Hydal gets it wrong

Hydal quotes Chapter 3:101 of the Quran, which states, “O you who believe, keep your duty to Allah, as it ought to be kept, and die not unless you are Muslims.” Hydal interprets this as saying that “one must spend his entire lifetime in submission to Allah, fulfilling duties as prescribed in the Qur’an, in the hope of becoming Muslim at the time he reunites with his Creator” and that “A Muslim lives for Islam. He does not die for it.” In fact, there is a plethora of verses in the Quran in which Allah states that those who die for Islam have demonstrated greater faith than those who only pray (eg, 3:157, 4:95, 9:20). But, in any case, Hydal cites the wrong sura, since the quote comes from 3:102.

Also, suras 100 and 101 say, “If you obey a party of those who were given the scripture, they will turn you, after your belief, into disbelievers” and, “How could you disbelieve, when Allah’s revelations are being recited to you..?” In other words, these verses are a warning to Muslims to not listen to Christians or else they will go to Hell.

Elton Singh Couva