Let there be no compulsion in religion.

Sura 2 - Al-Baqara (MADINA) : Verse 256
لَآ إِكۡرَاهَ فِى ٱلدِّينِ‌ۖ
“Let there be no compulsion in religion.”
This rather startling directive appears in the Qur’an right after the Verse of the throne, which extols the virtues of Allah ST. In Qura’nic rhetoric the word “La” is used to convey to the reader the notion “without doubt” or “let there be no doubt.” Other well known instances when a verse starts with “La” are the Muslim confessional statement “La ilaha illal lah”, variously translated as there is no god but God or Ggod is one. The rest of the verse goes on to state that there is no reason for compulsion because with the advent of Islam “the Truth stands out clear from Error.” The verse concludes “whoever rejects Evil and believes in God (in Arabic Allah) has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks. And Allah is all hearing and all knowing.”
Even those who are skeptical of Islam’s value in modern world would be startled by this extraordinary verse. It set the stage for a dramatic change in the history of religions from coercion and forced conversions to an appeal to the heart and mind of individuals. There was active proselytization but through persuasion not coercion. The word used by those Muslims who are active in proselytization is dawa, which means to invite, to reason and to ponder over the message and its meaning.
This simple and emphatic edict was responsible for a paradigm shift in the way minorities were protected and respected and allowed to live in peace and dignity in the Muslim world.
There were exceptions of an occasional ruler who violated these rules. While visiting Istanbul I saw a dramatic example of an aberration from this norm. The Hagia Sophia, one of the oldest and largest churches, was converted in to a Masjid by Suleiman the magnificent. The king, I learned, rode in to the Church on his horse and declared that it be converted to a Masjid forthwith. He probably forgot how the Khalifa Umar would not pray in a church, even at the invitation of the cardinal of the city of Jerusalem, for the fear that his followers may turn it into a Masjid.
There are many monuments, too numerous to recount, of Muslim tolerance and broad mindedness. The most dramatic is Jerusalem itself.
Some of this history has been distorted by Muslim haters and Islamophobes.
Some is being shredded by ignorant Muslim mobs like those who rioted against Copts in Egypt.
Some is being misinterpreted and mangled by faux Imams.
In a handful of conservative societies this edict of “no compulsion” runs up against another edict that exhorts Muslims to uphold right and prevent wrong; “Amar bil maruf wa nahi anl munkar.” These societies, basing their actions on the interpretations of the ignorant Imam, have taken upon themselves the right to enforce practice of religion as they see is the correct way. Hence the religious police in Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan, and to a lesser extent in Iran, will go around checking proper attire and performance of rituals.
Religion cannot be forced down anyone’s throat. You cannot win over hearts by coercion. When compelled to convert Muslims in ancient Spain simply went underground and became crypto Muslims. Same happened recently to Muslims in communist Russia. Human nature will react against coercion. Persuasion is more difficult tool and requires both patience and leading by example. The effect however can be long lasting.
There is a deeper understanding of the “Amar bil maruf” edict, which is understood to mean freedom to criticize authority, to demand transparency and accountability and fight for human rights and civil rights of all people but minorities in particular.
In a famous hadith Prophet Muhammad is reported as saying; "The best Jihad is to say what is just (or truth) in the face of a tyrant" (Abu Daud, Tirmidhi, Nisai and Ibn Majah).
Still another hadith goes farther suggesting the responsibility is with all of us; "When people see a tyrant and do not stop his excesses (his cruelty), it is not inconceivable that God sends a common punishment on them." (Abu Daud and Tirmidhi)
I have often imagined if a modern Muslim majority state that practiced governance by these principles then it would be an inspiration to all and may even have a positive influence on other nations. The only nation that gives me some hope is Turkey, the same nation that has Hagia Sophia, which under Erdogan is turning into a nation that we can be proud of. Erdogan has brought a culture of religious tolerance to Turkey and has tried to neutralize its illiberal secularism. He is the only Muslim head of state that has raised a voice against human rights violations in parts of the Muslim world. His and his party’s position is still precarious but there is always hope.

Javeed Akhter.

Should the term Allah used exclusively by Muslims?

A recent decision by the supreme court in far away Malaysia has relevance to our discourse in the US. The court ruled to allow Christians to use the word Allah in their worship. The reason for the court challenge was the fear that some Christians were using the word Allah in a surreptitious attempt to proselytize Muslims. The Christians disagreed saying the word simply means God in Arabic and the high court in Malaysia agreed. It is worth remembering Malaysia is an overwhelmingly Muslim majority country (approximately 60% Muslim and about 9-10% Christian) that practices a pluralistic, inclusive version of Islam.
The Malaysian court’s decision is bolstered by the fact that Arabic language Bible uses the word Allah for God. Adjectives like insha-Allah (God willing) masha-Allah (an appreciative appellation of God’s will), subhan-Allah (God be praised) are commonly used by both Muslim and non-Muslim Arabs. Outside the Arab world the term Allah and its derivatives are used only by Muslims that may have been part of the reason for the court challenge.
There are references in the Qur’an that clearly allude to the fact that Allah is a pre-Islamic term. Referring to the self serving use of God by pre-Islamic Arabs the Qur’an states, “---- then comes a stormy wind and the waves come to them from all sides, and they think they are being overwhelmed: they cry unto Allah, sincerely offering (their) duty unto Him, saying "If Thou dost deliver us from this, we shall truly show our gratitude!" (10:22)” In fact early on Allah did not appear to be the Qur’an’s favored term for God. “Rahman”, meaning the “Compassionate”, was used so often that observers felt it would be the chosen term.
Scholars have speculated that the word Allah may be the combination of “al” and “Ilah’ or “the God.” The confessional statement Muslims use in declaring their faith “La Ilaha Illal-Lah” is most frequently translated as “there is no God but Allah” or “there is no God but God.” The difficulty with the first translation is that it implies, unintentionally, that there is an exclusive God for Muslims. Nothing could be farther from the concept of God in Islam. God, Muslims are taught, is universal. He is God of all humanity, the Creator and Nourisher of the universe. The rationale for a universal God formulation is to achieve unity of mankind through a unified God, but not necessarily the same faith. The second formulation “There is no God but God” though powerful in Arabic, sounds inane as most literal translations are. Some argue that intellectually God may be defined only in negative terms, as whose attributes are beyond mind's eye and whose non existence is inconceivable; therefore the “no God but God” makes sense. A better translation would be the simple statement “God is One.”
Nevertheless the Arabic word Allah is well suited to the stringently monotheistic concept of God in Islam. The word has no plural to it, nor does it have a gender. In Islam one can never ask the question “is God female?”
Muslims talk about the ninety nine names of Allah (Asma-ul-hasana) that is meant to represent the numerous attributes of perfection. Scholars have wondered if there is a hundredth hidden name that holds the mystery of existence.
Much misunderstanding remains in the use of the word Allah and how to accurately translate it, but the Malaysian high court’s decision has cleared the air a bit and struck a blow for common sense.