a state of weakness.

Some people might be wondering that if Islam indeed advocates such an approach, then what is all this we hear about jihad?  How can we explain the warfare that the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, and his Companions waged against the pagans?  The answer to this is that jihad in Islamic Law can be waged for a number of reasons, but compelling people to accept Islam is simply not one of them.  As for conversion, this is to be done peacefully by disseminating the Message with the written and spoken word.  There is no place for the use of weapons to compel people to accept Islam.

The Prophet, said in his letter to the Roman governor Heraclius:

“I invite you to accept Islam.  If you accept Islam, you will find safety.  If you accept Islam, God will give you a double reward.  However, if you turn away, upon you will be the sin of your subjects.” (Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Saheeh Muslim)

Once people have heard the Message without obstruction or hindrance and the proof has been established upon them, then the duty of the Muslims is done.  Those who wish to believe are free to do so and those who prefer to disbelieve are likewise free to do so.

Even when the Muslims are compelled to fight and then, as a consequence, subdue the land, their duty thereafter is to establish God’s law in the land and uphold justice for all people, Muslim and non-Muslim.  It is not their right to coerce their subjects to accept Islam against their will.  Non-Muslims under Muslim rule must be allowed to remain on their own faith and must be allowed to practice the rights of their faith, though they will be expected to respect the laws of the land.

Had the purpose of jihad been to force the unbelievers to accept Islam, the Prophet would never have commanded the Muslims to refrain from hostilities if the enemy relented.  He would not have prohibited the killing of women and children.  However, this is exactly what he did.

During a battle, the Prophet saw people gathered together.  He dispatched a man to find out why they were gathered.  The man returned and said: “They are gathered around a slain woman.”  So God’s Messenger, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, said:

“She should not have been attacked!”  Khalid b. al-Walid was leading the forces, so he dispatched a man to him saying: “Tell Khalid not to kill women or laborers”. (Sunan Abi Dawud)

Therefore, even in the heat of battle against a hostile enemy, the only people who may be attacked are those who are actually participating in the fighting.

Had the purpose of jihad been to force the unbelievers to accept Islam, the rightly guided Caliphs would not have prohibited the killing of priests and monks who refrained from fighting.  However, this is exactly what they did.  When the first Caliph, Abu Bakr, sent an army to Syria to fight the aggressive Roman legions, he went out to give them words of encouragement.  He said: “You are going to find a group of people who have devoted themselves to the worship of God (i.e. monks), so leave them to what they are doing.”
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" Who will save you from me now?"

Description: An example of how a great leader dealt with those who showed him enmity

There was a small community in an isolated area.  Weak and defenseless, the people of this community lived in fear and anxiety, because they were being relentlessly attacked by a gang of bandits.

We can scarcely imagine their fear.  It is the fear of a helpless person in the face of a strong and merciless abuser.  These bandits knew only the law of the jungle.  Like lions, they recognized no code of ethics besides their own hunger and lust.  Anyone they could subdue was fair game.

Though the community lived in the desert, before the arrival of the gang, they enjoyed peace and security and managed to prosper.  Now they were being stripped of their lives, their liberty, and their honor.  In desperation, they appealed to the authorities to come save them.

The head of state decided to take it upon himself to lead his forces into the area and punish the ones who were spreading terror and violating the lives and security of his people.  News of this mobilization spread quickly and soon the bandits knew that the authorities were coming after them in force.  They were compelled to flee the area and seek refuge in the surrounding mountains.  They hid among the highest peaks they could find, hoping to save themselves.  They knew that they could very well meet their fate in the very place they were fleeing to, but they hoped to at least be able to scope out the forces that were being sent against them.

The forces arrived under the command of the head of state to find that the bandits had abandoned the area and taken up positions on a nearby mountain to survey the situation from a safe vantage point.

As soon as the forces arrived, a thunderstorm struck, flooding the valleys near the mountain.  The head of state was soaked through.  After the storm passed, he went off to find a place to remove his clothes and allow them to air out.  He found a tree, took off his outer garments, and hung them on a branch to dry.  He sat beneath the tree to rest from the tiring journey.  Fatigue defeated him and he soon drifted off to sleep.

One of the bandits was watching this with interest, and said to himself: “This is an excellent opportunity to subdue the leader while he is sleeping.  Then no one will stand in our way.”

Exercising the utmost stealth, he climbed down from the mountain and snuck across to where the leader was sleeping.

As he approached the tree, he noticed the leader’s sword beside him.  He looked left and right to make sure that no one else was around.  Then, with his skill as a thief, he quickly snatched up the sword and then pointed it in the leaders face.

The bandit sneered and exclaimed: “Who will save you from me now?”

The leader woke up at these words to see the bandit standing, threateningly above his head, sword in hand.  He realized immediately that the glowering bandit had disarmed him and was threatening to kill him.  Imagine what you would do in such a situation.

The leader kept his composure, straightened himself up where he was sitting, and regarded his assailant calmly.  After listening patiently to the bandit’s threats, he answered his assailant’s question, and said: “God will save me.”

The bandit felt a shudder go through his body and down his arm.  He dropped the sword.  As swiftly as it fell, the leader snatched it up and came upon the bandit with it, repeating the same question that the bandit had asked him moments before: “Who will save you from me now?”

Imagine that you found yourself in this leader’s position.  What would you do with the bandit? Would your state of mind give you any chance to think before acting? Would anyone blame you if you struck the thief down in self defense?

However, this leader had a strong, magnanimous heart, a heart that knew neither rancor nor vengefulness.  He regarded vindictiveness to be a sign of weakness.  Imagine that the leader not only pardoned the bandit, but offered him the opportunity to join with his forces in their campaign.  Moreover, he promised him that if he took the offer, he would receive all of the entitlements and rewards that the other soldiers would get.

We would suspect the bandit to eagerly take up this offer, at least as an act of deception.  However, the bandit did the unthinkable.  He refused, and the ruffian did so with all the coarseness and impertinence that he could muster.

The leader said to him: “Then go.  You know the way.”

The bandit began to hasten away, but then stopped and said: “I will not fight against you, nor will I ever join with any group who fights you.”  This, in and of itself, was an acceptable enough outcome.

When the bandit returned to the rest of his gang, they could see that he was elated to have survived the encounter.  He said to them: “I have come to you from a leader like no other.”  He then related to them everything that had happened and how fortunate he was to still be alive.”

It remains for us to reveal the identity of this leader.  He was the same person who is often maligned and depicted in a most ignoble light.

Yes, he was none other than Muhammad, the Prophet of God.
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Dates:Relief of pain

Description: The pain relieving qualities of dates in revelation before Science.

It is a long-established custom among Muslim parents to put a piece of well-chewed date (or other available sweet fruit) in the mouth of a newborn baby.  Muslims do this following the practice of the Prophet Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him, believing him to bee, as the Quran says, sent as a healing and a mercy to mankind.  We may infer from the way this custom originated that there is a virtue in it.  There is - complimentary to the virtue and pleasure of following the Sunnah (the practice of the Prophet) - placing a `sugary substance’ inside the mouth of a new-born baby dramatically reduces pain sensation and heart rate.

An interesting scientific medical study, published in the British Medical Journal (No. 6993, 10 June 1995), proved beyond any doubt the benefit of giving a new-born child sugar, in order to reduce the feeling of any painful procedure like heel pricking for a blood sample or before circumcision.

The study, entitled `The analgesic (pain killing) effect of sucrose in full term infants: a randomized controlled trial’, was done by Nora Haouari, Christopher Wood, Gillian Griffiths and Malcolm Levene in the post-natal ward in the Leeds General Infirmary in England.

60 healthy infants of gestational age 37-42 weeks and postnatal age of 1-6 days, were randomized to receive 2ml of one of the four solutions: 12.5% sucrose, 25% sucrose, 50% sucrose, and sterile water (control).

The first group of 30 babies received sugar syrup before a routine blood test (heel pricking, which is usually painful) done to detect jaundice.  The other 30 babies were given only sterile water as a control group.

Placing 2ml of a 25% or 50% sucrose solution on the tongue before pricking the heel significantly reduced the crying time, compared to babies who got water.  Also, their heart rate returned to normal more quickly.  The stronger sugar solution had the greater effect, crying being reduced further with increasing concentration of sucrose.  From which we may conclude that sucrose (sugar) placed on the tongue may bee a useful and safe form of analgesia for use with newborn infants.

Blass and Hoffmeyer also showed that 12% solution of inter-oral sucrose significantly reduced the duration of crying in new-born babies subjected to heel pricking or circumcision.  This study was reported in The Independent newspaper (Friday 9 June 1995) as well as in the British Medical Journal article.

The practice of the Prophet, upon him b piece, is recorded in the collections of his sayings and reports about him, of which the most revered are the two authentic collections of Al-Bukhari and Muslim:

Abu Buradah reported from Abu Musa, who said:

“I had a new-born baby; I took him to the Prophet Muhammad, who called him Ibrahim.  The Prophet chewed a date then he took it and rubbed the inside of the baby’s mouth with it.”

There are many other reported incidents like this one.

The date contains a very high percentage of sugar (70-80%); it has both fructose and glucose which have high calorific values, it is easily and quickly digestible, and very helpful to the brain.  The date contains 2.2% protein, vitamin A, vitamins B1, B2 ad nicotruic acid (against Pellagra); it has traces of minerals needed for the body such as potassium, sodium, calcium, iron, manganese, copper.  Potassium, of which percentage is very high, has been found to be very effective for cases of haemorrhage, such as the occasions of birth or circumcision.

We may note that the Sunnah also commends dates for the breaking of the fast in Ramadan.  Dates should be eaten, if available, before the sunset prayer - this is medically and nutritionally the best way and the Sunnah.

The great worth of dates is also indicated in a famous and beautiful passage of the Quran, in chapter named Maryam, verses 25-6:

“And shake towards you the trunk of the palm-tree and it will drop on you fresh ripe dates.  So eat and drink and be comforted.”

This was the prescription of God, the Creator, for the blessed Virgin Mary at the time of the birth of Jesus, the blessed Prophet of God.  It was a prescription to make the delivery easy and comfortable.

As the authors of the medical study referred to intend trying new sugary or sweet substances, we shall recommend that they try dates for the newborn for the relief of pain.

“We shall show them our signs on he furthest horizons and within themselves until it becomes clear to them that it is the truth.  Is it not sufficient that your Lord is witness over all things?” (Quran 41:53)
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A Messenger to Entire Humanity

Description: The Muslim sacred scripture, namely the Quran, lovingly invites people to accept the man whom God chose to deliver His final message to them: Muhammad, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him.

“O Mankind!  The Messenger has come to you with the truth from your Lord, so believe, then, for your own good!  And if you deny the truth - behold, unto God belongs all that is in the heavens and all that is on earth, and God is indeed all-knowing, wise!” (Quran 4:170)

God invites all human beings to accept Muhammad as His “Messenger” who brought truth from his Lord.  A “messenger” of God, in Islamic doctrine, is more than a prophet.  A prophet is essentially someone who foretells the future.  A “messenger” is a moral teacher appointed by God to carry the divine message to others based on revelation he receives.  The reception of ‘message’ from God is termed ‘revelation.’  Islamic tradition views all ‘messengers’ as prophets, but all prophets are not considered ‘messengers.’  Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad, may God praise them, are viewed as messengers. 

Why should someone accept Muhammad as God’s messenger?  Muhammad was a fulfillment of the biblical prophecies of Moses and Jesus.  Muhammad had an impeccable character and lived a perfect life that has been preserved like no other man’s.  His religious teachings and morals are the best solution to modernity’s predicaments.  The Quran, the scripture he brought from God to the world, is an inimitable literary miracle and the only world scripture that has been preserved word by word.  In short, everything about him and from him is simply true.  Those who do not know this man are invited to learn more about him, as God Himself has announced that belief in Muhammad is better for the person’s own good.  If he does so,  he will live a happy, disciplined existence in this life, and after death he will live for eternity in Paradise.  If someone chooses to reject him (and, consequently, the One who sent him), it will not harm God or His messenger in anyway, but rather only harm the one who rejects.  Everything in the universe belongs to God, He knows everything and is wise in what He commands and creates.
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The common origin of humanity

Description: The Quran, the Muslim sacred scripture, informs humanity of their common origins from Adam and Eve.

“O mankind!  Be conscious of your Lord, who has created you from one soul (Adam), and out of it created its mate (Eve), and out of the two spread many men and women.  And remain conscious of God, in whose name you demand [your rights] from one another, and of these ties of kinship.  Verily, God is ever watchful over you!” (Quran 4:1)

God addresses entire humanity and asks them to be conscious of Him, to be aware of His presence.  God reminds people of a forgotten reality: their earthly origins.  All human beings have One God, their Creator, one father – Adam – and one mother, Eve.  The plight of modernity could begin to heal if human beings remember their origins.

Human beings did not appear on this earth by their own will. Rather, someone else willed that human beings inhabit earth.  Someone else willed their existence and prepared the earth and sun in perfect balance to make life possible.  If people were to recall this simple fact, they would proceed in the right direction.  The One who willed human existence has perfect knowledge of humanity and their strengths and their weaknesses. If humans recognized this, they would obey the One they owe their existence to.

Just like human beings have come into existence by the will of the One, human beings also trace back to the same parents.  If people were to realize this, racism, ethnic superiority, and exploitation would end.  Siblings would stop fighting and taking each other’s life.  Siblings would realize their common Creator and be conscious of Him, and give their “kin” their due rights.  Human beings would not divide themselves into casts and classes.  Human beings would not let race, skin color, or national origin determine superiority.

If human beings were to realize that another soul was created from the original single soul to be its mate and to spread both men and women throughout the world, they would respect women more.  Women would not have to go through centuries of oppression, and their humanity would not have been denied for centuries.  Unfortunately, when human beings tried to correct one wrong, they fell into another one.  They forgot that a soul was created for a soul, that a woman makes a man complete.  Men and women are not engaged in an eternal battle of genders; rather, they have been created to complement and complete each other.

God lays out the social fabric of human society, which lies in the family.  God could have created multiple families instead of Adam and Eve in the beginning, but He chose to create Adam and Eve, and spread humanity from their seed.  Islamic ethics considers the family to be the natural basis and cornerstone of a moral society.  A family consists of a human couple and their (legal) children where both the man and woman have each essential roles to play in keeping the family happy and intact.

In the latter portion of the verse is a reminder to be conscious of God, to do what is right and to stay away from wrongdoing in whose Name people take oaths, swear allegiances, and ask favors.

Lastly, the verse ends with a reminder that God is ever watchful over everything, big or small; nothing escapes His knowledge and sight.  The knowledge that God is watching helps one be conscious of Him.
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Piety and wickedness

Description: An encouragement by God to humanity to eat of the pure things He created, and a warning against following the various paths of evil.

“O Mankind!  Partake of what is lawful and good on earth, and follow not Satan’s footsteps: for, verily, he is your open foe and bids you only to do evil, to commit deeds of immorality, and to attribute unto God what you do not know.” (Quran 2:168-169)

God addresses all of humanity, the faithful and the faithless, to think about something we take for granted: food.  God produces everything on earth: seeds, fruits, vegetables, and meats for human consumption, but forbids us relatively few things that are unwholesome.  Some of the foods God has forbidden are the meat of dead animals, blood, and pork.  Every food is lawful in God’s law except what He has forbidden, that has been stolen, or taken by breaking God’s law.  The best foods for us are organic, natural, and wholesome – foods produced by God, but when people start altering the food chain, they produce new, unknown diseases like the mad cow disease.  We need to be grateful for what God provides us.

This verse also indicates that eating enough to live is a duty imposed on human beings by God.  Going to extremes in starving oneself to look beautiful, for example, is not permitted.

God also commands humanity not to follow the footsteps of Satan, meaning what Satan commands.  First, Satan is real.  Second, Islam tells us everything important for us to know about Satan, including how to protect ourselves.  What does Satan command?  Disbelief, rejecting faith in God, oppression, injustice, sins, and eating what God has forbidden.  God reminds us that Satan is an enemy, so human beings should be on guard against him.  God, in His mercy, did not stop at warning us from following Satan’s footsteps, but also warned against what Satan commands:

(a)   Satan commands evil.  Evil includes all types of sins.

(b)   Satan commands adultery, fornication, drinking alcohol, getting drunk, and killing.

(c)   The greatest command of Satan is to make us say of God what we don’t know.  Satan’s greatest way of misguiding people is to say God has a son, an equal, to liken God to an old man sitting in heaven, to think God will punish everyone or forgive everyone without any knowledge from God Himself, or to say God permits or forbids something without any basis in knowledge from what God has revealed.  As for God, He commands justice and forbids immorality and wrongdoing.  Everyone should assess what they believe in order to ensure what they are following is God's guidance rather than the promptings of Satan.

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Consideration for neighbors

Description: Prophetic advices on the importance of healthy neighbourly relations

Prophet Muhammad, may God shower him with His praises, is a man loved by all Muslims.  He is honoured and respected by countless others and considered influential in both religious and secular matters.  Mahatma Ghandi described him as scrupulous about pledges, intense in his devotion to his friends and followers, intrepid, fearless, and with absolute trust in God and in his own mission.  Muslims all around the world consider him the example to follow in their worship of God and in their dealings with others.

The religion of Islam, as taught to us by Prophet Muhammad, urges kind and considerate treatment towards our neighbours.  They deserve our respect and good treatment regardless of their religion, race or colour.  In a saying narrated by Aisha[1], a wife of Prophet Muhammad, it is reported that the angel Gabriel insisted that Prophet Muhammad understand the importance of the good treatment of neighbours.  Prophet Muhammad said that at one stage he thought the angel Gabriel would bestow inheritance rights on neighbours; such was his insistence on their kind and fair treatment.

Prophet Muhammad’s mission was simply to convey the message of God, who clearly commanded the good treatment of neighbours in the Quran.

“Worship God and join none with Him in worship, and do good to parents, kinsfolk, orphans, the poor, the neighbour who is near of kin, the neighbour who is a stranger, the companion by your side, the wayfarer (you meet)...  Verily, God does not like such as are proud and boastful.” (Quran 4:36)

The men and women around Prophet Muhammad were constantly reminded of their obligations to God and to one another.  Prophet Muhammad was often heard to exhort them to do good needs and to remember their obligations.  He said, “Whoever believes in God and the Last Day, let him not harm or annoy his neighbour…” He also reminded, not only for his companions but for all of us to follow, that a believer in God does not allow his brother or sister to go hungry or live in unfortunate conditions.  Today  in a time when old people die alone and forgotten, and when our neighbours both near and far go hungry whilst  we have food, we would do well to remember the examples set by our righteous predecessors.

Abu Dhar, one of the close companions, was told by Prophet Muhammad to add extra water to his broth in order to be able to offer some to his neighbours.[2]  Another companion, Abdullah ibn Amr once asked his servant after slaughtering a sheep, “Did you give some to our Jewish neighbour?”  A believer is encouraged to give gifts even if they are of little monetary value.  The true value of the gift is the generous spirit with which it is given.  The giving of gifts encourages friendship and mutual support.  When the Prophet’s wife Aisha asked him about what neighbours to send her gifts, he replied, “To the one whose door is closest to yours”[3].  Although the closest neighbours are the ones we should be mindful of in the first instance, Islam urges us to take care of all our neighbours.  It is a system that takes into consideration the needs and feelings of others in the greater community.

When one truly understands the teachings of Islam, he or she begins to see that if one member of a community suffers the whole community is in strife.  After family, neighbours are the people that we depend on the most in times of strife and calamity, and in times of need.  A bad relationship with neighbours can make life miserable.  It is important that people who share a neighbourhood be able to trust and rely on each other, regardless of their religion or ethnicity.  Neighbours must feel secure that both their honour and wealth are safe.  Prophet Muhammad described a good neighbour as one of the joys in a Muslim’s life, he said, “Among the things that bring happiness to a believer in this life are a righteous neighbour, a spacious house and a good steed”.[4]  A good neighbour is one who guarantees comfort, security and safety.  For this reason it is important that one who believes in obeying God does not spare any effort in being considerate of and generous to the neighbours.  Prophet Muhammad warned his companions against harming or upsetting the neighbours.

In a saying[5] that is as true today as it was 1500 years ago, Prophet Muhammad was asked about a certain woman who  prayed and fasted more than was obligatory upon her, and gave generously in charity, but unfortunately, she did not refrain from speaking harshly to her neighbours.  He described her as being one of the people of Hell who would be punished for this.  In the same saying, he was asked about another woman who fulfilled only her obligatory duties and gave very little in charity, however her neighbours were safe from her harsh tongue and she offended no one.  Prophet Muhammad described her as among the people of Paradise.  The religion of Islam places great emphasis on the solidarity of families, neighbourhoods and the wider community.

Islam continuously advises the believers to be kind and considerate of neighbours.  What happens however if one has a neighbour who behaves badly and does not show the respect inherent in the teachings of Islam?  A Muslim is patient and tolerant and does not bare a grudge.  A believer strives to mend the broken relationship through good morals and manners and a forgiving attitude in the hope that this will bring about great reward from God.  A believer patiently bares the annoyances as much as he or she is able.  If the situation becomes intolerable  to publicise the bad behaviour may be a last resort.

The Prophet Muhammad once advised a man to gather his belongings in the middle of the road as an indication that he could no longer live beside his neighbour.  The “bad neighbour” immediately apologised and begged his neighbour to return.[6]  Nobody likes their bad behaviour to be made public and this is especially true of a Muslim, whose religion requires that he have the highest moral standards.  Islam places great emphasis on the qualities of respect, tolerance and forgiveness, and these qualities shown to neighbours is a demonstration of the moral values and virtues inbuilt into the worship of the One True God.

 

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Footnotes: [1] Saheeh Al-Bukhari[2] Saheeh Muslim[3] Ibid.[4] Reported with a Sahih isnad by al-Hakim.[5] Saheeh Al-Bukhari[6] Saheeh Al-Bukhari, Ibn Habban & Abu Dawood.