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One
of the principles deeply rooted in Islam is
tolerance. A human being, in the Islamic point of
view, is a dignified creature (Al-Israa’ 17:70).
He or she is the vicegerent of Allah on the earth
and is supposed to develop the earth and make use
of its resources (Al-Baqarah 2:30; Hud 11:61). At
the same time, people are not of one and the same
faith or belief. They have different thoughts and
views, and to achieve their expected job of
developing the earth, they need to work in
cooperation and show tolerance towards each other.
This
does not necessarily mean abandoning one’s ideas
and thoughts. Muslims do not compromise on their
principles or give up their Islamic beliefs; they
stick to their religion and present it to others
without any coercion. By the same token, they deem
tolerance as an obligation. Islamic sources and
texts are abundant with provisions urging Muslims
to show tolerance as much as possible. In the
Qur’an, for example, we read:
(And
argue not with the People of the Scripture unless
it be in (a way) that is better, save with such of
them as do wrong.)
(Al-`Ankabut 29:64)
(The
good deed and the evil deed are not alike. Repel
the evil deed with one which is better, then lo!
he, between whom and thee there was enmity (will
become) as though he was a bosom friend.)
(Fussilat 41:34)
(The
recompense for an injury is an injury equal
thereto (in degree): but if a person forgives and
makes reconciliation, his reward is due from
Allah: for (Allah) loveth not those who do wrong.)
(Ash-Shura 42:41)
Furthermore,
the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him)
warned Muslims against wronging non-Muslim
citizens or inflicting any harm against them,
making it clear that the Prophet himself will
stand against anyone who does so on the Day of
Judgment.
During
all stages of his mission, the Prophet (peace and
blessings be upon him) was committed to these
sublime principles, whether he was undergoing the
persecution and humiliation of the Quraish in
Makkah, establishing the Islamic state in Madinah,
or being in the zenith of glory when he entered
Makkah victorious, eight years after leaving it.
Before his immigration to Madinah, the Prophet
(peace and blessings be upon him) and his
Companions suffered much; they were tortured,
insulted, persecuted, and some of them were even
killed. Amidst all these pains, Allah sent to him
the angel of mountains, asking him permission to
crush such oppressors with the two mountains of
Makkah, but the Prophet’s response was amazing;
although he had a real chance to avenge all the
long years of sufferings, he opted for tolerance
and forbearance, declaring his hope that their
offspring may embrace Islam.
Arriving
to Madinah, where he established the First Islamic
state, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon
him) did not seek to exterminate non-Muslim
communities living there or even to deal with them
as second-class citizens. In his biography of the
Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), Ibn
Hisham reports that the Prophet concluded a treaty
with them which teaches us how to peacefully
coexist and accept the “other.” The treaty,
which came to be known later as the Constitution
of Madinah granted all the parties concerned equal
rights and affirmed common interests (Ibn Hisham).
Even
in Madinah, Muslims were not spared the attacks of
the Quraish and their allies. However, the time
came when the Prophet and his Companions entered
Makkah victorious and the Quraish surrendered to
them. On that glorious day, the Prophet, once
again, had the opportunity to retaliate for the
painful years of persecution and oppression in
Makkah, but once more, he showed an outstanding
ability to forgive and overlook. He simply
pardoned them and let bygones be bygones.
The
Companions and Muslim leaders followed in the
footsteps of their beloved Prophet and adhered to
this principle. We cite but one example:
On
a February day in 683 C.E., the Caliph `Umar (may
Allah be pleased with him) entered Jerusalem, at
his side was the patriarch Sophronius as chief
magistrate of the surrendered city. `Umar rode
straight to the site of Al-Aqsa mosque where the
Prophet of Islam had ascended into heaven. Next,
the Caliph asked to see the shrines of the
Christians. The Patriarch took him to the Church
of the Holy Sepulcher and showed him all that was
there. While they were in the church, the hour for
Muslim prayer approached. The Caliph asked where
he could spread out his prayer rug, Sophronius
begged him to stay where he was, but `Umar went
outside to the porch for fear, he said, that his
followers might claim for Islam where he had
prayed. (Al-`Adawi, 43-44)
You
can also read:
Sources:
-
Al-`Adawi,
Ibrahim, Some Historical Aspects of
Saladin’s Tolerance With the Crusaders and
the Constitution of Ruling Jerusalem, a
paper submitted to the 16th General Conference
of The Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs,
Egypt.
-
Ibn
Hisham, As-Sirah An-Nabawiyah.
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