Translation:
There shall be no coercion in matters of practicing your way of life (religion)139—the right way has indeed been made distinct from the wrong way.140 Therefore, whoever rejects the Devil (evil faith and practices) and puts his faith in God (truth, knowledge, and good work) has taken a firm grip on a covenant, which will not break. God is full of Hearing, Knowing.
Interpretation:
139 Two very fundamental principles of Islam are laid out here in a very succinct manner and in simple terms that are easy to understand. The first is that no one should be forced to believe in anything. God gave mankind knowledge and freedom to choose, and He does not wish that to be taken away. Forceful conversion and the trading of favors for faith, which were the hallmarks of faith for the Crusaders and Papal dictates and are the hallmarks of today’s evangelical Christians, have no place in Islam. Muslims have been relatively clean of coercing people of other faiths to become Muslim. India and Spain provide shining examples of Muslim tolerance of and respect for other faiths. Prevalent claims in the media that Islam was spread under the sword are incorrect and have no credible basis; however, the forceful conversion of Muslims and Jews in Spain is well documented, as is the persistent persecution of Palestinian Muslims and Christians. Despite our past tolerances, there has been a steady rise of intolerance in some segments of Muslim populations, which is alarming and undermines the claims by some Muslims that people of other faiths have been the more intolerant ones.
Some conservative and so-called militant Muslims have become so arrogant and insular that they feel they can dictate and force certain ways of Islam, as they under- stand it, onto fellow Muslims and sometimes onto people of other religions. This is very unfortunate and counterproductive and goes against the very essence of this Qur’anic injunction of not coercing others into beliefs and ways of life. The forceful imposition of practices and views, which exists in some Muslim countries and communities, is draining Muslims’ resources and energies, dividing them amongst themselves and subjecting the entire community or country to a lack of material progress and human development.
140 This then brings us to the second most important principle, which is that truth and falsehood, guidance and error, and the ways of God and the ways of the Devil are very distinct and within our capability to grasp and comprehend. We need to pay attention to this gift from God to understand this principle and then make the responsible choice to follow God and shun the Devil. If we look at Muslims throughout the world, it appears that we have decided to follow the Devil and leave God behind, but this condition needs to change for the sake of our success and prosperity! Educated Muslims need to educate themselves in Islamic values and principles and take active roles in revamping our educational system to prepare young Muslims for having a better understanding of Islam and the Islamic ways in which to lead productive lives.
Reflection:
Islamic principles are narrated in the Qur’an in the most simple and eloquent terms. Yet Muslims everywhere seem to be making choices contrary to the teachings of the Qur’an and the Prophet. Reading and reflecting on Qur’anic guidance and using our God-given intelligence to comprehend the true meaning and intent of God’s guidance are absolutely essential. Still, we find that too many Muslims have given up the endeavor to understand Islam and rely heavily on so-called imams and sheikhs whose lack of understanding and whose arrogant behaviors have caused serious damage to the image of Islam and have made the lives of average Muslims very difficult and unsatisfying.
Action:
It is important for Muslims to be sincere, humble, compassionate, and active in their understanding of Islamic values and teachings. Community and political leaders everywhere need to rise to the occasion and seek the true essence of Islam that calls for the love of humanity and sincere submission to the Creator of this universe so scientifically and aesthetically built to sustain and empower our lives.