2:256
Al-Baqarah
البقرة
لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ ۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ
Translation
There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong.
Tafsir (Commentary)
One of the most frequently cited verses in interfaith dialogue. It establishes a fundamental Islamic principle: faith must be a matter of free choice and conviction, never coercion. Ibn Kathir notes this verse was revealed in Medina when some Companions wanted to force their children who had adopted other faiths to accept Islam.
Context of Revelation
Revealed in Medina. The verse is understood as a universal principle, not restricted to a specific historical situation. It forms the foundation of Islamic teaching on religious freedom.