Reconciling: {There is no compulsion in religion} and “Obedience in ease and hardship”
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Question:
Allah the Exalted said: [al-Baqarah:256] to the end of the verse, and the Ansar said: We pledged allegiance to the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) to listen and obey in ease and hardship. How do we reconcile the compulsion in both cases?
Answer:
There is a difference between them. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was pledged to listen and obey in all their affairs, in their ease and hardship, their difficulty and comfort, that they would listen and obey. What is its meaning regarding compulsion? It means that they listen and obey, even if they dislike this matter and it is difficult for them because of their poverty, or for other reasons. Whenever the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded them, they obeyed, even if it was something that might harm them, such as having no money to spend, no mounts, or such things. They dislike it from the aspect of natural dislike, from the aspect of natural hardship, not from the aspect of compulsion.
Compulsion is something else. Compulsion is when one is beaten for this, or threatened with this thing to make him do it, while it is not prescribed. This is compulsion. As for obeying the one in authority in his ease and hardship, in his difficulty and comfort, that is obedience to Allah and love for the Shari'ah of Allah. He is to be thanked for this, even if he obeys him while walking on his feet in jihad; he is to be thanked for this because he seeks the favor of Allah and His reward (Glorified and Exalted is He).
And the meaning of [al-Baqarah:256] is explained by two meanings:
The first is: That this was before jihad. People were not compelled to enter Islam previously, and whoever refused was not fought. This was the initial situation. Then Allah prescribed jihad for the Muslims, so whoever entered Islam, otherwise he would be fought and compelled; until he enters Islam or pays the jizyah if he is from those who are subject to it. This is one opinion.
The second opinion: Its meaning is that there is no compulsion in religion with regard to the People of the Book, the Jews, the Christians, and the Zoroastrians. There is no compulsion upon them; rather, they are obligated to either Islam or the jizyah. So it is an absolute verse, specified by the verse of jizyah and the evidence for jizyah. So the meaning of “no compulsion in religion” for the People of the Book and the Zoroastrians, if they pay the jizyah, is that they are not compelled; rather, the jizyah is accepted from them, and they are left on their religion until Allah guides them (Glorified and Exalted is He). So both meanings are known to the people of knowledge.
The first meaning: That this was before the prescription of jihad, meaning no compulsion. If they withdrew from us and did not fight us, we withdrew from them and did not fight them. This was in the initial period in Makkah, and in the early period of the Hijrah. Whoever fought, we killed and defended against, and whoever did not fight, we did not defend against, and we did not compel him. This was in the initial period.
Then Allah prescribed jihad and commanded His Messenger with jihad, and Allah said regarding that [al-Tawbah:5]. This is the final situation. We were commanded to fight jihad and not to leave them until they enter the religion of Allah, except for those who pay the jizyah. So if they offer the jizyah and give the jizyah by hand, we accept it from them.
Allah the Exalted said:
There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong.
لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَدْ تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّAnswer:
There is a difference between them. The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) was pledged to listen and obey in all their affairs, in their ease and hardship, their difficulty and comfort, that they would listen and obey. What is its meaning regarding compulsion? It means that they listen and obey, even if they dislike this matter and it is difficult for them because of their poverty, or for other reasons. Whenever the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) commanded them, they obeyed, even if it was something that might harm them, such as having no money to spend, no mounts, or such things. They dislike it from the aspect of natural dislike, from the aspect of natural hardship, not from the aspect of compulsion.
Compulsion is something else. Compulsion is when one is beaten for this, or threatened with this thing to make him do it, while it is not prescribed. This is compulsion. As for obeying the one in authority in his ease and hardship, in his difficulty and comfort, that is obedience to Allah and love for the Shari'ah of Allah. He is to be thanked for this, even if he obeys him while walking on his feet in jihad; he is to be thanked for this because he seeks the favor of Allah and His reward (Glorified and Exalted is He).
And the meaning of
There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion
لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِThe first is: That this was before jihad. People were not compelled to enter Islam previously, and whoever refused was not fought. This was the initial situation. Then Allah prescribed jihad for the Muslims, so whoever entered Islam, otherwise he would be fought and compelled; until he enters Islam or pays the jizyah if he is from those who are subject to it. This is one opinion.
The second opinion: Its meaning is that there is no compulsion in religion with regard to the People of the Book, the Jews, the Christians, and the Zoroastrians. There is no compulsion upon them; rather, they are obligated to either Islam or the jizyah. So it is an absolute verse, specified by the verse of jizyah and the evidence for jizyah. So the meaning of “no compulsion in religion” for the People of the Book and the Zoroastrians, if they pay the jizyah, is that they are not compelled; rather, the jizyah is accepted from them, and they are left on their religion until Allah guides them (Glorified and Exalted is He). So both meanings are known to the people of knowledge.
The first meaning: That this was before the prescription of jihad, meaning no compulsion. If they withdrew from us and did not fight us, we withdrew from them and did not fight them. This was in the initial period in Makkah, and in the early period of the Hijrah. Whoever fought, we killed and defended against, and whoever did not fight, we did not defend against, and we did not compel him. This was in the initial period.
Then Allah prescribed jihad and commanded His Messenger with jihad, and Allah said regarding that
And when the sacred months have passed, then kill the polytheists wherever you find them and capture them and besiege them and sit in wait for them at every place of ambush. But if they should repent, establish prayer, and give zakah, let them [go] on their way
فَإِذَا انْسَلَخَ الْأَشْهُرُ الْحُرُمُ فَاقْتُلُوا الْمُشْرِكِينَ حَيْثُ وَجَدْتُمُوهُمْ وَخُذُوهُمْ وَاحْصُرُوهُمْ وَاقْعُدُوا لَهُمْ كُلَّ مَرْصَدٍ فَإِنْ تَابُوا وَأَقَامُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَوُا الزَّكَاةَ فَخَلُّوا سَبِيلَهُمْ
Source
binbaz.org.sa
The Arabic text is copied verbatim from the original source, without any edits.