2.256 – (There is) no compulsion in religion

This famous expression seems to say that force may be used neither to compel a non-Muslim into Islam, nor to prevent a Muslim from leaving Islam. Understood in this way, the verse is a very welcome affirmation of freedom of religion.

In the history of Muslim interpretation, the meaning of the verse has not been so straightforward. Early Muslim commentators tended to say that the first recitation of the verse applied to a particular situation in Medina, and thus they did not envision a universal application. Translations of early Muslim interpretations are available in Mahmoud Ayoub’s The Qur’an and its Interpreters.

In recent years, Muslims have often cited this verse to support the claim that Islam is a religion of peace. If the verse indeed calls for peace, it needs to be read in the context of this sūra, including the commands to fight and kill (vv. 190–94, 216–17, 244).