MUSLIMS AND THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK IN THE HISTORY OF ISLAM
MUSLIMS
AND THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK
IN THE HISTORY OF ISLAM
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Everyone looking at the history of Islam since very early times and at the position of Christians and Jews under Islamic administration with an unbiased eye will encounter one very obvious fact: The People of the Book have always lived in peace and security under Islamic rule. Indeed, Christians and Jews who were persecuted under the rule of different faiths and sects from time to time sought refuge in Islamic lands and found the security they sought in Muslim countries. The main reason why the People of the Book were able to live in such peace and comfort is that Muslims form their attitudes and behavior toward the People of the Book according to the moral values of the Qur’an.
The Prophet Muhammad’s (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace)
Loving and Affectionate Morality Must Serve As a Role Model for
All Muslims
In the time of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), Arabia was home to communities of different religions, cultures and ideas. Jews, Christians, Sabians, Zoroastrians and idol worshippers all lived side by side, together with many different tribes hostile to each other. Yet no matter what their tribe or beliefs are, our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) called people to faith in Allah with affection, patience, compassion and love. in the Qur’an Allah describes his pleasing attitude to those around him as follows:
It is a mercy from Allah that you were gentle with them. If you had been rough or hard of heart, they would have scattered from around you. So pardon them and ask forgiveness for them... (Surah Al ’Imran: 159)
As pointed out earlier, the Qur’an reveals that no one should be pressured to embrace Islamic morality. Muslims are charged only with explaining the religion of Allah. No one can force anyone else to believe or worship. One can find the true path and come to believe, only by the Will of Allah. Our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) always scrupulously abided by that prohibition and stated frequently that a man could live by religious morality only when, in his heart, he really wanted to. Allah told our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) in one holy verse how he should behave towards those around him:
We know best what they say. You are not a dictator over them. So remind, with the Qur’an, whoever fears My Threat. (Surah Qaf: 45)
In one hadith our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) says: »I was sent as a tolerant, seeker after Allah (one from the faith of the Prophet Abraham (pbuh)), and whoever opposes my Sunna is not one of us.” (Al Jami As Sagir, 1. 427)
Elsewhere he tells believers »I was sent to be compassionate and a peace-maker...” (Al Jami As Sagir). This superior moral virtue of our Prophet (May Allah bless him and grant him peace) is expressed as follows: »Someone who responds with gentleness (who controls his earthly passion) when angered will merit the love of Allah!” (Esbahani: Hazrat Aysha)
There are many hadith concerning the compassionate, loving and tolerant qualities of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace). For example, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) says: “Allah will have no compassion on he who has no compassion for other people.” (Bukhari and Muslim) Other passages read: »Be merciful, that you may be shown mercy. Forgive, that you may be forgiven. Shame on those who speak too much. Shame on those who know their sins but persist in them.” (Ahmad Diya ad-Din al-Kamushkhanawi, Ramuz al-Ahadith, Vol. 1)
»Allah is loving and merciful, He loves gentleness, and what He gives from gentleness He gives with nothing else.” (Al-Kutub As-Sittah Translation and Commentary, Vol. 7)
The great Islamic scholar Imam Ghazzali summarizes the information he collected in the hadith regarding our Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) attitude to those around him: »He was far from knowing anger and quickly showed compassion for things. He was the most loving of men toward other people. He was the most auspicious of men and did the most good to others, and the most useful and beneficial to others.” (Hujjat-ul-Islam, Imam Ghazzali, Ihya Ulum-id-din, Vol. 2)
The human love, consideration and affection of our prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) that bound those around him to the religion and warmed their hearts to faith is a superior moral virtue that all Muslims must concentrate on. Allah revealed these moral virtues of our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), a role model for all mankind, in Surat At-Tawba:
A Messenger has come to you from among yourselves. Your suffering is distressing to him; he is deeply concerned for you; he is gentle and merciful to the believers. (Surat At-Tawba: 128)
Love, affection, tolerance and compassion are shared virtues
among the messengers sent by Allah as guides to salvation. Allah
reveals in the Qur’an that He has bestowed “sensitivity to love” on
other prophets, and cites the Prophet John (pbuh), on whom He bestowed
knowledge from His Presence, as a model on this subject. He describes
this holy personage as having “...tenderness and purity from Us - he
had takwa (respectful fear of Allah).” (Surah Maryam: 13) Therefore,
Muslims who believe and follow in the path of the messengers must also
have moral values built on affection, love and compassion. When
believers truly live by these moral values commanded by Allah, they
will see that many issues that appear to be problematic are easily
resolved, that peace and security will spread and that abundance and
plenty will reign.
The Prophet Muhammad’s (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace)
Exemplary Approach toward the People of the Book
The Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), the best role model for Muslims who deal with the People of the Book, was always tender hearted, just and compassionate toward Jews and Christians and tried to create an atmosphere based on reconciliation and love among these three religious communities. Various agreements and guarantees allowed Christians and Jews to live as autonomous religious communities. When the young Muslim community was still suffering from the Meccan polytheists’ cruelty and oppression, our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) advised some of them to seek refuge with the Christian king of Ethiopia, Negus (or al-Najashi). The Muslims who later on migrated to Madinah with our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), on the other hand, developed a model of coexistence with that city’s Jewish community that was to become a model for all later generations. The Muslims’ acceptance of Jews and Christians during the period of Islam’s expansion in Arabia entered the history books as an example of justice and understanding.
One such example was our beloved Prophet’s (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) words written in the text of an agreement prepared for the Christian Ibn Harris bin Ka`b and his co-religionists: »The religion, churches, lives, chastity, and goods of all Christians living in the East are under the protection of Allah and all believers. None of those living by Christianity will be forced to turn to Islam. If any Christian is subjected to any killing or injustice, Muslims must help him.«1
The Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) allowed the Jews to become a party to the Constitution of Madinah signed with the Aws and Khazraj clans, which permitted them to continue living as a separate religious community. The basis for this compassion and understanding of the Jews’ faith and traditions was laid down in the following article: »The Jews of Banu Awf [non-Muslim minorities] are a community along with the believers. To the Jews their religion, and to the Muslim their religion.«2
As a requirement of the morality ordained by Allah, the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) not only showed compassion and understanding toward the People of the Book, but also taught his Companions that those Jews and Christians living under the rule of Islam must be protected. The privileges that he granted them in the settlements of Adruh, Maqna, Khaybar, Najran, and Aqaba prove that Muslims both guaranteed these non-Muslims’ lives and property and recognized their freedom of belief and worship. The following articles of the agreement between our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) and the Christians of Najran need to be pointed out:
To the Christians of Najran and the neighboring territories, the security of Allah and pledge of His Prophet are extended for their lives, their religion, and their property - to those present as well as those absent and others besides;
No bishop shall be removed from his bishopric, nor any monk from his monastery, nor any priest from his priesthood, and they shall continue to enjoy everything great and small as heretofore... They shall not oppress or be oppressed.
If anyone demands his right from you, justice will be maintained between you.
In addition, according to some accounts, our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) attended their weddings, visited their sick, and was generous to them. The Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) even spread out his cloak so that the Christians of Najran who came to visit him could sit on it. Following his death, the Muslims’ moral conduct toward the People of the Book continued to be based on the compassion that the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had shown to them throughout his life.
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The above letter was sent to al-Mundhir bin Sawa, Ruler of Bahrain. The letter reads: "... Peace be upon you! I praise Allah with no associate, and I bear witness that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger. Thereafter, I remind you of Allah, the Mighty, the Glorious. Whoever accepts admonition, does it for his own good. Whoever follows my messengers and acts in accordance with their guidance, he, in fact, accepts my advice..."
"I praise Allah to you, except Whom there is none to be worshipped, the King, the Holy, the Peace, the Faithful, the Watcher, and I bear witness that Jesus, son of Mary, is the Spirit of Allah and His Word, Which He cast to Mary the virgin, the good, the pure, so that she conceived Jesus. Allah created him from His Spirit and His Breathing. I call you to Allah, the Unique without partner, and to His obedience, and to follow me and believe in that which came to me, for I am the Messenger of Allah. ... I invite you and your armies to Allah. I have accomplished my work and my admonition, so receive my advice. Peace upon all those that follow True Guidance." |
Six of Prophet Muhammad's (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) original letters inviting various
kings and provincial governors to Islam have been preserved. These
historic documents show his supreme virtue, forgiveness and affection
toward others, and his determination to teach Islam. Rulers and their
subjects were invited in the most appropriate way to live the true
religious life, and their accepting and effective language have led many
people to believe in Islam. The wisdom inherent in our Prophet's (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) style is an example for all
Muslims to follow. 
The letter to the Christian king
of Ethiopia Negus (or al-Najashi) is an important example of the
Muslims' attitude toward Christians. Following Muhammad's (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace) letter and his discussions with the
Muslim leader and the leader of the Makkan delegation sent to take them
back to Makkah, King Najashi proclaimed that he would protect all
Muslims who sought refuge in his country. The letter said: 
MUSLIMS’
ATTITUDE TOWARDS THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK MUST BE IN AGREEMENT ADNAN OKTAR: Our beautiful Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was very compassionate towards Christians. He would go and eat with them, eat their food. He would also trade with the Jews and encourage his companions to do so. In that era both Christians and Jew lived their lives as if they were in Heaven. It was a term of peace and splendor for them. From Mr. Adnan Oktar’s Live
interview on Channel Malatya,
From Mr. Adnan Oktar’s Live Interview on Cay TV, July 23rd , 2008 ADNAN OKTAR: Our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) used to meet with Jews, do business with them and have relations with them. He also had relations with Christians, and that is not a crime. |
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Freedom of Belief and Worship under the Islamic Administration
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Beginning at the time of the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) there has always been freedom of religion in
Muslim-ruled lands. Muslims protected the Christians’ and Jews’ belief
systems, rituals, churches and synagogues, and schools of religious
education. Articles guaranteeing the protection of monasteries and
churches have been important parts of all agreements signed between
Muslims and the People of the Book. Early agreements also allowed
Muslim travelers to rest in the monasteries located along the travel
routes. This suggests that Muslims were attempting to develop their
relationship with the People of the Book on mutual respect and that
they were taking pains to establish friendly relationship with them.
Historical documents reveal that many Muslims visited monasteries to
rest for the night, to enjoy a meal, or even to have a civilized
conversation during their travels or campaigns.
The People of the Book often responded warmly toward Muslims. The following expressions were recorded in an agreement signed by Caliph Umar, which was presented to Abu Ubayda by the Syrian Christians:
[We imposed these terms on ourselves: ]… not to withhold our churches from Muslims stopping there by night or day; to open their doors to the traveler and wayfarer; …to entertain every Muslim traveler in our customary style and feed him… We will not abuse a Muslim, and he who strikes a Muslim has forfeited his rights.4
As "if God had not driven some people back by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, where God's name is mentioned much, would have been pulled down and destroyed," (Qur'an, 22:40) points out, Jewish and Christian places of worship are regarded by Muslims as holy places in which God's name is remembered. Thus, as it is their responsibility to protect such places, throughout Islamic history all Jewish and Christian houses of worship have been protected so that the Jews and Christians can pray and worship in them as they please.
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As the following verse; »if Allah had not driven some people back by means of others, monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques, where Allah’s name is mentioned much, would have been pulled down and destroyed,« (Surat Al-Hajj: 40) points out, Jewish and Christian places of worship are regarded by Muslims as holy places in which Allah’s name is remembered. Thus, as it is their responsibility to protect such places, throughout Islamic history all Jewish and Christian houses of worship have been protected so that the Jews and Christians can pray and worship in them as they please. For instance, historic documents signed during Abu Bakr’s (ra) reign state that the Christians of the peacefully taken city of Tabarriya were given guarantees that their churches would not be harmed. Likewise, the agreement signed after the conquest of Damascus stated that churches would not be destroyed or occupied. Umar’s (ra) covenant to the people of Jerusalem guaranteed the protection of all places of worship. During the conquest of the Armenian city of Dabil (Dvin) in Uthman’s (ra) time, the assurances given to Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians guaranteed the protection of all places of worship.5
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Permission to restore damaged churches and build new monasteries was never withheld. For instance, the St. Sergius monastery outside of Medain was destroyed by Patriarch Mar Amme and rebuilt during Uthman’s reign. Uqba, the governor of Egypt, contributed to a Nestorian monastery, the Church of Edessa was restored during the reign of Mu’awiyya, and the Saint Marcos Church was built in Alexandria. These are just a few examples of this tradition. The continued existence of churches and synagogues in Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Egypt, and Iraq proves the Muslims’ respect for the other divinely revealed religions. The Sinai Monastery with a mosque right next door is an important pilgrimage center on Mount Sinai and an example of the respect Muslims showed to the places of worship of the People of the Book.
Under Islamic rule, the People of the Book have always celebrated their religious festivities as they pleased. From time to time, the Muslim leadership even attended them. A letter by the Nestorian Patriarch Isho’yab III (650-60) reveals the Muslim leaders’ compassion and understanding toward the People of the Book:
They [Abbasids] have not attacked the Christian religion, but rather they have commended our faith, honored our priests... and conferred benefits on churches and monasteries.6
Benjamin of Tudela, a famous twelfth-century Jewish explorer who could not conceal his astonishment when he discovered such attitudes in the Islamic world, expressed the impossibility of such religious understanding and pluralism in Christian Europe. He also stated that Jews and Muslims prayed together in holy places and at the tombs of holy people; that mosques were built next to synagogues, and that different congregations celebrated each other’s religious festivities.7
These historical facts reveal that, contrary to much of what we read today, Islam is a religion of peace and love. Christians and Jews lived freely under Muslim rule and enjoyed the freedoms of religious belief and thought.
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The
history of the St. George monastery in Ariha goes back to the fifth
century. |
The
St. Sabbas Monastery was built at the beginning of the fourth century. |
A painting depicting Mt. Sinai. |
There
are many historical places of worship and holy places in Jerusalem and
its vicinity. The area is sacred to all Muslims, Jews, and Christians.
Many monasteries and churches dating back to the fourth century have
been preserved. Under Muslim administrators, Jews, Christians, and
Muslims freely prayed in their respective places of worship and lived in
peace and security. Alliances of genuine believers can recreate the
same atmosphere of tranquility today. |
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| Only argue with the People of the
Book in the kindest way - except in the case of those of them who do
wrong - saying, "We believe in what has been sent down to us and what
was sent down to you. Our God and your God are one and we submit to
Him." (Surat Al-Ankabut: 46) |
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The Tranquility the People of the Book Experienced under Muslim Rule
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Christians and Jews enjoyed the highest degree of freedom and
love under Muslim rule. During the first few centuries of the Christian
era, Jews oppressed Christians; as the latter became more powerful,
they began to oppress Jews and even fellow Christians belonging to
other sects. The Middle Ages were dominated by the Catholic church’s
oppression of all Jews and Christians who did not agree with its
teachings. Some non-Catholics sought refuge with the Muslims. The
oppression and violence directed by Byzantium against the Egyptian
Monophysite and the Jacobean Christians, the horrors endured by those
Jews and Orthodox Christians who found themselves in the path of the
Catholic Crusaders, and the persecution endured by the Jews of Europe,
as well as by the Muslims and Jews in Spain after the Reconquista, have
never occurred on Muslim soil.
The Ottoman Empire set an example of this highly compassionate
attitude. The Patriarch of Antalya, Makarios, compared the tyranny of
Catholic Poland against the Orthodox population with the Ottoman
administration and concluded:
We mourned the thousands of people, men, women, and children killed by those heathens. The Polish wish to exterminate people of the Orthodox faith. May Allah make the Turkish state eternal, because they do not interfere with the Jews or Christians, provided they pay their taxes.8
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Jews escaping Spanish tyranny found the peace and security they sought on Ottoman soil. Driven out of Spain and faced with more hardship in other countries where they sought refuge, many died of hunger and thirst at the gates of towns and cities they were not permitted to enter. Jews who boarded Genoese ships were either exploited or sold to pirates. Sultan Bayazid welcomed the Jews into his empire and demanded that the people show them the respect and affection to which they were entitled.
The order proclaimed not to refuse the Jews entry or cause them difficulties, but to receive them cordially.9 Sultan Bayazid is known to history as a religious man, and his hospitality and affection were based on the Qur’an’s morality.
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Another example of the comfortable and prosperous lives led by Jews on Muslim soil was seen in Muslim Andalusia. This state, which founded the most advanced civilization in Europe at that time, was characterized by the understanding exhibited toward members of different faiths. Andalusia was gradually weakened due to the constant attacks of Spanish Christians. Granada was its last stronghold, and historic documents state that »those who have not seen the splendor of Jewish life do not know what splendor is.« At that time, Granada was the safest place on Earth for Jews.10
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Another example is Palestine, where Jewish and Christian communities enjoyed religious freedom, lived in peace and safety, and engaged in trade and crafts. The Ottoman Empire guaranteed peace and security for some five centuries in the area, and such order has never been seen there since. The freedoms enjoyed in Jerusalem and its surrounding area under Ottoman rule is described by one of Israel’s ex-foreign ministers, Abba Eban, as follows:
Jerusalem and the Jewish nation suffered bloodshed and torture from the Romans and every other occupying force. Only after the conquest of Jerusalem by Sultan Yavuz Selim and its fortification by Kanuni did the Jewish nation discover what humanity, equality, and a peaceful life meant.11
Throughout the Muslim world, Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived together in peace and tranquility for centuries. The People of the Book engaged in commerce and acquired property as they wished, engaged in the trade or profession of their choice, and were appointed to posts in the state administration and even in the sultan’s palace. They enjoyed the freedom of thought and expression at the highest degree, and made scientific and cultural achievements that are still with us today. They were not denied their social rights, and enjoyed maximum freedoms of belief and worship. For instance, historical sources reveal that Christian physicians in the Abbasids’ palace could read the Gospel with their families and staff, and no one interfered with their worship.
The importance of science and scientists in the Islamic world guaranteed the caliphs’ patronage of Christian and Jewish scientists. Scientists of various religious denominations would meet at state-organized gatherings to discuss scientific matters. Jewish and Christian physicists would exchange views with their Muslim counterparts, and many medical works would be discussed in the presence of the caliph or his bureaucrats.12
Living under the Islamic rule, the People of the Book took part in the bustling cultural life. Muslim leaders extended their cultural patronage to the lands they conquered and imported them to Baghdad, capital of the empire, where they would be studied by Muslim, Christian, and Jewish scientists. Each of them in turn, could teach their works based on these studies alongside their own religious beliefs. At a time when Muslims supported science and freedom of thought, Europe, the center of Christianity, had Inquisition courts that burned people at the stake for their heretical, meaning non-Catholic, thoughts or religious beliefs.
Glory be to Him Who took His
servant on a journey by night from the Sacred Mosque [Masjid al-Haram]
to the Further Mosque [Masjid al-Aqsa], whose surroundings We have
blessed, in order to show him some of Our Signs. He is the All-Hearing,
the All-Seeing. |
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The
Church of the Holy Sepulcher visited by Christian pilgrims, 1836.
Christian pilgrims could visit Palestine, then under Muslim
administration, as they wished and worship freely. |
 A photograph of the Wailing Wall, 1900. Among the people of the Book there are some who believe in Allah and in what has been sent down to you and what was sent down to them, and who are humble before Allah. They do not sell Allah's Signs for a paltry price. Such people will have their reward with their Lord. And Allah is swift at reckoning. (Surah Al 'Imran: 199) |
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The Muslim
leaders’ sense of justice led many Christians and Jews to bring their
cases to Islamic courts, even though they had their own courts with
their own laws. At one time, the Nestorian patriarch Mar Timothee I
(780-825) even circulated a decree to counteract the ever-increasing
number of Christians taking their cases to Islamic courts.13
This unequalled compassion and justice in Muslim lands was based on
the Qur’an’s morality. Muslim leaders who adopted such ethical
standards always achieved security, peace, and justice in their
domains. These administrations’ priority was the public’s happiness and
prosperity; therefore, they established systems that set the standards
for future generations. When these same values of compassion, mercy,
justice, understanding, modesty, patience, selflessness, and devotion
derived from the Qur’an’s morality begin to pervade today’s societies,
it will be possible to create a world order in which all people will
find peace and security.
MUSLIMS MUST LOOK
AFTER THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK |
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Legal Status of the People of the Book in Muslim Societies
The People of the Book living within the Muslim realm were
considered dhimmis, rather than prisoners of war, and therefore
were guaranteed certain legal rights. For example, in exchange for
paying the jizya tax, their lives and property were guaranteed, and
they enjoyed freedom of religious belief and thought, were exempted
from military service, and had the right to their own law courts to
resolve their disputes. On some occasions, their taxes were refunded.
This tax on non-Muslims has sometimes been misinterpreted in
order to portray it as an injustice. But as we have seen above, the
protections that they secured after paying it were hardly
insignificant. In addition, the collected money was used to protect the
non-Muslims’ rights and future, and to take care of their needy
coreligionists. Studying the dhimmis’ status and the Muslim
administrators’ practices in this regard reveal the truth of the
matter.
Our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: »I am the adversary of those who wrong the dhimmis or burden them with a load they cannot carry.« According to this principle, Muslims considered it their duty to protect those non-Muslims living under their rule. The Muslims’ sense of justice dictates that dhimmis come under the state’s protection. During the reign of Umar ibn al-Khattab(ra), the Muslims signed an agreement with the Christians of Hira. One of the provisions stated: »If any of their men become weak and old, or inflicted with a disease, or was rich and had become poor, the jizya shall be lifted from him, and he and his family shall be supported by the public treasury [bayt al-mal] so long as he resides in the dar al-Islam.«14 This clearly reveals the attitude of the Muslim authorities toward the dhimmis. When non-Muslims could not pay their taxes, they were supported by public funds, which were an important aspect of state support. Before signing the agreement he had made with the people of Damascus, Umar revealed the sensitivity of Muslims toward the jizya and non-Muslims:
My own opinion and on the Book of Allah [citing Q. LIX, 6-8] is that you should keep what has been given by Allah to you [of the land] in the hands of its people .If the jizya is paid by them [the dhimmis], you should require no more of them . For if we divide the land [among us], nothing will be left for our descendants .[If the land is left with its people,] the Muslims will be able to live on its produce.
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You may therefore impose on them [the dhimmis] the jizya, never to take them as prisoners, nor to do any injustice or harm to them, or to take any of their property unless you have a [valid legal] claim to it. You must fulfill the obligations you accepted in accordance with your agreement with them.15
As we have seen, genuine Muslims who abide by the Qur’an’s morality considered it their responsibility to protect the lives, property, and peace of non-Muslims. Once, during a battle with the Byzantine army, the situation became so untenable that Muslims could no longer provide the necessary protection to Christians. Thus, Muhammad, our Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), ordered the jizya to be returned to them.16
The amicable history between Muslims and Jews and Christians is an example for the present. The Islamic code of ethics requires that non-Muslims be treated with affection, that their values and beliefs be respected, and that an environment in which peaceful coexistence is possible be created. Therefore, the spread of this code, as well as efforts to correct some misguided practices claiming to be Islamic, will play an important role.
In addition, Muslims’ love and understanding must find an appropriate response in the Jewish and Christian communities, because Allah also commands them to love all other people and to be the leaders in all matters of good and peace.
