Allah says in the Quran, “Let there be no compulsion in religion. Truth has been made clear from error” (Quran 2:256). Although it is a duty on Muslims to convey and share the beautiful message of Islam to others, no one can ever be compelled to accept Islam. To accept Islam, a person must sincerely and voluntarily believe in Allah and His revelation, so, by definition, no one can (or should) be forced to accept Islam. Because if one thinks about it, Allah is above that. Everyone need Him, while He doesn’t need any of us. Of course Allah cares about all people, but at the end of the day, it is ultimately mankind who will bare the consequences over whether they choose to believe or not.
Consider the following:
- Indonesia has the largest Muslim population yet no battles were fought to bring Islam there.
- There are around 14 million Arab Coptic Christians that have been living in the heart of Arabia for generations.
- Islam is the fastest growing religion in the western world today.
- After the holocaust, it was the Palestinian Muslims who welcomed the Jews into the country, with no coercion of religion.
- Muslims have ruled Spain for around 800 years but they never coerced people to convert.
To conclude, it is clear that no one can force anyone to become a Muslim in Islam.
And Allah knows best.