Question about proselytizing...

[Hercules]

Salaam,

I am curious if anybody could point me to where in the Quran (and quoting the verse as well) that shows the method for preaching Islam to others?

I have been in some debates with people about how Islam forces others to convert, but I don't believe this to be true, and wanted some evidence to the point. Or am I wrong, and that forced conversion is accepted in Islam?

Please let me know...

Thanks!

[Woodrow]

Forced conversion is forbidden.

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. Allah is Hearer, Knower. Y S C


Pickthal's Quran Translation

[Hercules]

Forced conversion is forbidden.

Anything more specific than that? More related to converting to Islam or proselytizing?

Thank you! :)

[Woodrow]

Anything more specific than that? More related to converting to Islam or proselytizing?

Thank you! :)

You will have to keep in mind I am very new to Islam and it has only been 2 years since i reverted. But, I have never seen or experienced any proselytizing in Islam and at no time have I ever had anyone attempt to get me to become Muslim and that is even after living in Mid-Eastern Islamic countries. I chose Islam after 65 years only because I saw it to be true and not because I saw any proselytizing.

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[Woodrow]

Addendum to above: I have never seen any proselytizing in Islam and I have never seen anything written that says we are to.

[Hercules]

Anything in the Hadith? Much obliged for any other answers :)

[- Qatada -]

Hey Hercules.


The scholars of Qur'an interpreted that verse to mean that no-one can be forced to convert:

[لاَ إِكْرَاهَ فِى الدِّينِ]

(There is no compulsion in religion), meaning, "Do not force anyone to become Muslim, for Islam is plain and clear, and its proofs and evidence are plain and clear. Therefore, there is no need to force anyone to embrace Islam. Rather, whoever Allah directs to Islam, opens his heart for it and enlightens his mind, will embrace Islam with certainty. Whoever Allah blinds his heart and seals his hearing and sight, then he will not benefit from being forced to embrace Islam.''

And another proof is that if you go to the muslim lands of today, i.e. Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Iraq etc. all these countries have christians and people of other faiths within them. If there was compulsion in religion - then all these nations would be 100% muslim without a doubt. Even the history of Spain is well known for this - where muslims were there for many centuries, and within these centuries they could have forced everyone to become muslim - but they never. If they did, then right now - spain would be a muslim nation. And because they never forced people to become muslim - the christians there tortured the muslims until they left their faith or left the land. That's why we can't see any muslim today in spain who can link his/her lineage back to the muslims of 1300years ago.

[Hercules]

Which scholars said this? I'm trying to get more concrete evidence regarding this for first my own information and second to educate others.

Thanks again for your help everybody :)

[Woodrow]

I think the problem is we are trying to prove a non-event. Proselytizing is not a part of Islam. So we have no method of saying how we are supposed to do it.

A better method would be to find somebody who is doing it, to show you the proof that they are supposed to.

[- Qatada -]

The scholar is Al Haafidh Ibn Kathir, and he is a well known scholar who has written a whole tafsir [explanation/interpretation] of Qur'an according to the understanding of the companions of the Messenger of Allaah (peace be upon him.)


We have many sects as prophecised by the Messenger of Allaah himself, and he said that the saved sect is the one who follows the way of him and his companions, if we don't follow their way - we are likely to go astray because they were the people who had the best understanding since they lived the Qur'an while it was being revealed to the Prophet of Allaah, peace be upon him.


You can access that tafsir here inshaa Allaah [God willing]:

www.tafsir.com


It is a renowned piece of work and accepted by many muslims around the world, and it was written 700years ago alhamdulillah. :)

[snakelegs]

Proselytizing is not a part of Islam. So we have no method of saying how we are supposed to do it.

isn't proselytizing the same as giving dawah?

[NoName55]

My method of Da’wah is to live in a way, that people would want to be like you and not yo kafar become Muslim or burn in hellfire, you are more likely get your teeth kicked in. my first job is to stay alive for as long I possibly can.

No, proselytizing isn't the same as giving Da’wah

[NoName55]

edit

Br. Woodrow has dragged me back to reality. Thank you :)

Wa-Salaam Alaikum

[Woodrow]

isn't proselytizing the same as giving dawah?

Some people would say that is true. It is apparant the desired result is the same. Where it differs is that in giving Da'wah it is not to be imposed upon those who do not desire to hear it. Yes, we do give Da'wah in this forum and as Muslims we would like to see every member accept Islam. But, we are not going to tell anybody that they can not participate in this forum if they do not accept Islam. We have no hidden messages, anybody who joins this forum is aware this is an Islamic forum and that many members here are Muslims. We are not going to Non-Islamic forums and trying to get the members there to revert.

However, we will express what we believe and if possible show by example what we are. If people like what they see, they know the door is wide open for them to accept Islam. If they do not desire to accept Islam or do not believe what we believe, we have no intention to try to make them go against their own choices. It is all about choices. We all choose how we wish to live and each of us is the only one responsable for our choices.

Hopefully People can find this forum to learn what makes a Muslim tick and at least learn what we are. I doubt very much we could say or do anything that would make a person revert if they do not believe what we believe.

well You should know by now if you ask a simple question that could be answered with 2 or 3 words and I see it, you will get a thesis on the subject. Sorry for the rant.

Simple answer Da'wah differs from proselytizing in that it does not have the intent to cause a person to believe, it has the intent to show what we believe and leave the choice up to the person.

[snakelegs]

yes, you're right woodrow. there is definitely a difference in approach.
i guess the term dawah is accurate - it is more of an invitation. you set the table and put the food on it. people can come and enjoy the meal or not.
others would spoon the food down your throat if you couldn't run fast enough!
i would call both islam and christianity proselytizing religions....but the way they go about it is very different.

[Khan-Ghalgha]

I can recommend you a source, Islam explained in plain english by Yusuf Estes on islamtomorrow.com The guy is from Texas, he doesn't claim to be a scholar but he's certainly well-versed in Islam.