Even those who allow the initiation of jihād...

Even those who allow the initiation of jihād, do not believe that jihād can be used to impose Islam on non-Muslims. At the most, they say that jihād can be initiated to remove tyranny and oppression from a non-Muslim society in order to eliminate the factors that prevent the Divine message from reaching the masses. Jihād cannot be used for imposing Islam on others; it is just for putting an end to the aggression against Muslims or for helping the oppressed non-Muslims.

(The history of Muslims bears out this idea; an unbiased historian can clearly separate the spread of the Muslim rule over areas outside Arabia āby military mightā and the spread of Islam āwithout forceā in those same regions.) (5) The Qur’ān clearly says that: “There is no compulsion in the religion.” (6) What this verse actually means is that: “There is no compulsion in (accepting) the religion (of Islam).” Why?

The verse continues: “Surely the Right Path is clearly distinct from the crooked path.” So Muslims can always show the difference between the right and the wrong paths, but not force the non-Muslims to accept Islam. The Prophet of Islam has also been mentioned as a reminder, not as a person who forces Islam upon others.

“Therefore, you remind (them), for you are only a reminder; you are not a watcher over them.” (7) In many other verses, the Prophet is described as: “a bearer of good news and a warning of God’s punishment.” (8) His role was just to remind the people about their natural instinct of believing in God. Force is not needed because the right way is clearly distinct from the crooked way.

Even during the conquest of Mecca, the idol-worshippers were given a grace time of four months to study Islam, and thereafter either become Muslims by their own choice or leave the sacred city. (9) What after submission? What we have said above was about accepting Islam, and coming into the fold of Islam. We have made it very clear that no one can be forcefully brought into the fold of Islam; Islam cannot be imposed on any person or society.

This was all about a person who is outside the fold of Islam. Now we move on to the next step. If a person is raised in a society which protects his soul from the impurities of atheism (kufr) and polytheism (shirk), or if a person is shown the Right Path and accepts it willingly — can such a person reject the Islamic faith? Is he allowed to apostate (become murtad) and renounce Islam?