Say, whatever happened to no compulsion in religion? The Wahabbis are the ultimate hypocrites, accusing non-Wahabbis of picking and choosing from the Qu'ran and hadith as they will and at the same time they conveniently forget the above mentioned hadith when chasing people into the mosques at prayer time.
The Wahabis are the one's that take the literature at face value. Others are the ones who cherry pick and re-interepret to conform to humane standards of morality and ethics.
BTW No compulsion in Religion is a Qur'anic verse, not a hadith.
And that verse when taken in its proper context does not mean what you think it means. Here is an analysis of the verse I made for the book I'm writing:
Firstly there is the verse that tells us there is no compulsion in religion.
2:256 There is no compulsion in religion. The right direction is henceforth distinct from error. And he who rejecteth false deities and believeth in Allah hath grasped a firm handhold which will never break.
This verse is used by Islamic apologists to provide an assurance to the uninformed non-Muslim that Islam honours the rights of all and sundry to believe as their conscience dictates. However when taken in its historical context we arrive at quite a different conclusion. From Islamic scriptures we are told exactly when this verse was revealed to Muhammad:
When the children of a woman (in pre-islamic days) did not survive, she took a vow on herself that if her child survives, she would convert it to a Jew. When Banu an-Nadir were expelled (from Arabia), there were some children of the Ansar (helpers)
among them. They said: We shall not leave our children. So Allah the Exalted revealed; ?Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth stands out clear from error.? (SAD 14:2676)
It is reported here that Muhammad revealed this verse to counter the conversion of children to Judaism. In those times, when there was no formalised religion among some of the tribes of Arabia, should a contagious illnesses strike, the women would pray that if their children survived such epidemics they would convert them to Judaism. Also when Muhammad arrived in Medina many of the new converts were concerned about the religion of their children as in that time they respected the right for an individual to choose their religion.
To this end Muhammad revealed the verse giving Allah's guidance that people were not compelled to convert their children to Judaism should they survive an illness, nor are their children compelled to stay in their Pagan believe because they
were born in it.
This no compulsion in religion is strictly a one way affair. You are not compelled to stay in any non-Islamic religion, hence allowing the conversion to Islam. However once you are a Muslim you are compelled to remain in Islam.
At this time Muhammad was still relatively weak in numbers and power. He could not use force to bring non-believers to Islam. This verse sought to give God's sanction that it was acceptable to leave a religion and come to Islam, 'the right direction' as he puts it. However not too long after this we find Muhammad as a warlord commanding armies that would bring terror to those who did not accept his message.
This is evident from reading the Qur?an as a complete doctrine where Muhammad plainly declares, 'kill the unbelievers wherever you find them', 'Fight against those who believe not in Allah until they pay the Jizya with willing submission', 'fight them until disbelieve is no more, and religion is for Allah.'.
Or if we read from the Hadiths we find Muhammad declaring: ?I have been ordered to fight with the people till they say, none has the right to be worshipped but Allah?, ?Whoever changes his Islamic religion, kill him.?
In Islamic nations, it is a criminal offence for a Muslim to convert to another religion. If Islamic countries understood 'no compulsion in religion' to mean that a person had the right to adopt the religion of his/her choice, then Sharia laws preventing apostasy would not exist.
It should also be noted that within this verse, although the first sentence says ?there is no compulsion??, it continues with, ?condemn those who do not accept Allah for they are in error and accept false deities.?
Even the very next verse denounces non-Muslims as being patrons of false deities who lead them into darkness and ultimately to be residents of hell
2:257 Allah is the Protecting Guardian of those who believe. He bringeth them out of darkness into light. As for those who disbelieve, their patrons are false deities. They bring them out of light into darkness. Such are rightful owners of the Fire. They will abide therein.
And after all the apologies that attempt to bring some impression of tolerance in Islam are exhausted, one can always quote Qur?an 3:85: If anyone desires a religion other than Islam, never will it be accepted of him; and in the Hereafter he will be in the ranks of those who are losers.
Never can a religion, other than Islam, be acceptable in society. So where is the concept of no compulsion unless it is only in the direction of moving into Islam?
Topic: Saudi Arabia: Hundreds accused of 'immorality'