Policies applied to Jews and Christians in the time of our Prophet (saas) and thefour caliphs

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Statements by Syrian Christians in the document known as the Umar
Agreement in history presented to Abu Ubayda:
[We imposed these terms on ourselves:]… not to withhold our churches
from Muslims stopping there by night or day; to open their doors to
the traveler andwayfarer; … to entertain every Muslim traveler in our
customary style and feed him… We will not abuse a Muslim, and he who
strikes a Muslim hasforfeited his rights.
(Majid Khadduri, War and Peace in the Law of Islam (Baltimore: The
Johns Hopkins Press, 1955), 193-94.)
2. When Hazrat Umar (ra) captured Jerusalem in person in 637 he
issued a decree to the people of the city and announced that the
places of worship of the People of the Book would not be touched.
3. Hazrat Umar's (ra) promise to the Medina Christians contains the
principle that "None from the Christian faith shall be forced to
become Muslims against their will."
4. The article concerning dhimmis in the treaty between Christians and
Muslims in the time of Hazrat Umar (ra) is very important.
"If one of them becomes weak or old or suffers from sickness or
becomes poor when once he was rich, he andhis family will receive
assistance from the public purse for so long as they are in Islamic
territories."
5. Hazrat Umar's (ra) statement in the pre-agreement with the people
of Sham (Damascus):
Do not take the lands bestowed by Allah away from people and impose
the jizye [capitation tax] according to people's ability to pay, as
set out in the Book of Allah. Do not ask for more if the jizye is paid
by them... If we share the lands among ourselves, nothing will remain
for their children. If the lands are left to their true owners, then
Muslims can live on whatthey produce. You may impose the jizye on
them, but you can never take them captive. You may commit no injustice
that will offend or harm them, and you may not take away their
propertyof you have no right to it. You must fulfill the
responsibilities you haveaccepted in their agreements with us. (Majid
Khoduri, Islam in War and Peace , Fener Press, Istanbul, 1998, p. 216)
6. Guarantees were given to the Christians living in the city of
Tiberias, captured by peaceful means, in the time of Hazrat Abu Bakr
(ra) that their churches would not be touched.
7. During the capture of the Armenian city of Dabil (Dvin),
Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians were given assurances and
guaranteed the protection of all their places of worship. Moreover, he
never withheld permission to restore damaged churches and build new
monasteries. For instance, the St. Sergius monastery outside of Medina
was destroyed by Patriarch Mar Amme, but rebuilt during HazratUthman's
(ra) reign.
8. For instance, the St. Sergius monastery outside of Medain was
destroyed by Patriarch Mar Amme, but rebuilt during Hazrat Uthman's
(ra) reign.
9. The capitulation guarantee agreed by Hudhaifa ibn Al-Yaman (ra)
with the people of Mah Dinar said "this guarantee is given for their
lives, goods and lands. They cannot be forced to change faith, and the
Shariah shall notenter among them."
10. Uqba, the governor of Egypt, contributed to a Nestorian monastery.
11. During the reign of Mu'awiyya, the church ofUrfa and the Saint
Marcos Church was built in Alexandria.
12. The Sinai Monastery with a mosque right next door is an important
pilgrimage center on Mount Sinai and a symbol of Muslim acceptance.
13. A letter by the Nestorian Patriarch Isho'yab III:
They [Abbasids] have notattacked the Christian religion, but rather
they have commended our faith, honored our priests... and conferred
benefits on churches and monasteries.
(Fred Aprim, "The A to Z of the ancient Chaldeans and their relation
to modern Chaldeans;" http://www.atour.org/news15_1.htm)
14. When non-Muslims could not pay their taxes, they were supported
by public funds, which were an important aspect of statesupport.
15. The agreements between our Prophet (saas) and various non-Muslim
groups particularly stressed that their lives and goods were
guaranteed. (The treaty with the people ofJuhayni, Hamidullah,
Document no.151)
16. The treaty issued by the Prophet (saas) guaranteeing the
Christians of Najran theirtemples, put their places of worship under
guarantee by saying the temples of the people of Najran are under the
protection of Allah and the responsibility of His Prophet, Muhammad
(saas). (Ibn Sa'd, I, 288, 357-58)
17. According to the account in Abu Dawud, the treaty contains the
term churches will not be destroyed. (Abu Dawud, Haraç, 29-30)
18. The guarantee regarding places of worship was repeated inthe
capitulation document sent by our Prophet (saas) to clerics of Bani
Haris b. Kab of Najran. (Ibn Sa'd, I, 266)
19. The Jews of Haybar once came to the Prophet (saas) and said that
their goods had been taken away by certain Muslims without permission.
At this, the Prophet (saas) summoned the Muslims to the mosque and
told them it was unlawful to touch the goods of thosewith whom a
treaty had been signed and that what they had done waswrong. (Musnad,
IV, 89; Vakıdi, II, 691; Serahsi, Siyer, I, 133, IV, 1530)
20. According to some hearsay, our Prophet (may God bless him and
grant him peace) attended their weddings, visited their sick, and was
generous to them. Prophet Mohammed (may God bless him and grant him
peace) even spread out his cloak so that the Christians of Najran who
came to visit him could sit on it.
21. When the representatives of the Christians of Najran came to
Madina, the Prophet (saas) and his companions performed the afternoon
prayer. Since their time for prayer had also come, they entered the
mosque and headed toward east and Rasulullah (saas) permitted them to
perform their own religious observances. (Ibn Hişam, I, 574; Ibn Sa'd,
I, 357)
22. Article 17 of the Medina City State Treaty:"Those of the Jews
who join us will be assisted and well-treated. They will suffer no
injustice and their enemies will not be helped."
23. Article 25: *The Jews of the B'nai Awf and believers are a single
united Ummah. They willlive by their own faith and Muslims by theirs
".
24. Article 36: "There will be mutual aid, counsel and goodness
between Muslims and Jews " (Ibn Kesir, es-Sire, II/322; Hamidullah,
el-Vesaik, p.44-45; Cohabitation in Eastern and Western Sources,
p.285)
25. According to reports from different accounts narrated from Tabari
and Zaemakhshari, therewas a Christian living in Mecca who was an
ironsmith, who knew the Torah and the Gospelvery well, and who, the
Prophet (saas) would personally meet and converse with . (et-Tabari;
Cohabitation in Eastern and Western Sources, p.306)
26. A letter sent by our Prophet (saas) to the Christians of Najran
said;" ... No matter what happens, no matter howmuch they own, be it
much or little, their churches and monasteries belong to them. They
are the responsibility of Allah and His Messenger. No bishop will be
removed from where he is servingas bishop and sent elsewhere, nor any
monk from his monastery or any priest from his own church. No change
will be made to their rights, laws or customs. So long as they behave
with honesty and abide by the responsibilities laid upon them, the
protection of Allah and His Messenger will be upon them. They will
suffer no oppression, and they will oppress nobody."