The Qur’an famously declares, “There is no compulsion in religion.” But there is much compulsion today in the name of Islam; from apostasy laws to enforced veils, from Iran to Afghanistan.
In the groundbreaking book, ‘No Compulsion in Religion, No Exceptions’ editor Mustafa Akyol elucidates the Islamic arguments against these deadly “exceptions” to freedom. It advocates for a faith grounded in free choice, not coercion. In this episode, Host Fred Stella discusses with Mustafa how traditional Islamic legal sources include various measures of religious coercion. Apostates and blasphemers are sentenced to the death penalty, and “religious police” forces are called to enforce piety.
Moreover, some self-defined “Islamic” regimes of today, such as the Taliban, enforce these verdicts rigidly, shocking the conscience of many people, including many Muslims. So, is there really no compulsion in Islam? Or are there serious exceptions to that Qur’anic maxim, as some authorities explicitly argue? Listen and find out.
Mustafa Akyol is a senior fellow at the Cato Institute’s Center for Global Liberty and Prosperity, where he focuses on the intersection of public policy, Islam, and modernity.
