The
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was a role model for religious freedom, for
instance when the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) entered the city of Medina, he
made a formal constitution with the large Jewish population of the
city, and indeed, this was a historic moment and in this constitution it
guaranteed religious freedom for those who were and weren’t Muslims.
The constitution stated the following:
(1) This is a document from Muhammad the prophet (governing the relations) between the believers and Muslims of Quraysh and Yathrib, and those who followed them and joined them and labored with them.
The constitution stated the following:
(1) This is a document from Muhammad the prophet (governing the relations) between the believers and Muslims of Quraysh and Yathrib, and those who followed them and joined them and labored with them.
(2) They are one community (umma) to the exclusion of all men.
(3)
The Quraysh emigrants according to their present custom shall pay the
bloodwit within their number and shall redeem their prisoners with the
kindness and justice common among believers.
(4-8)
The B. ‘Auf according to their present custom shall pay the bloodwit
they paid in heatheism; every section shall redeem its prisoners with
the kindness and justice common among believers. The B. Sa ida, the B.
‘l-Harith, and the B. Jusham, and the B. al-Najjar likewise.
(9-11) The B. ‘Amr b. ‘Auf, the B. al-Nabit and the B. al-‘Aus likewise.
(12)(a) Believers shall not leave anyone destitute among them by not paying his redemption money or bloodwit in kindness.
(12)(b) A believer shall not take as an ally the freedman of another Muslim against him.
(13)
The God-fearing believers shall be against the rebellious or him who
seeks to spread injustice, or sin or animosity, or corruption between
believers; the hand of every man shall be against him even if he be a
son of one of them.
(14) A believer shall not slay a believer for the sake of an unbeliever, nor shall he aid an unbeliever against a believer.
(15)
God’s protection is one, the least of them may give protection to a
stranger on their behalf. Believers are friends one to the other to the
exclusion of outsiders.
(16) To the Jew who follows us belong help and equality. He shall not be wronged nor shall his enemies be aided.
(25)
The Jews of the B. ‘Auf are one community with the believers (the Jews
have their religion and the Muslims have theirs), their freedmen and
their persons except those who behave unjustly and sinfully, for they
hurt but themselves and their families.
(26-35)
The same applies to the Jews of the B. al-Najjar, B. al-Harith, B. Sai
ida, B. Jusham, B. al-Aus, B. Tha'laba, and the Jafna, a clan of the
Tha‘laba and the B. al-Shutayba. Loyalty is a protection against
treachery. The freedmen of Tha ‘laba are as themselves. The close
friends of the Jews are as themselves.
So
the constitution of Medina guaranteed religious freedom for the large
Jewish community, and on top of this, the Jewish tribes were declared as
being one with the Muslims!
Another
example of the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) religious tolerance was when a
large group of Christian learned men came to Medina, the Najran
Christians, they came to Medina and they remained in the Prophet
Muhammad’s (pbuh) company for 3 days. The Christians debated and
discussed many issues with the Prophet, such as the true nature of Jesus
and so forth. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) even allowed the Christians
to pray in the Mosque!
The
fact that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) allowed the Christians to debate
with him on religious matters in his own mosque showed that he had no
problems in differing religious beliefs, not only did the Prophet debate
them, he eventually even made a treaty with them that guaranteed their
religious freedom as well. The treaty can be read on the following website:
And Allah Knows Best!
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment