Hindu Vivek Kendra
A RESOURCE CENTER FOR THE PROMOTION OF HINDUTVA
   
 
 
«« Back
Religious Tolerance in the Koran

Religious Tolerance in the Koran

Author: Vinod Kumar
Publication:
Date:

In one discussion on a group, a participant wrote: ""For instance while there is just one verse in Koran which says "To you your religion, to me mine", there are scores (hundreds, actually) which promote hatred towards disbelievers.""

Actually the Muslim apologists quote two verses -- part of two verses to be more accurate -- to show Islam really does not preach hatred against others. As written in the above post there are scores of verses which do.

As a matter of fact these two verses also don't promote amity among different religions or accept them as good or equal to Islam.

1. The first verse -- part actually -- that is often quoted is

"There is no compulsion in religion"  --- This is not the complete verse.

The complete verse is

"There shall be no compulsion in religion. True guidance is now distinct from error. He that renounces idol worship and puts faith in God shall grasp a firm handle that will never break. God hears all and knows all." (2:256)

This verse is from the early Medina period when the Prophet was trying to make friendship with the Jews and convert them to Islam. So he preached there shall be no compulsion in religion but still he maintained Islam is the "true" guidance and only those who renounce idol worship shall grasp a firm handle. This verse does not accept other religions as "true faith".

But the apologists of Islam never quote the entire verse -- just the first part and try to claim that Islam accepts all faiths  and does impose Islam by force.

2. The second from which "to your religion to me mine" is quoted is as below.

The title of this verse -- actually the whole ayat -- is "The unbelievers" and it was revealed at Mecca when the Prophet was trying to convert the Meccans to Islam and they were not accepting his faith. It is a very short ayat.  The complete ayat is:

"Say: 'Unbelievers, I shall never worship what you worship, you shall never worship what I worship. You have your own religion and I have mine." (109)

In this also the apologists only quote a part of the entire ayat -- "you have your own religion and I have mine." Reading of the complete ayat shows the disgust in which this verse is written '-- "I shall never worship what you worship" --- there is no compromise or acceptance of other's religion -- just rejection of each other. "I shall never worship your religion and you shall never worship my religion" does not reflect respect for other religion.

Nowhere does the Koran says anything like "all religions come from God -- they are good and equal -- it does not matter what one worships because in reality since there is only one God -- one worships that God only."

Lord Krishna says in Gita -- whoever one worships he worships me.

This is the true spirit of belief in ONE GOD. If there is Only ONE GOD -- how can anyone worship any other God. For the true believer in ONE God, the question of worshipping other Gods does not even arise. Lord Krishna is secure -- he does not care who anyone worships. There being only one God -- one can only worship him.

Anyway. coming back to original topic the peaceful nature of Islam quoted by the apologists of Islam is not in true spirit. They never quote the entire verse -- if they did so their own theory will fall flat.
 


Back                          Top

«« Back
 
 
 
  Search Articles
 
  Special Annoucements