The love story of Khadīja bint Khuwaylid with Prophet Muhammed ‫ ﷺ‬blossoms in the years before the

Prophet got the revelation of the Quran. Even Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬was poor and her local employee, the rich
Khadīja loved him on account of his great personality. She was keenly interested to embrace Islam with
her own choice. The noble Quran strictly prohibited forced religious conversion:

َ ِ‫ك ِب ْالعُرْ َو ِة ْالوُ ْث َق َى الَ انف‬

‫صا َم لَ َها َوهّللا ُ َسمِي ٌع َعلِي ٌم‬ َ ‫ت َويُْؤ مِن ِباهّلل ِ َف َق ِد اسْ َت ْم َس‬ َّ ‫ين َقد َّت َبي ََّن الرُّ ْشد م َِن ْال َغيِّ َف َمنْ َي ْكفُرْ ِب‬
ِ ‫الطا ُغو‬ ِ ‫ال ِإ ْك َرا َه فِي ال ِّد‬

(Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and
believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah is hearing
and knowing all things.) (Holy Quran: 256/02).

The Quran guarantees freedom of religion.

‫َوقُ ِل ۡٱل َح ُّق مِن رَّ ِّب ُكمۡ َف َمن َش ۤا َء َف ۡلی ُۡؤمِن َو َمن َش ۤا َء َف ۡل َی ۡكفُر‬

(The Truth is from your Lord: Let him who will believe, and let him who will, reject (it)) (29/18).

Here, the choice is upon the people to embrace Islam or not, if it is in an Islamic republic. The two verses
indicate the absolute choice in the belief. Many like Khadīja, the rich, nobles, and scholars embraced
only after experiencing Islam, not any account of compulsion and pressure. Even in the time of the
conquest of Makkah, Muslims were major in Arabia, the Prophet ‫ ﷺ‬proclaimed harmonious talks and
tolerance towards non-Muslims. He gave them the choice of whether to accept Islam or go in their own
faith. As the magna carta of the Muslims, what the Quran says is the answer to allegations against
Muslims. The Quran’s style is not to answer the facing challenges, but rather to state and establish
Islamic principles and values.

The Quran’s openness deserves much prominence when Indian director Sudipto Sen’s ‘The Kerala Story’
tries to visualize that Keralite Hindu and Christian women are being seduced by Muslim men in Kerala
and recruiting them to ISIS in Syria and Yemen. The film alleged almost 32000 women confronted such a
‘foul and filthy’ plight. In Kerala, Islamic ‘Jihad’ is conspiring behind such tremendous promulgation.
When the Kerala public came forward to question the authenticity of such a claim of a big number, the
team behind the film corrected the number and explained it as three women, not 32000!!
Consummately, this is sheer propaganda of Sangh Pariwar politics ahead of the upcoming public election
in India. What they accuse is against Islam and the Quran.
In the background, it is noteworthy what the noble Quran glancing on such convictions. The Quran, the
holy book of Muslims, not only hardly urges on such ‘love conversion’, but also advocates the choice and
self-determination to people. Allah says mentioning the issue:

ِ ‫َواَل َتن ِكحُو ْا ۡٱلم ُۡش ِر ٰ َك‬

َ ‫ر مِّن م ُّۡش ِر َكةٖ َولَ ۡو َأ ۡع َج َب ۡت ُكمۡ َواَل ُتن ِكحُو ْا ۡٱلم ُۡش ِرك‬ٞ ‫ة م ُّۡؤ ِم َن ٌة َخ ۡي‬ٞ ‫ت َح َّت ٰى ي ُۡؤمِنَّ َوَأَل َم‬
‫ر مِّن‬ٞ ‫د م ُّۡؤ ِمنٌ َخ ۡي‬ٞ ‫ِين َح َّت ٰى ي ُۡؤ ِم ُنوا َولَ َع ۡب‬
‫َأ‬ ۡ
ۡ‫مُّش ِر ٖك َولَ ۡو ۡع َج َب ُكم‬

(Do not marry idolatresses, until they believe. A believing slave girl is better than a (free) idolatress, even
if she pleases you. And do not marry idolaters, until they believe. A believing slave is better than a (free)
idolater, even though he pleases you.) (Holy Quran: 221/02)

While evidently the truth Quran restricts the woman to being married to a Muslim man should be a
Muslimah or embrace Islam with her own decision. Where is compulsion or seduction here? That’s nice
and decent words, “until they believe”. Even in the advent period of Islam, the non-Muslims never
accused such contentions on Islam. As a matter of fact, the issue is much political and gain of ‘divide and
rule’ cheap diplomacy. Sangh Pariwar is fishing in dirty water through Muslim victimization for Hindu
consolidation. Truthfully, it is prohibited in Islam to marry non-Muslimah. It is legal to marry women
from people of scriptures (‫)أهل الكتاب‬, Jewish and Christian women, subject to some conditions such as
they strictly follow the exact path Prophets Moosa and ‘Isa (pbuh) propagated. Such Christians are not in
Kerala. Islam puts forward love (propagation through seduction) under no circumstances. Love or kindly
behavior is a key core of Islam towards people of different faiths. The only sincere and everlasting love
in Islam is towards only Allah and the Prophet. Sufistic conceptions emerge from this true divine love or
spirituality.

The Quran sheds light on love between couples in a beautiful tone ever:

َ ‫ت لِّ َق ْو ٍم َي َت َف َّكر‬
‫ُون‬ َ ِ‫َومِنْ آ َيا ِت ِه َأنْ َخلَقَ لَ ُكم مِّنْ َأنفُسِ ُك ْم َأ ْز َواجً ا لِّ َتسْ ُك ُنوا ِإلَ ْي َها َو َج َع َل َب ْي َن ُكم م ََّو َّد ًة َو َرحْ َم ًة ِإنَّ فِي ٰ َذل‬
ٍ ‫ك آَل َيا‬

(And among His Signs is this, that He created for you wives from among yourselves, that you may find
repose in them, and He has put between you affection and mercy. Verily, that are indeed signs for a
people who reflect. ((21/30)

The Quran never allows to misuse and contaminate love, nevertheless, it has a clear viewpoint on the
purity of love. Love and affection come when a relationship builds only in the way of Allah. Islam
propounded ideal methods for branding Islam, love is among them. Affection means here affectionate
behavior towards others.

History pages of Muslims in India are thumped at the edges with golden events and tolerant sultans.
Even the Mughal rule of eight decades witnessed peace, tranquility, and compassion in spite of some
silly local issues. Muslims played significant roles even in the formation of independent India. It is
evident from history that they actively participated in India’s freedom struggle, and constitution-making
and became an indispensable part of Indian politics.

The Quran’s declaration of ‫( لكم دينكم ولي دين‬To you your religion, and to me my religion) (06/109)
encompasses the ultimate tolerance and broad-mindedness towards other religions. In Kerala, practicing
Muslims adhere to the philosophy of the Quran. They live in a mixed society.

The controversial film is titled ‘The Kerala Story’ giving reference to Kerala is a planned move because
Sangh Pariwar had no access to Kerala’s political scenario. Islam has deep roots in the soil of Kerala
when it emerged in Arabia. Kerala people accepted Arabs wholeheartedly when they reached Kerala for
merchandise. That’s the inclusive culture of Kerala. While militancy and radicalism are not principles of
the Quran, why love is radicalized and downtrodden as seduction? Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and Taliban-like
extremist groups go against the teaching of the Quran. The propaganda is not casual oversight, it is
deliberate. Brutal beheadings, mass massacres, lethal atrocities, and fanatic lynching stand against
humanity as well as in the Quran.

In the end, the Quran simply reacts to the propaganda of big lies on Muslims. Islam never regards love
as a forceful tool to compel and oppress Islam on others. In the light of the Quran, affection is one of the
key human morals that should be promoted.