After all such great attributes of Allah (swt) are mentioned in the Kursi verse comes the most important verse in terms of the Islamic doctrine: It’s with this verse that we respond to Takfiris as well as all terrorist groups which use violence and arms to call for Islam. The path for calling for Islam is determined by Allah (swt) who says:

 {ادْعُ إِلَىٰ سَبِيلِ رَبِّكَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَالْمَوْعِظَةِ الْحَسَنَةِ ۖ وَجَادِلْهُم بِالَّتِي هِيَ أَحْسَنُ}

(Invite to the way of your Lord with wisdom and good instruction) (An-Nahl: 125)

Why is this the path for calling for Islam? It’s because belief can’t be forced upon anyone. When you truly believe in any theory or doctrine, you call for it but never force people to believe in it. Forcing people to believe in it means that you have doubts in your belief. That’s why there is no compulsion in the religion.

(… لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ  ) (There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion.…): And you’re free to believe or not to believe. Allah (swt) says:

 {فَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ}

(whoever wills – let him believe; and whoever wills – let him disbelieve) (Al-Kahf: 29)

{ وَلَوْ شَاءَ رَبُّكَ لَآمَنَ مَن فِي الْأَرْضِ كُلُّهُمْ جَمِيعًا ۚ أَفَأَنتَ تُكْرِهُ النَّاسَ حَتَّىٰ يَكُونُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ}

(And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed – all of them entirely. Then, [O Muhammad], would you compel the people in order that they become believers?) (Yunus: 99)

Had Allah (swt) willed, All people would have been believers, obeying Allah (swt), like the angels. Allah (swt), then, wants religion to be chosen rather than being forced or compelled. Choice is the base for Islam as a belief:

 {فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنتَ مُذَكِّرٌ * لَّسْتَ عَلَيْهِم بِمُصَيْطِرٍ}

(So remind, [O Muhammad]; you are only a reminder. % You are not over them a controller.) (Al-Ghaashiya: 21-22)

This is well-known to us all. Yet, why do we focus on the doctrine? Because the core of extremist, terrorist and Takfiri groups is the use arms, violence and terror to impose the faith and religion requirements on people. This has never been the case. The strongest evidence on the same is that Islamic conquests led by the companions of Prophet Muhammad (saws) had left people with their faith and art their churches and temples. They were never forced to convert to Islam. When such people claim that we have forced people to convert to Islam by sword, they forget that half of the “call for Islam” period was when Muslims couldn’t protect themselves. They were too weak to take swords up against others. There were tortured, tyrannized and homeless. For example. Bilal (may Allah be pleased with him) was trailed along on the sand. This how the companions of the Prophet were tortured. So, how would they compel religion? How would someone force someone else when they are weak? This period is part of the call for Islam, and nobody can deny that it was a period of weakness in Mecca. So, how would Islam be spread by force? This is a mere deceit and falsification of Islam and Muslim and Arab history meant to defame Islam as terrorism by Islam’s enemies in the west and the Zionists as such, who also claimed that Islam is forcing people to convert to. Nonetheless, two important points should be differentiated here:

–      There is no compulsion in the acceptance of religion, and you’re free to convert to Islam or not. All Quranic verses support the outright text we are interpreting (There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion.) What’s meant is that people have the freedom of belief and can’t be forced to believe in our beliefs. No one is forced to convert.

–      However, you have to fulfill all what’s required to abide by under the religion. It’s prohibited to lie, for example, and you mustn’t lie, therefore. You mustn’t lie, backbite, kill, steal, fornicate, have liquor, or commit deadly sins. On the contrary, you must pray, fast, pay Zakat, go for Haj pilgrimage. Things are either Halal (lawful) or Haram (unlawful) under the religion. This is what required by the religion: to do or not to do, but the religion itself. In all, you’re free to convert or not:

 {فَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيُؤْمِن وَمَن شَاءَ فَلْيَكْفُرْ}

(whoever wills – let him believe; and whoever wills – let him disbelieve) (Al-Kahf: 29)

However, when you accept the religion, you never claim to be a Muslim while you’re a liar, thief, fornicator or murderer. There is no compulsion then, you choose to accept the religion. Faith is to obey Allah (swt) and believe in Muhammad, the Prophet of Allah (swt), and thus, to know what Allah orders you and message the prophet (saws) conveyed. When you do so willingly without compulsion you have to know the requirements of the religion and abide by them. Otherwise, you defame Islam.

(… قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ …) (…The right course has become clear from the wrong …): The right course is the right path:

 {وَأَنَّ هَٰذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ ۖ وَلَا تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَن سَبِيلِهِ ۚ}

(And, [moreover], this is My path, which is straight, so follow it; and do not follow [other] ways, for you will be separated from His way.) (Al-An’aam: 153)

It’s the right course to which Allah (swt) guided and which was made clear before by the Prophet (saws) through the Quran and the Sunnah as well as his approach, deeds, and sayings and what he approved. Thus, what’s true, right have become clear over the wrong, allurement.

(… فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انفِصَامَ لَهَا ۗ…) (…So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it…): There is an important we must pay attention to whenever we read and interpret Quran: the Quran is the sayings of Allah (swt):

{ وَلَوْ كَانَ مِنْ عِندِ غَيْرِ اللَّهِ لَوَجَدُوا فِيهِ اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا}

(If it had been from [any] other than Allah, they would have found within it much contradiction.) (An-Nisaa: 82)

Had the human mind been in control, it would have said: whoever believes in Allah (swt) and disbelieves in “Taghut” but not: (So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah). Why do we have the disbelief in “Taghut” mentioned before the belief in Allah (swt). Here is the “refrainment before clinging” principle. What does it mean? “Taghut” as a noun represents Satan along with all the evil and sins. Therefore, whoever refrains from all the actions calling Satan.

(… فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انفِصَامَ لَهَا ۗ…) (…has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it…): You may believe in Allah (swt); still, you have some part of you which doesn’t disbelieve in Taghut. This means that you haven’t grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. There is one condition to grasp the most trustworthy handhold, that’s to refrain from sins before clinging to virtues. You must keep away from whatever calls Satan to one’s self.

(… فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ …) (…has grasped …): He said “grasped” instead of “hold” as it’s a matter of struggle. When you grasp something it’s as if this thing is getting away and you’re trying to grasp it. When we say hold the rope, for example, it means that the rope is between your hands. Yet, when we say grasp the rope, it means that it’s swinging and you have to grasp it. This is how we should struggle with ourselves with respect to the religion and keeping away the “Taghut” away.

(… بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ…) (…the most trustworthy handhold …): The handhold is like the one fixed to the pail used to get water out of the well. It’s as if water, which gives life to our bodies, was there. Religion, on the other hand gives life to values. So, imagine the handhold helping you get the water necessary for life out. As such, you grasp the religion in order to have the values alive within you. It’s an example of how meanings are so accurate and fine in the Quran, isn’t it?

(… لَا انفِصَامَ لَهَا ۗ…) (…with no break in it…): What’s the difference between (break) and (division)? “break” is from within, whereas “division” means from the outside. An example may be stated here: someone’s hand gest broken or cut off, so, if the forearm is detached from the arm, then the hand is two parts. This is called division. On the other hand, the “break” keeps the exterior shape as it is but the detachment is from within. The handhold, anyhow, can’t be divided or broken even from within. You refrain from vices and cling to virtues. You grasp the durable rope of Allah (swt).