The Sultan of Sokoto and President-General of the Nigeria Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, has said no one should be compelled to convert to Islam.
The Sultan made the statement while addressing the NSCIA General Assembly at the National Mosque in Abuja, where he stressed the importance of respecting the religious rights and freedoms of Nigerians of different faiths.
According to him, Islam does not support forcing people to accept the religion, noting that individuals should be allowed to make their religious choices freely.
“We do not intend to force anybody to join Islam,” Abubakar said.
He added that some people had embraced Islam willingly, stressing that such decisions should be based on personal conviction.
“But we have seen how many people have been joining Islam on their own free will because Almighty Allah said there is no compulsion in religion,” he said.
The Sultan also called on Muslims to respect the rights of people belonging to other faiths, emphasising that peaceful coexistence requires tolerance and mutual respect.
His remarks come weeks after he appealed to Christians and Muslims in Nigeria to refrain from making insulting comments about one another.
Abubakar had stressed that religious tolerance remained essential to maintaining peace and unity in the country.
“We must be honest with ourselves that Christians can stop insulting Muslims,” he said.
“Muslims can stop insulting Christians. And that’s how we live in peace.”
He urged adherents of both religions to promote understanding and avoid actions or statements capable of deepening religious tensions in the country.
