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La Ikrah fi l-Din Verse
Verse's Information
NameLa Ikrah fi l-Din Verse
Suraal-Baqara (Qur'an 2)
Verse256
Juz'3
Content Information
Cause of
Revelation		Intention of the Ansar to force their children to accept Islam
Place of
Revelation		Medina
TopicTheological, Ethical
AboutAbsence of compulsion in accepting religion
OthersFreedom of belief
Related VersesQur'an 10:99


Qur'an 2:256, commonly referred to as the La Ikrah fi l-Din Verse (Arabic: آیة لا إِکرَاهَ فِی الدّین; Verse of No Compulsion in Religion), forms a portion of Ayat al-Kursi and admonishes Muslims against compelling non-Muslims to accept Islam, thereby underscoring the significance of human freedom and volition in the acceptance of faith. This verse was revealed in response to an incident where a group of the Ansar sought to coerce their children into embracing Islam. According to 'Allama Tabataba'i, the unconditional nature of the verse signifies that no individual, including disbelievers, should be compelled to adopt a religion.

Some researchers argue that the content of the "La Ikrah fi l-Din Verse" conflicts with the mandate for Primary Jihad. Addressing this, scholars such as Morteza Motahhari have posited that Primary Jihad functions as a form of defense, designated as obligatory to eliminate impediments to the invitation to Islam; once these obstacles are removed, individuals remain free to choose their faith, thus resolving any perceived conflict with the verse's content. Muslim theologians have cited this verse in discussions concerning topics such as the Infallibility of Prophets, the rejection of determinism (jabr), Divine test, and freedom of belief within Islam.

Certain exegetes interpret this verse as a rebuttal to those who advocated force and the sword as valid means for the propagation of Islam. In their view, religion and faith are matters of the heart and are incompatible with coercion; compulsion serves only to influence outward behavior. Conversely, others maintain that this verse has been abrogated by the Verse of Sword (Ayat al-Qital), as well as by Qur'an 9:74 and Qur'an 9:75.

Text and Translation

Brief Introduction

The "La Ikrah fi l-Din Verse" is Qur'an 2:256, which is typically recited in conjunction with Ayat al-Kursi and is among the most frequently cited verses of the Holy Qur'an.[1] It is asserted that the La Ikrah Verse establishes that the acceptance of religion is not mandatory, emphasizing human agency and volition in matters of faith.[2] Imam Khomeini interpreted the term "religion" (Din) in this verse as encompassing moral virtues, arguing that the performance of such virtues under compulsion renders them valueless.[3] Others have accepted the content of the verse as a rational principle.[4]

While Qur'an 2:255 is specifically titled Ayat al-Kursi, some narrations and the opinions of certain exegetes suggest that Qur'an 2:256 and Qur'an 2:257 are also integral parts of Ayat al-Kursi.[5] 'Allama Tabataba'i attributes the magnificence of Ayat al-Kursi to its inclusion of precise theological concepts regarding pure Monotheism and the absolute custodianship (Qayyumiyya) of God.[6] According to narrations from the Infallibles (a), the recitation of this verse is recommended in all circumstances, serving purposes such as warding off the Evil Eye and ensuring health.[7]

Occasion of Revelation

Citing al-Durr al-manthur, 'Allama Tabataba'i connects the occasion of revelation of this verse to certain women of the Ansar who had vowed to raise their children as Jews should they give birth. Consequently, when the Jews of Banu Nadir were expelled from Medina for violating their pact, the fathers of these children refused to let them leave, intending instead to force them to become Muslim. This situation persisted until the revelation of the verse "La Ikrah fi l-Din."[8] 'Allama Tabataba'i also notes an alternative opinion, which states that the verse was revealed in response to a man who asked Prophet Muhammad (s) whether he could compel his Christian children to accept Islam.[9]

In Tafsir Majma' al-bayan, citing exegetes such as Qatada b. Di'ama, al-Hasan, and al-Dahhak, it is suggested that the verse concerns the People of the Book from whom Jizya was collected. Al-Suddi, however, asserted that the verse originally applied to all disbelievers but was subsequently abrogated by the Verse of Sword (Ayat al-Qital).[10] It is also narrated from Ibn Abbas that the verse specifically addresses the Jewish children of a particular group of the Ansar, whereas others maintain that the verse addresses humanity as a whole, signifying that religion is a matter of the heart where compulsion has no place.[11]

Conflict with Primary Jihad

Some researchers contend that Primary Jihad conflicts with the content of the La Ikrah fi l-Din Verse, arguing that the verse negates compulsion in religion, whereas Primary Jihad implies the imposition of Islam through force.[12] There are three primary perspectives on this issue:

  • The first group, including 'Allama Tabataba'i, views Primary Jihad as the defense of the innate principle of Monotheism, a defense of humanity itself, and a means of preventing humans from descending into bestiality; thus, they deem it a necessary and legitimate endeavor.[13]
  • The second group posits that the objective of Primary Jihad is to remove obstacles to the invitation to Islam and to eliminate persecution, thereby presenting no conflict with the La Ikrah fi l-Din Verse.[14]
  • The third group maintains that a conflict does indeed exist, interpreting Primary Jihad as a means of guiding people to Islam through force.[15]
  • Morteza Motahhari argues that Primary Jihad possesses a defensive character and does not conflict with the La Ikrah fi l-Din Verse, asserting that if disbelievers do not interfere with Muslims, Islam does not interfere with their beliefs.[16]

Views of Exegetes

Exegetes have offered several interpretations of the La Ikrah fi l-Din Verse:

The first group asserts that this verse has been abrogated. Maybudi[18] and Abu l-Futuh al-Razi[19] have stated that this verse was abrogated by the Verse of Sword (Ayat al-Qital) as well as Qur'an 9:74 and Qur'an 9:75.

The second group suggests that a form of compulsion is conceivable within the context of accepting religion. For instance, compulsion might be employed in elucidating the path of truth and conveying it to individuals;[20] alternatively, it is argued that once an individual has attained spiritual transcendence, the concept of compulsion becomes irrelevant.[21]

The third group maintains that, based on this verse, faith cannot coexist with compulsion,[22] and that force can only influence outward behavior.[23] This verse is also seen as a response to those who regarded force and the sword as primary factors in the acceptance of Islam.[24] Tafsir Majma' al-bayan cites al-Zajjaj (Abu Ishaq, Ibrahim b. Sari, author of I'rab al-Qur'an)[25] as believing that this verse clarifies that if someone accepts Islam following a war, they have not done so under compulsion.[26] Similarly, Al-Baydawi interpreted the verse to mean that there is no merit in compelling individuals to adopt religion.[27]

The fourth group consists of exegetes who believe that the term "religion" (Din) refers to Shi'ism and that "La Ikrah" signifies the absence of compulsion in accepting the Wilaya of the just Imam.[28]

Other exegeses, such as Tafsir Nur al-thaqalayn, acknowledging this Quranic phrase as part of Ayat al-Kursi, discuss the rewards and effects of reciting Ayat al-Kursi and examine the circumstances of its revelation through various narrations.[29]

Jurisprudential Application

Some exegetes have addressed the jurisprudential implications of the La Ikrah fi l-Din Verse in their works.[30] 'Allama Tabataba'i posits that the verse's unconditional nature demonstrates that no human being, including disbelievers, should be compelled to accept Islam. He interprets the verse as referring to a legislative prohibition (hukm insha'i tashri'i), with the subsequent phrase "rectitude has become distinct..." serving as the rationale for this ruling—namely, the self-evident nature of the truth.[31]

Many exegetes concur that this verse aims to articulate the prohibition of compulsion in the acceptance of religion.[32] In his Tafsir al-kabir, Fakhr al-Razi also maintains that this verse explicitly rejects religion based on compulsion, considering the foundation of religion to be acceptance through free will; he argues that if religious acceptance were compulsory, the possibility of examination and test would cease to exist.[33]

'Allama al-Hilli considers the verse's content applicable to religious rulings as well, using it to argue that the Mukallaf (one obligated by law) is not obligated in matters beyond their capacity (Taklif ma la yutaq).[34]

Views of Theologians

It is noted that the points elucidated by the Imams of the Shi'a (a) regarding the interpretation of the verse "La ikrah fi l-din" pertain to the ontological freedom of human beings in choosing beliefs. This topic is considered one of the earliest theological discussions to gain currency among Muslims.[35] Theologians have explored various subjects by relying on the La Ikrah fi l-Din Verse:

  • Volition in the Infallibility of Prophets: 'Allama al-Hilli argues that, based on this verse, the Infallibility of Prophets, which is essential for the transmission of the divine message, occurs outside of volition and without compulsion. In this exegetical framework, the word "Din" is interpreted as abstaining from sin.[36]
  • Denial of Determinism: Theologians who reject the notion that humans are compelled in their actions cite the La Ikrah fi l-Din Verse as evidence for their position.[37]
  • Divine Test: Some theologians posit that the world serves as a vessel for testing humans, and that a test is only valid if the subject possesses free will; consequently, God created humans with free will.[38]
  • Freedom of Belief: A group of theologians, including Ja'far Subhani, have concluded from this verse that in Islam, thought and belief are free. They assert that no one can force another to accept their belief, and that the duty of Prophets was solely to remind and guide. The freedoms granted to followers of other religions in Islam are also explained based on this principle.[39]

Notes

  1. ↑ Fānī & Rajabī, "Mawārid-i istidlāl-i tafsīrī-kalāmī bi āya-yi Lā ikrāha fī l-dīn", p. 94.
  2. ↑ Fānī & Rajabī, "Mawārid-i istidlāl-i tafsīrī-kalāmī bi āya-yi Lā ikrāha fī l-dīn", p. 94.
  3. ↑ Imām Khumaynī, Ādāb al-ṣalāh, 1378 Sh, p. 37.
  4. ↑ Mūsawī Sabziwārī, Mawāhib al-Raḥmān, 1409 AH, vol. 4, p. 298.
  5. ↑ Muʿīnī, "Āyat al-Kursī", p. 100.
  6. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1417 AH, vol. 2, p. 337.
  7. ↑ Al-Ghazālī, Jawāhir al-Qurʾān, 1411 AH, pp. 73-75.
  8. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1393 AH, vol. 2, p. 347.
  9. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1393 AH, vol. 2, p. 348.
  10. ↑ Al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1408 AH, vol. 2, pp. 631-632.
  11. ↑ Al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1408 AH, vol. 2, pp. 631-632; Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-bayān, 1412 AH, vol. 3, pp. 10-11.
  12. ↑ Kāmyāb & Qudsī, "Barrasī-yi shubha-yi jihād-i ibtidāʾī dar tafsīr-i āya-yi Lā ikrāha fī l-dīn", p. 8.
  13. ↑ Kāmyāb & Qudsī, "Barrasī-yi shubha-yi jihād-i ibtidāʾī dar tafsīr-i āya-yi Lā ikrāha fī l-dīn", p. 13.
  14. ↑ Kāmyāb & Qudsī, "Barrasī-yi shubha-yi jihād-i ibtidāʾī dar tafsīr-i āya-yi Lā ikrāha fī l-dīn", p. 14.
  15. ↑ Kāmyāb & Qudsī, "Barrasī-yi shubha-yi jihād-i ibtidāʾī dar tafsīr-i āya-yi Lā ikrāha fī l-dīn", p. 8.
  16. ↑ Kāmyāb & Qudsī, "Barrasī-yi shubha-yi jihād-i ibtidāʾī dar tafsīr-i āya-yi Lā ikrāha fī l-dīn", p. 15.
  17. ↑ Muṭahharī, Jihād-i islāmī wa āzādī-yi ʿaqīda, 1394 Sh, p. 57.
  18. ↑ Khwāja ʿAbd Allāh Anṣārī, Kashf al-asrār, 1371 Sh, vol. 1, p. 806.
  19. ↑ Abū l-Futūḥ al-Rāzī, Rawḍ al-jinān, 1371 Sh, vol. 3, p. 414.
  20. ↑ Thaqafī Tihrānī, Tafsīr-i rawān-i jāwīd, 1389 AH, vol. 1, p. 330; Al-Qummī, Tafsīr al-Qummī, 1367 Sh, vol. 1, p. 384.
  21. ↑ Ṣadrā al-Shīrāzī, Tafsīr al-Qurʾān al-karīm, 1366 Sh, vol. 4, p. 193.
  22. ↑ Qarashī, Tafsīr-i aḥsan al-ḥadīth, 1377 Sh, vol. 6, p. 108.
  23. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1393 AH, vol. 2, pp. 346-349.
  24. ↑ Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1380 Sh, vol. 2, pp. 279-280; Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-bayān, 1412 AH, vol. 3, p. 11.
  25. ↑ Ibrāhīm b. Sarī, Iʿrāb al-Qurʾān, 1374 Sh, p. 1.
  26. ↑ Al-Ṭabrisī, Majmaʿ al-bayān, 1408 AH, vol. 2, pp. 631-632.
  27. ↑ Al-Bayḍāwī, Anwār al-tanzīl, 1418 AH, vol. 1, p. 154.
  28. ↑ Fayḍ al-Kāshānī, Tafsīr al-aṣfā, 1418 AH, vol. 1, p. 121.
  29. ↑ Al-Huwayzī, Tafsīr nūr al-thaqalayn, 1415 AH, vol. 1, p. 258.
  30. ↑ Abū l-Futūḥ al-Rāzī, Rawḍ al-jinān, 1371 Sh, vol. 3, p. 414; Al-Ṭūsī, Al-Tibyān, vol. 2, p. 311; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1380 Sh, vol. 2, pp. 279-280; Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-bayān, 1412 AH, vol. 3, p. 11.
  31. ↑ Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1393 AH, vol. 2, pp. 342-343.
  32. ↑ Abū l-Futūḥ al-Rāzī, Rawḍ al-jinān, 1371 Sh, vol. 3, p. 414; Al-Ṭūsī, Al-Tibyān, vol. 2, p. 311; Makārim Shīrāzī, Tafsīr-i nimūna, 1380 Sh, vol. 2, pp. 279-280; Ṭabarī, Jāmiʿ al-bayān, 1412 AH, vol. 3, p. 11.
  33. ↑ Fakhr al-Rāzī, Tafsīr kabīr, 1420 AH, vol. 7, p. 15.
  34. ↑ ʿAllāma al-Ḥillī, Al-Alfayn, 1381 Sh, vol. 1, pp. 416-417; Shubbar, Al-Uṣūl al-aṣliyya, 1404 AH, pp. 306-307.
  35. ↑ Fānī & Rajabī, "Mawārid-i istidlāl-i tafsīrī-kalāmī bi āya-yi Lā ikrāha fī l-dīn", pp. 94-95.
  36. ↑ ʿAllāma al-Ḥillī, Ajwibat al-masāʾil al-muhannāʾiyya, 1401 AH, pp. 73-74.
  37. ↑ Zanjānī, ʿAqāʾid al-Imāmiyya al-athnā ʿashariyya, 1413 AH, vol. 2, p. 133.
  38. ↑ Al-Shūshtarī, Iḥqāq al-ḥaqq, 1409 AH, vol. 1, p. 414; Ṭabāṭabāʾī, Al-Mīzān, 1393 AH, vol. 2, pp. 348-350.
  39. ↑ Subḥānī, Mafāhīm al-Qurʾān, 1404 AH, vol. 2, pp. 404-405.

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