Page 172 - Bigotry: The Dark Danger

Bigotry:
The Dark Danger

The Killing of Those Who

Cease to Pray

Those who cease to pray can be killed.

(2117-Sunan Abu Dawud)

The above false hadith is another of those that command the
killing of those who abjure Islam. It is clear, however, that a faith

which openly denies compulsion and force is not going to compel
people to pray. How could a religion that says "... You are not a
dictator over them…." (Qur'an, 50:45) be so violent and repres-
sive? It cannot, of course. When we look at the Qur'an we see that
everyone must be treated with respect and affection, whether they
believe or not.

Let us remember one important fact we set out at the begin-

ning of this book: an act of worship performed under compulsion
will lose any validity as an act of worship, and may also give rise
to hatred and anger. When someone is forced to pray, he does not
become a Muslim; someone who is forced to pray against his will
may turn into a two-faced hypocrite, an enemy of the faith. Some-
one who thinks he will be killed if he stops praying will simply

pretend to be a believer if he does not wish to endanger his own
life. He will behave hypocritically and will loathe the life he leads,
and therefore the faith imposed on him. Creating a hypocrite is the
worst possible harm that can be done to Islam. Therefore, a reli-
gious devotion ensured through compulsion, force and threats of

death is no religious devotion at all. This merely harms Islam.

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