Source: Arab News
By M. ABDULSALAM; Published — Friday 27 November 2015
MANY mistakenly believe that Islam does not tolerate the existence of other religions present in the world. This article discusses some of the foundations Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) himself laid in dealing with people of other faiths, with practical examples from his lifetime.
The dealings of the Prophet (may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him) with other religions can best be described in the verse of the Qur’an:
“To you be your religion, to me be mine.”
The Arabian Peninsula during the time of the Prophet was a region in which various faiths were present. There were Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, polytheists, and others not affiliated with any religion. When one looks into the life of the Prophet, one may draw on many examples to portray the high level of tolerance shown to people of other faiths.
In order to understand and judge this tolerance, one must look into the period in which Islam was a formal state, with the specific laws laid down by the Prophet in accordance with the tenets of religion. Even though one can observe many examples of tolerance shown by the Prophet in the thirteen years of his stay in Mecca, one may incorrectly think that it was only due to seeking to raise the profile of the Muslims and the social status of Islam and in general. For this reason, the discussion will be limited to the period, which commenced with the migration of the Prophet to Madinah, and specifically once the constitution was set.