Is Islam a Religion of Tolerance?

 

 Demystifying Islam

 by Dr. Ali Shehata

 

Is Islam a Religion of Tolerance?

 

This last section of this chapter discusses one of the most misunderstood aspects of the religion of Islam. Many books and speakers repeatedly attack the religion as being one of intolerance, unable to co-exist with other ideas or ways. Once again, we shall return to history to see if this is truly the case.

 

But first, it would be beneficial to review some verses from the Quran on this matter to see if there is any scriptural evidence to support tolerance and co-existence in Islam.

 

And had your Lord willed, those on earth would have believed—all of them entirely. Then, [O Muhammad], would you compel the people in order that they become believers?  {10:99}

 

Say, “Obey God, and obey the Messenger,” but if you turn away, he is only responsible for the duty placed on him, and you, for the duty placed on you.  If you obey him, you shall be on right guidance. Alas, the Messenger's duty is only to preach the clear Message. {24:54}

 

In Islam, all of humanity is but one big family,

 

O humankind!  We created you from a single [pair] of a male and female, and made you into nations and tribes so that you may come to know each other. Verily, the most honored of you in the sight of God is the most righteous of you. {49:13}

 

The religion of Islam insists that all people, not just Muslims, should enjoy freedom of religion and worship in safety and security. Islam provides protection to all religious places of worship (whether Jewish, Christian or Muslim) and commands Muslims to defend the right of freedom of worship for all. 

 

And were it not that God checks people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of God is mentioned much. And God will surely support those who support Him. Indeed, God is Powerful and Exalted in Might. {22:40}

 

In fact, Jews and Christians are given a special status and distinction in Islam, and they are respectfully addressed in the Qur’an as “People of the Book”( During the time of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh, most religions were based only upon oral traditions. The Quran encouraged Muslims to be people of reading. Since the Jews and Christians also had the tradition of a written religious record, the Torah and Gospel respectively, they were called the “People of the Book”).  Jews, Christians and Muslims are viewed as closely related people whose faiths are all based on divinely revealed scriptures and who share in common a prophetic tradition.

 

...and nearest among them in love to the Believers will you find those who say “We are Christians”. {5:82)

 

So now turning to history, let us look at just a few examples of how Muslims worked with other religions and peoples when power was in their hands. The first aspect that should be mentioned is how the Prophet dealt with the Christians who were conquered during his lifetime. The following words taken from his treaty with the Christian people of Najran (part of present day Yemen), in fact, form the basis of the Islamic understanding of relations with other religions.

 

Najran and their followers have the protection of God and the protection of Muhammad pbuh, the Prophet and Messenger of God, for themselves, their community, their land and their goods, both those who are absent and those who are present, and for their churches and their services (no bishop will be moved from his episcopate, and no monk from his monastery, and no church warden from his wardenship) and for all, great or small, that is under their hands. There is no usury and no blood revenge from pre-Islamic times. (Yaqub, A.Y. (1969). Kitab al Kharaj (edited Translation). Leiden: E.J. Brill)

 

Also, a similar covenant was made by the second Caliph of Islam, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, with the people of Jerusalem after its peaceful takeover.  In fact, ‘Umar’s own assassin, who killed him while he was leading prayer a few years later, was a Magian non-Muslim, yet ‘Umar still commanded his successor to be merciful to the non-Muslims and not to violate their rights. (Magian – another name for followers of Zoroastrianism, a monotheistic religion where fire symbolizes their concept of the One God, whom they call Ahura Mazda, and thus they worshipped at fire temples) It is recorded in the most authentic Islamic books of narrations and history that he said:

 

I advise the Caliph who will follow me to be kind to the non-Muslims and to fulfill our covenants with them, to fight for the sake of their protection and not to overburden them. Hamidullah, M. (1945). Muslim Conduct of State. Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/MuslimConductOfStateDr.MuhammadHamidullah/page/n11

 

Another example of religious tolerance from the time of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh is his instruction to the Muslims to treat the Coptic Christian population of Egypt well. What is interesting about this case though is that Islam had not yet spread to Egypt, and thus, the following two hadith have both an element of tolerance and prophecy about them. The Prophet Muhammad pbuh said:

 

“By God, treat well the Copts of Egypt, for you shall conquer them, and they shall be your supporters in the cause of God.” [At-Tabarani, authenticated by Al-Albaani]

 

“When Egypt is conquered, treat the Copts with dignity, for they have a blood relation with us.” [Al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak meeting the criteria of Bukhari and Muslim; authenticated by Al-Dhahabi and Al-Albaani] 

 

Several hundred years later, this spirit of tolerance continued to exist in the Muslim lands. During the Mongolian Tartar invasions of the Muslim lands, the famous Muslim scholar and warrior Ibn Taimiyyah went as an emissary to Quṭlugh-Shah, one of the Tartar commanders, to negotiate the release of all prisoners of war.  He was initially granted the release of only the Muslim POW’s (prisoners of war), but persisted in his request for all POW’s to be released—referring to the non-Muslims who lived under the protection of the Muslims—until it was later granted. (Denise Aigle. (2007). The Mongol Invasions of Bilad Al-Sham by Ghazan Khan and Ibn Taymiyah’s Three “Anti-Mongol” Fatwas. Mamluk Studies Review. 11.2: 89-120; Retrieved from: http://mamluk.uchicago.edu/MSR_XI2_2007-Aigle.pdf). It is important to note here that this great scholar risked his own life and the fate of all the Muslim POW’s to secure the release of non-Muslims because he knew that this was his duty before God.

 

Furthermore, T. W. Arnold records that following the Islamic conquest of Constantinople (present day Istanbul) in 1453, that Sultan Muhammad II proclaimed himself the protector of the Greek Church. (Arnold, T.W. (1896). The Preaching of Islam: A History of the Propagation of the Muslim Faith. Retrieved from: http://www.truthandgrace.com/The_Preaching_of_Islam.pdf). Persecution of the Christians was forbidden and a decree was issued securing for the newly elected patriarch, Gennadios, and his bishops and successors after him, all privileges previously enjoyed under the former rule. The patriarch was also empowered to bring to the attention of the government and the Sultan (leader) any acts of injustice done by any of the Muslim governors. 

 

The Christian author P. Bayle makes the following observation regarding the Greek Church in his Dictionary under, “the article Mahomed,”  

 

The Christians have not been given orders to do anything but preach and instruct, yet, despite this, from time immemorial they have been exterminating by fire and sword all those who are not of their religion. We may feel certain that if Western Christians, instead of the Saracens and the Turks [names given by the Europeans to the Muslims], had won the dominion over Asia, there would be today not a trace left of the Greek Church, and that they would never have tolerated [Islam] as the “infidels” have tolerated Christianity there. We (Christians) enjoy the fine advantage of being far better versed than others in the art of killing, bombarding and exterminating the Human Race. (Bayle, P. (1826). An Historical and Critical Dictionary. London: Hunt and Clarke. Retrieved from: https://archive.org/details/anhistoricaland01baylgoog/page/ n8)

 

Not forgetting the tolerance and goodwill shown to the Jewish people, many non-Muslim historians, after reviewing the history of the Jewish people, have also made the following positive remarks regarding the Islamic tolerance of Jews living under their rule. Don Peretz, a Middle East scholar and Professor Emeritus at the State University of New York in Binghamton, writes that “Muslim conquests in the 7th Century were welcomed by Jews because they were offered religious toleration”. (Peretz, D. (1990). The Middle East. Boston:Houghton Mifflin Co.). As proof of this toleration, he said Jews were appointed to high positions. Wallbank and Schrier's Living World History says that conquered peoples "were generally treated with leniency" by Muslims. (Wallbank, T.W. and Schrier, A. (1982). Living World History. Glenview, Illinois: Scott Foresman) Several books cite the great Jewish physician and scholar Maimonides as an example of how Jews flourished under Islamic governments.

 

Another non-Muslim scholar, Princeton historian Mark R. Cohen, remarked in one of his speeches that despite the current political instability in the Middle East, which has demonized Jews among Muslims and led to some vehement anti-Islamic Zionism, there is no inherent hostility between the two religions.   

 

Anti-Semitism, understood as the irrational persecution of Jews, is not native to true Islam … examples from history to show how Jews under Islamic rule were protected, whereas those under medieval Christendom were marginalized at best and, more often, excluded. Jews fared better under the Crescent than the Cross. (Gabe, J. (2004). Jews fared better under the Crescent than the Cross. Retrieved from: http://ctr.concordia.ca/2004-05/oct_21/11/index.shtml)

 

Even till today, anyone who has traveled abroad to countries populated by a Muslim majority will see Churches and Synagogues dating back well before Muslim rule, and even before the coming of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh.  How were these places of worship protected during the spread of Islam? Even more important, how did the Christian and Jewish people of these territories continue to live there if Muslims were commanded to kill all who don’t follow their opinion or religion, as some people say? Compare this to the Spanish Inquisition and the Crusades and you shall see that true tolerance, freedom of religion and peaceful co-existence are all the foundation and practice of only Islam for the past 1400 years.  

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Does Islam Condemn Terrorism Scripturally?

 

 

Demystifying Islam

 by Dr. Ali Shehata

 

Does Islam Condemn Terrorism Scripturally?

 

In the Quran and Sunnah, Muslims are repeatedly reminded to be people of justice and to act upon the truth, not their emotions. A Muslim should never act out of revenge or hatred, for in such a case, he will be accountable to God for his crime. God has commanded in the Quran:

 

O you who believe! Stand out firmly for God, as witnesses to justice, and let not the hatred of others make you turn to wrong and to a departure from justice. Be just—that is next to righteousness, and fear God. For God is well-acquainted with all that you do. {5:8}

 

The great Muslim scholar of Spain, al-Qurtubi, says in commentary on this verse:

 

The fact that someone disbelieves [in Islam] does not prevent us from being just to him, and that our dealing with them (in a state of war) should only be restricted to fighting or capturing them if they deserve so. It is not permissible to mutilate their bodies, even if they kill our women and children to cause us grief, it is not for us to intentionally mutilate them to cause them grief and sorrow.

 

Furthermore, Muslims are not only to be people of justice and honor, yet they are also commanded to strictly guard their oaths and treaties with others, a fact attested to throughout the history of Islam. When the Prophet entered into a treaty with the pagans of Makkah, one of the clauses stated that anyone who embraces Islam from the Makkans and then migrates to Madinah seeking refuge amongst the Muslims must be turned back. The following passage taken from The Sealed Nectar illustrates how difficult that decision was, and yet, how firm the resolve of the Prophet was to abide by it since he had given his word in the name of God. 

 

It was during this time while the treaty was being written that Abu Jandal, Suhail’s son who had accepted Islam not long before, appeared on the scene. He was brutally chained and was staggering with [misery] and fatigue. The Prophet and his Companions were moved to pity and tried to secure his release, but Suhail was adamant and said, “To signify that you are faithful to your contract, an opportunity has just arrived.” … It was indeed an anxious moment. On the one hand, Abu Jandal was lamenting at the top of his voice, “Am I to be returned to the pagans that they might [tempt] me from my religion, O Muslims?” But, on the other hand, the faithful engagement was also considered to be necessary, above all other considerations. The Prophet’s heart welled up with sympathy, as he wanted to honor his word at all costs. He consoled Abu Jandal and said, “Be patient, resign yourself to the Will of God. God is going to provide for you and your helpless companions relief and a means of escape. We have concluded a treaty of peace with them and we have taken the pledge in the Name of God … and in silent resignation was Abu Jandal then borne away with his chains. Mubarakfuri, S.R. (2008). The Sealed Nectar: (Ar-Raheequl-Makhtum); Biography of the Noble Prophet. Riyadh: Darussalam

 

Abu Jandal ibn Sufyan later freed himself and escaped, but could not go to Madinah to be with the Prophet due to the treaty that had been concluded and he remained for a number of years by the seaside until the some of the terms of the treaty were later repealed by the pagans.

 

Moreover, it must be remembered that the Prophet also gave instructions to the Muslims on how to deal with people with whom they have an agreement, or with whom they have entered into a treaty. Attesting to this fact, it is authentically recorded that the Prophet Muhammad pbuh gave the following warning, 

 

“Whoever kills a Mu’ahid, will never smell the fragrance of Paradise, although its fragrance can be appreciated from the distance of forty years.” [Bukhari] Mu’ahid: A non-Muslim with a guarantee of security from Muslims, or those people with whom the Muslims have entered into a treaty.

 

The Prophet Muhammad pbuh is also recorded to have frequently said in his sermons,

 “The one who gives no security has no faith, and the one who does not respect his treaties has no religion.” [Ahmad and several others from the narration of Anas ibn Maalik]

 

Muslims living in the West, irrespective of which country they live in or which country they come from, be they citizens or residents, legally or illegal; all have been allowed into their respective new country with a mutual pact of security.  Just as the police officers in those countries have a legal and a moral responsibility towards all Muslims residing in their countries, the Muslims too have a legal, religious and moral responsibility towards the lives and properties of the residents of those countries, even if those countries are at war with Muslims elsewhere in the world. It becomes a religious requirement upon the Muslims in such places to be law abiding citizens in all matters that do not contradict their religion. Hence, Muslims are religiously prohibited from stealing, cheating and disturbing the peace—not to mention being forbidden from performing the wanton destruction of innocent lives and property that occurs with most terrorist acts.

 

The last important point that must be clarified is that Muslims are not allowed to individually declare war on others, as some people have wrongly done today. In Islam, order and structure are of paramount importance so as to prevent much of the anarchy that we see these days. As was mentioned previously, the Muslim world today has no leadership (Caliphate) and thus cannot declare war upon another nation. Muslims have certainly been given the right to defend their homes if and when they are attacked, but the act of crossing into another sovereign country by a small gang of people in order to attack it is entirely illegal in Islamic law.   

 

Thus, the emotionally driven actions of various extremists around the world today are found again and again to be without basis Islamically. God indeed is forgiving, but we do say very loudly and clearly that violating the treaties and guarantees of security that are assumed by entering into other countries and then cowardly killing innocents and non-combatants is something completely forbidden in Islam and leads to the punishment of God in the Hereafter.

 

In fact, in such turbulent times, the Prophet strongly recommended to the believers that they step back and to wait patiently until issues became clear, as opposed to taking action during times of confusion and trial. And there is no doubt that the issues of today are confusing and extremely frustrating, making it all the more necessary to pull back and not get dragged into something that can easily land someone in Hell.

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Why does Islam Always Seem to be Associated with Violence?

 

 

Demystifying Islam

 by Dr. Ali Shehata

 

Why does Islam Always Seem to be Associated with Violence?

 

Here we come to the issue of the media, and its ability to effectively focus the attention of people. Moreover, this question raises the issue of how should one judge a religion?

 

In regards to how well the media can focus people’s attention both onto and away from something, consider the following facts:

 

·         Latin American and Caribbean countries have lead the world in terms of crime and violence for much of the past two decades. The five countries reporting the highest homicide rates internationally in 2017 were El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, St Kitts and Venezuela. In 2016, 43 of the 50 most violent cities in the world were found in Latin America and the Caribbean. (Muggah, R. et al. (2018, Mar 14). Latin America is the World's Most Dangerous Region. But there are Signs it is turning a Corner. Retrieved from: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/03/latin-america-is-the-worldsmost-dangerous-region-but-there-are-signs-its-turning-a-corner/)

 

·         Most people polled think that the problem of child molestation and sexual abuse is confined primarily to the Catholic diocese, whereas in reality, it is a problem involving every denomination of Christianity in America, as well as other religions. (N.A. (n.d.). Soul Betrayal. It's not just priests who abuse youngsters. Clergy of all faiths are guilty of sexual misconduct with children and adults. Retrieved from: http://www.beliefnet.com/story/101/story_10199.html )

 

·         The US has by far the highest number of privately owned guns in the world.( Americans make up less than 5% of the world’s population, yet they own approximately 45% of all the world’s privately held firearms). Estimated for 2017, the number of civilian-owned firearms in the US was 120.5 guns per 100 residents, meaning there were more firearms than people. The world’s second-ranked country was Yemen, a Muslim majority quasi-failed state torn by civil war, where there were 52.8 guns per 100 residents, or less than half that of the US! (http://www.smallarmssurvey.org/weapons-and-markets/tools/globalfirearms-holdings.html). In fact, there are only two Muslim majority countries in the top twenty civilian fire-arms per resident nations. (Lopez, G. (2018, Aug 29). America is one of 6 countries that make up more than half of gun deaths worldwide. Retrieved from: https://www.vox.com/2018/8/29/17792776/us-gun-deaths-global).

 

·         For every one American killed by an act of terror in the United States or abroad in 2014, more than 1,049 died because of guns. (Bower, E. (2016, Oct 3). American deaths in terrorism vs. gun violence inone graph. Retrieved from: https://edition.cnn.com/2016/10/03/us/terrorismgun-violence/index.html).

 

·         According to a report by the US National Counterterrorism Center (https://fas.org/irp/threat/nctc2011.pdf ), in cases in which religious affiliation of terrorism causalities can be determined, Muslims suffered between 82 and 97% of fatalities over the past five years and Muslims are seven times more likely than non-Muslims to be the victims of terror. 

 

·         The Global Terrorism Index reports that between 2001 and 2015, 75% of the fatalities from terrorist attacks occurred in Muslim majority countries. Almost all of the attacks, 98%, occurred outside the US and Western Europe—despite these dominating the news cycle. (http://economicsandpeace.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Global-Terrorism-Index-2015.pdf )

 

Although one can easily ascertain the truth of what was just mentioned, people have held the other, often opposing, opinions because of the attention given to certain issues on the media over others.

 

From another aspect, the question of how a religion is judged needs to be asked. Are we to judge a religion or idea based upon the actions of a small, extreme minority of its followers, or based upon its primary scriptures? Consider the following questions:

 

 Should Baptist Christians be branded terrorists because some members of the Baptist denomination twisted their scriptures to support and carry out numerous abortion clinic bombings wherein many innocent people were killed?

 

 Should Christianity be branded a racist ideology since the Ku Klux Klan would burn crosses and use the Bible to support their racially motivated violence and murders?

 

 Since hundreds of thousands of innocent children had their youth forever shattered through the rape, sexual abuse and exploitation that they experienced at the hands of clergy; should we then say that Christians are mostly child molesters?

 

 Hitler was known to be a devout Christian acting out on what he believed was God’s plan, as when he said, “I believe that I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator. By defending myself against the Jew, I am fighting for the work of the Lord.” (Hitler, A. (1998). Mein Kampf (R. Manheim, Trans.). Houghton Mifflin Company.)

 

Should we then blame the religion of Christianity for the countless deaths and war crimes he ordered?

 

From a more secular standpoint, are all Americans responsible for the death of the 200,000 innocent women, children and men who were annihilated by the nuclear bombs dropped upon Hiroshima and Nagasaki? As Americans, we repeatedly say that war should be between armies and that innocent civilians should never be targeted. Yet, in this very notable case, some people decided that killing such a large number of people might break the Japanese will and cause them to submit. (Kuan, E.K.P. (2010, Aug 10). Was the dropping of the atomic bombs necessary? Retrieved from: https://japantoday.com/category/features/opinions/was-the-dropping-of-theatomic-bombs-necessary)

 

Most religions and even cultures have the concept of “people in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones”. So now consider for yourself, have you been throwing stones at Muslims, while ignoring the condition of your own house? 

 

But, some people will say that the people mentioned above acted on their own, whereas often times when you see Muslims on television after some act of violence, they seem to be using verses from the Quran to support their crimes. Again, this is no different than abortion clinic bombers using the Bible to support their actions, or the words of the successive Popes during the Crusades, or the ideology of the Ku Klux Klan. 

 

Consider the following quote taken from the book The First Crusade: The Accounts of Eye Witnesses and Participants. In November of 1095, Pope Urban II initiated the first European attempt at colonizing the Muslim world, known in the West as the Crusades. He is recorded to have said (words placed in italics are only for emphasis):

 

For you must hasten to carry aid to your brethren dwelling in the East, who need your help, [for] which they have often asked. For the Turks, a Persian people, [referring here to the Muslim nations] have attacked them. I exhort you with earnest prayer—not I, but God—that, as heralds of Christ, you urge men by frequent encouragement, men of all ranks, knights as well as foot soldiers, rich as well as poor, to rush to exterminate this vile race from the lands of your brethren, Christ commands it. 

 

And if those who set out thither should lose their lives on the way by land, or in crossing the sea, or in fighting the pagans, their sins shall be remitted. Oh what a disgrace, if a race so despised, base, and the instrument of demons, should so overcome a people endowed with faith in the all-powerful God, and resplendent with the name of Christ. Let those who have been accustomed to make private war against the faithful carry on to a successful issue a war against the infidels. Let those who for a long time have been robbers, now become soldiers of Christ. Let those who fought against brothers and relatives, now fight against these barbarians. Let them zealously undertake the journey under the guidance of the Lord. (Krey, A.C. (1921). The First Crusade: the Accounts of Eye-Witnesses and Participants. Princeton, Princeton University Press )

    

So in this disturbing passage we see many statements that, when spoken by people of other religions or cultures, have been utterly condemned. Pope Urban II herein calls Muslim people infidels and barbarians, and he commands the Christian people of Europe to empty their lands to go and exterminate them in the name of Christ, moreover as a command of Christ. The book goes on further to describe the scene at the end of the battle of Jerusalem when the Crusaders had achieved victory.

 

And, if you desire to know what was done about the enemy whom we found there, know that in the portico of Solomon and his Temple [the area known as the Temple Mount], our men rode in the blood of the Saracens [derogatory term for Muslims] up to the knees of the horses. 

 

When Jerusalem was conquered on the 15th of July 1099 by the Crusaders who were also known as the Christian Knights, more than 60,000 inhabitants, both Jewish and Muslim, were slaughtered in cold blood. In the words of one witness:

 

...there [in front of Solomon's temple] was such a carnage that our people were wading ankle-deep in the blood of our foes, and after that "happily and crying for joy," our people marched to our Savior’s tomb, to honor it and to pay off our debt of gratitude.

 

It should be further understood that no one survived this carnage on the side of the Muslims, or the Jews who were under the protection of the Muslims at that time. Babies, children, women, and the elderly—all fell under the swords of the Christian knights who then went to say “thank you” before the tomb of Christ. Should Christianity be judged by such events? Of course no Christian, not even a just non-Christian for that matter, would agree to that premise! So then, it can only be fair that Islam not be judged for the far smaller minority of extremists who kill innocent people in the name of God.

 

Another point, which is worth remembering, is how the killing and pillaging in the name of Christianity has in most cases been initiated, instituted and supported by governments and the Church alike—what would be termed “institutional terrorism”.( Riley-Smith, Jonathan. (1999). The Oxford History of the Crusades. New York: Oxford University Press) On the other hand, the acts carried out in the name of Islam are most often the work of individuals without the support of any recognized or established government, and more importantly, without the support of authorized Muslim leadership.

 

What Did the Prophet Muhammad Say About Combat?

 

I would like to summarize this section by mentioning only one reference—the statement of the first Muslim caliph (ruler), Abu Bakr, who, upon dispatching an army to the territories of the Levant, gave the following command to his General. This command undoubtedly originates from the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh:

 

Do not kill a woman, nor a child, nor a weak old person; do not cut down a fruit-bearing tree; do not destroy a dwelling [home]; do not kill a sheep or camel, unless [you need to kill it] for food; do not set bees on fire, nor drown them; do not misappropriate the spoils of war; and do not be cowardly. [Malik]

 

From this one statement, containing ten commands, one should see that the Muslim is obliged in warfare not only to show mercy to innocent and non-combatant humans, but even to the environment and to the animals. If all armies would only follow this advice today, then the wide spread destruction that war brings with it today would certainly not exist, no matter the combatants involved. 

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