Demystifying Islam by Zafar Harris;

Author:Zafar, Harris; [Zafar, Harris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Published: 2014-06-14T16:00:00+00:00

Protecting Freedom of Religion

As discussed in chapter 3, “Demystifying Jihad,” Islam allows fighting in order to protect freedom of all religions. No aggressive or preemptive wars are permitted in Islam; the only fighting prescribed is in the defense of every people’s right to freedom of religion. God states in the Quran that fighting those who had physically attacked others on account of their faith was necessary in order to prevent such hostile enemies of religion from wreaking havoc in the world. The Quran states, “If Allah had not repelled some people by means of others, cloisters and churches and synagogues and mosques, wherein the name of Allah is oft remembered, would surely have been destroyed.”45 The wisdom here is very clear. If God did not allow the good people to fend off the bad people, the bad people would have free rein to wreak havoc in the land and increase in their hostilities. The only objective of fighting in Islam is to protect the right of every person to practice one’s religion—irrespective of what religion that may be. This includes the protection of houses of worship because Islam recognizes their right to worship.

As would be expected, the Prophet Muhammad proved with his own actions that religious freedom is to be honored and protected for all people—not just Muslims. He did this not only when his people were in a state of political weakness and, thus, perhaps had no choice but to advocate for freedom of religion. But rather, Muhammad was a staunch advocate for freedom of religion even after gaining authority as head of the state in Medina. It is there that he established the Charter of Privileges that was delivered to the monks of St. Catherine Monastery in Mt. Sinai—known as the oldest working Christian monastery in the world. This charter represents a pledge of peace and religious freedom for Christians around the world for all times to come.

In this charter, the prophet wrote:

This is the document which Muhammad, son of Abdullah, God’s Prophet, Warner and Bearer of glad-tidings, has caused to be written so that there should remain no excuse for those coming after. I have caused this document to be written for Christians of the East and the West, for those who live near, and for those of the distant lands, for the Christians living at present and for those who will come after, for those Christians who are known to us and for those as well whom we do not know. Any Muslim violating and abusing what is therein ordered would be regarded as violator of God’s testament and would be the breaker of His promise and would make himself deserving of God’s curse, be he a king or a subject. I promise that any monk or wayfarer, etc., who will seek my help on the mountains, in forests, deserts or habitations, or in places of worship, I will repel his enemies with all my friends and helpers, with all my relatives and with all those who profess to follow me and will defend him, because they are my covenanted.

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