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lā ʾikrāha fī d-dīni qad tabayyana r-rushdu mina l-ghayyi fa-man yakfur bi-ṭ-ṭāghūti wa-yuʾmin bi-llāhi fa-qadi stamsaka bi-l-ʿurwati l-wuthqā lā nfiṣāma lahā wa-llāhu samīʿun ʿalīmun-i
There is no compulsion in religion: rectitude has become distinct from error. So one who disavows fake deities and has faith in Allah has held fast to the firmest handle for which there is no breaking; and Allah is all-hearing, all-knowing.
— Ali Quli Qarai
Surah Al-Baqarah, Verse 256
256. "There is no compulsion in religion. Truly the right way has become clearly distinct from error. Therefore, whoever rejects false deities ((taghut) and believes in Allah, has grasped the firmest handle, that shall never break; and Allah is All-Hearing, All-knowing."
Occasion of Revelation
There was a man from Medina by the name of Abu-Haseen who had two sons. Some of the Christian merchants, who used to import merchandise from abroad into Medina, invited those two lads to Christianity whenever they met them in Medina. Those two young men were seriously affected by them, too. Abu-Haseen became very inconvenient from that condition. He went to the Prophet (S) and, informing him the matter, requested him to bring those children back to their own religion. He asked whether he could bring them forcefully to Islam. Then, the verse was revealed and manifested this fact that there is no compulsion in accepting the religion.
The previous verse, 'Ayat-ul-Kursi, infect, was a collection of Unity and the Attributes of Allah, Beauty and Glory, which make up the foundation of the religion. This meaning is acceptable in all stages with reasonable proofs. That is why embracing the faith needs not any compulsion or force, and in this verse, it says:
This verse is a serious answer to those who imagine that Islam applies obligation and has developed and spread through the force of sword and martial power. Then, as a conclusion of the previous verse, it adds:
And, at the end of the verse it continues saying:
This concluding phrase is a hint to the fact that the problem of belief and disbelief is not something that can be fulfilled by mere pretence, because Allah hears the words of all entirely, whether they state openly or they speak privately and hiddenly.