The Islamic history of atheism clearly shows an environment of intellectual discussion and debate, which could only have been facilitated by mutual respect and tolerance. The Qur’an makes it absolutely clear that having myriad beliefs is part of God’s will, and that there should never be any form of compulsion but mutual respect and tolerance: “And had your Lord willed, those on Earth would have believed—all of them entirely. Then, would you compel the people in order that they become believers?”[17] “There is no compulsion in the religion.”
