Website: www.aaiil.uk

Suffering for the sake of belief

Friday Khutba by Dr Zahid Aziz, for Lahore Ahmadiyya UK, 9 January 2026

“There is no compulsion in religion — the right way is indeed clearly distinct from error. So whoever disbelieves in the devil and believes in Allah, he indeed lays hold on the firmest handle which shall never break. And Allah is Hearing, Knowing.” — ch. 2, Al-Baqarah, v. 256

لَاۤ اِکۡرَاہَ فِی الدِّیۡنِ ۟ۙ قَدۡ تَّبَیَّنَ الرُّشۡدُ مِنَ الۡغَیِّ ۚ فَمَنۡ یَّکۡفُرۡ بِالطَّاغُوۡتِ وَ یُؤۡمِنۡۢ بِاللّٰہِ فَقَدِ اسۡتَمۡسَکَ بِالۡعُرۡوَۃِ الۡوُثۡقٰی ٭ لَا انۡفِصَامَ لَہَا ؕ وَ اللّٰہُ سَمِیۡعٌ عَلِیۡمٌ ﴿۲۵۶﴾

“Or do you think that you will enter the Garden, while there has not yet come upon you the like of what befell those who have passed away before you. Distress and affliction befell them and they were shaken violently, so that the Messenger and those who believed with him said: When will the help of Allah come? Now surely the help of Allah is near!” — ch. 2, Al-Baqarah, v. 214

اَمۡ حَسِبۡتُمۡ اَنۡ تَدۡخُلُوا الۡجَنَّۃَ وَ لَمَّا یَاۡتِکُمۡ مَّثَلُ الَّذِیۡنَ خَلَوۡا مِنۡ قَبۡلِکُمۡ ؕ مَسَّتۡہُمُ الۡبَاۡسَآءُ وَ الضَّرَّآءُ وَ زُلۡزِلُوۡا حَتّٰی یَقُوۡلَ الرَّسُوۡلُ وَ الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا مَعَہٗ مَتٰی نَصۡرُ اللّٰہِ ؕ اَلَاۤ اِنَّ نَصۡرَ اللّٰہِ قَرِیۡبٌ ﴿۲۱۴﴾

“Do people think that they will be left alone on saying, We believe, and will not be tried?” — ch. 29, Al-Ankabūt, v. 2

اَحَسِبَ النَّاسُ اَنۡ یُّتۡرَکُوۡۤا اَنۡ یَّقُوۡلُوۡۤا اٰمَنَّا وَ ہُمۡ لَا یُفۡتَنُوۡنَ ﴿۲﴾

The first verse I recited begins with the declaration that “There is no compulsion in religion”, meaning that in the matter of faith and religion no compulsion, coercion or pressure should be applied against anyone to make that person accept a certain faith or religion. The reason for it is stated to be that through the Quran and the Holy Prophet Muhammad the difference between the right way and the way of error has been made clear. Those who can see that difference should accept Islam because of that reason, and those who cannot see that difference cannot be made to see it by any kind of compulsion. Those who take the message of Islam to others should present it only on the basis that it teaches right from wrong, not on the basis that they have the power to make people accept this message. Similarly those who accept Islam must only accept it because they realise that it teaches right from wrong, and not for the reason that they will receive some worldly gain or benefit for accepting it, or for fear or favour.

Unfortunately, throughout history, people have often entered into a religion for worldly benefits that they could get by it. The religion of the rulers of the country was often accepted by many people in the country because it gained them the favours of their rulers and improved their social and economic position. An example is many of the people who, living under European colonial rule, became Christians in the 1800s and 1900s, including Muslims, because it elevated their social status and brought them advantages in education and employ­ment. This is only an example. Under the rule of other nations also, including under Muslim rule, there were instances of the subjects converting to the religion of the rulers for similar worldly reasons.

The verse I recited goes on to say that those who give up the worship of other gods, and other gods includes kings and priests who were treated like gods, and come to believe in the One God, they are taking hold of the firmest handle which will never break. This means that the One God will never disappoint His worshippers, will never let them down or desert them. A dictator who is obeyed by his subjects like God, such as the Pharaoh of Moses, or in modern times, Hitler and others like him, eventually loses power and runs away to save his own life. He can never be any kind of firm handle which never breaks, never causing its holders to fall to the ground.

The statement “there is no compulsion in religion” is a general declaration, prohibiting the application of any force or coercion by anyone to convert another person to any religion. As this occurs in the Quran and is a command taught directly to Muslims, it specifically prohibits Muslims from converting non-Muslims to Islam by force. But it also applies within the Muslim community itself and prohibits any Muslims from applying compulsion and pressure to make other Muslims accept their interpretation on some issue in Islam. But we see this commonly, done by Muslims to other Muslims. The compulsion which is applied can take the form of excluding other Muslims from Islam, taking away their rights to practise Islam, cutting off social relations with them, threatening them with legal punishments and depriving them of their properties and jobs. In Muslim countries, such as Pakistan, the religious and political leaders are in a position of power to take all of these steps against the Muslims that they disapprove of. In non-Muslim countries, where Muslim religious leaders have no power in the law of the land to force their views on the Muslim community, they are still able to take some of these steps, such as the social exclusion of Muslims whom they don’t approve of. I have, of course, in mind here the persecu­tion of Ahmadis by the mainstream Muslim religious leadership and their supporters.

There are many Muslims, including some who are friendly towards Ahmadis, who say that they want Ahmadis to become Muslims as defined by the verdicts of their religious leaders or by the law in Pakistan. But the method they have adopted is to say to Ahmadis: life will be much easier for you if you become a Muslim, you will not be facing the problems that you are now facing, if only you declare that you are Muslims as defined by us. However, to use this argument is completely against the teachings of the Quran. The second verse I recited told the Muslims of the Holy Prophet’s time that they would not enter the garden of the next life until they have gone through the trials, tribulations and persecutions which the followers of earlier prophets faced in this life. They had to face distress and affliction and, it says, “they were shaken violently,” so much so that they cried out: “When will the help of Allah come?” The third verse I recited says:

“Do people think that they will be left alone on saying, We believe, and will not be tried?”

These verses make it abundantly clear that it is a mark of accepting true Islam that as a result you face the most intense tests and difficulties. Yet most of us must have experienced it personally, and I have experienced it, that people say to us — and I admit that most of these people say it sympathetically and believe that they are giving us advice for our own good — that if you announce yourself to be a Muslim, as defined in the law of Pakistan, then you will not face any test, trial, distress or affliction for becoming a Muslim; in fact, to our members in Pakistan they say: your social position, jobs, businesses and properties will be secure as a result.

This is completely the opposite of what the Quran says happens to anyone who declares himself as a Muslim, and the opposite to what happened to those in the Holy Prophet’s time who became Muslims. This is the ultimate proof that what our well-meaning friends are inviting us to cannot be true Islam. Neither the Quran nor the Holy Prophet ever promised that a person who embraced Islam would be relieved of the problems of this world and find himself in comfort and security, and gain the respect and approval of people. In some well-known verses the Quran said:

“And do not speak of those who are slain in Allah’s way as dead. Rather, (they are) alive, but you do not perceive. And We shall certainly try you with something of fear and hunger and loss of property and lives and fruits. And give good news to the patient, who, when a misfortune befalls them, say: Surely we are Allah’s, and to Him we shall return. Those are they on whom are blessings and mercy from their Lord; and those are the followers of the right course.” (2:154–157)

Muslims were going to lose their lives, their peace and security, their means of sustenance, and their properties in this world. What they would have instead is ever-lasting spiritual life. Bodily they would be placed in severe discomfort and distress in this world, but in this very world they would have peace of mind and spiritual satisfac­tion that they are on the right path, and will find themselves being led out of darkness into light.

The Quran’s teachings are practical and they recognise that not everyone can stand firm in the face of trial. Regarding Muslims facing persecution it says:

“Whoever disbelieves in Allah after his belief — not he who is compelled while his heart is content with faith, but he who opens (his) breast for disbelief — they incur Allah’s displeasure.” (16:106)

This applies not only to a Muslim who is forced on threat of death to abandon the religion of Islam, but to anyone who knows that a belief is true, and he is persecuted for it and would be killed unless he denied that truth. If he denies his belief to save his life, while in his heart he holds on to that belief and is waiting for the opportunity to be free to proclaim it, then he is not guilty of denial of truth in Allah’s eyes. This is not the best course of action according to the Quran, but it is excused.

The method of persuasion used by those who urge us to deny being Ahmadis reminds me of a well-known incident in the life of the Holy Prophet Muhammad. In his early days at Makkah, the Quraish tried to stop him from preaching his message by offering him various inducements. They offered to him that they would give him any woman in marriage whom he desired, or give him as much wealth as he wanted, or accept him as their ruler and chief, if he refrains from his preaching that there is only One God. The Holy Prophet, as we all know, spurned this offer and said that he had been appointed by Allah to a mission which he would continue carrying out.

In a way, we are offered the same inducements by those people who wish us to leave this Movement. They tell us that by doing this we will be able to establish marriage relations with a much wider Muslim community, and that our businesses and liveli­hoods will prosper since we will not face any boycotts by other Muslims, and that we would be able to rise to high public positions among Muslims because no one would be objecting to this. This has a similarity with the Quraish offering to the Holy Pro­phet any woman, any wealth and any high position if he agreed to give up his mission.

Our friends ought to ponder that they are placing themselves in the same position as those who denied and rejected the Quran and the Holy Prophet. The Quran repeats that those who become Muslims will be tried with losses and tribulations. As opposed to this, our Muslim friends say to us: Declare yourself to be a Muslim like us and you will be relieved of the trials and tribulations you are facing. The kinsfolk of the Holy Prophet who wanted him to stop his mission offered him some worldly inducements, as I mentioned just now. Our Muslim friends offer us the same inducements.

Our prayer is that may Allah enable all Muslims to realise that faith, belief and truth cannot be traded for worldly benefits, and may He keep us steadfast on what we hold to be true — Ameen.

Website: www.aaiil.uk