A prophet says: people entered Islam fearing from swords!


They said: Muhammad (PBUH),the messenger of Islam, said: people entered Islam fearing from the sword, and confession is the best proofs, Muslims…
They resorted to what's mentioned in Al Qurtobi's interpretation of the verse: {So is it other than the religion of Allah they desire, while to Him have submitted [all] those within the heavens and earth, willingly or by compulsion, and to Him they will be returned?} (The Family of Imran: 83)
Al Qurtobi mentioned in his interpretation: Muhammad (PBUH) said: "Don't curse my companions, as they entered Islam fearing from Allah, the Almighty, and the rest of people entered Islam fearing of the sword".
The reply:
First: this misunderstanding is false and completely untrue..and that's proved in the following two points:
The first point: the prophetic speech is incorrect, because it has no reference, and it's not found in all the books of Muhammad's (PBUH) speeches.
The second point: it's well known that people entered Islam by good sermon and kind invitation,besides Allah's will to make them believers.
Here I have a question: which sword feared Abu Bakr, Omar Ibn Al Khattab, Othman Ibn Affan, Ali Ibn Abu Taleb,…….?
The answer: there's no sword, and here I mention two proofs to refute this misunderstanding:
The first proof: Allah, the Almighty, says in the Quran: {And brought together their hearts. If you had spent all that is in the earth, you could not have brought their hearts together; but Allah brought them together. Indeed, He is Exalted in Might and Wise} (The Spoils of War: 63)
The second proof: in The Correct Bukhari, book of (Incursions), chapter ( Bani Hanifa's delegation and Thumama Ibn Athal's speech), no. 4024: Abu Huraira said: Muhammad (PBUH) sent a horse near Najd, then it came with a man from Bani Hanifa named Thumama Ibn Athal. They chained him in one of the masjed's (mosque) poles, and Muhammad (PBUH) went to him and said: what do you have, Thumama? He replied: I have all the good, Muhammad. If you kill me, you'll kill an honorable man, if you set me free, you will find me grateful, and if you want money, I will give you whatever you need. Then, Muhammad (PBUH) left him, and came to him the day after. He (PBUH) asked him again: what do you have, Thumama? He replied: I have what I told you before. Muhammad (PBUH) said: let him free. So, he went to a bathroom near the masjed (mosque) and bathed, then entered the masjed ( mosque) and said: I witness that there's no God but Allah, and I witness that Muhammad is the messenger of Allah. O Muhammad, your face was the most obnoxious on earth to me, but now your face became the most adorable to me. I swear that your religion was the most horrid to me, and now it became the most lovable to me. I swear that your country was the most damned to me, and now it became the most lovable to me. Your horse came to me and I want to make a minor pilgrimage to Makkah, so what do you see? Muhammad (PBUH) reassured him and ordered him to make his pilgrimage. When he went to Makkah, someone told him: you abjured. He said: No, but I entered Islam with Muhammad (PBUH), the messenger of Allah, the Almighty. I swear no corn grain shall come to you from Al Yamama, until Muhammad (PBUH) allows it.
Second: fearing people by sword in order to enter Islam never happened through the Islamic history. On the other side, we find this in the objectors' religion, in the Bible. Obliging people to enter their religion is mentioned several times, I will mention two proofs only:
The first, in The Old Testament: { 17 And in every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them} (Esther 8:17)
Notice here Judaizing people by fearing them: { And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them}.
The second, in The New Testament: { 27 But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me.’”} (Luke 19:27)
Notice here that Jesus, the Christ, ordered his followers to slaughter his objectors, and those who didn't enter his religion…..! No comment!!


by:dr. akram hassan morsi
Translation to English: Professor Islamic translation