Restrictions placed by Muslims on non-Muslims, etc.

2-4-2003 | IslamWeb

Question:

Freedom of religion is a very important and clear concept in islam. My question is that: how is the concept of "no compulsion in religion" in Islam fit or contradict with two other facts about Islam: 1) No Christian (or other religion) missionaries are allowed to preach their religion in the "Islamic state". (I know that Islam is the only true religion, but apparently 80% of world's population do not believe so). I understand that Islam asks every country to allow Muslims to deliver the message of Islam to their people, and their people can then accept or refuse the message without compulsion, however, if that country refuses to give Muslims this right to deliver the message, then Muslims can fight them for that. So, how Islam asks from other countries something that Islam don't offer them.2) The second issue is that any Muslim who converts from Islam to another religion should be subjected to death according to "Islamic law", although that Muslim might have been a Muslim because he was born as such and he didn't have a choice, and when he did his own search he wanted to convert to another religion.

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Answer:

Praise be to Allah, the Lord of the Worlds; and may His blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad and upon all his Family and Companions.

In reality, Islam is the religion of truth that all people are required to accept, and Allah will not accept any others religion on the Day of Judgement.
Then, Islam does not force people to follow it, but according to its teachings all people are required to obey its authority who live under its rule in the Islamic State. In simple words all non-Muslims (Zimmi or others) are not allowed to invite others to follow disbelief, nor to demonstrate it or spread it, i.e. no Christian, Jewish, Buddhist or any other follower of false religion and ideology can spread his false creed in the Islamic State.
The above statement does not contradict freedom of creed which Islam guarantees, since all people work for some system that governs them, protects, their rights, property, blood, and honor and helps them achieve their interests. And only the Islamic State can give all the above. Islam is the religion of truth and mercy for people.
Allah says: {And We have sent you (O Muhammad SAW) not but as a mercy for the 'Alamîn (mankind, jinns and all that exists).} [21:107]
Therefore, all people residing in the Islamic State are required to obey the Islamic authority in general, although they are not required to embrace Islam.
Allah says: {There is no compulsion in religion. Verily, the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path.……….} [2:256]
This means that a non-Muslim resident in the Islamic State can remain on his religion and Muslims are required to avoid hurting him as long as he is committed to his covenant with Muslims. But, this freedom of creed does not entitle him to invite other to his religion.
Islam is the religion of truth, and only the one whose heart is closed, whose sight and hearing are sealed will refuse to follow Islam. Thus, it becomes a duty for every Muslim to invite others to Islam and to spread its teachings in all places and at all times. Also, all obstacles, which prevent Islam from being propagated are to be destroyed so that every man on earth receives the message of Islam. Then, he/she is free to choose Islam or submit to the Muslim authority by paying the Jizya.
As for the one who embraced Islam and then disbelieved, he has committed by this act a major crime for which he should be killed unless he returns again to Islam after being a believer. Apostasy constitutes a form of frivolous play and immortality. So, an apostate becomes a vicious member in the Muslim society that should be cut off before spreading evil to others.
Here, we state that killing such a wicked member can only be ordered by the Muslim ruler, and should not be done before using all possible means to make him return to Islam, i.e. he must be shown his errors, asked to repent and to re-embrace Islam. If he does not accept, then the ruler or his agent orders that he be killed as a way of establishing the retributive punishments of Shari'ah. This means that he is considered as a killer of himself because of his refusal to return to Islam.
Furthermore, advocates of positive laws that disapprove of this punishment (killing the apostate) consider anyone who commits a breach of the political system or the constitution as a traitor i.e. one who commits treason, and thus deserves capital punishment or life imprisonment. In Islam it is natural to punish the apostate who betrays Allah, His Messenger and his religion in the same way, since no doubt his crime is much greater than just betraying the political system or breaking man-made laws.
Allah knows best.