لاَ إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ   

There can be no compulsion in religion.  Indeed Truth

has been made distinct from the way of error;

    The Holy Quran is declaring the principle of free choice of religion.  Islamically, no person can be compelled into the Faith—it is up to the individual to choose freely either to be Muslim or not.

    Allah Almighty does not want any compulsion in Islam; man's thoughts and man's feelings are to be respected and to be taken into account.  Man is to enjoy the freedom of choice, but will stand to account for his choices, and he may be rewarded or punished.  Life on earth is a state of constant testing to see who is worthy of Paradise and who is worthy of Hell.

Ø The truth has become distinct from falsehood.  The truth is Islam.  The truth is the Directives of Islam.

    The truth leads to discovering the Islamic enlightenment, appreciating it, loving it, cherishing it, and putting it to action.

Ø Thus, the truth proves itself standing tall and attractive for all.

    The truth has become distinct from falsehood with the dawn of Islam.  Falsehood is anything not of Divine Guidance and enlighten­ment.  Falsehood consists of:

·        Man‑made beliefs,

·        Man‑modified religions as a faith, or

·        Anything not totally Divine in its source.

    There is no compulsion in religion since the distinction between the value of Islam and other philosophies or "religions" is clear—it proves Islam.  Therefore the one who chooses the correct way (Islam) will benefit himself, and the one who does not choose it stands to lose.

فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِن بِاللّهِ  

therefore, he who rejects false deities and

believes in Allah,

    Given freedom of choice, most people will recognize the attraction of Allah's religion, appreciating Islam's high principles, and they often become magnetized by them.

    It will be clear to them that deities other than Allah are absurd notions, so they will discard modified or invented "religions".  They will not accept anything contradicting the principles and teachings of Islam.

    Thus, such believers in Allah who reject what is contradictory to His teachings will have:

 فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىَ   

indeed, has taken hold of the firm rope

    The firm rope is faith in Allah and His Directives, it is the invisible bond and firm connection between the faithful and the Creator.

    The believer whose faith in Allah is deep, who rejects what is contrary to Allah's teachings, is the one who has found true guidance.  Such a person has held firmly to the reliable rope of Allah, i.e., Islam. 

    This symbolizes:

1. Our constant communion with Allah,

2. Allah's constant presence in our thoughts and mind,

3. Being persistently under Allah's protection and guidance,

4. Our destiny is in Allah's gentle hands, and finally

5. Our fortune, peace of mind, health, and happiness are observed by Allah and directed by Him.

 لا انفِصَامَ لَهَا وَاللّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ   

which will not break off;

and Allah is all-Hearing, all-Knowing.

·     Allah Almighty affirms that the Firm Rope will not falter, it will not weaken nor break.  Allah will protect this established relationship, and a person has only to act on his own, all that he has to do is to have solid faith in his Creator and Islam.  Allah will:

1. bless such a person with plenty,

2. oversee him and protect him, and

3. reward him abundantly in this earthly life and especially in the Hereafter.

    Allah is the One who hears and knows; He knows what is in our hearts, how sincere, faithful, serious, and dedicated to His religion we are.  Allah knows our thoughts and inner feelings, and we stand bare in His knowledge, since we can keep no secrets from Him.

    Thus Allah will help those who help themselves in His way, and since He fully knows the sincerity of the believer, He will see to it that this connection with Him will not falter.

اللّهُ وَلِيُّ الَّذِينَ آمَنُواْ يُخْرِجُهُم مِّنَ الظُّلُمَاتِ إِلَى النُّوُرِ  

Allah is the guardian of those who believe.  He brings them out of darkness into light.

    Allah Almighty sponsors the believers in Him, He guides them, watches over, and cares for them.  Allah (swt) sees to it they are illuminated with His guidance.  Islam is the light by which people can see the Way to Allah as He has mandated for man.

    The believers will be helped to feel the light of Heavenly Guidance, and Allah helps them out of the darkness of ignorance and false beliefs.

    Allah is in charge of the believers in Him, He protects them and saves them from trouble.

    Please note that Allah does not use the words who believe and do good deeds as so often He does in other parts of the Holy Quran, but His reference is specifically to those who believe.

 وَالَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ أَوْلِيَآؤُهُمُ الطَّاغُوتُِ  

And those who disbelieve, the false deities are their guardians

    There are those who believe in Islam, hold to it, and apply its instructions.  They are the believers sponsored by Allah as Allah Almighty has declared.

    Yet, there are some who disbelieve, they reject Islam or ignore it.  They are people who:

1. believe in man-made philosophies,

2. favor artificial beliefs,

3. hold to modified religions, or

4. they elect to have no beliefs, to exist as if life on earth is a dead‑end street.

    The disbelievers' way of living will be different from that of the believers, and it will take its own special course, even in their way of behavior.  When they deny being accountable to Allah, they become captives to their whims and desires, no matter how excessive these are.  They become prisoners of their personal desires and greed, often to the detriment of others.

    These people (disbelievers) live in a void, and will be devoid of Allah's blessings or sponsorship.  They are directed by what they believe in however unauthentic or powerless it is.  And whatever their belief is, it will prove to be powerless and devoid of Allah's blessings and will often lead to trouble, anxiety, and sorrow.

 يُخْرِجُونَهُم مِّنَ النُّورِ إِلَى الظُّلُمَات  

They will lead them out of light to be in darkness

    This is in reference to the disbelievers, the followers of false deities.  Their own deities will have taken them to what is due them, into the darkness, to suffer various anxieties and worries, to live a troubled life and to bear the burden of their own disbelief.

    These people will have to rely on their false beliefs and their false Gods.  These people will suffer the consequences, and more so in the Hereafter.

 أُوْلَـئِكَ أَصْحَابُ النَّارِ هُمْ فِيهَا خَالِدُون  

They are the inmates of HellFire,

they shall abide therein eternally.

    Those who don't believe in Allah stand to lose very much.  On the one hand, they stand to lose during this earthly life since their beliefs often lead them to many problems.  These problems affect their way of living and behavior, leading to trouble and suffering.  But actually this is a minor loss compared to their loss in the Hereafter.

    For the disbelievers the major loss will be in the Hereafter.  They will be doomed, to be the abiders of Hell Fire, and they will suffer in Hell for a very long time.  After having been warned repeatedly, they do not take heed, ignoring the warning sent to them.  Allah's promise is true though they do not believe it, so the surprise of surpri­ses is when they find out that the promise of Allah has come true.