Prophet With Servants

Tuesday, 01 April 2008

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Written by Abdul-Rahim Ammar

When reading the verses of the Holy Quran, one realizes that peace takes precedence over war and dialogue takes precedence over clash in dealing with non-Muslims. It suffices to realize that the word “peace” and its derivatives were mentioned a hundred and forty times in the Quran, while the word “war” and its derivatives were mentioned only six times!

The difference between the two numbers mentioned above is reflected in the biography of the prophet (PBUH); throughout the entire course of his life, the Prophet (PBUH) chose to embrace peaceful means when dealing with his opponents to the extent that makes one wonders.

In this study, we will present some of the models of interaction of the Prophet (PBUH) with non-Muslims. I have found that these interactions present many sublime aspects, so I chose to organize these aspects into varying groups according to their meaning and then in an ascending order according to what is aspired by thinkers in terms of interacting with opponents. We will find that all that is aspired by reformers and thinkers has already been implemented by the Prophet (PBUH); amazingly, the Prophet (PBUH) has far exceeded their imaginations. Thus, the study has been divided into four independent points:

 Recognition of Non-Muslims

 Many of those who are prejudiced against Islam and Muslims claim that Muslims do not recognize those of different faith and belief such as the Jews, the Christians or others and that Muslims deny these groups their identities and rights to co-existence along with Muslims. In my opinion, this claim is nothing but a projection, which is basically accusing others of one’s own fault. One should look into the story of Islam from its first day to realize who does not recognize whom and who denies whom.

From the very first days of Islam, the Holy Quran was being revealed to the Prophet (PBUH) narrating the stories of previous Prophets and glorifying all Prophets with no exceptions. This was always the prevailing trend in Madina even amidst the ensuing clashes between Muslims and Jews, and Muslims and Christians. The Holy Quran never ceased to glorify the Prophets, especially Moses and Jesus who were the Prophets of Jews and Christians. Here is an example of Quranic verses revealed in Makkah narrating about Moses “When he (Moses) reached full age, and was firmly established (in life), We bestowed on him (Moses) wisdom and knowledge: for thus do We reward those who do good.” (28:14) And also “((Allah)) said: "O Moses! I have chosen thee above (other) men, by the mission I (have given thee) and the words I (have spoken to thee): take then the (revelation) which I give thee, and be of those who give thanks.” (7:144) and there are many similar examples in the Holy Quran.

The matter was similar for Jesus, where the Quran revealed in Mecca glorifies his story on numerous occasions and mentions for example: “He (Jesus) said: "I am indeed a servant of Allah. He hath given me revelation and made me a prophet; "And He hath made me blessed wheresoever I be, and hath enjoined on me Prayer and Charity as long as I live; "(He) hath made me kind to my mother, and not overbearing or miserable; "So peace is on me the day I was born, the day that I die, and the day that I shall be raised up to life (again)"!” (19:30-33) and also “And Zakariya and John, and Jesus and Elias: all in the ranks of the righteous” (6:85)

In spite of our firm belief that the Prophet (PBUH) is the best of mankind, the Holy Quran urges us to believe in all prophets without any distinctions among them. Allah describes the exemplary faith that the nations of Islam should have in the following

verses “Say ye: "We believe in Allah, and the revelation given to us, and to Abraham, Isma'il, Isaac, Jacob, and the Tribes, and that given to Moses and Jesus, and that given to (all) prophets from their Lord: We make no difference between one and another of them: And we bow to Allah (in Islam)."” Ibn Katheer comments on this comprehensive verse: “It means to believe in all of them. Believers in this nation believe in every single prophet, every revealed book and deny none of which; on the contrary, they believe in all that was revealed from Allah and every Prophet He sent.”

The Holy Quran mentions in a harsh tone those who differentiate between Prophets: “Those who deny Allah and His apostles, and (those who) wish to separate Allah from His apostles, saying: "We believe in some but reject others": And (those who) wish to take a course midway, They are in truth (equally) unbelievers; and we have prepared for unbelievers a humiliating punishment.”(4:150-151)

This is the background that the Prophet (PBUH) used to propagate about other Prophets and Messengers. Thus, the Prophet (PBUH) has urged us not to differentiate between Prophets and said “Do not differentiate between Prophets” in addition, the Prophet urged us not to favor him over other Prophets as narrated “Do not favor me over other Prophets”. This is our stance with regard to Prophets and Messengers throughout the entire course of history; each of them represents an essential stone is a huge structure. To that end, the relationship is complementary, rather than competitive, with ultimate goal of achieving monotheism.

That being said, we acknowledge all who preceded us and, even, have a sense of companionship. It is not an exaggeration to be more compassionate with and respectful to Prophets than their own people. The Prophet (PBUH) said, regarding Jesus, “I am the closest of all to Jesus in this life and the hereafter, for Prophets are sent with the same message to different people”. This is a clear recognition of Jesus and Christians. In another instance when the Prophet (PBUH) came to Madina, the Jews were fasting the day of Ashura, the tenth day of the first month of Arabic calendar, because it was the day that Moses and the Jews escaped Egypt. The Prophet (PBUH) said “We are closer to Moses that you (Jews)” and ordered Muslims to fast that day.

The Prophet (PBUH) glorified Abu Bakr and Omar, which are the two most prominent figures in Islam after the Prophet, when he drew the similarity between them and other Prophets. This proves that other Prophets previous to Muhammad (PBUH) are role models for Muslims to follow. The Prophet said “You, Abu Bakr, are similar to Ibrahim when he said “those who obey me are among my cohort and those who disobey me are subjected to your mercy, for You, Allah, are the most merciful” and also similar to Jesus when he said “If Thou dost punish them, they are Thy servant: If Thou dost forgive them, Thou art the Exalted in power, the Wise” and you Omar are similar to Noah when he said “O my Lord! Leave not of the Unbelievers, a single one on earth!” and similar to Moses when he said “O our Lord, deface the features of their wealth, and send hardness to their hearts, so they will not believe until they see the grievous penalty."”

The Prophet (PBUH) would speak in a respectful tone about previous prophets when he wished they would have done something differently. In one case, for instance, the Prophet wished Moses would have been more patient during his trip with Al-Khadr and he made a note of this in the following narration “May Allah forgive Moses, I wish he had been patient enough so that we may learn more”.  In another instance, the Prophet (PBUH) wished that prophet Hud had used a different word than the one used in the Holy Quran: “He (Lut) said: "Would that I had power to suppress you or that I could betake myself to some powerful support."” (11:80). The Prophet (PBUH) said “May Allah forgive Lut, for he was betaken to some powerful support (that of Allah the Almighty).”

In addition, the prophet praised followers of previous prophets, those who abided by their teachings and struggled for their faith. The prophet praised the Christian monk in the story of the people of the septal and the blind man of the Israelites who praised Allah for his blessings among numerous other examples. The Prophet (PBUH) even encouraged his companions to set those as examples to follow. The following example elucidates how the Prophet (PBUH) encouraged his companions to follow people of previous religions: Khabbab Ibn Al-Arrat narrated “We complained to Allah's Apostle (about our state) while he was leaning against his sheet cloak in the shade of the Ka'ba. We said, "Will you ask Allah to help us? Will you invoke Allah for us?" He said, "Among those who were before you a (believer) used to be seized and, a pit used to be dug for him and then he used to be placed in it. Then a saw used to be brought and put on his head which would be split into two halves. His flesh might be combed with iron combs and removed from his bones, yet, all that did not cause him to revert from his religion. By Allah! This religion (Islam) will be completed (and triumph) till a rider (traveler) goes from San'a' (the capital of Yemen) to Hadramout fearing nobody except Allah and the wolf lest it should trouble his sheep, but you are impatient." All these instances exemplify the respectful and appreciative attitude of the Prophet toward other religions as we will discuss in the coming sections.

The Prophet (PBUH) realized that the existence of Jews and Christians, along with Muslims, till the end of time is a fact and that was reported in many of his narrations. Thus, it was essential to recognize their rights, stress on the concept of co-existence and formulate the rules and regulations. As a result, praising and recognizing the rights of non-Muslims was not a mere intellectual indulgence or a political enhancement of the situation; on the contrary, these ideas were implemented in reality and resulted in many positive situations and important regulations to facilitate the process of co-existence of many religions and cultures within one society. Thus, it was not strange that the Prophet (PBUH) simply accepted co-existence with the Jews form the very first day he migrated to Madina and established treaties with them. The Prophet (PBUH) never wanted for these treaties to be violated or cancelled, and, in actuality, these treaties were always violated by the other party involved. The Prophet (PBUH) insisted on the principles peaceful of co-existence and recognizing the rules of others as long as there is no transgression; he even neglected some of the evident transgression for the sole purpose of preserving the stability of the newly established state in Madina.  The Prophet never changed this view till the end of his life. Strangely enough, he left his war mantle at a Jewish merchant in exchange for food. This may seem strange because there were many affluent Muslims who would have been more than willing to give food to the Prophet (PBUH) or, at least, lend him money, but he chose to borrow the money from a Jew to point the attention of Muslims to the fact that the relationship with Jews is perfectly normal as long as there is respect and no transgression.

The Prophet also interacted with Christians and made many treaties in numerous occasions. He recognized their existence in spite of the major differences in belief and never forced any of them to convert to Islam in spite of his willingness to take every measure possible to guide them to the true path. Allah, the Almighty, was addresses the Prophet (PBUH) in the Quran: “If it had been thy Lord's will, they would all have believed, all who are on earth! wilt thou then compel mankind, against their will, to believe!” (10:99) The general principle is clear as explicitly mentioned in the Holy Quran: “Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.”(2:256). Those who convert to Islam without a true desire would not benefit themselves or society. Thus, there is no benefit from the apparent acceptance of Islam while concealing disbelief, and there is no benefit in clashing and rebelling. For these reasons, it was logical to calm the relationship with other non-Muslim communities and let events unfold on their own according to the will of Allah the Almighty “And We granted them Clear Signs in affairs (of Religion): it was only after knowledge had been granted to them that they fell into schisms, through insolent envy among themselves. Verily thy Lord will judge between them on the Day of Judgment as to those matters in which they set up differences.”(45:17). In addition, the Prophet (PBUH) interacted with the disbelievers in Mecca and many verses were revealed regarding this matter: “To you be your Way, and to me mine”(109:6) and “Hold to forgiveness; command what is right; But turn away from the ignorant” (7:199).This was his approach in Mecca but the disbelievers would not tolerate it and expelled the companions of the prophet from Mecca and hunted them down till the point where war became a necessity.

In spite of this tolerance to all religions and groups, with distinct differences in belief to Islam, the Prophet was met with intolerance and denial. In the coming sections we will discuss the stance of Jews, Christians and disbelievers toward the Prophet (PBUH).

 1-     POSITION OF THE JEWS

 What was the position of the Jews from the message of the Prophet (PBUH)? It is a position of denial, rejection and falsification from the very first day! All the evidence attest to the fact that the Jews knew the authenticity of the message of the Prophet (PBUH) since the first day in Mecca, and this was further supported by many scholars in our recent days. This fact was also mentioned in the Quran that was revealed to the Prophet in Mecca “Is it not a Sign to them that the Learned of the Children of Israel knew it (as true)?” (26:197). These verses were mainly a proof to the disbelievers in Mecca. The point is that the disbelievers questioned the Jewish scholars about the authenticity of the message of the Prophet (PBUH), which was mentioned in details in their books. It was obvious that the Jewish scholars recognized the Prophet (PBUH) and his message. All of this evidence confirms the fact that the Jews were not ignorant of the message of the Prophet (PBUH) and that they expected this message at that era of time.

As the days passed, the Prophet migrated to Medina and, from the very first day, he tried to approach the Jews as they were people of the book and they were likely to accept the message. Not only did the Prophet (PBUH) use treaties to approach the Jewish, but he used two of the most important acts of worship in Islam, prayers and fasting.

Prayers for the first sixteen or seventeen months after migration to Medina were in the direction of Jerusalem in Palestine, which was the direction of the prayer of the Jews and the all the previous prophets. In addition, fasting was exactly identical to that of the Jews on the 10th day of the 10th month of the Arabic calendar, which was believed to be Passover.

Then it is clear that the Jews knew that it was the time of the last and final message and recognized the Prophet (PBUH) and the authenticity of his message according their scholars; in addition, the Prophet tried to approach them and considered his message as the natural extension of the message of previous prophets. Thus, it was only logical to expect that the Jews would accept the message of the Prophet. However, only very few of the Jews accepted the message of the Prophet. The great majority, on the other hand, rejected it. The position of the Jews from the Prophet was clearly obvious from their reaction toward Abdullah Ibn Sallam, who was one of most respected Jewish scholars.

Abdullah Ibn Sallam came to the Prophet to inquire about some aspects of the Torah that were only known to scholars as way of assessing the authenticity of the claim of the Prophet. The Prophet answered all those questions as a proof of his prophethood and, as a result, Abdullah Ibn Sallam accepted Islam. When the Jewish scholar came to the Prophet, he asked them about the status of Adullah among them. They all agreed that Abdullah Ibn Sallam was one of their most established and respected scholars; however, when Abdullah informed them that he accepted Islam and asked them to do the same, they cursed him and denied all the attributes they had bestowed upon him. This attitude of the Jews was an obvious divergence from the truth without any logical reasons; it was denial and rejection for the sake of rejection only. Similarly, Huyay Ibn Akhtab, who was the head of the biggest Jewish tribe in Medina, confessed to his brother Yasser Ibn Akhtab that he knew that Muhammad was the true Prophet; however, he swore to his brother that he would fight him as long as he lived.

What was the position of the Prophet from the Jews, after their stubborn rejection of his message?! Did he force them to embrace his message? In spite of the clear rejection of the message while knowing its authenticity, the Jews were never forced to embrace the message of the Prophet even though he had the power to do so. The Prophet always implemented the unaltered principle “Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error: whoever rejects evil and believes in Allah hath grasped the most trustworthy hand-hold, that never breaks. And Allah heareth and knoweth all things.”(2:256).

In return, did the Jews only reject and denied the message?! Quite the contrary, they took a hostile attitude toward the Prophet and launched campaigns of skepticism toward the message and the Holy Quran. In addition, the conspired against to Prophet to divert people from Islam. They even tried to ignite hatred and war among the Ansar as was evidenced by the Plot masterminded by Shas Ibn Qays to provoke war between Aus and Khazraj. The Jews even surpassed this stage and openly attributed the Lord with poverty and themselves with wealth as declared in the following verse “Allah hath heard the taunt of those who say: "Truly, Allah is indigent and we are rich!"- We shall certainly record their word and (their act) of slaying the prophets in defiance of right, and We shall say: "Taste ye the penalty of the Scorching Fire!” (3:181). The entire incidence was narrated by Ibn Hisham in his version of the biography of the Prophet, Ibn Is’haq and other numerous sources.

By the way of rejecting the Prophethood of Muhammed, the Jews rejected the Prophethood of Solomon although he is considered as one of the greatest prophets of the Jews because of his position as king and a prophet among the Jews. They, instead, accused him of sorcery as declared in the verse “They followed what the evil ones gave out (falsely) against the power of Solomon: the blasphemers Were, not Solomon, but the evil ones, teaching men Magic, and such things as came down at babylon to the angels Harut and Marut. But neither of these taught anyone (Such things) without saying: "We are only for trial; so do not blaspheme." They learned from them the means to sow discord between man and wife. But they could not thus harm anyone except by Allah.s permission. And they learned what harmed them, not what profited them. And they knew that the buyers of (magic) would have no share in the happiness of the Hereafter. And vile was the price for which they did sell their souls, if they but knew!.” (2:102) 

In spite of all these incidences of rejection and conspiracy, the Prophet (PBUH) maintained his treaties with the Jews and never denied their rights of co-existence as people of the book. It is obvious that the actions of the Prophet (PBUH) never stemmed from personal motives, rather they were dictated by his belief and jurisdiction of Islam, which requires the recognition of others in spite of their denial and rejection. This disparity represents the difference in attitude of Muslims toward non-Muslims and the attitude of non-Muslims toward Muslims.

 2-     POSITIONS OF THE CHRISTIANS

 The attitude of the Christians toward the message of the Prophet was not significantly better than that of the Jews. There were no conspiracies, hatred or envy from the Christians as were seen from the Jews, but, in the end, they never recognized the Prophet the way he recognized them.

The king of the Romans inquired about the prophet and ascertained the authenticity of his prophethood and realized in a manner that leaves no room for doubt that Muhammed (PBUH) was a prophet. He even, amazingly enough, mentioned to Abou Sofian in a long conversation that “ If what you say about him (the Prophet) is true, he will take over this  very throne, and I was aware that this is the time of a prophet, but I never thought he would come from amongst you. If I knew I could get to him, I would bear the burden of traveling to him and I would wash his feet with my own hands.” So what was the position of the Roman king toward the Prophet (PBUH) after this statement?! He waged wars against the Prophet, one after the other, and the followers of the Prophet. He forced the Roman army to fight the Muslims in Mu’ata and Tabouk, and provoked the Christian tribes in the northern region of the Arab peninsula to fight the Muslims and lead many wars against the Muslims for many years after the death of the Prophet (PBUH).

The position of the king of Egypt, which was a Christian state, was not very different from that of the Roman king. He even said words that convey his belief in the message of the Prophet and sent many gifts to him. However, when the Islamic armies came to Egypt, he fought against them even though it ended the Roman occupation of Egypt, which last more than six hundred consecutive years.

 3-     POSITION OF THE DISBELIEVERS

 The position of the disbelievers toward the message of the Prophet was very evident. In spite of his peaceful approach toward them, they totally rejected his message and failed to recognize the rights of Muslims in freedom of religious practice. They transgressed against the Prophet and his followers and these incidences are documented in a multitude of sources. Even after his migration to Madina, the Prophet (PBUH) approached the disbelievers in a very peaceful manner and never forced any of them to embrace Islam. On the contrary, he was always trying to approach them but they always rejected the message. This was most evident in the incidence when he stopped by a group of Muslims, Jews and idolaters and preached Islam to them in a compassionate and lenient manner but Abdullah Ibn Ubay Ibn Salool, who was the head of the hypocrites in Madina, was aggressive toward him and asked him to stop preaching. The Muslims wanted to respond to Ibn Salool’s aggression and situation was going to become a battle but the Prophet calmed everyone and excused Ibn Salool even though he was capable of retaliating.

This positive attitude toward others is a core principle of Islam, which never forces anyone to abandon their belief and embrace Islam. We urge others to read about Islam form the authentic sources before making an unfair judgment.

 Respecting Non-Muslims

 Not only did the Prophet (PBUH) recognize to rights of other groups, but it surpassed that level to more sublime degrees of acceptance and coexistence. There have been many incidences in history where one group recognizes the existence of other groups, however, without the slightest sense of respect or understanding. An example of which is the treatment is what happened for many years in Europe where stores had signs exhibiting “Canines and Jews Prohibited!” There was a similar degree of disrespect to African Americans among Whites for many years in the United States of America, where stores had signs displaying “Canines and Negroes Prohibited!” It is the same perverse logic that undermines the respect and appreciation of human nature. Islam, on the contrary, has always urged for a different set of teachings.

The Prophet (PBUH) has taught us the ideal way to deal with non-Muslims; his pointed out that recognizing others in not sufficient, but respect is a requirement as well. This was not a matter of personal preference or his own stance; rather it stemmed from a divine revelation and was in complete agreement with verses from the Holy Quran regarding dealing with those who are of different faith and religion. Allah says in the Holy Quran regarding our approach to non-Muslims “Say: "Who gives you sustenance, from the heavens and the earth?" Say: "It is Allah. and certain it is that either we or ye are on right guidance or in manifest error!" Say: "Ye shall not be questioned as to our sins, nor shall we be questioned as to what ye do." Say: "Our Lord will gather us together and will in the end decide the matter between us (and you) in truth and justice: and He is the one to decide, the One Who knows all."” (34:24-26).

The Prophet (PBUH) knew, with no doubt, that he preached for the path of true guidance; however, Allah has ordered him to address the idolaters in the following manner “And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam)." (29:46). It mentions the common ground that is shared between both groups. One group has the true guidance while the other is astray, so the best means is to have a dialogue in order to reach the truth. This is merely the ideal way of arguing that represents the true spirit of Islam. It does bear the slightest sense of arrogance or chauvinism; rather it bears respect and appreciation to others. Another example of this is what is mentioned in the Holy Quran regarding our approach to the people of the book And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better (than mere disputation), unless it be with those of them who inflict wrong (and injury): but say, "We believe in the revelation which has come down to us and in that which came down to you; Our Allah and your Allah is one; and it is to Him we bow (in Islam)." (29:46). It is obvious that we are not only required to argue with the people of the book in a favorable manner, but to remain searching and optimizing our dialogue with them.

The manners of the Prophet in conversing were sublime; he would listen to his opposition, even if there propositions were not acceptable logically or religiously. He always provided them with the time and space to express their point of view. Here is a wonderful example of dealing with non-Muslims in the dialogue between the Prophet and Utba Ibn Rabia, one of the prominent figures in Quraish. Utba started with directing charges to the Prophet (PBUH) and, eventually, he urged the Prophet to give up the message of Allah in return for worldly benefits. The Prophet did not interrupt, but he waited until Utbah was done and then said “Are you done?” Utba said “Yes.” The Prophet said “Then, listen to me.” Utba said “Do so.” The Prophet recited some verses from the Holy Quran: “Ha Mim: A Revelation from ((Allah)), Most Gracious, Most Merciful; A Book, whereof the verses are explained in detail; a Qur'an in Arabic, for people who understand; Giving good news and admonition: yet most of them turn away, and so they hear not. They say: "Our hearts are under veils, (concealed) from that to which thou dost invite us, and in our ears in a deafness, and between us and thee is a screen: so do thou (what thou wilt); for us, we shall do (what we will!)"” (45:1-5). After the Prophet was done reciting the verses, he told Utba “Now, that you have listened to these verses, it is up to you.”

This dialogue is very important. In spite of the charges that Utba started with, the Prophet (PBUH) remained calm and listened to Utba even though the propositions he made were absolutely meaningless and, even, impolite. We see that the Prophet (PBUH) gave Utbah the complete chance to express his opinion and then the Prophet (PBUH) started talking to exemplify the best example of conversing with others, even if they are of different faith and belief.

The main objective of the words and deeds of the Prophet were to bring the glad tidings in spite of the cruelty of the disbelievers. Rabia Ibn Abbad Al-Dayly narrated “I have seen the Prophet with my own eyes in the market of Thee Majaz saying “O people, say there is no God but Allah, you will succeed in this life and the hereafter” and no one was saying anything and he would not stop, except that there was a man behind him saying “he is a lying convert..!!!” I asked “Who are those?” They said “This is Mohammad mentioning prophethood and the man behind him is his uncle Abu Lahab.” The Prophet never deviated from his good morals in dealing with non-Muslims even in the case of obvious inanity of Abu Lahab. Thus, Prophet (PBUH) never frowned in their faces, interrupted their conversations or looked upon them with arrogance, but he was courteous to everyone.

The Prophet’s speech was not limited to tenderness and courteousness but it was also one of praise to his opponents and those who waged wars against him! He praised Suhail Ibn Amr, one of the leaders of disbelievers in Makkah, when he was delegated for the truce of Hudaibeya. It was known that Suhail Ibn Amr was of good nature.  The Prophet also praised Khaled Ibn Al-Waleed before Khaled accepted Islam in the seventh year of the Hijri calendar, after many battles led by Khaled against Muslims. The Prophet asked Khaled’s brother “How come Khaled has not accepted Islam yet? A man of his sanity should accept Islam and it would be to his benefit if he used his great skills in the sake of Allah and he would be given precedence over many others (Muslims).”

One of the great examples of the Prophet’s respect to non-Muslims is evident in his continual praise of the king of Abyssinia. The Prophet explicitly said “He is a just king and no one is wronged in his kingdom…it’s a land of sincerity.” The Prophet praises the Christian king which exhibits the fair attitude of the Prophet toward those who are non-Muslims. This is a very important aspect of the biography of the Prophet that Muslims need to know before others, especially that this illustrates the beauty of our religion and sublime morals of our Prophet.

The Prophet respected leaders and messengers from other nations. The messengers of the king of Persia came to the Prophet (PBUH) in Madina to take him to the king of Persia and they addressed the Prophet in a manner that was full of arrogance and disrespect. However, the Prophet maintained his calm attitude and addressed them according to his high moral standards and good nature. He told them, through revelation, that the king of Persia had been murdered by his own son, which was not known to anyone at that time. He gave them a belt of gold and silver as a kind gift to them. This high standard of diplomacy with those of different faith, political stance and, even, moral standards requires attention and analysis. There was no reason for the Prophet (PBUH) to deal with those messengers, who threatened him and were arrogant to him, with this degree of moral standards other an internal drive that governs his own personal feelings according to the teachings of revealed to him from Allah the Almighty.

This attitude of the Prophet toward non-Muslims was not an incidence but it was an integral aspect that the Prophet resorted to in dealing with non-Muslims. This is very evident in his letters to the leaders of his time; he never addressed any of them with disrespect, on the contrary, his speech was very diplomatic and respectful regardless of their faiths or races. The Prophet sent letters to the leaders of his time inviting them to Islam. We should point attention to fact that he attributed greatness to every one of those kings in spite of being non-Muslims.

Similar to the Prophet’s attitude to the messengers of the king of Persia, he received delegations from different kings and tribes in Madina with great degree of hospitality regardless of their anticipated political and religious stance. The Prophet (PBUH) paid special attention to delegations; he received all delegations and gave away gifts on their departure. The Prophet stressed the importance of receiving delegations coming to Madina in spite of different faith and beliefs on his death bed. He said “Reward the delegations with gifts the way I would.”

It is worth mentioning, in the conclusion of this section, that the respect the Prophet to non-Muslims was to the extent of preserving their religious texts in spite of his firm belief of the presence of alterations and, even, transgressions toward other Prophets and messengers that were not acceptable to him. He returned the Jewish texts to the Jews after the conquest of Khaybar. This shows the exalted morals of the Prophet in dealing with non-Muslims and those of different faith, especially when compared to what the Spaniards did to Muslims in Spain and what the Romans did after the fall of Jerusalem.

 Justice toward Non-Muslims

 Justice of the Prophet (PBUH) was attested to by a Christian researcher that studied the biography of the Prophet in great details as well as the principles upon which the Islamic law was founded. Dr. Nazmi Luke says in one of his books “I do not know of any law that is more just and distant from oppression and chauvinism than a law that says: O ye who believe! stand out firmly for Allah, as witnesses to fair dealing, and let not the hatred of others to you make you swerve to wrong and depart from justice. Be just: that is next to piety: and fear Allah. For Allah is well-acquainted with all that ye do. (5:8). How can one do oneself justice if they identify with principle that are inferior to these!” These words present the view of a Christian thinker and there many similar to it, for this attitude is very evident in the Islamic law and the biography of the Prophet.

Justice is an essential principle in Islamic law without any exceptions or reluctance and this is a divine order to the Prophet (PBUH) and his nation. “Allah commands justice, the doing of good, and liberality to kith and kin, and He forbids all shameful deeds, and injustice and rebellion: He instructs you, that ye may receive admonition” (16:90), “Allah doth command you to render back your Trusts to those to whom they are due; And when ye judge between man and man, that ye judge with justice: Verily how excellent is the teaching which He giveth you! For Allah is He Who heareth and seeth all things.” (4:58), “Now then, for that (reason), call (them to the Faith), and stand steadfast as thou art commanded, nor follow thou their vain desires; but say: "I believe in the Book which Allah has sent down; and I am commanded to judge justly between you. Allah is our Lord and your Lord: for us (is the responsibility for) our deeds, and for you for your deeds. There is no contention between us and you. Allah will bring us together, and to Him is (our) Final Goal” (42:15).

The issue of justice is by no means a peripheral, rather it is an integral part of Islamic law that a true believer can never disregard and the life of the Prophet (PBUH) exemplified the actual value of justice in the Islamic law through his words and deeds, especially with non-Muslims. The Prophet very explicitly prohibited any form of injustice, no matter how minute it may seem, to non-Muslims. The Prophet said “those who oppress non-Muslims, reduce their belongings or wages, overburden them or deprive them of their rights, I will be his opponent on the day of Judgment.” These were not only abstract words without actual implications; rather it was reflected in his own attitude in any of the treaties and truces throughout his life.

The Prophet (PBUH) sent Abdullah Ibn Rawaha, one of his companions, to Khaybar, north of Madina, to distribute the crop among Muslims and Jews according to the treaty that had been held between them and the Prophet. The Jews objected to the Ibn Rawaha’s distribution so he said “I hate no one like I hate you, you killed the prophets and disobeyed Allah, but that does not mean that I will oppress you.” Oppression of the Jews in favor of the Prophet (PBUH), whom Ibn Rawaha loves to a great extent, was not allowed.  It is nearly impossible to keep count of the incidences that exhibit the justice of the Prophet (PBUH) toward non-Muslims but we will try to shed some light on a few of these incidences in the next few paragraphs.

The Prophet (PBUH) was in a troop of 130 of his companions in dire need for food. They passed by one of the non-Muslim shepherds and bought a sheep from him without forcing him to give it up even though the Prophet (PBUH) had enough power to do so. This illustrates his justice, especially when compared to the practices of invading armies when they subdue a nation by force and claim its resources by oppression and brute force.

Another example that illustrates the justice of the Prophet (PBUH) is his stance from Safwan Ibn Ummaya after the return to Makkah and during his move to Hunayn- and Safwan was a disbeliever at that time-when the Prophet (PBUH) was in need for armors and swords. Safwan was one of the most well known dealers in the Arabian Peninsula and had a great amount of supply. The Prophet (PBUH) asked for some armors and swords in the form of a loan. The Prophet could have easily acquired those by force since Makkah had been very recently conquered and Safwan was one of the leaders of disbelief in Makkah. Safwan was so astonished that asked the Prophet whether he wanted to just take the supply but the Prophet (PBUH) told him that it was just a loan and Safwan would be compensated for whatever would be spoiled.

Justice, to the Prophet (PBUH), was an absolute goal with no regard to faith, nationality, kinship or any other form of relationship. His justice becomes evident when one of the Muslims from Ansar stole armor from one of his neighbors and the armor was in a bag full of flour. The one who stole the armor hid at the place of a Jew. When the one who stole armor was questioned about it, he denied the charge and the witnesses indicated the traces of the flour indicated that the Jew had the armor. When the Prophet (PBUH) was about to announce his verdict against the Jew, the following verses were revealed “We have sent down to thee the Book in truth, that thou mightest judge between men, as guided by Allah. so be not (used) as an advocate by those who betray their trust; But seek the forgiveness of Allah. for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. Contend not on behalf of such as betray their own souls; for Allah loveth not one given to perfidy and crime: They may hide (Their crimes) from men, but they cannot hide (Them) from Allah, seeing that He is in their midst when they plot by night, in words that He cannot approve: And Allah Doth compass round all that they do. Ah! These are the sort of men on whose behalf ye may contend in this world; but who will contend with Allah on their behalf on the Day of Judgment, or who will carry their affairs through? If any one does evil or wrongs his own soul but afterwards seeks Allah.s forgiveness, he will find Allah Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. And if any one earns sin. he earns it against His own soul: for Allah is full of knowledge and wisdom. But if any one earns a fault or a sin and throws it on to one that is innocent, He carries (on himself) (Both) a falsehood and a flagrant sin.” (4:105-112). The Prophet (PBUH) was convinced that the Jew committed the crime because all evidence was against him. However, when the Quran was revealed to exonerate the Jew, the Prophet (PBUH) did not disregard it but he actually announced the Jew was innocent and the Muslim committed the crime.  The Prophet (PBUH) revealed that in spite of all the complications that could have resulted, but justice took precedence compared to any other consideration. It is worth noting, the Muslim who committed the crime was one of the hypocrites in Medina.

In another incidence two men claimed a piece of land. One of them was a companion of the Prophet while the other was a Jew. They both went to the Prophet (PBUH) to resolve the case. The Prophet (PBUH) had no option but to implement the Islamic Jurisdiction which dictates that the one who files the claim would have to provide evidence for his claim or it would suffice the defendant to take oath against the claim. The companion of the Prophet (PBUH) did not have the evidence to support his claim; thus, it was up to the Jew to take oath and that would grant him the piece of land. This represents the absolute justice of Islam. Even though Muslims were the majority in Medina, they did not oppress minorities of other faiths in Medina. This form of justice has never been matched in the history of mankind.

A greater illustration of the justice of the Prophet (PBUH) toward non-Muslims was his stance for Mosaylima Al-Hanafi, who came to be known in history as Mosaylima the Liar. When the delegation of Hanifa came to the Prophet to take the oath of Islam, Mosaylima refused to embrace Islam. The Prophet (PBUH) knew through revelation that Mosaylima was going to claim prophethood, and that it would cause a major upheaval in the Arabian Peninsula; however, the Prophet (PBUH) refused to take any action against Mosaylima in spite of the fact the Muslims were much more powerful that other tribe in the peninsula at that time.  The Prophet (PBUH) did not want to take action based on revelation and the material evidence was needed that would convince everyone. Thus, the Prophet (PBUH) never took action against Mosaylima.

One of the forms of his justice with non-Muslims was that he never punished an entire group or generalized a penalty for a the mistake committed by one person, no matter how great this mistake or deviation was.  Allah says in the Quran: “Every soul will be (held) in pledge for its deeds” (74:38) and “Say: "Shall I seek for (my) Cherisher other than Allah, when He is the Cherisher of all things (that exist)? Every soul draws the meed of its acts on none but itself: no bearer of burdens can bear of burdens can bear the burden of another. Your goal in the end is towards Allah. He will tell you the truth of the things wherein ye disputed."” (6:164).

The people of Makkah never trusted anyone the way they trusted the Prophet (PBUH). Thus, it was no surprise that they gave him their money and wealth to preserve even during their campaign of slander against him and the message of Islam. When it was the time of migration to Madina, the Prophet (PBUH) left the money to Ali Ibn Abi Taleb to give back to the people of Makkah in spite of the fact that they transgressed against the prophet and his followers in every possible way, from oppression and expulsion to abducting belongings. It was narrated that Ali Ibn Abi Talib spent three days and nights in Makkah to return the money and belongings to their owners. The Prophet returned belongings to their owners without crediting his own morality or good behavior because it was an essential belief that it is his duty to do justice and return belongings to their owners regardless of their faith.

Before closing this account on the justice of the Prophet (PBUH) toward non-Muslims, we should mention one situation that is very astonishing, for it exemplifies the true morality of the Prophet (PBUH) toward non-Muslims, who wanted to assassin him after the conquest of Khaybar.  After the conquest of Khaybar, there was an attempt to poison the Prophet (PBUH) and kill him. The Prophet interrogated the suspects till they admitted the crime. They convinced a woman to poison the food and give it the Prophet and his companions. The Prophet refused to penalize the woman or those who influenced her to attempt the murder because there were no casualties, especially that they argued that they only did that to test the claim of prophethood. There thinking is that if the prophet was truly sent from God, then poisoned food would not kill him and if it did, they would prove that he was a liar.  The prophet only penalized the woman when one of his companions died as result of eating the poisoned food.

 Kindness to Non-Muslims

 Islam is the only religion that mandated kindness to those of other religions and justice to those of other faiths; this is justice is an integral part of the faith that Muslims have to actively practice in order to attain the forgiveness of the Almighty Allah: “Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just.” (60:8). It is noteworthy that Allah used a word that is normally used to describe the most compassionate relationship and the strongest of all ties, which is the relationship to one’s parents. When the Prophet was asked which deeds were most beloved to Allah, the Prophet replied “performing prayers on time and kindness to parents.”

The relationship between the Prophet and non-Muslims was not limited to peace and co-existence, rather it was one of true kindness. It was very evident from the biography of the Prophet that he used to treat non-Muslims as people of his very own household. There is a narration that a Jewish servant at the household of the Prophet fell sick. The Prophet visited the boy. The Prophet sat at the boy’s head and told him to embrace Islam. The boy accepted Islam. The Prophet left the boy’s house praising Allah for saving the boy from hellfire. This narration shows that the Prophet employed a non-Muslim in order to strengthen the relationship with non-Muslims in Medina and, in addition, the Prophet would visit him when the man was sick. The magnitude of this narration becomes very evident when we realize that the Prophet (PBUH) was the most important figure in Medina at the political level and he visited a simple laborer. In addition, the Prophet (PBUH) did not simply forget about his primary duty, which is delivering the message of Allah to everyone. Also, the degree of happiness and satisfaction that the Prophet expressed when the non-Muslim accepted Islam shows how much the Prophet cared for him as if he had been one of his own family.

The Prophet did something that more astonishing when he allowed the Christian delegation from Najran to perform their prayers inside the mosque in Madina. It is narrated that when it was time for the prayers, the Christian delegation performed their prayers. The prophet ordered his companions to let the delegation perform their religious duty. Thus, non-Muslims were not only allowed into the mosque, but they were allowed to observe their practices in it as well.

The kindness of the Prophet surpassed conceivable limits. One could understand kindness to those of different faith, but what is truely astonishing is kindness to those who transgressed and oppressed him, whether it was individuals, cohorts, tribes or even entire cities. This narration by Jabir Ibn Abdullah exemplifies the kindness and forgiveness of the Prophet (PBUH):  “We took part in the Ghazwa of Najd along with Allah's Apostle and when the time for the afternoon rest approached while he was in a valley with plenty of thorny trees, he dismounted under a tree and rested in its shade and hung his sword (on it). The people dispersed amongst the trees in order to have shade. While we were in this state, Allah's Apostle called us and we came and found a bedouin sitting in front of him. The Prophet said, "This (Bedouin) came to me while I was asleep, and he took my sword stealthily. I woke up while he was standing by my head, holding my sword without its sheath. He said, 'Who will save you from me?' I replied, 'Allah.' So he sheathed it (i.e. the sword) and sat down, and here he is." But Allah's Apostle did not punish him.”  This is a man who threatened to kill the Prophet (PBUH) with a sword; however, the Prophet did not retaliate. Even when the man refused to accept Islam, Prophet let him go without any punishment, especially that the man vowed not to fight Muslims ever.

Forgiveness and kindness of the Prophet (PBUH) was not limited to individuals, but is included cities and tribes in general, where those tribes and cities, in their entireties, transgressed against him. One prime example of that is Kuraysh who subjected not only the Prophet but his companions as well to a great deal of torture, both physically and psychologically, in Makkah, Medina and even in Abyssinia. It was a continual prosecution that lasted for years and years, during these years Kuraysh waged many wars against the Prophet and his companions in Madina. A prime example is the Day of Uhud, when Kuraysh killed seventy of the companions of the Prophet and tore their bodies, in a clear violation to the norms and values of the Arabian peninsula; in addition, the Prophet was wounded to the extent that he performed the noon prayer in a sitting position and his face was bleeding. In this extreme condition of pain and sadness, the Prophet (PBUH) said “O Allah, Forgive my people for they know not.”

The transgression of Kuraysh continue as they planned the Day of Ahzab, where tens of thousands of fighters were gathered by Kuraysh from every regions in the Arabian Peninsula to do away with the Muslim nation in Medina and prevented the Prophet from performing the lesser pilgrimage to Makkah, which is a clear violation of the norms in the Arab Peninsula. Then it was the Truce of Hudaybiya and Kuraysh violates the conditions of the truce, which the leads to the clash that results in the retrieval of Makkah after twenty years of prosecution and torture to the Prophet and his companions. People of Makkah gathered in front of the great Muslim army and expected the rightly deserved retaliation of the Muslims. The Prophet (PBUH) asked in a tone full of mercy and modesty “O people of Kuraysh what do think I will do to you?” They replied “A generous descendant of generous forefathers.” The Prophet said “Go, you are free and forgiven.” The Prophet (PBUH) forgave them with blame or scrutiny; this is truly one of the most astonishing situations of history. It was even astonishing to the companions of the Prophet (PBUH).

Those who understand the message of the Prophet, the sublime goals he strove to attain and his noble character and pure heart would not be surprised by his behavior toward non-Muslims. Simply, the Prophet (PBUH) realized how short this life is, how important and great the reward is in the hereafter, and how miserable and harsh the torture is in hell, so he devoted his entire life to guiding humans, collectively, to the way of Allah, without paying any attentions to his natural instincts and inclinations, such as retaliation or vengeance. We ask Allah to guide us to the path of his Prophet (PBUH).