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In January 2000, His Holiness the late pope of Vatican visited Al Azhar Al Sharif during his visit to Egypt where we exchanged kind words and good statements in which we undertook to respect religions which we received through the kind prophets, peace of Allah be upon them.

These good relations continued between Al Azhar Al Sharif and His Holiness the late Pope of Vacation . Few days ago, the recent pope of Vatican delivered a lecture in a German University about:" The Belief, the Reason & the University". The lecture, as a whole, is a philosophical Religious topic about God from a Christian Point of view in the middle ages. But his Holiness mentioned something from his private memory in the university saying: " I remembered all that as I was reading the book of professor Tudor Khory where he mentioned a dialogue between the Byzantine Emperor and an educated Persian man in the winter of the year 1391 A. D.

That dialogue was about Islam and Christianity and their facts, and according to what Professor Khory said in his book, the Emperor mentions Jihad.

Sure he knew verse 256 in the Second Stlra which says "No compulsion in Religion" ; the Sura which was an early one and was revealed when Muhamed was threatened and without power, but the Emperor knew also what came in the late Suras which included legislations of Jihad.

The emperor discussed with the Persian, directly and in a rude way, the relationship between Religion and violence saying: “Show me what is new in the religion which Muhamed came with? You will not find except evil and inhumanity, like spreading the belief which he taught by sward".

We kindly blame his Holiness the Pope of Vatican since he mentioned what Tudor Khory said in his book, and what the mad Emperor spoke about Islam and Prophet Muhamed, may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him, without commenting or proving his deny to such evil words.

It is known to the wise that if somebody says bad words related by someone else, and does not comment on these words, is considered as if he is agreeing and accepting them or even as if he himself said those words.

We did not wish his Holiness to make such a mistake which contradicts with Religious politeness and scientific method, namely his lecture was about Christianity and its doctrine towards reasoning: he shouldn't have mentioned what is related to Islam.

The Emperor said that Islam is a religion based on enforcing, violence and the sward, and the Pope related that speech as he read it in Khory's Book, as if he was satisfied with what he had read.

In this essay I will tell His Holiness the Pope of Vatican sincerely and objectively some of the logic realities which clearly prove the fact that Islam is a religion spread in the East and West through conviction not compulsion and through choice not enforcing.

First reality:
God has sent all messengers to their communities with good news and warnings not forcing anybody.

The Holy verses from the Holy Quran confirm that: "And we send the Messengers but as givers of glad tidings and as warners, so whosoever believes and does righteous good deeds, upon such shall come no fear, nor shall they grieve" (Sura 6 Al An-am, verse 48).

This verse means that God only sends His kind messengers to mankind with good tidings and good rewards to the obedient believers, and to warn the disobedient and the atheists of severe punishment on the Last Day. So those who believe and do good deeds, do not fear the future and have no grieve about their past life.

As Allah the Almighty says also :"Messengers as bearers of good news as well as of warning in order that mankind should have no plea against Allah after the (Coming of) Messengers and Allah is Ever All-powerful. All-Wise" (Sura 4, An- Nisa', verse 165 )

The meaning is: Our fixed wisdom aimed at sending Messengers to Our creatures and no-body knows the number of those Messengers except Allah, the Almighty. The main task of these messengers is to give good tidings to good people and warn the evil ones, and Allah was and still is All-powerful, All-Wise in His sayings and Deeds.

Another Verse is: "Mankind were one community and Allah sent Prophets with glad tidings and warnings" (Sura 2, Al-Baqara, verse 2 13), the meaning of which is that all mankind were one community agreeing to sincerely worship God, the One, then they became different in their belief and behavior, the result of which was that Allah sent His Messengers and Prophets with glad tidings to good believers and with warnings to atheists who share gods with Allah.

Hence we see that those kind verses show the task of all Messengers: to tell glad tidings to those who believe and do good deeds and to warn those who share gods with Allah that they would face severe punishment on the Last Day. It was not their task to compel or enforce anybody to follow them or convert to their religion.

Second Reality:
The Holy Quran mentioned in a lot of its verses that the message of the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was to the whole

Mankind and even to the Jinni, and his call to them was based on the necessity of sincerely worshipping Allah alone, and on following the wise sayings, sincere directions and discussing with others in the best way about good morality. That did not happen one day through compulsion, enforcing, threatening, or through terrorism or any other similar means.

Consider the following verses of the Holy Quran: "Verily, We have sent you with the truth a bringer of glad tidings and a warner, and you will not be asked about the dwellers of the blazing fire" (sura 2, verse 119)

"And We have sent you except as a giver of glad tidings and a warner to all mankind but most of men knew not" (Sura 34, verse 28)

"O prophet, verily, We have sent you as witness and a bearer of glad tidings and a warner. And as one who invites to Allah by His Leave and as a lamp spreading light" (sura 33, verse 45, 46)

"Say: I possess no power over benefit or hurt myself except as Allah wills. If I have the knowledge of Unseen I should have secured for myself an abundance of wealth, and no evil should have touched me. I am but a warner, and a bringer of glad tidings unto people who believe " (sura 7, verse 188).

"Worship none but Allah verily I am unto you from Him a warner and a bringer of glad tidings" (Sura 11, verse 2).

"Whether We show you part of what We have promised them or cause you to die, your duty is only to convey and on Us is the reckoning" (Sura 13, verse 40).

"But if they turn away (from the Islamic Monotheism) We have not sent you as a watcher over them, your duty is to convey" (Sura 42, verse 48).

"So remind them, you are only one who reminds* you are not a dictator over them" (Sura 88, verse 21, 22).

"We know best what they say, and you are not the one to force them, But warn by the Quran him who fears My Threat" (Sura 50, verse 45). "And had your Lord willed. those on earth would have believed, all of them together, So, will you then compel mankind until they become believers It is not for any person to believe, except by the Leave of Allah, and He will put the wrath on those who are heedless" (Sura 10 verse 99, 100).

Those are some Quranic verses which confirm the call of the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him. They are based on wisdom, good preaching and arguing in the best way, and it is not so that he compelled anybody or used the sward. Those who contemplate these verses will observe that they order the prophet to relate his call with justice using kind words, righteous ways and good behavior through different means: Through glad tidings and warnings: conveying and calling, reminding people not controlling them, through clarifying that he (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) was not forcing people or a dictatorial ruler, and through making clear that Allah the Almighty is able to convert all man- kind and that the prophet is not asked to compel them to follow him or convert to his religion.

Third reality:
The Emperor mentioned the verse: "There is no compulsion in Religion" about which he said it was one of the earlier Suras in a time when Mohamed was threatened and without power. I would like to correct his Holiness, the Pope of Vatican this information as follows:

First: This verse says: "There is no compulsion in religion. Verily the Right Path has become distinct from the wrong path. Whoever disbelieves in false deities and believes in Allah, then he has grasped the most trustworthy hand hold that will never break. And Allah is All-hearer, All-knower." (Sura 2, Verse 256).

Second: Surat Al Baqarah (the second Chapter of the Holy Quran), in which that verse as one of the latest verses of the Sura comes, was revealed upon the Prophet in the second year after immigration to Medina, that means after about fifteen years from his call to Islam, and the last Verse of the Holy Quran revealed to the prophet was from this Surah: "And be afraid of the Day when you shall be brought back to Allah. Then every person shall be paid what he earned and they shall not be dealt with unjustly" (Sura 2, Al Baqrah, verse 281) This verse was revealed to the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) nine nights before his death.

Third: Surat Al Baqarah is the longest Chapter of the Holy Quran and the revelation of its Verses extended for some years. It is probably that the verse: "There is no compulsion in Religion" was revealed with the latest verses of this Sura.

Fourth: The interpreters of the Holy Quran said that the reason for revealing it was that a man from Medina converted to Islam. He had two sons who did not convert to Islam. The man went to the prophet saying: O Messenger of Allah, am I going to watch some of my sons go to Hell ! O Messenger of Allah, I would like to compel them to convert to Islam. Hence this verse was revealed "There is no compulsion in Religion".

Fifth: The brief explanation of this verse is that there is no compulsion to convert to the Religion of Islam because of its complete guidance and tolerance of its instructions. Its verses clarify the Truth and the Falsehood so that who disbelieves in false deities and believes in the Oneness of Allah, gets on the straight way and grasps the strongest reason of the Religion, and Allah the Almighty is All-Hearer to the sayings of His creatures, All-knower of their deeds and their intentions and He will reward them for therefore.

Finally, what the emperor said about this verse and about the Sura in which it was revealed is not correct at all.

I hope that with this clarification I conveyed the right meaning of that verse to his Holiness, the Pope of Vatican, because many people interpret this kind of Verses in a way which is not logically acceptable.

Fourth reality:
The legislation of Islam is against any saying or act or belief that comes through compulsion or forcing or something alike, and it only considers what comes through choices satisfaction and conviction. And it even allows its followers to utter words against their belief when they are subjected to severe hurt or torturing leading to death.

Such utterance does not affect their belief as long as they have a deep and sincere belief in their hearts. Allah says in the following verse: "Anyone who after accepting faith in Allah, utters unbelief except under compulsion, his heart remaining firm in faith but such as open their breasts to unbelief- on them is wrath from Allah" (Sura 16, verse 106).

The interpreters say that this verse was revealed when the unbelievers tortured Ammar Ibn Yasser severely so that he was about to loose his life and they forced him to utter words against the rules of Islam hence he said with his tongue whatever he was compelled to say.

Some Muslims told the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) that Ammar Ibn Yasser had become an apostate. The Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) said: "No Ammar is full of belief from his head to his feet and Islam is mixed with his flesh and blood". After that, Ammar came to the prophet weeping and the prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) began to rub his tears and eyes saying: “O Ammar, how do you find your heart?" Ammar answered: “full of belief"
and the Prophet said "O Ammar, if they do so again. you are allowed to do It again"

Hence this verse was revealed. Its brief meaning is that somebody who became unbeliever after believing in the Oneness of Allah and after believing the truth of the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him), such an unbelieving apostate deserves severe torture on the Last Day. But there is nothing against somebody who was forced and compelled to utter words of unbelief while his heart is faithful, but the sinful person is he, who accepts unbelief by his heart and believes in its validity.

Some scholars said that it is allowed, because of this verse, to utter words contradicting the rules of Islamic Law. When some body is subjected to compulsion or force and feels danger to loose his life, then he is not considered an apostate, since that man's heart is full of sincere belief and he is attached to Islam.

Fifth reality:
It is known to every wise person that compelling or forcing to believe will not make us gain sincere believers, but the result will be hypocrites and liars, saying by their tongues something different than what is in their hearts.

This kind of people is hated by Islam more than those who are clear contradictors of Islam; because the person who is clear in his objection to your belief is easier to beware of. But he, who pretends to be with you after being compelled to that, while he hides in himself something different than what he shows, is more harmful, has severe enmity and spoils religion and life.

For all that tens of Quranic verses blame hypocrisy and hypocrites and warn the true believers of their evils. Among these Quranic verses, are the following:

"When the hypocrites come to thee, they say we bear witness that thou art indeed the Messenger of Allah" Yea, Allah knoweth that thou art indeed His messenger and Allah bears witness that the hypocrites are indeed liars, they have made their oaths a screen: Thus they obstruct from the way of Allah: Truly evil are their deeds. That is because they believed, then they rejected faith: So a seal was set on their hearts: therefore they understand not." (Sura 63, verses 1, 2, 3)

"Of the people there are some who say: “we believe in Allah the Last Day, but they do not believe. Fain they would deceive Allah and those who believe but they only deceive themselves and realize (it) not" (Sura 2, Verse 8, 9).

"The hypocrites- they think they are ever reaching Allah, but He will over reach them: when they stand up to prayer , they stand without earnestness to be seen of men, but little do they hold Allah in remembrance. (They are) distracted in mind even in the midst of it- being for neither one group nor for another. Whom Allah leaves straying never wilt thou find for him the way" (Sura 4, verse 142, 143)

These verses make it clear to every one who has good mentality that forcing others to believe opposes completely the rules of Islamic Law which only accepts the belief which comes by choice and through conviction. This belief must make its followers attaching to sincere faith and good deeds. What they say has to agree with what is found in their hearts.

Above all, forcing somebody to belief- as the scholars say- is in vain from both: from sight of belief and from the side of action. This is because forcing means to push some one to do what he does not want or believe, It is easy to make the others do what you want them to do, but it is difficult to make them believe by force and to make them act according to your belief.

Sixth reality:
It has been proved by present reality and by history that Muslims did not compel any body to convert to Islam. When they enter a country. they call its citizens to Islam and they are free whether to be convinced and convert to Islam or to refuse. In that case Muslims will leave them to their freedom and will treat them in a just way according to the Islamic law.

We have seen that the prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him) refused to give permission to the man who converted to Islam to compel his sons to leave their religion and convert to Islam.

The historians say that Omar Ibn Al Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) saw an old woman who was not Muslim and said to her: "O old woman, be a Muslim to be safe". She answered: "Death is near to me and I would like to keep my religion". Thus Omar said: "O my Lord, witness that I conveyed".

Somebody may say that there is an authentic Hadith said by the Prophet (may the blessings and peace of Allah be upon him): "I am ordered to fight people till they say there is no deity but Allah, and that whoever says this will be safe except by the law of Islam and he will be asked by Allah" which seems to be contradicting to "There is no compulsion in religion" because fighting means perhaps to compel.

The answer to this misunderstanding -as mentioned by the scholars- is that the people mentioned in this Hadith are those who where fighting the call of Islam by all means, and announcing their enmity towards Muslims. These are the people meant in the Prophet's Hadith which are to be fought until they say there is no deity but Allah and whom we are ordered to defend ourselves against their aggression to preserve our dignity. Concerning other non-Muslims living with us without offending us, the Holy Quran says: "If they became straight with you, be straight with them" There is a legal rule concerning non-Muslims with whom we have common interests, living among us in one country: "Our rights are theirs and their duties are ours'. This rule must be applied on all of us.

It has not been mentioned in history that a Muslim compelled a follower of another religion to convert to Islam. A Muslim, true in his belief and faith, acts according to Allah's saying: " Allah forbids you not with regard to those who fight you not for (your) faith, Nor drive you out of you homes from dealing kindly and justly with them. For Allah loveth those who are just. Allah only forbids you with regard to those who tight you for faith and drive you out of your homes and support (others) in driving you out, from turning to them, it is such as turn to them that do wrong." (Sura 60, verse 8, 9)

Seventh reality:
It is also a fact that thousands of people converted to Islam through their own conviction and choice and came to The Honorable Azhar to declare their conversion to Islam.

The number of those who converted to Islam was as follows:
In 2000, the number was 938, from 90 countries,
In 2001, the number was 860, from 91 countries,
In 2002, the number was 1116, from 93 countries,
In 2003, the number was1344, from 98 countries,
In 2004, the number was 167I, from 122 countries,
In 2005, the number was 2052, from 104 countries.

All of them, men and women, came from their countries to declare their conversion to Islam without being compelled or forced, neither with a sword, as the Emperor claimed nor through compulsion or any other similar means.

It has become obvious that the Islamic Law is against any saying or action that comes by force and that it does not accept this because it is in contradiction to its main principles and sources which are based on thinking, conversing and choosing.

As it is clear, also, that he who claims that Islam was spread by sward or by force, is not saying the truth and is not in accordance with the facts.

Allah guides whom He wants to the straight path.

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