Author Description

The verse 256 of the second chapter of the Quran reads as follows: No compulsion in the religion! The righteousness has been made clear from the error. Whoever disbelieves in the idols and believes in God, has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold that never breaks. God is hearer, knower. Muslims often use the first sentence of this verse to prove that Islam recognizes religious freedom. But this is contradicted namely by a saying of Muhammad: "Whoever changes his religion, kill him." The killing of the apostate, the one who leaves Islam, is confirmed, for example, by the uniform Arab Penal Code adopted unanimously by the Council of Arab Ministers of Justice in 1996. We will limit ourselves in this study to show what Muslim exegetes say about the verse 2:256. This book is available also in French and English: Nulle contrainte dans la religion No compulsion in the religion The Author Sami A. Aldeeb Abu-Sahlieh. Christian of Palestinian origin. Swiss citizen. Doctor in law. Habilitated to direct researches. Professor of universities (CNU-France). Responsible for Arab and Islamic Law at the Swiss Institute of Comparative Law (1980-2009). Visiting professor at different French, Italian and Swiss universities. Director of the Centre of Arab and Islamic Law. Author of many books, including a French, English and Italian translation of the Quran, and an annotated Arabic edition of the Quran.