Al-Baqarah 256: There is no compulsion in religion. Right and wrong have been proclaimed (and made distinct from each other). So, those who reject the taghoot (Shaytan and evil desires) and believe in Allah, they are hanging on to a strong handle. Allah is Samee (All-Hearing) and Aleem (All-Knowing).

Now, of verse 256, we move on to the explanation of the verse.

There is no compulsion in religion.

Right and wrong have now been distinguished from each other. That is, the truth has come, falsehood has vanished. So whoever rejects the taghut, the taghut, and believes in Allah has grasped the firm handhold that does not break. Allah hears and knows. So says Allah Almighty in His verse. What fine guidance He gives people. Now, there is no compulsion in religion. Yes. When Allah Almighty says there is no compulsion in religion: leküm dînüküm veliye dîn. Your religion is yours, and mine is mine. Yes. Why is there no compulsion? Why does Allah Almighty say so? There is emr-i bi'l-maruf, enjoining the good.

That is, first explain the truth, say what is right. Try to keep the person from evil. But don't force. Why not force? Because Allah Almighty, who made a covenant with us at the address Elestü bi Rabbiküm, our desires and wishes, in our own partial will, our wish, wrote for us as destiny. If a person's destiny is among the disbelievers, you, however much you force him in religion, cannot make him a Muslim; this is not in your hands.

And while doing this you (?).

That is, you get angry, speak harshly to the man, you earn sin. If you want to earn reward, you convey the message. According to the verse of enjoining the good. Yes.

In religion there is conveying, we said. There is conveying. Because Allah Almighty says: enjoin the good. First, the evil (?), He says. If that's not enough, with your tongue; then, the lowest degree of faith, hating it in your heart.

If everyone's desire, wish and want became destiny for them, as we explained a moment ago to your child Gamze, when we explained, we gave examples with verses — according to the verse "if We do not will, you cannot will", since no one can change anyone's destiny, in this case compulsion in religion Allah Almighty has removed. There is no compulsion in religion, He says.

However much a non-Muslim forces a Muslim, that Muslim may deny with his tongue but does not deny with his heart.

Allah Almighty says so in His precious word. If they oppress you and tell you to leave the religion, say it with your tongue but do not affirm it with your heart, He says. Yes, according to this verse too we do not become disbelievers. That is, being forced like this, as long as in his heart he has not left the religion, holding to the verse about denial by the tongue, he does not become a disbeliever. And this is not in the sense of having turned a person by force with words. So, that from the very beginning He made a covenant with people, that no one can change anyone's destiny, He emphasizes to us here.

There is no difficulty in religion, it says. Right and wrong have now been distinguished from each other.

Now Allah Almighty, according to the verse "the truth has come, falsehood has vanished", what He calls wrong and right: with the fine mind He gave people, a person using his mind, the human mind knowing what is right, knowing what is right, and within this rightness, that falsehood is truly (?) — when people understand this, the verses Allah Almighty spoke to people within (?), people, within (?), understand wrong and right very well. Yes. So whoever rejects the taghut and believes in Allah. What is the taghut? It is those who, in the guise of two-legged humans, appear, of whom He says "they are even more astray in their course", "they are like four-legged animals on the earth" — those people.

Another meaning of taghut is the devil. If he leaves the devil, ignores his temptation, and that one more devilish than the devil, that human devil, that taghut — if a person leaves the taghut's oppression and returns to the truth and, seeing how astray a path they are on, a person from deeds that (?) human dignity, human freedom keeps away, turns to his Lord, and within the garb of humanity reaches human freedom — then, it says, he has grasped the firm handhold. This handhold: Allah Almighty sent us the religion, and within that religion by saying the testimony of faith, in his capacity as a Muslim, he has the firm handhold grasped.

Because other handholds are of no use. They are ideologies. But Allah's handhold is firm. Cups attached to that handle do not fall, bowls do not fall. Why don't they fall? Because the Creator created everything firm. There is no god other than Him. If you grasp the handhold that God offers you, to His religion show respect, and within that religion to Allah, to the One who created you, if you obey, then that the others' words are lies and that they are capable of nothing, and that only if you reach the mercy of your Creator will you find life — you will have realized this. That is the firm handhold. The religion of Islam.

Yes. Allah hears and knows, it says.

Allah Almighty hears with His attribute Sami'.

He is All-Knowing. He is the one who created this whole universe from the atom to the globe. He has programmed what will happen until the Day of Judgment. Therefore He knows. Yes. Now we can read our tafsir. Let's see whether we wrote anything about the verse in our tafsir. There is no compulsion in religion. Because whatever covenant people gave to Allah, they cannot go beyond that covenant. Yes, as I explained a moment ago, they cannot go beyond their destinies. But people may have given Allah Almighty a good covenant. In this case, in the material world, by upbringing, he may have grown up in a bad place.

Or the person may not have heard the truth. Here there is enjoining the good, that is, explaining the truth to the person. The truth. That is where enjoining the good is. But there is no compulsion. There is enjoining the good. The person truly has a good character. But by upbringing he grew up in a bad environment. He acquired bad traits. So this person, when he acquires these bad traits, when he does bad deeds, constantly his conscience aches. Because that is not his origin. Because it is not his origin, the things he does go against him. In this case, when you enjoin the good to such people, when the person sees the truth, he immediately gives up those evils.

That is, he is reformed and returns to his covenant. Because you caused this, you earn reward. If there is a jewel in the person, he will find the truth. If that jewel is not there — as Allah Almighty, to His Beloved, (?) the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), declared in His verse: even if they are those you love, you cannot make (?) hear, He declares. Yes.

This verse is as if of our child Gamze — the question she asked us. Yes, or rather, to her question accusing us, the answer. For this reason, if in their nature there is rebellion against Allah and not acknowledging Him, you can never turn them to the truth. Yes, "even if they are those you love", He says, and I love Abu Talib because he protected the Prophet so much.

The Prophet (peace be upon him) also loved him very much.

But when he did not become Muslim — if becoming Muslim is not in one's nature, "even if they are those I love", it says. You cannot explain to them. But, God willing, his final departure — Allah knows. Everyone's final departure, Allah knows. My heart wishes so. God willing, he departed as a Muslim. That is what it wishes. Because he protected the Prophet (peace be upon him) very much. And he is his grandfather.

Right and wrong from each other have now been distinguished. Yes.

Allah Almighty, to the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Quran has sent.

He has made known to us His law that will remain in force until the Day of Judgment.

With the mind He gave people, so that they can distinguish crooked and straight, that is truth and falsehood, He has placed His verses before people.

He has left people free in their own will.

These are all the meanings of the verses. We are saying them here sentence by sentence. He has left their own will free too. We are recalling the address Elestü bi Rabbiküm. And in that will, the covenant man gave to Allah Almighty, as his destiny, He wrote. He has placed His verses before people, people in their own will free He has left. People who, with their own will, toward finding or not finding the truth, in proportion to their nature, live their destinies, make themselves witnesses before Allah with their good deeds and sins. Now, our Lord, to people, with the words of His verses, holds a light before them, and although He proves His existence, so that no mind can deny Allah, Allah Almighty made Himself known to people, although no person can say "had Allah Almighty said it this way too, I would have known Him better" — if our Lord made His words known to people in such a way and if people, out of stubbornness, drown the light of faith in the darkness of shirk, and Allah Almighty says "We never cease giving people parables with a mosquito and what is greater", then no person there, when he sees the punishment, "if You had addressed me like this too with Your verses, I would have become Muslim" — he will not be able to say that.

So what does Allah Almighty say: right and wrong have now been distinguished from each other. With the mind I gave you, with the verses I sent you, you very well comprehended Me. Very good. But look what it says in the verse now.

Yes. Their situation, the hypocrites' — a wrongly rendered verse; I will correct it. I'll open this part. It comes to the same place. The situation of them, the hypocrites, is like one who, on a dark night, lights a fire. The fire is Allah Almighty's verse. That fire lights up what is before them. They see. They see. When that fire burns and lights up its surroundings, Allah immediately takes away their light. This was rendered wrongly. Although they see in that light, although they see their surroundings, they immediately turn their backs. That is, they leave themselves in darkness. They can no longer see anything.

How fine. It already supports what it knows with verses. Yes, so with that fire people see their surroundings, but Allah Almighty as Allah — at the address Elestü bi Rabbiküm, when He showed His being to people, at a time — since He created man close to Himself, that one, not believing in Allah, denying his own Creator, in his own imagination waiting for the Lord he expected — that wish of his, to him being given as destiny; and in this world, the Quran that Allah Almighty, as mercy to the worlds, sent, and again, as mercy to the worlds, sent: the Beloved of the Almighty, (?) Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) — just as he denied his Lord there, out of hatred and greed, although Allah's verses hold a light before him, with the devil's temptation, the taghut promising him many things, following the feelings of his nafs, people who prefer to live like four-legged beings on the earth — these are people who, though they see the right, run (?) toward the crooked.

So according to this, what does Allah Almighty say? Right and wrong have now been distinguished from each other. You too now know this is right, but you cannot free yourself from your own nafs. Yes. Allah Almighty, to the Prophet (peace be upon him), the Quran has sent. He has made known His Quran, which will remain in force until the Day of Judgment. With the mind He gave people, so that they can distinguish crooked and straight, that is truth and falsehood, He has placed His verses before people. How fine. We explain it sentence by sentence. Of course it gets even better when opened up a little with verses.

We call it adornment. He has left people free in their own will.

People who, with their own will, toward finding or not finding the truth, in proportion to their nature, live their destinies, make themselves, with their good deeds and sins, witnesses before Allah. Yes.

So whoever rejects the taghut and follows the truth — taghut, in one sense, is the devil. Also, taghut is the evils in one's nafs. That is, it is the bad person. Yes. Whoever does not follow these and returns to Allah has grasped the firm handhold that does not break. So when that fire burns and lights up its surroundings, without being swept away by the feelings of the nafs, to Allah's verses that lit up his surroundings — if he holds to them, he has truly the firm handhold (?). Because there is no god other than Allah. Other than Allah's word there is no word to be followed, or to be brought in either — no such word exists.

I say this in this sense; don't misunderstand. Created as a god, created as a god, (?) and as a god, sir, to people speaking, and that second god's word to be believed — such a god does not exist, so such a word does not exist either. So such a word is not obeyed either. But our religion says: obey your commander even if he is as small as a dried raisin stalk. And every state has laws. They are obliged to obey those laws. These laws are a separate matter. When we say here that no word is to be obeyed, we mean: other than Allah's word. Allah's word — that is our Creator's, our Lord's religious ruling and command over us.

There is no other god to command us so that we do it. This is not possible. Because there is no god other than Allah. Well, have there not been those who worshipped? There have. Who? Pharaoh's. As they took Pharaoh as a god. As his people worshipped him. As they worshipped whatever he did. Sir, as they worshipped their own nafs, as they followed the taghut. For example, so, their handhold is no handhold. Their religions are no religion; they are ideology. So, they lead people into dead ends and swamps. Allah, however, brings people out into light and safety. In this case, those people, those ideologies are not to be followed, Allah Almighty says.

So truth and falsehood have been distinguished. Since you are free in your own will, whoever wants will do what he wants, and in this case, the person, at the address Elestü bi Rabbiküm, whatever covenant he made with Allah Almighty, whatever desire and wish he made, his wish was written for him as destiny, and he will play it in this world as an actor. He will prove himself. So then, whoever rejects the taghut and follows the Truth — we said taghut is, in one sense, the devil, the devil. Also, taghut is the evils in one's nafs, the evils in a person's nafs. Whoever does not follow these and turns toward Allah has the firm handhold that does not break grasped. If Allah is the owner of the universe, if there is no god other than Him, if He is strong and mighty, whoever is with Him attains salvation.

Because the word of the owner of the universe is valid. The others' words are not valid. Now what does this resemble? If we give an example:

A factory owner tells his workers, do it like this.

Do it like this.

His worker: no, don't do what he says. If he says "we'll do it this way",

and the factory owner says: if you don't listen to my word and don't go in the direction I said, I'll dismiss you —

some of those people do what the factory owner says. Some of the people leave what the factory owner said, and if they follow the people rebelling against that factory owner, what does the factory owner do to them? He throws them out. So every soul shall taste death. And finally, according to the verse in which He says "your return is to Me", in this world, where you seem free and seem as if no one can interfere with you, free in my will, and within your free will what you decided — how much responsibility you are under, if you (?). (?). Ah. So. In the end, when you return to that Lord, your rebellion against your Lord and your failure to hold to that firm handhold, that your word has no validity, and that the factory owner, that is, the owner of the worlds, his word is valid — you will see it there.

Yes.

If He is strong and mighty, whoever is with Him attains salvation. They are protected in this world and the hereafter. For this reason they are bound with a firm bond that does not break. Those who judge by the religion of Islam, by holding fast to Allah's religion, attain salvation. Yes, we too, so that everyone can understand, have tied it together briefly with such fine sentences. Because like this, as I explained here, if I had poured these explanations of mine into tafsirs, it would never end. Truly. I couldn't finish it, I mean.

It would take a lot of time. As long as I live, I will explain the verses to you like this.

With the example of the firm handhold that does not break, Allah Almighty means this: The human nafs, for its own interests, rightly or wrongly, in many people's promises does not place hope. Yes.

Now this part, implicitly but very clearly — if you think a little, very clearly — to people we tried to explain with examples. What did we say? With the example of the firm handhold that does not break, Allah Almighty means this: the human nafs, for its own interests, rightly or wrongly, in many people's promises places hope. For their interests they rely on people. Such people cannot realize that the blessings they receive come from Allah. They think the blessings they received come from persons. In this case, because they cannot remember Allah, people drift away from Allah. We said. In fact, with the taghut's promises, to him making the world look pleasant, as if throwing a little bait to a fish, by throwing him some (?) bait in the world, he to his own side draws the person.

And since man sees this world with his eyes, with the feelings of his nafs, with the devil's temptation, with the taghut's words pleasing to his nafs, with gilded words, these draw him to their side. Yes.

So who relies on such people besides Allah? We explained this part so nicely. Now we come to the purpose. Here we say it a bit openly. We say: whoever relies on such people besides Allah, places hope in them, abandons Allah — the handhold he makes is no handhold. That is, his words do not lead you to salvation. He shows you nothing other than a trick of the tongue. You know there are magicians who do some things by sleight of hand — these too, with their glib talk, their tongues, and with worldly things pleasing to your nafs, with a line cast for a fish, draw you to themselves. And believe me, their words are no words, their beliefs no beliefs, their religions no religion; falsehood and superstition, dragging you into darkness and swamps — words. So this is no handhold, not the firm handhold.

You, entering dead ends whose end is darkness, and finally that face of bliss, that is, Paradise, turning it into wrong — that place of which it says "what an evil bed", Hell, you aspire to. May Allah protect us. Yes.

To him (?) is a weak rope. It's a weak rope. But if you ask whether we can still call it a rope — the world, too, as a place of little benefit, Allah Almighty means it. The world as a place of little benefit. So in the world, which I called a weak rope, you benefit with a little benefit. Yes. The firm rope that does not break is Allah's rope. Both in this world and the next, if you hold to a rope that does not break, you attain salvation.

Allah hears and knows. Because nothing is hidden from Allah. Allah recognizes and knows what He created in every particle of the universe. Yes, He recognizes and knows what He created in its particles.

We said, we remind you again, you need to read our tafsir from the beginning. If you say "let me skip this part, let me read that part" — the tafsir, the verses of the Quran, for you, in a scholarly way, as a teacher — as a scholarly teacher of the Quran's verses — is a book written so, this tafsir.

When we say Allah recognizes and knows what He created in every particle of the universe, immediately the word I explained will come to your mind. The atoms of matter, the nuclei of atoms, those nuclei around their own axes making a sound, and with that sound the heavens and the earth and what is between them have known their Lord's remembrance. The verse will come to your mind, and right after it, these atoms around their own axes, the nuclei rotating around their own axes, also emit a signal, and this signal is programmed to our Lord. In this case, the desire, the wish, the stirring in every particle of the universe appears to our Lord like Morse code. He sees, knows, hears.

Yes. So if we read the book from the beginning, these words of mine, you will at once realize (?). We climb step by step, I mean, right away. It is understood better.

There is not a single particle He does not see or know. Like this. As I explained. If such a thing had happened, everything would be in chaos. That is, if something had happened that He had not seen, everything would be in chaos. For this reason nothing is hidden from Him. Yes.