ISLAMIC STUDIES

Paper 1 Islamic Beliefs and Practices 9488/01

Prophet’s Treatment with other beliefs/Non-Muslims.

Besides the original Arabs, Madinah also was the home to others including many
Jews who had migrated there two centuries before Muhammad’s birth due to
severe persecutions in various lands they lived. So, Madinah had become their
home. They adapted to cultures, language and way of dressing just like the Arabs.
They even took Arabic names to themselves, but they maintained their
fundamental belief in the Torah.
Although the influential Jews did not rule the oasis, they were clients of two large
Arab tribes there, the Khazraj and the Aws, who protected them in return for feudal
loyalty. According to some records, there were over twenty Jewish tribes but three
were prominent: the Banu Nadir, the Banu Qaynuqa’, and the Banu Qurayza.

Prophet Muhammad arrived in Madinah in 622 A.D assuming the Jewish tribes
would welcome him like the rest of the inhabitants. Contrary to expectations, they
were not so keen about receiving someone who claimed to be a prophet, as they
still expected the promised Messiah to arrive. Their forefathers had not accepted
Jesus as the Messiah when he was among them centuries earlier. Thus, Muhammad
also was not accepted as the Prophet of God.

Further, in order to establish an Islamic state, there had to be peace and security in
the region. Thus, Prophet Muhammad arranged for a pact between Madinah’s
pagan, Muslim and Jewish clans which was to protect each other, but achieving
this new social order was difficult. Certain individual pagans and so called “new
Muslim hypocrites” tried to thwart the new arrangement in various ways, and some
of the Jewish clans were uneasy with the change of the old alliances.

Prophet’s Treatment with JEWS of Madina

The dealings of the Prophet, may the mercy and blessings of God be upon him,
with other religions can best be described in the verse of the Quran:
“To you be your religion, to me be mine.”
The Arabian Peninsula during the time of the Prophet was a region in which
various faiths were present.  There were Christians, Jews, Zoroastrians, polytheists,
and others not affiliated with any religion.  When one looks into the life of the
Prophet, one may draw on many examples to portray the high level of tolerance
shown to people of other faiths.
The best example of the tolerance shown by the Prophet to other religions may be
the constitution itself, called the ‘Saheefah’ by early historians.[1]  When the
Prophet migrated to Medina, his role as a mere religious leader ended; he was now
the political leader of a state, governed by the precepts of Islam, which demanded
that clear laws of governance be laid out to ensure harmony and stability in a
society which once had been distraught by decades of war, one which must ensure
the peaceful coexistence of Muslims, Jews, Christians and polytheists.  Due to this,
the Prophet laid down a ‘constitution’ which detailed the responsibilities of all
parties which resided in Medina, their obligations towards each other, and certain
restrictions which were placed on each.  All parties were to obey what was
mentioned therein, and any breach of its articles was regarded as an act of
treachery.
The first article of the constitution was that all the inhabitants of Medina, the
Muslims as well as those who had entered the pact from the Jews, Christian, and
idolaters, were “one nation to the exclusion of all others.”  All were considered
members and citizens of Medina society regardless of religion, race, or ancestry. 
People of other faiths were protected from harm as much as the Muslims, as is
stated in another article, “To the Jews who follow us belong help and equity.  He
shall not be harmed nor his enemies be aided.”  Previously, each tribe had their
alliances and enemies within and without Medina.  The Prophet gathered these
different tribes under one system of governance which upheld pacts of alliances
previously in existence between those individual tribes.  All tribes had to act as a
whole with disregard to individual alliances.  Any attack on other religion or tribe
was considered an attack on the state and upon the Muslims as well.
The lives of the practitioners of other religions in the Muslim society was also
given protective status.  The Prophet said:
“Whoever kills a person who has a truce with the Muslims will never smell the
fragrance of Paradise.” (Saheeh Muslim)
In another article, it states, “the Jews have their religion and the Muslims have
theirs.”  In this, it is clear that anything other than tolerance would not be tolerated,
and that, although all were members of a society, each had their separate religion
which could not be violated.  Each was allowed to practice their beliefs freely
without any hindrances, and no acts of provocation would be tolerated.
Muslims of Medina (the Ansar) embraced with love and sincerity the Muslim
migrants who settled down in Medina, leaving everything they had behind for the
sake of God. They (the Ansar) did not and would not begrudge any kind of help
they could offer to them.
However, the migrants were not familiar with Medina’s climate, customs and
working conditions. They did not bring anything with them while leaving Mecca.
For this reason, they needed to be familiarized with Medina’s working conditions
and with Muslims of Medina, who came to be called the Ansar (the helpers)
because they offered all kinds of help to them.
Therefore, the Messenger of God gathered the Ansar and the migrants together five
months after migrating to Medina. He appointed ninety Muslims, the forty-five of
whom were from the Ansar and the other forty-five from the migrants, as brothers.
This foundation of brotherhood established by the Prophet was based on mutual
economic and psychological support and the principle of being inheritors to each
other, which in turn aimed to provide migrants with support to get over the sorrow
and misery they felt because of homesickness
Thanks to this brotherhood, life expenses and accommodation problems of
immigrants, who left everything behind except for their love for God and His
Messenger, were solved. Each person from the Ansar put one immigrant up; and
they worked together, sharing what they earned. This was a brotherhood that
outpaced biological brotherhood. It was the brotherhood based on faith, religion.
Muslims of Medina, the Ansar, shared everything they had with those sorrowful,
miserable and homesick Muslims. When a person from Medina passed away, his
immigrant brother would be one of his inheritors, together with his relatives.
However, this was not enough for Muslims of Medina. So, they came into the
Prophet’s presence and made this proposal which showed how self-sacrificing they
were:
“O Messenger of God! Share our date gardens between us and our immigrant
brothers!”
However, the immigrants had not worked in agriculture till then. They did not
know much about agriculture. Therefore, the Prophet refused the Ansar’s proposal
in the name of the migrants.
Then, the Muslims of Medina found a solution to it. The migrants who were not
familiar with agriculture would only be occupied with watering and grooming, and
they would do the cultivating themselves. The harvest would be shared equally.
The Honorable Messenger accepted this proposal
.
Efforts of Immigrants
The immigrants did not idle about thinking “The Ansar brothers gave us
accommodation and subsistence.” This would contradict to studiousness arising
from their belief. Each of them tried their best so as not to be a burden on anyone.
The most remarkable example of this is Abdurrahman bin Awf’s (one of the ten
Companions who were heralded to enter Heaven) answer to Sa’d bin Rabi’s
proposal.
“I am the richest of all Muslims of Medina in terms of money. I saved half of my
wealth for you!” said Sa’d bin Rabi to Abdurrahman bin Awf, who were appointed
as brothers.
Great Companion Abdurrahman bin Awf’s answer was as noteworthy as the
proposal: “May God make your wealth auspicious for you! I do not need it. The
greatest favor you can do me is to show me the way to the bazaar where you do
shopping.”
The next morning, Abdurrahman bin Awf, who was taken to Qaynuqa bazaar,
bought some goods such as oil and cheese and started the trade business. After a
while, he earned a fair income and then became one of the well-known tradesmen
of Medina, as he was also honored with the Prophet’s prayer for “his wealth to
increase and be abundant.” He used to say:
“Even when I take a stone, I see gold or silver under it!”
Hazrat Abdurrahman bin Awf, who gained a lot of wealth due to the blessing of
the Honorable Messenger’s prayers for him, donated seven hundred camels with
their loads at once for charity, for the sake of God.
Many other Muslims of Mecca found appropriate jobs for themselves and lived
happily by their own work, like Hazrat Abdurrahman bin Awf.

Positive Outcomes of the Brotherhood

The brotherhood established yielded positive outcomes in a short time. Various
strata of society got closer to each other with the help of this brotherhood. This
brotherhood also abolished tribalistic pride and enmity. As a result, a society with
divine aims, supreme goals, and virtuous souls emerged.
Another positive outcome of this brotherhood was as follows:
The prophet would take one of the brothers with him and let the other one stay in
order to provide both families’ living when he went on a battle. Therefore, their
houses were not left unprotected.
God the Glorious praised this unique sincerity, hospitability, gratitude, generosity,
and self-sacrifice which the Ansar showed to their immigrant brothers, declaring it
in the following Quranic verse:
“But those who before them, had homes (in Medina) and had adopted the Faith,-
show their affection to such as came to them for refuge, and entertain no desire in
their hearts for things given to the (latter), but give them preference over
themselves, even though poverty was their (own lot). And those saved from the
covetousness of their own souls, - they are the ones that achieve prosperity.”