Al-Baqara 256 Explained

The verse (ayah) 256 of Al-Baqara is a very famous verse in the Islamic scripture, the Quran.[1] The verse includes the phrase that "there is no compulsion in religion". Immediately after making this statement, the Quran offers a rationale for it: Since the revelation has, through explanation, clarification, and repetition, clearly distinguished the path of guidance from the path of misguidance, it is now up to people to choose the one or the other path. This verse comes right after the Throne Verse.[2]

The overwhelming majority of Muslim scholars consider that verse to be a Medinan one,[3] [4] [5] when Muslims lived in their period of political ascendance,[6] [7] and to be non abrogated,[8] including Ibn Taymiyya,[9] Ibn Qayyim,[10] Al-Tabari,[11] Abi ʿUbayd,[12] Al-Jaṣṣās,[13] Makki bin Abi Talib,[14] Al-Nahhas,[15] Ibn Jizziy,[16] Al-Suyuti,[17] Ibn Ashur,[18] Mustafa Zayd,[19] and many others.[20] According to all the theories of language elaborated by Muslim legal scholars, the Quranic proclamation that 'There is no compulsion in religion. The right path has been distinguished from error' is as absolute and universal a statement as one finds,[21] and so under no condition should an individual be forced to accept a religion or belief against his or her will according to the Quran.[22] [23] [24] [25]

The meaning of the principle that there is no compulsion in religion was not limited to freedom of individuals to choose their own religion. Islam also provided non-Muslims with considerable economic, cultural, and administrative rights.[26]

Text and meaning

Text and transliteration





Translation


Let there be no compulsion in religion, for the truth stands out clearly from falsehood. So whoever renounces false gods and believes in God has certainly grasped the firmest, unfailing hand-hold. And God is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.

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.


There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Arabic: Allāh|italic=no has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Arabic: Allāh|italic=no is Hearing and Knowing.

Context

According to some commentators, this verse (Quran 2:256) was directed towards a small group of residents of Medina and is related to an incident during the time of the Prophet. The incident involved a Muslim boy who had been educated in a Jewish school in Medina and decided to depart with a Jewish tribe that was being expelled from the city. When the boy's distraught parents asked the Prophet if they could compel their son to stay, he told them that there is no compulsion in religion, as stated in the verse.[27] [28] It is reported that Mujahid said that "This verse was revealed about a man of the Helpers who had a black boy called Subayh whom he used to coerce to become Muslim".[29]

In all cases, following the famous maxim (Consideration is granted to the Generality of the Language, not to the Specificity of the Reason [for Revelation])[30] [31] [32] it is concluded that the verse is general in meaning,[27] [28] and thus the verse has been understood over the centuries as a general command that people cannot be forced to convert to Islam.[27] [33]

Discussion

Relevance to apostasy

According to Khaled Abou El Fadl, and other scholars such as S. A. Rahman,[34] the phrase "there is no compulsion in religion" from verse Q.2:256[35]

Other Islamic scholars disagree.[37] First, the "no compulsion" phrase should not be used out of context and all exegesis of Quran that is "linear-atomistic" analysis of one small phrase in one verse is flawed.[38] The complete verse and nearby verses should be read to understand the "complex hermeneutic totality" of context for anything in Quran.

It is reported that Mujahid said that "This verse was revealed about a man of the Helpers [Ansar of Medina] who had a black boy called Subayh whom he used to coerce to become Muslim".[29] In addition scholar argue, no single phrase or verse in Quran is less or more relevant in Islam than other phrases or verses in Quran; and other verses in Quran such as verse 66 of At-Tawba state "Make no excuses! You have lost faith after your belief. If We pardon a group of you, We will punish others for their wickedness.", As well as "And say, ˹O Prophet,˺ “˹This is˺ the truth from your Lord. Whoever wills let them believe, and whoever wills let them disbelieve.” ...",[39] "Had your Lord so willed ˹O Prophet˺, all ˹people˺ on earth would have certainly believed, every single one of them! Would you then force people to become believers?",[40] "So, ˹continue to˺ remind ˹all, O Prophet˺, for your duty is only to remind. You are not ˹there˺ to compel them ˹to believe˺",[41] "He said, “O my people! Consider if I stand on a clear proof from my Lord and He has blessed me with a mercy from Himself,1 which you fail to see. Should we ˹then˺ force it on you against your will?". According to some western scholars, in the history of Islamic exegesis scholarship, that verse is considered as an early revelation, and abrogated by verses that were revealed to Muhammad at a later stage in his life.[42] However, as stated by the famous British orientalist Sir Thomas Walker Arnold the verse in question is a Medinan verse, when Muslims lived in their period of political ascendance. Moreover, Muslim scholars have established the abrogated verses and Q.2:256 isn't among them.[17] Finally, to understand the Quran, the sayings and actions of Muhammad as recorded in Hadith collections are considered by Islamic scholars. Taken together, the vast majority of Islamic scholars of every fiqh have traditionally held with the position that there should be punishment for apostasy in Islam.[43]

Ibn Kathir's interpretation

The Quran commentator (Muffasir) Ibn Kathir, a Sunni, suggests that the verse implies that Muslims should not force anyone to convert to Islam since the truth of Islam is so self-evident that no one is in need of being coerced into it,[28]

Kashani's interpretation

Kashani, a Sufi,[44] interprets Q.2:256 as follows

Verses relating to Quran 2:256

A number of verses relate to Quran 2:256 and this includes,

These verses indicate that compulsion is strictly prohibited.[21] [26] [28] [35] [45] [46]

See also

Notes and References

  1. Mustansir Mir (2008), Understanding the Islamic Scripture, p. 54. Routledge. .
  2. [Jacques Berque]
  3. [John Esposito]
  4. [Thomas Walker Arnold|Sir Thomas Walker Arnold]
  5. Mapel, D.R. and Nardin, T., eds. (1999), International Society: Diverse Ethical Perspectives, p. 233. Princeton University Press. .
  6. [Taha Jabir Alalwani]
  7. "this verse is acknowledged to belong to the period of Quranic revelation corresponding to the political and military ascendance of the young Muslim community. ‘There is no compulsion in religion’ was not a command to Muslims to remain steadfast in the face of the desire of their oppressors to force them to renounce their faith, but was a reminder to Muslims themselves, once they had attained power, that they could not force another's heart to believe. There is no compulsion in religion addresses those in a position of strength, not weakness. The earliest commentaries on the Quran (such as that of Al-Tabari) make it clear that some Muslims of Medina wanted to force their children to convert from Judaism or Christianity to Islam, and this verse was precisely an answer to them not to try to force their children to convert to Islam." Open Letter to his holiness Pope Benedict XVI (PDF)
  8. Richard Curtis (2010), Reasonable Perspectives on Religion, p. 204. Lexington Books. . Quote: "While the pope, following many anti-Islam propagandists, seemingly argues that the oft-cited Quranic dictum "no compulsion in religion" was abrogated by subsequent revelations, this is not the mainstream Muslim interpretation. Indeed, the pope made a major scholarly blunder when he claimed that the "no compulsion in religion" verse was revealed during the Meccan period, "when Mohammed was still powerless and under threat." In fact, it was revealed during the later Medinan period--the same period as the verses that authorize armed struggle against the Meccan enemies of the nascent Muslim community in Medina, that is, "when Muhammad was in a position of strength, not weakness."" (emphasis added)
  9. [Ibn Taymiyyah|Ibn Taymiyya]
  10. [Ibn Qayyim al-Jawziyya]
  11. [Muhammad ibn Jarir al-Tabari|Al-Tabari]
  12. Abi ʿUbayd, Kitab al-Nasikh wa al-Mansukh, p.282.
  13. Al-Jaṣṣās, Aḥkām al-Qur'ān 2, p.168.
  14. Makki bin Abi Talib, al-Idah li Nasikh al-Qur'an wa Mansukhih, p. 194.
  15. Abu Jaʿfar al-Nahhas, al-Nasikh wa al-Mansukh fi al-Quran al-Karim, p.259.
  16. Book: Ibn Jizziy. at-Tasheel. 135.
  17. [Al-Suyuti|Jalal al-Din al-Suyuti]
  18. [Muhammad al-Tahir ibn Ashur]
  19. Mustafa Zayd, al-Naskh fi al-Qur'an al-Karim 2, p.510. Dar al-Wafa'. Quote: "تبطل دعوى النسخ في قوله جل تناؤه: لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ : ٢٥٦ في سورة البقرة."
  20. Muhammad S. Al-Awa (1993), Punishment in Islamic Law, p.51. US American Trust Publications. .
  21. Book: Jonathan A.C. Brown

    . A.C. Brown. Jonathan. Jonathan A.C. Brown. Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy. 2014. Oneworld Publications. 978-1780744209. 186. registration.

  22. Islam, Minorities and Religious Freedom: A Challenge to Modern Theory of Pluralism. Journal of Muslim Minority Affairs. 2000-04-01. 1360-2004. 20. 1. 10.1080/13602000050008889. Ahmad. Yousif. 35. 144025362.
  23. Leonard J. Swidler (1986), Religious Liberty and Human Rights in Nations and in Religions, p.178. Ecumenical Press.
  24. Farhad Malekian (2011), Principles of Islamic International Criminal Law, p.69. Brill. .
  25. [Mohammad Hashim Kamali]
  26. [David Ray Griffin]
  27. Book: Jonathan A.C. Brown

    . A.C. Brown. Jonathan. Jonathan A.C. Brown. Misquoting Muhammad: The Challenge and Choices of Interpreting the Prophet's Legacy. 2014. Oneworld Publications. 978-1780744209. 92. 3. The Fragile Truth Of Scripture. registration.

  28. [Yusuf al-Qaradawi]
  29. [Al-Wahidi]
  30. [Ali Gomaa]
  31. [Muhammad ash-Shawkani]
  32. Ahmed Al-Dawoody (2011), The Islamic Law of War: Justifications and Regulations, p.51. Palgrave Macmillan. .
  33. [Thomas Walker Arnold|Sir Thomas Walker Arnold]
  34. Book: S. A. Rahman

    . S. A. Rahman. S. A. Rahman. Punishment of Apostasy in Islam. https://books.google.com/books?id=L4fsYtFf5AoC. 2007. The Other Press. 978-983-9541-49-6. 132–142. Summary and Conclusions.

  35. Book: Abou El Fadl. Khaled. The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists. January 23, 2007. HarperOne. 978-0061189036. 158–159. Khaled Abou El Fadl.
  36. enunciates a general, overriding principle that cannot be contradicted by isolated traditions attributed to the Prophet and that the verse indicates that Quran never intended a punishment for apostasy in this life.[35]
  37. Book: S. A. Rahman

    . S. A. Rahman. S. A. Rahman. Punishment of Apostasy in Islam. 2007. The Other Press. 978-983-9541-49-6. 7–15, 110–123.

  38. Asma Barlas (2002), Believing Women in Islam,, University of Texas Press, page 8
  39. .
  40. .
  41. , .
  42. Peters & De Vries (1976), Apostasy in Islam, Die Welt des Islams, Vol. 17, Issue 1/4, pp 15 (footnote 38)
  43. Abdul Rashied Omar (2009), "The Right to Religious Conversion: Between Apostasy and Proselytization", in Peace-Building by, between, and beyond Muslim and Evangelical Christians, Editors: Abu-Nimer, Mohammed and David Augsburger, Lexington, pages 179-194
  44. https://hurqalya.ucmerced.edu/node/3231
  45. Book: Mohammad Hashim Kamali

    . Hashim Kamali. Mohammad. Mohammad Hashim Kamali. Shari'ah Law: An Introduction. registration. 2008. Oneworld Publications. 978-1851685653. 202–3.

  46. Book: Al-Hindī. Iḥsān. ar. Aḥkām al-Ḥarb wa al-Salām fī Dawlat al-Islām. Damascus. Dār al-Numayr. 1993. 16–7.