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TOLERANCE

 

      Peace, tranquility and calmness can only be attained through tolerance. Human beings are found on the surface of the earth with different habits, colours, nations, ideologies and faiths. In a small society, multi-religion may be embraced. Without any doubt, the religion beliefs may create gap among the people and lead to inevitable crises among them if care is not taken. From immemorial period, tolerance has been adopted by our ancestors to avoid crisis, controversy and a war.

          Tolerance is willingness to allow people to do, say or believe what they want without criticizing them. Several lives have been terminated because of intolerance show up in our our society. Many mistakenly believe that Islam does not tolerate the existence of other faith or religion present in the modern world. This article discusses some of the foundations of the prophet Muhammad (peace of Allah and blessings be upon him) laid in dealing with people of other faiths, with a practical example from his lifetime.

        The dealings of the Prophet Muhammad with other religions can best be described in Qur'an 109 verse 6 “ Lakum dinukum waliyadin” “To you be your religion, to be mine ”.

     The Arabian peninsula during the time of the prophet was a region in which various faiths were present. There were christian, Jews, Zoroastrianism, polytheists and others not affiliated with any religious. When one looks into the life prophet, one may draw many examples to portray the high level of tolerance displayed to people of other faiths.

       Moreover, tolerance may be confirmed from the Islamic tenets laid down by the prophet due the period in which Islam was a formal state. When prophet Muhammad was a political leader of a state, he laid down some specific laws which details the responsibilities, obligation and certain restrictions of all inhabitants of Medina regardless of their religion.

      The laws stated that all the inhabitants Medina, the Muslims as well as those who had entered the pact from the Jews, christians and idolaters, were “one nation to the exclusion of all others”.

            The lives of the practitioners of other religions in the Muslim society were also given protective status. What of multi-religions society! The prophet said : “Whoever kills person who has a truce with the Muslims will never smell the fragrance of paradise.”(saheeh Muslim).

           Since the upper hand was with the Muslims, the prophet strictly warned against any maltreatment of people of other faiths. He said: “The Jews have their religions and the Muslims have theirs”.

      Beware! Whoever is cruel and hard on non-muslim minority, or curtails their rights or burden them with more than they can hear, or takes anything from them against their free will. I (prophet Muhammad) will complain against the person on the day of judgement.

      In this, it is clear that anything other than tolerance would not be tolerated. In accordance with the tenets of Islam, everybody is allowed to practice his/ her belief freely without any hindrance, and no acts of provocation would be tolerated.

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