Acceptance of Islam and Religious Conversion: Reality, Types, Causes, Motivations, Objectives, and an Analytical Study in Islamic Perspective

قبولِ اسلام اور تبدیلیِ مذہب: حقیقت، اقسام، اسباب، محرکات، مقاصد اور اسلامی تناظر میں تجزیاتی مطالعہ

Abstract

Religious conversion, a multifaceted phenomenon, encompasses the transition from one faith to another or from irreligiosity to religiosity, often termed "reversion" in Islamic discourse due to the innate human disposition (fitrah) toward Islam. This study delineates the conceptual framework of conversion through scholarly definitions, highlighting shared elements of abandoning one belief system for another, influenced by psychological, social, cultural, and environmental factors. Lewis Rambo views it as a dynamic process amid evolving contexts; Christopher Lamb sees it as all forms of religious change; while Muslim scholar Maha Al-Quwaydi defines it as acquiring religious life from non-religiosity. Types include irtidad (apostasy from Islam), tawalli (covert affinity for another faith), and acceptance of Islam—the only divinely sanctioned shift. Motivations encompass cosmic signs (ayat kawniyyah), monotheism (tawhid), prophethood (risalah), the Prophet’s ﷺ integrity and personality, eschatological concerns, personal experiences, and material interests. Objectives range from intellectual pursuit and mystical experiences to emotional bonds, experimental validation, revivalist impulses, and coercive pressures—Islam endorses only voluntary, guidance-oriented motives. Historically, conversions occurred via natural affinity (fitrah) or political enablement through conquests, trade, and Sufi outreach, not force. In Pakistan’s context, amid rising interfaith interactions and digital influences, understanding these dynamics fosters tolerant dialogue and authentic da‘wah. The study concludes that Islam, as din al-fitrah, inherently attracts humanity, urging sincere reversion over superficial change, substantiated by Quranic verses, Hadiths, and historical precedents. (248 words)