When I hear people ignorantly claim that Islam asks people to convert others forcefully, it sounds extremely absurd and ill logical ,before giving a religious response ,which is like a difficult conundrum for many to understand , here’s a simple question,can you force anyone to love you? Can you make anyone fall in love with you, especially the one who has decided to never love you, no matter how hard you try?The answer is absolutely a Big No. We all know this inside our hearts.
No religion suggests it’s followers to use force to increase the number of its followers, especially the Abrahamic faiths,and in Islam the message is clear as the blue sky,one of the verses in the quran leaves no doubt , “لا اكراه في الدين ” meaning “There’s no compulsion in the religion “.Furthermore another verse is even more beautifully responding to this false accusation , in chapter Al Kafurun , distinctly speaks to the nonbelievers, “Say, “O disbelievers,I do not worship what you worship.Nor are you worshippers of what I worship.Nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship.Nor will you be worshippers of what I worship.For you is your religion, and for me is my religion.”
However , if going against the he clear teachings, some extremist and weak minds try to go against the teachings of Islam and force other humans to convert to their ideas , it’ll never be a true acceptance from the heart & soul,rather a superficial and fictitious one. Without love and honesty it’s empty of real connection with the creator, when true faith is about falling in love with your creator, not just carrying a label or outer appearance.
The creator lives inside us , inside our hearts , this cannot be forced but happens when accepted with open heart and desired like Rumi so beautifully said “I looked for God. I went to a temple and I didn’t find him there. Then I went to a church and I didn’t find him there. Then I went to a mosque and I didn’t find him there. Then finally I looked in my heart and there he was.”
WEDA Coalition 