How should Muslims treat
Christians? With violence? Anger? Hatred? The answer is none of the
above. Below is the English rendering of a letter written by the Prophet
Muhammad (sa) to all Christians.
In a
time when tensions between Islam and Christianity seem to be at an all time
high, we remind our Christian friends that a true Muslim cannot hurt a
Christian in any way, neither by his hand, nor by his tongue.
“ This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to
those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. Verily I, the
servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my
citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.
No
compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their
jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.
No one
is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything
from it to the Muslims’ houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil
God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my
secure charter against all that they hate.
No one
is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight
for them. If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place
without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to
pray.
Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be
prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of
the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the
world).”
English translation from ‘Muslim History: 570 – 1950 C.E.’ by
Dr. A. Zahoor and Dr. Z. Haq, ZMD Corporation. P.O. Box 8231 – Gaithersburg, MD
20898-8231 – Copyright Akram Zahoor 2000. P. 167
English Translation of the Achtiname by Anton F. Haddad:
This is a letter which
was issued by Mohammed, Ibn Abdullah, the Messenger, the Prophet, the Faithful,
who is sent to all the people as a trust on the part of God to all His
creatures, that they may have no plea against God hereafter. Verily God is the
Mighty, the Wise. This letter is directed to the embracers of Islam, as a
covenant given to the followers of Nazarene in the East and West, the far and
near, the Arabs and foreigners, the known and the unknown.
This letter contains the oath given unto them, and he who disobeys
that which is therein will be considered a disobeyer and a transgressor to that
whereunto he is commanded. He will be regarded as one who has corrupted the
oath of God, disbelieved His Testament, rejected His Authority, despised His Religion,
and made himself deserving of His Curse, whether he is a Sultan or any other
believer of Islam. Whenever monks, devotees and pilgrims gather together,
whether in a mountain or valley, or den, or frequented place, or plain, or
church, or in houses of worship, verily we are [at the] back of them and shall
protect them, and their properties and their morals, by Myself, by My Friends
and by My Assistants, for they are of My Subjects and under My Protection.
I shall exempt them from that which may disturb them; of the
burdens which are paid by others as an oath of allegiance. They must not give
anything of their income but that which pleases them—they must not be offended,
or disturbed, or coerced or compelled. Their judges should not be changed or
prevented from accomplishing their offices, nor the monks disturbed in
exercising their religious order, or the people of seclusion be stopped from
dwelling in their cells.
No one is allowed to plunder the pilgrims, or destroy or
spoil any of their churches, or houses of worship, or take any of the things
contained within these houses and bring it to the houses of Islam. And he who
takes away anything therefrom, will be one who has corrupted the oath of God,
and, in truth, disobeyed His Messenger.
Poll-taxes should not be put upon their judges, monks, and those
whose occupation is the worship of God; nor is any other thing to be taken from
them, whether it be a fine, a tax or any unjust right. Verily I shall keep
their compact, wherever they may be, in the sea or on the land, in the East or
West, in the North or South, for they are under My Protection and the testament
of My Safety, against all things which they abhor.
No taxes or tithes should be received from those who devote
themselves to the worship of God in the mountains, or from those who cultivate
the Holy Lands. No one has the right to interfere with their affairs, or bring
any action against them. Verily this is for aught else and not for them;
rather, in the seasons of crops, they should be given a Kadah for each Ardab of
wheat (about five bushels and a half) as provision for them, and no one has the
right to say to them this is too much, or ask them to pay any tax.
As to those who possess properties, the wealthy and merchants, the
poll-tax to be taken from them must not exceed twelve Dirhams a head per year
(i.e. about 45 cents).
They shall not be imposed upon by anyone to undertake a journey,
or to be forced to go to wars or to carry arms; for the Muslims have to fight
for them. Do no dispute or argue with them, but deal according to the verse
recorded in the Koran, to wit: ‘Do not dispute or argue with the People of the
Book but in that which is best’ [29:46]. Thus they will live favored and
protected from everything which may offend them by the Callers to religion
(Islam), wherever they may be and in any place they may dwell.
Should any Christian woman be married to a Musulman, such marriage
must not take place except after her consent, and she must not be prevented
from going to her church for prayer. Their churches must be honored and they
must not be withheld from building churches or repairing convents.
They must not be forced to carry arms or stones; but the Muslims
must protect them and defend them against others. It is positively incumbent
upon every one of the Islam nation not to contradict or disobey this oath until
the Day of Resurrection and the end of the world.
Via:newsrescue
