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—never through coercion; he compelled no one to accept Islam. (1)
When the Christians nevertheless initiated the killing of Muslims, the Prophet sent out a detachment, appointing Zayd ibn Ḥāritha as its commander, then—should he fall—Jaʿfar, and then ʿAbd Allāh ibn Rawāḥa. This was the first battle in which the Muslims fought the Christians, at Muʾtah in the Syrian lands, where a vast host gathered against his Companions.
(1) Shaykh al-Islam states in al-Jawab al-Sahih, 1/313: “Most of the inhabitants of al-Sham and other regions embraced Islam willingly, not under coercion, for it is impermissible to force the ahl al-dhimma (protected non-Muslims) to accept Islam, as Allah says in Surah al-Baqarah: ‘There is no compulsion in religion; the right way has become distinct from error.’”
Ibn al-Qayyim writes in Hidayat al-Hayara, 1/12: “He never compelled anyone to accept the religion; he fought only those who fought him. Whoever made peace with him or concluded a truce, he neither fought nor coerced, in obedience to his Lord’s command: ‘There is no compulsion in religion; the right way has become distinct from error.’ The phrase is worded as a negation but functions as a prohibition, meaning: ‘Do not compel anyone into the religion.’ The sound view is that the verse is absolutely general, applying to every unbeliever. Anyone who studies the Prophet’s sirah will see that he never forced anyone to embrace his faith; he fought only those who fought him. As for those who remained faithful to their treaties, he fought them not. Indeed, Allah ordered him to honor their covenants so long as they honored them. In short, the Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—never coerced anyone to enter his religion; people joined it solely by choice and free will.”
لا كَرْهًا، فَلَمْ يُكْرِهْ أَحَدًا عَلَى الإِسْلَامِ (١).
فَلَمَّا بَدَأَهُ النَّصَارَى بِقَتْلِ المُسْلِمِينَ أَرْسلَ سَرِيَّةً أَمَّرَ عَلَيهَا زَيدَ بنَ حَارِثَةَ، ثُمَّ جَعْفَرًا، ثُمَّ ابنَ رَوَاحَةَ، وَهُوَ أَوُّلُ قِتَالٍ قَاتَلَهُ المُسْلِمُونَ لِلنَّصَارَى بِمُؤْتَة مِنْ أَرْضِ الشَّام، واجْتَمَعَ عَلَى أَصْحَابِهِ خَلْقٌ كَثِيرٌ
(١) قال شيخ الإسلام في الجواب الصحيح (١/ ٣١٣): (ثم صار أكثر أهل الشام وغيرهم مسلمين طوعا لا كرها فإن إكراه أهل الذمة على الإسلام غير جائز، كما قال تعالى سورة البقرة: ﴿لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَدْ تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ﴾. وقال ابن القيم في هداية الحيارى (١/ ١٢): (ولم يكره أحدًا قط على الدين، وإنما كان يقاتل من يحاربه ويقاتله، وأما من سالمه وهادنه فلم يقاتله ولم يكرهه على الدخول في دينه، امتثالًا لأمر ربه سبحانه حيث يقول: ﴿لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَدْ تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ﴾، وهذا نفي في معنى النهي، أي: لا تكرهوا أحدًا على الدين .. والصحيح أن الآية على عمومها في حق كل كافر ... ومن تأمل سيرة النبي ﷺ تبين له أنه لم يكره أحدًا على دينه قط، وأنه إنما قاتل من قاتله، وأما من هادنه فلم يقاتله ما دام مقيمًا على هدنته لم ينقض عهده؛ بل أمره الله تعالى أن يفي لهم بعهدهم ما استقاموا له، والمقصود: أنه ﷺ لم يكره أحدًا على الدخول في دينه البتة، وإنما دخل الناس في دينه اختيارًا وطوعًا).