Tolerance in the religion of Islam
By Afif A Tabbarah

WITH a look at history, one finds that disturbances of peace were mostly due to religious disagreement. Sects never tired of revolting against those who held opposite beliefs, which led to savage massacres that left a blot of disgrace on the brow of humanity. No doubt this was due to instructions made by religious authorities to their subjects against those who adhered to other religions.

In his Freedom of Belief, for instance, John Simon falsely maintains that religious rancours were lessened only a century and a half ago. He says, "Freedom of religious belief has been but recently established, because the history of the world has always been a record of religious rancours. Much older than freedom itself, such religious rancours go back to the remotest epochs in history."

Then, after tracing the issues of fanaticism from the Middle Ages, he goes on to add, "Finally the philosophical spirit was able to establish the freedom of religious belief on August 4, 1789, but this was put into practice only in 1791, when the Jews were released from the oppression they had suffered. However, due to its inability to hold a firm administrative grip over the running of affairs, the French Revolution could not establish the freedom of religious belief."

Simon's view that freedom of religious belief was established only about a century and a half ago, is not true. This is because the freedom of religious belief was actually established by Islam 14 centuries ago; and to prove this, one can refer to The Holy Qur'an, to evidences from the biographies of early Muslims, and to the testimony of some Western historians.

Disagreement among People is a Divine Norm of Creation

How could Islam free its adherents from religious rancours? It did so in a way which was discovered only recently, after scholars of humanities had discovered the secrets of the human psyche and the different attitudes it adopts while making judgements. The Holy Qur'an declares that disagreement among people in belief is a divine norm of Creation: "If thy Lord had so willed, He could have made mankind one nation, yet they will not cease to dispute, except those on whom thy Lord hath bestowed His Mercy; and for this did He create them" (XI: 118­ 119). In another place, God addresses Mohammad (peace be upon him), saying: "However ardently thou dost desire it, the greater part of mankind will not have faith" (XII: 103).

On this basis, Muslims know well that they should not hate or ill­treat those who disagree with them in faith. God's divine wisdom requires that people be created with this disagreement in their hearts.

Freedom of Religious Belief

While leaders of most religions instructed their followers to use coercive means to make others adopt their faith - which led to the murder of thousands - one notices that Islam instructs its adherents never to compel anyone to give up his faith and embrace Islam: "Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth thus standeth out clear from Error" (II: 256). "Had it been thy Lord's Will, all who are in the earth would have believed; wilt thou then (O Mohammad!) compel mankind, against their will, to believe!" (X: 99). In other words, it was neither in Mohammad's own ability, nor was it expected of the Message he was sent to reveal, to compel people to embrace Islam.

It was by this principle that the Muslims abided in their relations with non­Muslims. Whenever they conquered a certain country, they granted its people the freedom to stick to their faith on condition they paid the poll­tax. In return for this, Muslims protected the non­Muslims against aggression, and respected their beliefs, rites and places of worship.

A good example in this connection is the pledge that Caliph Omar Ibn Al­Khattab made to the people of Jerusalem. In his book History of Nations and Kings, the Arab historian At­Tabari comments on this, saying that Omar "granted them security for their lives, property, churches, crosses, as well as the sick and the innocent and all the rest of the Jerusalemites. His instructions were clear that their churches be not used as places of residence or destroyed, nor should any degradation or profanation be practised against those churches or their precincts, crosses and property. No harm was to be inflicted upon them."

Zimmis (a free non­Muslim citizen living in a Muslim country) are granted what Muslims are denied. Islam, for instance, prohibits wine and imposes severe punishment on Muslims who drink it, though it permits others to do so. Similarly, it prohibits the eating of pork, and permits non­Muslims to do so if their religion does not include prohibitive statements in this regard. In protecting the freedom of such people, Islam even orders that if a Muslim spills the wine of a zimmi or kills his pig, he has to pay for the zimmi the cost of what he has spoiled.

Among the signs of the freedom of religious belief are the principles of decorum that Islam established regarding arguments and conversation on religious topics with the People of the Book. God says: "Argue ye not with the People of the Book, unless it be in (a way) that is better, save with such of them as inflict wrong (and injury), and say: We believe in the Revelation which hath come down to us and in that which came down to you. Our God and your God is One, and it is to Him we bow (in Islam)" (XXIX: 46). "Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and fair preaching, and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious" (XVI: 125).

God specifies how Muslims should treat non­Muslims, as follows: "Regarding those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, God forbiddeth you not from dealing kindly and justly with them; for God loveth those who are just. It is only regarding those who fight you for (your) Faith, and drive you out of your homes, and support (others) in driving you out, that God forbiddeth you from turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to them (in these circumstances) that do wrong" (LX: 8­9).

God commands Muslims to treat non­Muslims justly and to show kindness to them. Kindness is superior to justice, because the former springs only from compassion, affection and good intent. But God excludes those who oppress Muslims and fight against them, and this is sound justice.

However, Islam gives greater weight to conciliation and amity than to hostility and hatred: "It may be that God will ordain love (and friendship) between you and those whom ye (now) hold as enemies. For God hath power over all things, and He is Oft­Forgiving, Most Merciful" (LX: 7).

Along the same line and regarding one's obligation to show kindness and gratitude to one's parents, The Qur'an requests that equal respect be paid to faithful as well as polytheist parents. God says: "We have enjoined on man (to be good) to his parents. In travail upon travail did his mother bear him, and in years twain was his weaning. Show gratitude to Me and to thy parents; to Me is (thy final) goal. But if they strive to make thee join in worship with Me a partner of which thou hast no knowledge, obey them not; yet bear them company in this life with justice (and consideration), and follow the way of those who turn to Me (in love)" (XXXI) 14­ 15).

There is tolerance also when Muslims are permitted to share the food and slaughtered animals of the People of the Book - except pork, blood and dead meat - as well as the legal marriage by which a Muslim man weds a non­Muslim girl. God says: "This day are (all) good and pure things made lawful unto you. The food of the People of the Book is lawful unto you, and yours is lawful unto them. (Lawful unto you in marriage) are (not only) chaste women who are believers, but chaste women among the People of the Book, revealed before your time" (V: 5). This no doubt leads to good relations and understanding among people.

In this connection, the Prophet requests that zimmis be well treated: "Opponents to me are all those who offend a zimmi, and such, to whom I am now an opponent, are also my opponents on the Day of Judgement."

Why a Muslim Girl Should Not Marry a non­Muslim

Marriage is a sort of partnership, a co­operation and an equality between the married couple in common rights. It is a partnership that functions properly only when it is established on true love and mutual respect in all aspects, and one of these is the religious question.

When Islam permits a Muslim man to marry a Christian or Jewish girl, it secures for this girl all the marital rights it secures for the Muslim wife, except one: the right to inherit. In this case, neither does she inherit him, nor does he inherit her. Even here, Islam shows fair justice, because it treats both on equal terms by preventing both from inheriting one another - which is contrary to the Jewish law: a Jewish husband can inherit his non­Jewish wife after her death, but if he dies before her she cannot inherit him.

Islam requires the Muslim husband to show respect to his non­Muslim wife and to her religion, and to let her practise her religious rites in her church or synagogue. This is not strange in Islam, because Muslims do believe in Jesus the son of Mary (Peace be upon him!) and his Message, and in Moses (Peace be upon him!) and his Message - with which there is no harm on marital life.

However, if a Muslim girl marries a Christian or Jew, her marriage - which holds on if it is established on mutual respect, as I said - will not function well, because she has married one who does not believe or have faith in her Apostle. Besides, he does not show her the tolerance in belief that a Muslim man shows. He looks at her as one who believes in a religion with no foundation of truth. This makes him treat her with disregard, and forbid her to adhere to her faith or perform its rites. How can marriage function properly with this disdainful attitude?