In recent decades, there has been much talk about "Islamic terrorism" in all Western and colonial media, which have made distorting the image of Islam a central objective. This is due to the fact that Islam is a comprehensive entity that does not dissolve into the data they want to impose on the nations of the earth in the name of globalization, liberalism, and various other names; thus, diverting Islam from its main divine purposes.
Extremism and Moderation in Religions
Everyone knows that in every belief and religion there are extremists and moderates representing varying proportions, and the smallest of these proportions are found within Islam, which is defined by the framework set forth in the Holy Quran, the Sunnah of the Prophet (peace be upon him), and the conduct of his companions.
Negative Effects on Muslims' Reputation
This attack has left undeniable negative effects on the reputation of Muslims around the world, particularly in the West. This accusation has become a black hole through which they attempt to absorb and scatter the virtues and nobility of Islam. One of the preachers in Turkey, who works to spread Islam among tourists coming from Europe, said that the first question we are asked in this context by tourists is about the connection between terrorism and Islam!
Quranic Verses on Forgiveness and Tolerance
The Quranic verses that encourage forgiveness and tolerance are very numerous. Allah says:
- "If they submit, they will be ˹rightly˺ guided. But if they turn away, then your duty is only to deliver ˹the message˺. And Allah is All-Seeing of ˹His˺ servants." (Al-Imran: 20)
- "Do not argue with the People of the Book unless gracefully, except with those of them who act wrongfully. And say, 'We believe in what has been revealed to us and what was revealed to you. Our God and your God is ˹only˺ One. And to Him we ˹fully˺ submit.'" (Al-'Ankabut: 46)
- "Had your Lord so willed ˹O Prophet˺, all ˹people˺ on earth would have certainly believed, every single one of them! Would you then force people to become believers?" (Yunus: 99)
- "Let there be no compulsion in religion, for the truth stands out clearly from falsehood. So whoever renounces false gods and believes in Allah has certainly grasped the firmest, unfailing hand-hold. And Allah is All-Hearing, All-Knowing." (Al-Baqarah: 256)
- "You ˹O Prophet˺ will always find deceit on their part, except for a few. But pardon them and bear with them. Indeed, Allah loves the good-doers." (Al-Ma'idah: 13)
- "Be gracious, enjoin what is right, and turn away from those who act ignorantly." (Al-A'raf: 199)
Forgiveness, as is known, is the highest degree of tolerance, and the level of tolerance reaches the command, as He, the Exalted, says: "So, bear with them and respond with peace. They will soon come to know." (Az-Zukhruf: 89)
The Prophet's Example of Forgiveness
The noble Prophet's biography is filled with examples of forgiveness and tolerance, and perhaps its peak lies in the conquest of Mecca when the Prophet pardoned those who had wronged him, insulted him, fought against him, and expelled him from his home. This stance requires independent research outside the context here.
The Universal Message of Islam
And the Messenger, may peace be upon him, after establishing the foundations of monotheism, was tasked with spreading his message to the whole world, as Allah, the Exalted, says: "We have sent you ˹O Prophet˺ only as a mercy for the whole world." (Al-Anbya: 107) And His saying, the Highest: "Blessed is the One Who sent down the Decisive Authority to His servant, so that he may be a warner to the whole world." (Al-Furqan: 1) "It is only a reminder to the whole world." (Sad: 87-88) That is, spreading the idea of tolerance and forgiveness is one of the main tasks of the Islamic message, along with the equality that gives it the characteristic of universality.
Misconceptions of Islamic Conquests
Therefore, Western thought, especially colonial thought, works to connect the movement of Islamic conquests with what they refer to as "terrorism" these days. This connection is weak and has no objective historical basis.
The Sword's Lie
Recognition by Western Thinkers
To be objective, many Western thinkers have recognized these aspects of Islam and have written passionately in defense of it. However, amidst the noise of media sensationalism, these voices are hardly heard. One of the most important writers who approached the subject objectively is T. W. Arnold in his well-known book "The Preaching of Islam," which is one of the rare books in this field due to its reliance on hundreds of sources in various languages.
Conquests and Apostasy
Therefore, he affirms that these enormous conquests were not the result of a religious war waged in the name of spreading Islam, but rather followed a widespread movement of apostasy from Christianity to the extent that it has always been thought that this apostasy was the goal aimed at by the conquering Arabs!
Relations Between Christians and Muslims
Mr. "Arnold" says that the friendly relations that developed between Christians and Arab Muslims did not occur due to force and domination, but rather as a natural result of what the people of these countries and their religious leaders observed in the tolerance of the conquerors.
Misconceptions by Some Historians
Some Christian historians have begun to view the sword as a tool for Islamic proselytism, stemming from their resentments and hatred towards the new religion, and from their loss of the distinguished status they had gained due to their religious and clerical positions.
Conversion of Arab Tribes
The narrative continues that many Arab tribes that had embraced Christianity for centuries abandoned it at that time to convert to Islam. Among the most important of these tribes were the Banu Ghassan (the Ghassanids), who extended their influence over most of the Levant. It was said of them: "Lords in the Age of Ignorance, stars in Islam."
The Role of Caliph Umar
The righteous caliph Umar was attentive to the matter of these tribes entering Islam, so he provided them with teachers to instruct them in the principles of Islam. He appointed teachers in every region whose profession was to teach the people the Quran and educate them in religious matters. He instructed his officials to encourage these new Muslims, both young and old, to consistently attend the congregational prayers, especially on Fridays and during the month of Ramadan. He did not impose "men of religion" or "clergy" upon them, as seen in other religions. In Islam, there is no clerical hierarchy; rather, there are scholars and knowledgeable individuals.
Testimonials from Syrian Christians
When Abu Ubaidah camped in the Jordan Valley, the Christians of Syria wrote to him after witnessing the tolerance and compassion of the Muslims: "O Muslims, you are more beloved to us than the Romans, even if they share our religion. You are more trustworthy and compassionate towards us, you refrain from wronging us, and you govern us better." The people of the open territories adhered to the Jacobite and Nestorian sects, which subjected them to sectarian persecutions by the Byzantines who did not belong to either of these sects!
The Falsehood of Tribute ‘Jizya’
Questioning Historical Accuracy
As for what is rumored about Omar forcing Christians to practice certain customs, such as shaving the heads of their priests and tightening their girdles, the historian "Arnold" doubts its accuracy; he has not found any text regarding this from that period, and the first to mention this document was Ibn Hazm, who died around the middle of the fifth century AH, after the emergence of extremist currents that sought to find a historical justification for their actions.
The Concept of "Jizya"
As for "jizya," it is a term synonymous with "tax" of any kind paid by non-Muslims to the treasury in exchange for their exemption from the compulsory military service imposed on Muslims. Its value was modest; the affluent had to pay forty-eight dirhams a year, the middle class paid twenty-four, while those in need, such as farmers and manual laborers, paid twelve dirhams.
Abu Ubaidah's Example
Abu Ubaidah returned the tribute money to the people of Syria when he believed he could not protect them from the Romans. He wrote to them: "We have returned your money to you because we have heard about the forces that have gathered against us, and you have stipulated that we protect you from them, and we are unable to do that. We have returned to you what we took from you, and we remain committed to the terms we agreed upon, should Allah grant us victory over them."
Fair Treatment of Non-Muslims
There is much that confirms that Omar did not practice any form of distinguished transactions against the People of the Book, nor did the Muslims who came after him treat those who remained in their faith as Christians in such a manner. The rightly guided caliphs and all the general Muslims followed this approach.
Christian Churches Under Islamic Rule
In the year 92 AH / 711 AD, a Jacobite church was built with the permission of Caliph Al-Walid bin Abdul Malik. Khalid Al-Qasri, who was the governor of the Persian and Arab Iraq (105 - 120 AH), built a church for his Christian mother to worship in!
During the reign of the Abbasid Caliph Al-Mahdi (158 – 196 AH), a church was built in Baghdad for the Christians who had been captured during the wars with the Byzantines. During the era of Harun al-Rashid (170 – 193 AH), "Sergius," the Nestorian bishop of Basra, received permission to build a church in Basra. Additionally, a church was built in Babylon that contained the tombs of the prophets Daniel and Ezekiel.
Tolerance in Islamic Conquests
Christian communities in the East, after the Islamic conquests, experienced what they had not witnessed for many centuries, whether under Roman or Persian rule. For example, in the fifth century AD, "Barsauma," the Bishop of Nazareth, incited the Persian king and got close to him, leading to the slaughter of 7,800 Orthodox Church members. Additionally, the Persian king "Khosrow" carried out another massacre of the Orthodox under the incitement of the Jacobite!
Dispelling Myths of the Sword and Terrorism
The myth of the sword and terrorism falls before these historical truths. One of the reasons for the conversion of Christians to Islam was the deterioration that afflicted the Eastern Church in both moral and spiritual aspects. They sought a pure spiritual environment, which they found in the clarity of monotheism.
Insights from Orientalists
"Keitany," one of the prominent Orientalists of the nineteenth century, believes that the spread of Islam among the Christians of the Eastern churches was a result of their dissatisfaction with the sectarian sophistry brought into Christian theology by the Hellenistic Greek spirit.
He adds that we – meaning the Westerners – have not heard of any orchestrated attempt to force non-Muslim sects to accept Islam, nor of any organized persecution aimed at eradicating Christianity. If the caliphs had chosen to implement one of these plans, they could have easily eradicated Christianity in the same way that "Ferdinand" and "Isabella" expelled Islam from Andalusia.
Broad Principles of Tolerance
These were the broad principles for dealing with the People of the Book by Muslims, and although some historical cases deviated from this rule, they are rare instances. One notable example is when Al-Mutawakkil, the Abbasid caliph (847-861 CE), exhibited a kind of harshness towards all of his opponents, even among Muslims!
Treatment of Holy Sites
Even during the days of the Crusades, it is known that when the Crusaders entered Jerusalem (493 AH / 1099 AD), they desecrated Al-Aqsa Mosque, built a wall in front of the mihrab, converted another section of it into a church and raised the cross on it. They referred to another section as the "Temple of Solomon" and made it a stable for their horses next to it, for a group of them known as the Knights Templar.
Islam of Bogomilists
From modern history, let us provide one example for remembrance: the conversion of the people of Bosnia to Islam. These individuals are originally Serbs who belong to a religious sect called “Bogomilism”. The Catholic Church considered them heretics and ordered crusades against them because many of their beliefs are similar to those of Muslims, such as the prohibition of drinking alcohol, their refusal to worship the Virgin Mary and their rejection of baptism, as well as their denial of the cross as a religious symbol. They believed that Christ himself was not crucified. Therefore, when the Ottoman Muslims entered Serbia, these people converted to Islam. Subsequently, they became victims of massacres, killings, and displacement that continue to this day. Their national affiliation did not provide them with any protection. This is something that has never happened in the long history of Islam. The massacres they experienced and the mass rape of their women in the 1990s remain a stain on the overall Western history, which stood as a bystander to these events and did not label them as organized terrorism or any other commonly used terms.
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