Islamic moral values and freedom of belief Friday, 11 June 2010 05:02

by Harun Yahya

When the religion of Islam that has been sent as a salvation from the presence of Allah is explained to a person, he believes on his own will and decides without being subjected to any kind of compulsion or duress. People are free to choose truth or error. If they make the wrong choice, they will face its consequence in the Hereafter. In matters of belief, Islam offers people complete freedom with a very open and clear language. This perception forms the basis of the Islamic morality. The verses on the subject are perfectly clear:

There is no compulsion where religion is concerned. Right guidance has become clearly distinct from error. Anyone who rejects false deities and believes in Allah has grasped the Firmest Handhold, which will never give way. Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing.  (Al Baqara, 256)

According to the Islamic morality, people are free to choose whatever beliefs they wish, and nobody can oblige anyone else in subjects of belief. When a Muslim meets someone whom he wants to have faith, he only has the liability to communicate Islam and to explain the existence of Allah, to state that the Quran is the book of His revelation, that the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is His messenger, to explain the existence of the Hereafter and the Day of Judgment and the beauties of the Islamic morality. However, such liability is only restricted to communicating the religion. In one verse (Sura Annahl), Allah informs us that our Prophet (pbuh) also is only a messenger:

Call to the way of your Lord with wisdom and fair admonition, and argue with them in the kindest way. Your Lord knows best who is misguided from His way. And He knows best who are guided. (Surah Annahl, 125)

Another verse  states, “... It is the truth from your Lord; so let whoever wishes believe and whoever wishes do not believe...” (Surah Al Kahf, 29)

and our Lord addresses our Prophet (pbuh) as, “Perhaps you will destroy yourself with grief because they will not become believers.”

(Surah ashu’ara’,3).

In the Surah Qaf Allah issues our Prophet (PBUH) this reminder: We know best what they say. You are not a dictator over them. So remind, with the Qur’an, whoever fears My Threat.

 (Surah Qaf, 45)

When the religion of Islam that has been sent as a salvation from the presence of Allah is explained to a person, he believes on his own will and decides without being subjected to any kind of compulsion or duress. People are free to choose truth or error. If they make the wrong choice, they will face its consequence in the Hereafter.

People are free to choose correctly or wrongly. When Islam- the true path that Allah has revealed - is explained, they come to believe of their own free will, reaching this decision with no pressure being put on them. If they make wrong choices, they will face its consequences in the Hereafter. On this subject, one verse of the Quran contains the clearest command and reminder: “If your Lord had willed, all the people on the earth would have believed. Do you think you can force people to be believers?” (Surah Yunus, 99)

For example, one person may immediately come to believe in the face of a believer’s preaching, while another mocks and attacks it. One person may use his conscience and decide to live in the way that is pleasing to Allah, while the other may join the deniers and respond to fine words with ugly ones. But that denial will never inspire despair or sorrow in the person issuing the call. Allah says: “But most people, for all your eagerness, are not muminun. You do not ask them for any wage for it. It is only a reminder to all beings.” (Surah Yusuf, 103-104)

To be continued



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