No Compulsion in Religion

The noble verses of the Qur'an ceaselessly reveal profound meanings that enlighten the hearts of believers and teach them the fundamental tenets of their religion and guide their interactions. One of the most prominent of these verses, which implies many lessons to be learned, is to be found in Allah’s words: "There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] religion. The right course has become distinct from the wrong one. So whoever
disbelieves in ṭaghut [false objects of worship] and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing." (Al-Baqarah: 256)

This verse which has frequently been discussed holds great meanings related to religious freedom and the right that people have when choosing their faith without being coerced, thus making it one of the most important verses in Islamic legislation as concerns human rights. Many ill-intentioned people have attempted to use this verse in their claim that it contradicts other verses in which fighting the unbelievers or enforcing Sharia law is a duty, but they do not understand the correct meaning of the verse in its religious context.
The meaning of this verse is that "There is no compulsion in religion."
When meditating this verse, we find that the meaning of "there is no compulsion in religion" entails that no one can be forced to convert to Islam. Islam is the religion of truth, and its truthfulness is clear and evident. Whoever is able to make a distinction between what is right in terms of guidance and what is wrong will chooses faith in Allah, which is the choice of the righteous who choose goodness of their own free will.