No Compulsion In Religion By Hannatu Musawa
August 8, 2012 - 19:57 — siteadmin
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Hannatu Musawa
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Hannatu Musawa
Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Gumi is not only a
knowledgeable Islamic scholar; he exemplifies
the character of a Muslim nurtured from an early
age in a virtuous environment. Having been
taught and raised by his late father, Sheikh
Abubakar Mahmoud Gumi, he serves as a role
model for the spirit and virtue that Muslims can
aspire for and attain.
In the spate of the recent unabashed religious
threats and violence by misguided elements, it
has been necessary for notable and respected
members of the Nigerian Islamic society to
speak out on the outrageously arrogant, criminal
and aggressive actions of people purporting to
speak and act on behalf of Islam. Up until the
recent sermons Sheikh Gumi has given, in which
he has contradicted much of what these
unsavory elements spew, hardly anyone within
the Nigerian Islamic leadership order has had the
courage and persuasion to speak out. Few
Scholars have been brave enough to set the
record straight on the fact that the individuals
and groups presently attacking the peace and
stability in Nigeria by claiming an Islamic
affiliation are operating with a vile distortion of
the noble and peaceful teachings of Islam.
It is regrettable that Islam, a religion of peace,
harmony, goodwill and brotherhood has been
used by unruly and ghastly people to justify
unwarranted acts of violence such as suicide
bombings, threats and other forms of violence.
At the very base of Islam is the quest for
freedom, justice and equality and when a Muslim
uses Islam to threaten and condemn another
because they do not share the same faith, that
discrimination is totally foreign to the pure
teachings and doctrines of Islam. In the Quran,
God bestowed honour on every single individual,
no matter their background, race or tribe. Liberty
and everything that emerges from it are some of
the great favours God has given us and
concepts such as kidnappings, threats and the
kind of unprovoked violence we are seeing in
Nigeria today towards people of a different faith
to Islam, especially the Christian community, are
not part of the true teachings of Islam.
It is so shocking that people claiming to promote
Islam can issue an ultimatum in which they
threaten a Christian president to convert to Islam
or face their wrath. How on earth can they give
a Christian who believes in his religion as much
or even more than they believe in their religion
that kind of ultimatum? Under Islamic
dispensation, it is clearly taught that “There is
no compulsion in religion…” The Qur’an was very
clear on the issue of forced conversion by
stating, “Had your Lord wanted, all the people
on earth would have believed. So will you force
people to believe?”
Throughout history, Muslims themselves were the
targets of forced conversion during the Spanish
Inquisition and the Crusades and the Communist
era of the 20th century and first hand Muslims
understand how unacceptable and unreasonable
such a notion is. Threatening people who don’t
convert to Islam, persecuting non-Muslims and
treating a society in the unjust manner that
extremist elements have been doing most
definitely is not what Islam is about. When one
reads in the Qur’an that Allah encourages
Muslims to deal kindly and justly with anyone of
any faith who has not fought Muslims for our
faith and driven us out of our homes because
God loves the just, one wonders why anyone
would want to put a negative interpretation to
what is clearly a message of patience, peace
and harmony between different faiths cohabiting.
The second source in Islam, after the Qur’an,
are the statements made by the Prophet
Muhammad (SAW), who in his lifetime gave a
clear view on the persecution of non-Muslims
when he stated, “Whoever kills an innocent non-
Muslim will not even smell the fragrance of
Paradise.” How could such statement possibly
be compatible with the extremist ideal for Islam
to force itself onto others? Instead, it makes it
clear that non-Muslims should by no means be
harmed by Muslims.
The one doctrine that is used by extremists to
lend credibility to the notion that Islam
encourages violence is the concept of jihad. The
word Jihad brings into play the vision of a
marching band of religious fanatics with savage
beards, short trousers and fiery eyes,
brandishing swords, screaming in Arabic and
attacking everyone and everything in their wake.
However, the true spirit of Jihad in Islamic terms
means to endeavour and strive in a noble way.
Over time this meaning of Jihad has been
eradicated or at least diluted. The critical
juncture in the Islamic world requires reviving
and recapturing the true and pristine meaning of
Jihad. Jihad can be divided into two broad
categories. First is ‘Jihad-e-akbar’. This is Jihad
against one's own person to curb sinful
inclinations, which is the purification of self. This
is the most difficult Jihad and hence in terms of
rewards and blessings is the highest category of
Jihad. The second is ‘Jihad-e-asghar’. This is
Jihad of the sword. This is communal Jihad and
presupposes certain specific conditions. The
Quran speaks of fighting only as a self defence
and this is the very condition laid down in
several verses of the Holy Quran. The so-called
verse of the sword in the Islamic scripture is
often taken out of context as if it inculcates an
indiscriminate massacre of all non-Muslims. The
Quranic words such as “kill whatever you find
them” apply only in cases of self-defence and a
state of unprovoked war; they do not apply to
provoked wars and battles. The Muslims who
interpret these verses in any other manner
commit a travesty of the lofty ideals of Islam.
There is not a single instance in the life of the
Holy Prophet where he offered the alternative of
the sword or Islam to anyone.
The Holy Quran does not make Jihad in context
of an article of faith. The sayings and traditions
of the Holy Prophet render it into a formula for
active struggle that invariably and incorrectly
tended towards a militant expression. Suicide
bombings, violent threats and killing those of
different faiths just for the sake of killing are
contrary to the purview of the real spirit of the
Islamic Jihad. It is pure and simple mass murder.
The presentation of Islam as a crude and
barbaric religion which gives itself the right to
cause unwarranted human and material suffering
and destruction under the guise of Divine
authority is not the kind of Islam we find in the
precepts of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW).
The basic unity of the followers of all faiths is
emphatically stressed in the Holy Quran and the
creation of discord and disunity by terrorism or
otherwise has no place in Islam. Islam is an all-
encompassing codes of values and conduct and
with those values, those of us that practice it
from the depths of our heart and soul must use
its teachings as a ground of hope to
progressively promote unity and accord in Nigeria
rather than mischievously and maliciously using
it as a justification for violence.
The Holy Quran teaches that God has sent His
revelation to all people from time to time. Jesus
Christ and many of the Prophets of the Old
Testament are mentioned by name and they are
all honoured and revered by all true believing
Muslims. Indeed, the Quran requires belief in the
truth of all the Messengers of God and requires
an affirmation in them all wherever they appear.
And therefore it seeks to bring about
reconciliation between the followers of different
faiths and to establish a basis of respect and
honour among them. The Quran says: “Surely,
those who believe and the Jews and the
Christians and the Sabians - whichever party
from among these truly believes in Allah (God)
and the Last Day and does good deeds, shall
have their reward with their Lord, and no fear
shall come upon them nor shall they grieve.”
In the Holy Scriptures, the Qur’an, Torah and the
Bible, both Christians and Muslims are taught
that God is the Source of peace and the
bestower of security. And since the doctrine of
peace and security are ‘His’’, the establishment
of that peace and maintenance of security must,
therefore, be the constant objective of all
Muslims and Christians alike. Those who choose
to exact a campaign of hatred, violence and
threats against others who have done nothing to
provoke them, purely because others worship in
a different way to them, must revaluate Allah’s
message of peace and harmony and understand
that, only through conformity to the spirit of
peace, patience, conscience and the promotion
of human welfare can we achieve a society
where all can co-exist. If they don’t, they have
only themselves to blame in the hereafter when
they have to make the real account to the
Almighty, All seeing and All Knowing.
Sheikh Dr. Ahmad Abubakar Gumi is a beacon to
the inherent justice in Islam and a brave Scholar,
especially when examined with the lenses of the
present Islamic leadership in Nigeria. Like his
father, he lives a life outstanding in its
dedication to the cause of Allah. May God
protect him and guide him to continue speaking
out against those within the Muslim Ummah
choose to distort the message and meaning of
Islam. Nigerian Muslim, extremists especially,
can learn from Sheikh Gumi when he explores
them to follow Allah accordingly and advises
them that there is no compulsion to Islam.
Hannatu Musawa
I invite you to follow me on Twitter -
@hanneymusawa

Bro, 13Volts, sorry ayam not interested in the article, but thanks for the pic, it made me lose concentration.
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check her twitter account and follow her then, maybe and perhaps her beauty will convince you.

Moderators FRONT PAGE

A good article. However, where he quoted from the qur'an she should have included the chapters and the verses so that people can confirm if they are indeed in the qur'an. just my 2 cents.

YES! Strongly recommend to the FRONT PAGE . . .


. . . Nice Pic!

No compulsion in Islam?

Then your Islam must be different from the one practiced by Usman Dan Fodio?.