Muslim pre-conceptions?

Question

Time and time again I have heard people on here say "The Koran teaches that anyone who is not Muslim is an infidel and must convert to Islam or be killed..." or words to that effect. Is this what is written? Is this what is believed?

Answer 1

Islam has not left any aspect of life without its required guidelines. For each aspect, it sets a basic rule, which is in harmony with the basic rules of the other aspects, to indicate in the end, that there is only one Creator and one perfect Legislator. The basic rule usually functions as an axis around which the secondary rules and exceptions revolve. The relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims is no exception.

The basic rule for relations between Muslims and non-Muslims is based on a few verses. The first can be translated as, (We have not sent you (O Muhammad) except as a mercy for the worlds) (Al-Anbiya' 21:107). This verse clearly assures that Islam is a mercy for all accountable beings, both humans and the Jinn. Islam is a mercy because it guides Muslims to felicity and happiness in both this world and in the hereafter. But is Islam a mercy for only those who choose it as their faith or should Muslims force people to accept it? Here, the second verse comes to assure that (there is no compulsion in religion. The truth stands out clear from error) (Al-Baqarah 2:256).

Other verses that make up the basic rule specifically define the kind of relationship that should take place between Muslims and non-Muslims. The Qur'an says as follows:

(Allah does not forbid you respecting those who have not made war against you on account of (your) religion, and have not driven you forth from your homes, that you show them kindness and deal with them justly; surely Allah loves the doers of justice. Allah only forbids you respecting those who made war upon you on account of (your) religion, and drove you forth from your homes and backed up (others) in your expulsion, that you make friends (and ally) with them, and whoever makes friends with them, these are wrong-doers.) (Al-Mumtahanah 60:8-9)

The above verses clearly assures that Muslims should not force others to accept Islam. In addition, Allah Almighty does not forbid Muslims from dealing justly with those who do not fight Islam or oppress Muslims. Indeed, He enjoins Muslims to do favors for them. Obviously, doing favors is more than just dealing justly, because it gives people more than what they deserve.

The above verses affirm that it is only forbidden to have relations with those who show hostility to Muslims. In this context, those who aid the oppressors are not better than the oppressors themselves.

It is important to note that the above verses were revealed after the first verses of the same surah, Al-Mumtahanah, which forbid taking guardians and trustees from among the enemies of Allah, they also encourage Muslims to follow the example of Prophet Ibrahim who boycotted the enemies of Allah. This fact confirms the validity of the ruling given in the above verses and proves that they had not been abrogated. It is also important that the second verse of the surah provides a clear description of the enemies of Allah.

(If they get the better of you, they would treat you as their enemies and stretch forth,their hands and tongues against you with evil, and they desire that you become unbelievers.) (Al-Mumtahanah 60:2)

Verse seven of the same chapter serves as an introduction for verses eight and nine, confirming that the above enmity does not always last forever. Allah says what means, (It may be that Allah creates (mutual) love between you and the ones of them whom you took as enemies) (Al-Mumtahanah 60:7).

The verse does not stipulate an enemy's conversion as the reason for removing the enmity; actually, enmity may be ended if an enemy takes a supportive or at least a neutral position.

As mentioned above, the ultimate goal of Islam is to establish peace and to bring about happiness for all beings in both this world and the eternal one in the hereafter. In case some people refuse to cooperate in achieving peace and happiness in the hereafter, Muslims should still cooperate with them to maintain peace and happiness in this world. Allah says what means, (O you people We have created you from a male and a female and made you into nations and tribes that you may know each other. The best among you is the most pious) (Al-Hujurat 49:13).

Islam did not come to break the ties between human beings, to spread hatred and enmity, or to encourage bloodshed. Nor did it come to eliminate the freedom of choice in this life, which is secured by God. Indeed, even Satan was granted the freedom to choose between obeying and disobeying his Lord, he misused this gift and chose to disobey.

The above basic rule is based on the fact that Allah has distinguished humankind and the Jinn with special gifts that made them accountable for their choices in this life, for which they will be rewarded or punished mainly in the hereafter. Among these special gifts are intellectual faculties, divine guidance, and a limited freedom of choice.

A thorough review of the expeditions and battles during the lifetime of Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) shows that the Prophet never once initiated hostility.
Rather, he only became involved in battles in self-defense and retaliation. In general, the causes of these battles could be classified under the following categories:

Self-defense, such as the battles of Uhud and Al-Khandaq.

Retaliation for oppression and continuous hostility. This is true in the case of all major battles, including the battles with the tribe of Quraish such as Badr.

Following in the tracks of the enemies who carried out a raid on Madinah, such as the expedition of As-Sawiq and the expedition of Thi Qarad.

Surprising enemies who were preparing themselves to attack Muslims, such as the expedition of Bani Al-Mustaliq and the expedition of Dawmat Al-Jandal.

Punishing betrayers or traitors, as in the case of Bani An-Nadeer, Bani Quraidhah, and the conquest of Makkah.

Freedom of worship:

This means the freedom to practice any religion or ideology and not to be forced to adopt a certain faith or compelled to convert to Islam. This is based on the verse:

[Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.] (Al-Baqarah 2: 256)

Commenting on the verse, the famous exegete Ibn Katheer states: “Don’t force anyone to embrace Islam as it is clear and self-evident in its proofs and realities and does not need to exert force to be accepted.”

Islam protects the places of worship of non-Muslims, and allows them to observe their religious ceremonies. Allah says:

[To those against whom war is made, permission is given (to fight), because they are wronged;- and verily, Allah is most powerful for their aid;- (They are) those who have been expelled from their homes in defiance of right,- (for no cause) except that they say, "our Lord is Allah". Did not Allah check one set of people by means of another, there would surely have been pulled down monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, in which the name of Allah is commemorated in abundant measure. Allah will certainly aid those who aid his (cause);- for verily Allah is full of Strength, Exalted in Might, (able to enforce His Will).] (Al-Hajj 22: 39-40)

non-Muslims under Islamic Shari`ah do possess special rights irrespective of whether they constitute a minority or a majority. Islam makes it clear that Muslims are not allowed under any circumstances to burn holy places or books of non-Muslims or to abuse them.

When Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, established the first Islamic state in Madinah, he extended to religious minorities rights that are guaranteed to them in the Qur'an. The first Islamic State was established in light the Charter of Madinah, a real and actual social contract agreed upon by Muslims, Jews and others, stipulating that they all would be treated as equal citizens of Madinah, giving the non-Muslims right of choosing a legal system they wished their affairs be governed by, be it Islamic or Jewish law or pre-Islamic Arab tribal traditions. This confirms the principle “no compulsion in religion”, freedom of expression and religious practice was open to everyone.

Elaborating on the religious rights granted to non-Muslim minorities, we'd like to cite for you the following:

It was in 622 AC, that Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, introduced the Charter of Madinah, which in fact was the first ever written constitution in the history of mankind. It gave the people the right of protection, security, peace and justice; not only to Muslims, but also to the Jews who lived in the City of Madinah, as well as the allies of Jews who were non-Muslims. It recognized Jews as a separate political and ethnic minority, and allowed them to practice their religion quite freely. In fact, Jews were considered on an equal bases as Muslims under the Islamic State.


Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, was the main enforcer of human rights. Over a period of 10 years, from where the Islamic calendar begins, he, peace and blessings be upon him, entered into many alliances, many treaties with the Muslims and the non-Muslims, securing peace and tranquility for the Muslims and non-Muslims alike.


Freedom of Religion


One right in particular is the freedom of religion. There is sometimes a misunderstood view, that if any non-Muslim lives under the rule of Islam, he/she would be curtailed in their religious freedom. There is no compulsion in Islam to accept Islam as your faith. It is a misconception to say that Islam is spread by the sword, with forced conversions. That never took place.


Secondly, if you again look at the practice of Prophet Muhammad, he provided excellent facilities for non-Muslims. For instance in his time, the monks of Mount Sinai were given protection. The monasteries were protected, the monks themselves were protected from any attack or persecution. Churches could not be pulled down to be replaced by mosques or to build houses. They were seen as a place of sanctuary and protected by the Islamic state.


The Jews were given a free hand to practice their faith. The interesting right that the Jews and the Christians were given because they were the main minority living under the Islamic state, was their right to have a holiday, the Jews on a Saturday, and the Christians on a Sunday. Interestingly enough, in many Western countries, up till now, Muslims are still struggling to have Friday as their public holiday. Only what they are given now in some Western countries is just an extra hour for lunch so that they can partake in their obligatory Friday Prayer. But under an Islamic state, Shariah stipulates that if a Jewish person or a Christian person wishes to have a holiday, to have time off on their particular religious day, they should be given that.


There also exist the rights of non-Muslim minorities. They would be protected from any external threat from any other nation. But perhaps more importantly for them, they would be protected from more internal threat, persecution and prejudice.

Confirming this is the following statement of Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, in which he sheds light on the philosophy of human rights in Islam. An Arabic word for non-Muslim is Dhimmi. Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "Beware! Whoever is cruel and hard on a non-Muslim minority, or curtails their rights, or burdens them in more than they can bear, or takes anything from them against their free will; I (Prophet Muhammad) will complain against the person on the Day of Judgment." Here we have the highest, the most revered and most esteemed Prophet of Islam, himself being the champion for non-Muslim minorities.


Right to follow one's own religious laws


In most Western countries, whatever the law of the land is must be followed without any recognition to one's personal beliefs. However, an Islamic state is much more flexible in this. Non-Muslim minorities, in certain matters of personal law, such as marriage, divorce, inheritance would be able to implement their own religious laws and would not be subject to Shari`ah-law.


Right to consumption of alcohol and pork


Another interesting fact in Islamic history is that although Muslims are prohibited from entering into manufacturing, selling and consuming alcohol, whereas the ruling is not the same with non-Muslim. If there was a non-Muslim minority in an Islamic state who wish to do so, and do not involve Muslims, they would actually be given this right.

This points out that the concept of human rights in Islam has often been given a much negative view. I would urge all readers, Muslims or non-Muslims, to study the concept of human rights in Islam. To research that Islam is in fact not the violator of human rights but rather the champion of it."

Excerpted, with slight modifications, from: http://www.westernviews.com/issue2/humanrights.htm

Shedding more light on the treatment of non-Muslim minorities through Islamic history, we'd like also to cite the following:

"While on his deathbed, the Second Caliph `Umar ibn al-Khattab dictated a long will consisting of instructions for the next caliph. Here, is the last sentence of that historic document:

"I instruct you on behalf of the people who have been given protection in the name of Allah and His Prophet [i.e. the non-Muslim minorities within the Islamic state known as dhimmis]. Our covenant to them must be fulfilled, we must fight to protect them, and they must not be burdened beyond their capabilities".

At that time Caliph `Umar was lying in pain because of the wounds inflicted on him by a non-Muslim who had stabbed him with a dagger soaked in poison while he was leading the Fajr (Morning) Prayer. It should also be remembered that he was the head of a vast empire ranging from Egypt to Persia. From normal rulers of his time or ours, we could have expected vengeance and swift reaction. From a very forgiving head of state we could have expected an attempt to forget and forgive - and that would be considered noble. But a command to protect the minorities and take care of them?

What is even more remarkable is that for Muslim historians the entire affair was just natural. After all it was the caliph himself who had established the standards by writing the guarantees for the protection of life, property and religion in decree after decree as Muslims opened land after land during his rule. The pattern established here was followed for centuries throughout the Muslim world.

Of course, Caliph `Umar was simply following what he learnt from the Prophet Muhammad himself. That the protection of life, property and religious freedom of minorities is the religious duty of the Islamic state. That he personally would be demanding justice in the Hereafter on behalf of a dhimmi who had been wronged by a Muslim. That there is no compulsion in religion and that Muslims must be just to friends and foe alike.

The result of these teachings was a Muslim rule that set the golden standard for religious tolerance in a world that was not used to the idea. Not only that the Muslim history is so remarkably free of the inquisitions, persecutions, witch hunts, and holocausts that tarnish history of other civilizations, it protected its minorities from persecution by others as well. It protected Jews from Christians and Eastern Christians from Roman Catholics. In Muslim Spain under the Umayyads and in Baghdad under the Abbasid Caliphs, Christians and Jews enjoyed a freedom of religion that they did not allow each other or anyone else.

The path that the Western world took to provide harmony in society was to banish religion from the public square. For this achievement, it thinks that it has earned lecturing rights over the issue. So it may be good to remember that while it has indeed made huge progress in the area of tolerance during the last century (which should be appreciated), it has a long way to go before it can reach the standards established by Islam.

First, while Muslim Personal Law is not recognized in the West, the Personal Law of non-Muslim minorities has always been recognized in the Muslim world. Second, while throughout Europe and America, Muslims are not permitted to make the call to prayer (adhan) on loud speakers, church bells ring freely in the Muslim world. Third, the wide spread of anti-Islamic prejudice in the Western media is both a cause and a consequence of the underlying intolerance. Fourth, hate crimes are a fact of life in the West. As just one small indication, nearly two-dozen incidents of vandalism have taken place against Mosques in the peaceful USA during the last seven years, not to mention hundreds of attacks against individuals.

To simply kill anyone who chooses to follow a religion other than Islam is against the fundamental teachings of the Qur’an. Freedom of conscience is a fundamental principle of the Qur’an that is clearly stated in many Qur'anic verses. I list just a few:

[Had your Lord willed, all the people on earth would have believed. So can you (Prophet) compel people to believe?] (Yunus 10: 99).

[Say, ‘Now the truth has come from your Lord: Let those who wish to believe in it do so, and let those who wish to reject it do so’] (Al-Kahf 17: 29).

[So (people) respond to your Lord before there comes a Day that cannot, against God’s will, be averted—you will have no refuge on that Day, and no possibility of denying (your sins). If they still turn away (remember that) We have not sent you (Prophet) to be their keeper: your duty is to deliver the message] (Ash-Shura 42: 47-48).

[There is no compulsion in religion: true guidance has become distinct from error, so whoever rejects false gods and believes in Allah has grasped the firmest hand-hold, one that will never break. Allah is all hearing and all knowing] (Al-Baqrah 2: 256).

So, the basic rule in the relationship between Muslims and non-Muslims is that there must be coexistence and peace. This situation must be maintained, even if non-Muslims continue to reject Islam for themselves, as long as they do not react in a hostile way.

Muslim pre-conceptions and wrongful views about Islam are EVERYWHERE thanks to the way the Media choses to portray Islam and Muslims.

http://www.beconvinced.com is a very good webstie that helps non-muslims understand the true meaning of Islam and can answer any other questions that you may have.

Hope I helped :)


And thanks for researching for the truth insted of believeing what people are mislead to think and say :)

Answer 2

Lol. I'm a Muslim convert and I've never felt any pressure from anyone to be a Muslim at all. It was purely my choice and I did it all myself.

Once you get to know about Islam more, you realise that it is the truth and it's so easily to believe because of all the proof.

Answer 3

I do strongly agree with the answers of "Rifz,Nora,whozethere and aussiechich88"..
Islam and Quran teaches Muslims to respect All humanity ; believing in all prophets and messengers ..
Islam is the true ,complete religion , and even though teaches muslims to call for islam ; not harshly but by wisdom and good advice ! and the choice to convert to islam or refuse is the individul's . No one could force him !

Answer 4

Koran did not say that if u not convert to Islam, u must kill.Islam orders Muslims to deal with not Muslim with kind and mercy way. we explain to u the Islam and u have the choice to be Muslim or not . we not force anyone to be Muslim.

Answer 5

Most unfortunately, yes. This is what is written in the Koran that a devout Muslim is supposed to recite five times a day. Hence they are made to believe what they recite. If the infidels are killed, they are told, that Allah ( God in Arabic) will be happy and reward them with the widow wives of the slain and dead in this life. In the fight if you get slain, Allah is waiting in heaven with 60 beautiful damsels for each of the fidayeen ( suicidal fighter).

Answer 6

Your information is absolutely incorrect and misleading,there is no such mention any where in the Holy Quran. Please read the english translation of The Holy Quran by Pickthall and also the following link,
Marmaduke Pickthall - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Mohammed) Marmaduke William Pickthall, (1875–May 19, 1936), was a Western Islamic scholar, noted as a poetic and accurate translator of the Qur'an into English. A ...
Quick Links: Works - See also - External links
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marmaduke_Pickthall -

Answer 7

No. Islam or The Quran doesnt teach any such thing. On the contrary muslims are supposed to show respect to all the other religions and its followers. Mortals are not the ones to decide who are infidels.Its His calling.

And Nora dear, u rnt an Islam. Followers of islam r called muslims. If thats wht u meant.

Answer 8

I dont think thats what it is getting at. That having been said people interpret things as they like, it happens all the time with christians. If someone chooses to interpret the Koran as they must kill infidels then thats what they will do.

Answer 9

Dude... take it from someone who actually
studied in a Madrasah (Islamic School).
And i'm not talking about some
weekend thing either.

Anyway, I'm not gonna go into details.
There's nowhere in the Koran (Quran) which states
that it is alright to kill innocents.

Sometimes certain verses may seem to actually endorse
such a horrible thing...

Just remember this : not just anyone can interpret Quranic verses.

Answer 10

I really hope the Koran does not say that. I am not a Muslim anyway.

Answer 11

This is quite wrong what you heard,muslim not allowed to byfource convert islam as well as not allowed to kill some one.