Islam and Coexistence with Others

It contained rules and principles that achieved absolute justice and complete equality among human beings, ensuring that all people—regardless of their color, language, or religion—enjoyed various types of rights and freedoms.

Dr. Muhammad Salim al-Awa says: "The principles contained in the Constitution, as a whole, are still practiced today, and most likely, they will remain so across various systems of governance known to this day... People reached these principles centuries after they were established in the first political document recorded by the Prophet ﷺ."

The document declared that freedoms are protected, such as the freedom of belief and worship, the right to security, etc. Freedom of religion was guaranteed: "To the Muslims their religion, and to the Jews their religion." Allah Almighty says: {There shall be no compulsion in [acceptance of] the religion.

The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in Taghut and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing.} [Surah Al-Baqarah: 256].

The document warned of dire consequences and destruction for anyone who violates this principle or breaks this rule. The document also stipulated the achievement of justice among people and the realization of the principle of equality. (See: Al-Sallabi: The Prophetic Biography: Presentation and Facts, 381).

What the Prophet ﷺ did was the first practical application of the Islamic state in the excellence of coexistence with non-Muslim others.

it is an indication that Islam is a religion that does not negate the "Other" at all, and it acknowledges that the differences between people in their forms, colors, and beliefs are a divine law and a lordly wisdom. Allah Almighty says: {And if your Lord had willed, He could have made mankind one community; but they will not cease to differ.

Except whom your Lord has given mercy, and for that He created them. And the word of your Lord has been fulfilled that, "I will surely fill Hell with jinn and men all together."} [Surah Hud: 118-119].

And He said: {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?} [Surah Yunus: 99].

And He said: {And say, "The truth is from your Lord, so whoever wills - let him believe; and whoever wills - let him disbelieve." Indeed, We have prepared for the wrongdoers a fire whose walls will surround them. And if they call for relief, they will be relieved with water like murky oil, which scalds [their] faces.

Wretched is the drink, and evil is the resting place.} [Surah Al-Kahf: 29].

The Prophet ﷺ continued until his death to apply this upright civilizational behavior. On the authority of Thabit, from Anas, who said: "A Jewish boy used to serve the Prophet ﷺ. He fell ill, so the Prophet ﷺ went to visit him. He sat by his head and said to him, 'Accept Islam.

' The boy looked at his father who was with him, and the father said, 'Obey Abu al-Qasim ﷺ.' So he accepted Islam. The Prophet ﷺ left, saying, 'Praise be to Allah who saved him from the Fire.'" [Reported by Ahmad 3/175 (12823), al-Bukhari 1356, and Abu Dawood 3095].

This story is mentioned to show the Prophet's ﷺ eagerness to guide people to the religion of truth and goodness. However, many of us might not notice something important: the Prophet ﷺ allowed a Jewish boy to be in his service, entering his home and seeing private matters that others might not see.

Another story mentioned in the books of Sunnah concerns the Jewish woman whose invitation the Prophet ﷺ accepted. He went to her house to share her food. On the authority of Hisham bin Zaid, from Anas: "A Jewish woman brought the Messenger of Allah ﷺ a poisoned sheep, and he ate from it.

She was brought to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he asked her about it. She said, 'I wanted to kill you.' He said, 'Allah would not have given you power over that'—or he said—'over me.' They said, 'Shall we not kill her?' He said, 'No.' He (Anas) said: 'I continued to recognize the effects of it in the palate of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

'" [Reported by Ahmad 3/218 (13318), al-Bukhari 2617, and Muslim 5756].

Also, it is mentioned in the books of Sunnah that when the Prophet ﷺ died, his armor was mortgaged to a Jew. On the authority of Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her), she said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ bought food from a Jew on credit and mortgaged his iron armor to him."

Sufyan’s narration states: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ passed away while his armor was mortgaged to a Jew for thirty sa' (measures) of barley." [Reported by Ahmad 6/42 and al-Bukhari 3/73 and 151].

The Holy Qur'an emphasized this bright and shining truth, where the Almighty said: {Allah does not forbid you from those who do not fight you because of religion and do not expel you from your homes - from being righteous toward them and acting justly toward them. Indeed, Allah loves those who act justly.

Allah only forbids you from those who fight you because of religion and expel you from your homes and aid in your expulsion - [forbids] that you make allies of them. And whoever makes allies of them, then it is those who are the wrongdoers.} [Surah Al-Mumtahanah: 8-9].

And Allah Almighty said to His Prophet ﷺ: {Indeed, We have revealed to you the Book in truth so you may judge between the people by that which Allah has shown you. And do not be for the deceitful an advocate. And seek forgiveness of Allah. Indeed, Allah is ever Forgiving and Merciful.} [Surah An-Nisa: 105-106].

The people of Tafsir (exegesis) say: Ibn Abbas said that this verse was revealed regarding a man from the Ansar called Tu'mah bin Ubayriq, who stole a suit of armor from a neighbor named Qatada bin al-Nu'man. The armor was in a sack containing flour, and the flour began to leak out of a hole in the sack until it reached his house.

He then hid it with a Jewish man named Zaid bin al-Samin. When the armor was sought at Tu'mah's house, he swore by Allah that he knew nothing about it. The owners of the armor said: "We saw the trail of the flour until it entered his house.

" When he swore his innocence, they left him and followed the trail of flour to the Jew's house and seized him. The Jew said: "Tu'mah bin Ubayriq gave it to me," and a group of Jews testified to that. Al-Baghawi said: The people of Tu'mah came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and asked him to argue on behalf of their companion.

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was about to punish the Jew and cut off his hand, then Allah revealed this verse.

{And do not be} O Muhammad, {for the deceitful an advocate} meaning do not argue on behalf of the deceitful—who are the people of Tu'mah—and do not defend or assist him. {And seek forgiveness of Allah} from what you intended to do regarding the punishment of the Jew. [Tabari 9/182, Ibn Kathir 2/405, and see: Tafsir Ibn Abi Hatim 20/479].

Furthermore, the Prophet ﷺ emphasized the good treatment of non-Muslims by Muslims, acting justly with them and giving them their rights.

On the authority of Abdurrahman bin Jawshan, who said: Abu Bakrah said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Whoever kills a Mu'ahid (a non-Muslim under a covenant) without a just cause, Allah has forbidden Paradise for him." [Reported by Ahmad 5/36 (20648), al-Darimi 2504, and Abu Dawood 2760].

And on the authority of Safwan bin Sulaym, from several children of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, from their fathers, from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ who said: "Behold, whoever wrongs a Mu'ahid, or disparages him, or taxes him beyond his capacity, or takes something from him without his consent, I will be his advocate on the Day of Resurrection.

" [Reported by Abu Dawood 3052, authenticated by al-Albani in Silsila al-Sahiha 1/729].

Respecting the human soul is an authentic Islamic principle that no two people disagree upon. On the authority of Ibn Abi Layla, that Qais bin Sa'd and Sahl bin Hunaif were at al-Qadisiyyah when a funeral procession passed by them, and they stood up. It was said to them: "It is one of the people of the land (a non-Muslim).

" They said: "A funeral procession passed by the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he stood up. It was said to him, 'It is a Jew.' He replied, 'Is it not a soul?'" [Reported by Ahmad 6/6 (24343) and al-Bukhari 2/107 (1312)].

The noble Companions followed this upright path after the Prophet ﷺ, applying it as behavior and ethics in their lives. They respected the rights of the "Other" to life and coexisted with them without losing their identity or compromising.

Coexistence with the "Other" does not mean at all the dissolution of identity, the loss of one's character, or humiliation and submission to them. Rather, it means mutual respect and each party knowing their rights and duties.

It is narrated that Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) lost a suit of armor that was dear to him and found it with a Jew. He took the case to his judge, Shurayh. Ali was the Caliph and Commander of the Faithful at the time.

Shurayh asked the Commander of the Faithful about his case, and he said: "The armor is mine; I did not sell it nor give it away." Shurayh asked the Jew: "What do you say to what the Commander of the Faithful says?" The Jew replied evasively: "The armor is mine, but I do not call the Commander of the Faithful a liar.

" Shurayh turned to the Commander of the Faithful: "Is there any evidence?" Shurayh’s position was magnificent, as was the position of the Commander of the Faithful. He ruled the armor to the Jew because the claimant, the Commander of the Faithful, lacked evidence. The man took the armor and walked away, hardly believing himself.

Then he returned after a few steps and said: "By Allah... the Commander of the Faithful takes me to his judge, and the judge rules against him?! These are the ethics of prophets. I bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.

The armor is yours, O Commander of the Faithful; it fell from your camel and I took it." Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "Since you have accepted Islam, it is yours!" [See: Al-Arifi: Men regarding whom Allah revealed Quranic verses, p. 39].

Another magnificent position and beautiful image confirming the greatness of Islam in respecting the rights of others: Qutayba bin Muslim al-Bahili was in the eastern part of the world, conquering cities and villages to spread Allah's religion.

He conquered the city of Samarkand in the year 99 AH without first inviting its people to Islam or the Jizya, nor granting them the three days' notice as was the custom of Muslims. When the people of Samarkand realized this was contrary to Islam, their priests wrote a letter to the Sultan of the Muslims at the time, Umar bin Abdul Aziz.

They sent one of the people of Samarkand with the letter.

The messenger says: "I traveled for months until I reached Damascus. I asked for the Sultan's house and saw a mud house. I saw a man fixing a wall with mud and a woman helping him. I asked, 'Where is the Commander of the Faithful?' They said, 'That is him.' I gave him the letter from the priests of Samarkand.

He read it, turned it over, and wrote on the back: 'From the Servant of Allah, Umar bin Abdul Aziz, to his governor in Samarkand: Appoint a judge to look into their claim.' He sealed it and gave it to me.

The messenger returned to Samarkand, thinking the letter would do nothing against the vast armies and the leader Qutayba bin Muslim. But the governor appointed the judge, Jumay' bin Hadir al-Baji.

The judge ruled that the Muslim army must leave the city, return to their original positions, and then give the people the choice of Islam, Jizya, or war, according to Islamic principles.

The people of Samarkand did not think these words would take effect. Before the sun set that day, the entire army had left the land of Samarkand.

When the people saw such justice, the likes of which had never been seen in human history, implemented by a state against its own army and leader, they said: "This is a nation whose rule is a mercy and a blessing." Most of them entered the religion of Allah, and Jizya was applied to the rest.

[Mustafa al-Siba'i: From the Masterpieces of Our Civilization, 78].

Do Muslims realize the merits of this religion and present them well to others?

And do others understand the reality of Islam and realize it is a religion that treats all people well and acknowledges their right to a safe and secure life, as long as they respect the rights of Muslims and recognize its existence as a religion revealed by Allah Almighty?