During a recent interview in Hyderabad, Advocate Nizam Ali Khan, who speaks about Islam, explained a misunderstanding about the religion. He said that some people, particularly biased politicians and media outlets, falsely claim that Islam allows its followers to forcefully convert others. This means pressuring someone to accept Islam without understanding it properly. Islamic teachings do not support the idea of making someone become a Muslim against their will. If someone is born as a Muslim but chooses not to follow the teachings of Islam, other Muslims who do practice cannot make them obey, they can only ask them to do so. Khan also mentioned a line from the Quran, the Muslims’ holy book. It says that no one is made to follow Islamic teachings or become a Muslim against their will. Many Western orientalists are making a lot of noise and complaining about Islamic teachings. They are trying to show these teachings in a bad way. Khan talked about things that happened when Prophet Mohammed was alive. He said that when Prophet Mohammed’s uncle, Abu Talib, was dying, Prophet Mohammed asked him to become a follower of Islam. Prophet Mohammed could have made his uncle become a follower of Islam, but sadly he died without doing so.
In another famous story, Prophet Mohammed went to a place called Taif to invite people to follow Islam. However, the people there treated him badly and even threw stones at him. But Prophet Mohammed was still kind and didn’t force them to become Muslims. There was also a man named Sumama who was captured in a mosque after he insulted Prophet Mohammed and the city of Medina. Despite this, Prophet Mohammed didn’t force him to become a Muslim. After being released, Sumama chose to accept Islam because of Prophet Mohammed’s good behavior. Even when Prophet Mohammed and his followers took over the city of Mecca, they didn’t force the non-Muslims there to convert. There were many instances where Prophet Mohammed could have made people accept Islam forcefully, but he didn’t because it goes against the teachings of Islam.
Khan also mentioned the Constitution of India, where he mentioned Article No. 25, says that we are free to follow, speak about, and share our religion. However, it also means that no Indian citizen can make others believe in their own religion. Every person living in India can follow their own traditions, ceremonies, and beliefs. They also have the freedom to choose any religion they want. In summary, Khan said that if a Muslim forces someone to become a Muslim against their will, they are breaking both Islamic and Indian laws and are considered guilty.