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Name of QuestionerMaynard – United KingdomTitleMuslims & Non-Muslims: An Inevitable Clash?Date29/Jun/2009 QuestionWhat is the difference between the world of believers and disbelievers and how Muslims should treat the unbelievers?TopicInterfaith Issues, Virtues, Islamic CreedName of CounselorShahul HameedAnswer Salam, Maynard.
Thank you for your question.
How Islam distinguishes between Muslims and non-Muslims is based on clear injunctions given in the Noble Quran, which Muslims believe is the wordof God and the example of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and be upon him).
The Quran, and the Sunnah (the Prophet's deeds and sayings) distinguish Muslims from non-Muslims on the basis of their religious faith and practice. As Almighty Allah (God) has appointed the human race as His ambassador (khalifah) on earth, He has given us faculties like reason, imagination and discretion. He has given us freedom too; and He sent down His Guidance to help us to abide by His laws, so that we do not go astray by misusing our freedom. Yet all humans do not choose to follow Allah's guidance; and consequently humanity is divided into two camps: Those who follow Allah's guidance and lead a life of submission to His laws (i.e. Muslims); and those who reject Allah's guidance and follow other ways (i.e. non-Muslims).
Muslims believe that a day will come on which Almighty Allah will judge all humans as to who followed His guidance and who did not. And on that basis He would reward them or punish them in the hereafter.
Our concern in this answer is how Muslims should treat non-Muslims in this life, according to the teachings of Islam.
First, Islam teaches that all humans, being the children of Adam, are equal. There is no question of a Muslim — that is, if he or she is a real Muslim — feeling any sense of superiority over others on the basis of their race, tribe, color, nationality, or language. The Prophet said:
"All of you are from Adam, and Adam was from the earth." (Abu Dawud)
Second, in the matter of religious faith and practice, Muslims must provide non-Muslims all the freedom required for their faith and practice. Muslims are taught that no coercion should be used in the matter of religious preaching. Allah in the Noble Quran commands:
* (Al-Baqarah 2: 256)
{Say, "The truth is from your Lord": Let him who will, believe; and let him who will, reject (it): …}* (Al-Kahf18:29)
The author of the well-known book, The Preaching of Islam, Sir Thomas Arnold — a European Christian scholar — wrote about early conversions from Christianity to Islam:
"That force was not the determining factor in these conversions may be judged from the amicable relations that existed between the Christian and the Muslim Arabs. Muhammad himself had entered into treaty with several Christian tribes, promising them his protection and guaranteeing them the free exercise of their religion and to their clergy undisturbed enjoyment of their old rights and authority". (47-48)
He goes on to say:
"From the examples given above of the toleration extended towards the Christian Arabs by the victorious Muslims of the first century of the Hijrah and continued by succeeding generations, we may surely infer that those Christian tribes that did embrace Islam did so, of their own choice and free will". (51)
In Muslim history, the jizyah (tribute) has been a terribly misunderstood tax the non-Muslims had to pay. In fact, this was a tax in lieu of "zakah", which the Muslims had to pay, or sometimes in lieu of military service obligatory for Muslims.
Thomas Arnold wrote:
"As stated above, the jizyah was levied on the able-bodied males, in lieu of the military service they would have been called upon to perform had they been Muslim men; and it is very noticeable that when any Christian people served in the Muslim army, they were exempted from the payment of this tax. Such was the case with the tribe of Al-Jurajimah, a Christian tribe in the neighborhood of Antioch, who made peace with the Muslims, promising them to be their allies and fight on their side in battle.." (The Preaching of Islam, 62)
The Muslim belief in the Oneness of God and the oneness of the origin of the humanity provides the firmest foundation for Islam's tolerance towards other religions.
In addition, it should be emphasized that Muslims are commanded to believe that all the prophets basically preached the same message of Islam (submission to God); and that all the previous scriptures, in their original form were revelations from Allah Almighty. Naturally, Muslims have got to be tolerant towards all the religions prior to Prophet Muhammad.
It is noteworthy that Judaism rejects prophets Jesus and Muhammad (peace be upon them), and Christianity rejects Prophet Muhammad. But Muslims accept as their own prophets, not only prophets Abraham, Moses and Jesus, but also all other prophets mentioned in the scriptures of the Jews and the Christians.
Muslims also accept their scriptures — both the Old Testament and the New Testament too — as containing the word of God. Muslims are commanded not to differentiate between one prophet and another, but to respect and honor them all alike:
* (Aal `Imran 3:84)
And read the following verses addressed to Prophet Muhammad:
{To you We sent the Scripture in truth, confirming the scripture that came before it, and guarding it in safety: so judge between them by what God has revealed, and follow not their vain desires, diverging from the Truth that has come to you. To each among you have we prescribed a law and an open way. If God had so willed, He would have made you a single people, but (His plan is) to test you in what He has given you: so strive as in a race in all virtues. The goal of you all is to God; it is He that will show you the truth of the matters in which ye dispute…}* (Al-Ma’idah 5:48)
Allah also said:
{If it had been your Lord's will, they would all have believed,- all who are on earth! Will you then compel mankind, against their will, to believe?} (Yunus 10:99)
The above declaration of inter-religious harmony is a thousand years older than the American Bill of Rights.
For centuries in Muslim-majority countries, Muslims and non-Muslims have been living as neighbors in peace; except for rare and exceptional problems created by invaders or Machiavellian politicians, who might have exploited the religious sentiments of people.
Today also, Islam is often distorted and caricatured by vested interests, for their nefarious purposes; and they are certainly using all means of propaganda to spread the idea that Islam is inimical to non-Muslims. But falsehood will certainly perish and truth will prevail.
I hope this answers your question. Please keep in touch.
Salam.
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