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Over the centuries of Islamic History , Muslim rulers, Islamic Scholars , and ordinary Muslims have held many attitudes towards other religions, ranging from intolerant to tolerant attitudes. Attitudes have varied according to time, place and circumstance. Inclusive Muslims focus on the similarities between people of faith in general and Islam, Christianity, and Judaism in particular, stressing the universality of Islam and seeing other religions as reflections of the same higher truth (albeit less perfect versions) Similarities between Islam and Christianity , by Dr. Zakir Naik, drzakirnaik.com, retrieved March 23, 2006. Many Muslims conclude that the other faiths must be tolerated and that Islam states this. Other Muslim groups take an exclusivistic approach. For example, they aggressively stress the differences between Islam and the Judeo-Christian community. This can lead to parts of the Muslim community holding beliefs like the necessity of bringing unbelievers back to the "Straight Path" by persuasion, or even force -- and then acting on such beliefs. Both camps cite parts of Islam's highest canons, the Qur'an and the Sunnah , to justify their positions. THE QUR'AN ON OTHER FAITHS The Qur'an teaches that God ( Allah in Arabic ), has sent prophets to other peoples, revealing the true religion of Islam. Those peoples have rejected or perverted Islam. Muhammad , the last prophet (the seal of the prophets), has called them to return to the true faith. Those who reject his message, when the truth of the message has reached them, are promised to be doomed to a fiery hell on the Day of Judgement (Quran 29:68). The Qur'an distinguishes between the monotheistic People Of The Book ( Jews , Christians and Sabian s), and Polytheists or ''idolators'' on the other hand. The People of the Book should be tolerated, even if they hold to their faiths; however, idolators are not given that same degree of tolerance. There are certain kind of restrictions that are relaxed for Muslims, when involved with People of the Book, which do not apply to idolators, such as Muslim males being allowed to marry a chaste woman from the People of the Book (Qur'an, 5:5 ), or Muslims being allowed to eat meat from the People of the Book Machine-slaughtered Meat , by Shaykh Muhammad ibn Adam al-Kawthari, eat-halal.com, retrieved March 23, 2006. According to the Qur'an, Moses and Jesus preached the pure Islamic doctrine. Jews and Christians then strayed from strict Monotheism . The followers of Moses earned God's anger by worshipping the Golden Calf . The followers of Jesus went astray by worshipping Jesus as God and belief of the doctrine Trinity . O People of the Book, commit no excesses in your religion; nor say of Allah anything but the truth. The Messiah Jesus son of Mary was (no more than) a Messenger of Allah, and His Word, which He bestowed on Mary, and a Spirit proceeding from Him; so believe in Allah and His Messengers. Say not "Trinity": desist! It will be better for you: for Allah is One: Glory be to Him! (far exalted is He) above having a son. To Him belong all things in the heavens and on earth. And enough is Allah as a Disposer of affairs. Muslims believe that due to human interference, some parts of the Jewish and the Christian scriptures are corrupted. The Quran calls itself Muhimin which means "quality controller". It claims that it upholds that which is truth in the Bible and rejects what is falsehood. Muslims believe that Qur’an and Bible have the same source and that any differences from absolute similarities would either mean replacement of a new Law with the previous ones or correction of the message that got corrupted. : ''And We have sent down to you (O Muhammad) the Book (this Qur'an) in truth, confirming the Scripture that came before it and Mohaymin (trustworthy in highness and a witness) over it (old Scriptures). So judge among them by what Allah has revealed.'' 5:48 : ''None of Our revelations do We abrogate or cause to be forgotten, but We substitute something better or similar...'' (Surah 2:106) Islamic scholars generally divide the sections and verses of the Qur'an into two groups: the verses revealed in Mecca , and the verses revealed in Medina . The Meccan verses generally preach peace and accommodation, leaving it to God and the Day of Judgment to separate the believers from the unbelievers. : ''We believe in ; 3:84). : ''Those with Faith, those who are Jews, and the Christians and Sabaeans, all who have Faith in Allah and the Last Day and act rightly, will have their reward with their Lord. They will feel no fear and will know no sorrow.'' (Surat Al-Baqara ; 2:62). : ''Only argue with the People of the Book in the kindest way - except in the case of those of them who do wrong - saying, 'We have Faith in what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to you. Our God and your God are one and we submit to Him.'' (Surat Al-`Ankabut ; 29:46). The Qur'anic verses are interpreted in the context of the situation in the life of the Prophet. Hence, the Medinite verses focused, among other themes, on the topic of self-defense. These verses take place after Muhammad and his follows had taken refuge in Medina and taken up the sword against the Meccans who had taken the lives of many of the Prophet's companions and also purportedly injured the Prophet on a number of occasions. The verses instruct fighting against the unbelieving oppressors, and promise paradise to the faithful who fall in holy war, or Jihad . It is important to note that the Qur'an directs Muslims to fight against militant aggressors in a formal war, which is a holy pursuit (hence 'Holy War') and with interpretation these verses cannot be used during peace or against civilians, the elderly, women or children, or to harm livestock, farms or trees. Muslims may not declare war, but they must defend their lives and property. Similar verses are to be found in the Old and New Testaments, as well as in other major religions, asking them to repel oppressors after a point of patience is crossed. Critics such as Robert Spencer believe though Islam does not explicitly preach armed jihad, moderate Muslims' denial that the violence practiced by extremist Muslims can be read in the Qur'an cannot be upheld. He believes that preaching violence is implicit in the Qur'anic text. The Qur'anic verses specifically direct: : ''Fight in the cause of Allah those who fight you, but do not transgress limits; for Allah loves not transgressors.'' (2:190) And why should you not fight in the cause of God and of those who, being weak, are ill-treated (and oppressed)? Men, women, and children, whose cry is: "Our Lord! Rescue us from this town, whose people are oppressors; and raise for us from Your side one who will protect; and raise for us from Your side one who will help! : ''Therefore, when ye meet the Unbelievers (in fight), smite at their necks; At length, when ye have thoroughly subdued them, bind a bond firmly (on them): thereafter (is the time for) either generosity or ransom: Until the war lays down its burdens. Thus (are ye commanded): but if it had been God's Will, He could certainly have exacted retribution from them (Himself); but (He lets you fight) in order to test you, some with others. But those who are slain in the Way of God,- He will never let their deeds be lost.'' (47:4) : ''And an announcement from Allah and His Messenger, to the people (assembled) on the day of the Great Pilgrimage...But when the forbidden months are past, then fight and slay the pagans wherever ye find them, and seize them, beleaguer them, and lie in wait for them in every stratagem (of war) but if they repent, and establish regular prayers and practice regular charity, then open the way for them: for Allah is Oft-forgiving, Most Merciful. And if one of the idolaters seek protection from you, grant him protection till he hears the word of Allah, then make him attain his place of safety; this is because they are a people who do not know.'' (9:3-6) : ''Remember thy Lord inspired the angels (with the message): “I am with you: give firmness to the Believers: I will instill terror into the hearts of the Unbelievers: smite ye above their necks and smite all their finger-tips off them.” This because they contended against Allah and His Messenger: If any contend against Allah and His Messenger, Allah is strict in punishment.'' (8:12-13) PRACTICE OF THE EARLY MUSLIMS , according to some claims. According to these claims, they converted en masse. Others claim that the polytheists were not forced to convert, or forced to exile. They use examples such as this verse from the Quran, to substantiate their claim: And if anyone of the Mushrikûn (polytheists, idolaters, pagans, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allâh) seeks your protection then grant him protection, so that he may hear the Word of Allâh (the Qur'ân), and then escort him to where he can be secure, that is because they are men who know not. After Muhammad's death in '', protected peoples. As noted above, they could worship, follow their own family law, and own property. People of the Book were not subject to certain Islamic rules, such as the prohibitions on alcohol and pork, but were subject to other restrictions. Under the Islamic state, they were exempt from military service, but were required to pay a Poll Tax known as '' Jizya ''. (They were, however, exempt from the '' Zakat '' required of Muslims). They could be bureaucrats and advisors, but they could never be rulers. LATER ISLAMIC PRACTICE Under the Ummayad s and Abbasid s, the Islamic community was increasingly fragmented into various sects and kingdoms, each of which had its own evolving policy towards dhimmi and towards conquered polytheists. The Islamic heartland In general, the policies of the territories comprising the earliest Islamic conquests grew gradually harsher towards the dhimmis. Conversion to Islam was made easier (all one had to do was to recite the confession of faith). Many dhimmis did convert as a result of fear and pressure. Areas that were majority Christian or Zoroastrian before the Arab conquest at some point became overwhelmingly Muslim. As dhimmis became minorities, they sometimes became persecuted minorities. At some point (it is not clear when), non-Muslims were forbidden to visit the sacred cities of Mecca and Medina, while some ''hadith'' even urged their exclusion from the entire Arabian peninsula. Later Islamic conquests With the Ghaznavid s and later the Mughal s, Islam also expanded further into northern India . Will Durant , in '' The Story Of Civilization '', described this as "probably the bloodiest story in history". This approach was not uniform, and different rulers adopted different strategies. The Mughal emperor Akbar , for example, was relatively tolerant towards Hindus, while his successor Aurangzeb was intolerant. Hindus were ultimately given the tolerated religious minority status of dhimmi, even though they were obviously not as purely monotheist as the Jews and Christians who had previously received this status. However, the underlying complexity of Hindu Philosophy was useful in this regard, as it had always posited an underlying unity of all things, including the fusion of various deities into a single reality ( Brahman ). The Buddhists of India were not as fortunate; although Buddhism had been in decline prior to the Muslim invasions, the destruction of monastic universities in the invasions such as Nalanda and Vikramashila were a calamity from which it never recovered. According to one Buddhist scholar, the monasteries were destroyed because they were large, fortified edifices considered threats by Muslim Turk invaders, not because they were non-Muslim institutions. The Historical Interaction between the Buddhist and Islamic Cultures before the Mongol Empire , by Alexander Berzin, The Berzin Archives, retrieved March 24, 2006 The Almohad rulers of Muslim Spain were initially intolerant, and engaged in forced conversions ; Maimonides , for example, was forced to masquerade as a Muslim and eventually flee Spain after the initial Almohad conquest. However, it worthe mentioning that almost all Muslims rule in Spain can be described as tolerant rule, instead some individual occasions. Christians were free to practice their own believes, and they had kept their own churches. The tolerance atmosphere in Muslim Spain made it a refugee for the turtored Jews who lived in other European lands. Areas of peaceful expansion Sometime in the ninth and tenth centuries, an Islamic mystical movement called Sufism took concrete shape. (Note that this is controversial; Sufis insist that they are only continuing a tradition that started with Muhammad. However, organized Sufi movements seem to become evident at that time.) Sufis stressed the importance of learning from living teachers renowned for their piety and spiritual wisdom, and were organized into Sufi Orders , lineages of teachers traced back to a revered founder. Sufis generally believed in spreading Islam by preaching and example rather than by conquest. Sufis took Islam to many areas that had never experienced an Islamic conquest, areas like sub-Saharan Africa and Indonesia . They were also influential in the conversion of much of the Indian province of Bengal , the eastern half of which is now the nation of Bangladesh . Islamic cultures in such areas were usually tolerant and syncretistic, preserving beliefs and practices from the pre-Islamic past. CONTEMPORARY ISLAM During the 19th and early 20th centuries, most Islamic states fell under the sway of European colonialists. The colonialists enforced tolerance, especially of European Christian missionaries. After World War II, there was a general retreat from colonialism, and predominantly Muslim countries were again able to set their own policies regarding non-Muslims. This period also saw the beginning of increased migration from Muslim countries into the First World countries of Europe, the UK, Canada, the US, etc. This has completely reshaped relations between Islam and other religions. Predominantly Muslim countries Many predominantly Muslim countries allow the practice of all religions. Of these, some (such as Egypt ) limit this freedom with bans on proselytising or conversion, or restrictions on the building of places of worship; others (such as Mali ) have no such restrictions. In practice, the situation of non-Muslim minorities depends not only on the law, but on local practice, which may ameliorate somewhat harsh laws or make their situations hard despite liberal laws. Some countries are predominantly Muslim and allow freedom of religion adhering to democratic principles. Of particular note are the following countries:
Bangladesh Official Government Holidays 2001 , bicn, 2002, retrieved March 25, 2006 Some predominantly Muslim countries have become more intolerant of non-Muslims. There have been many explanations for this rising distrust, too many to detail here. We note only that:
According to Islamic law, ) that is to be paid by the Muslim citizens of the state. Muslims in diaspora Many Muslims now find themselves living in many non-Muslim countries, where religious freedom is usually the ruling ideology. Many of these Muslims are still struggling to make sense of their faith in these entirely different circumstances. Some believers distance themselves completely from their “idolatrous” surroundings and look forward to a day when their new countries will become Muslim. Other Muslims, however, appreciate religious freedom and are tolerant of other faiths. IS FORCED CONVERSION ALLOWABLE? Many Muslim scholars believe that Quranic verses such as ''"Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error"'' (Quran, 2:256 ) and (Quran 18:29 ) show that Islam prohibits forced conversion towards people of any religion. However, some ( People Of The Book ) and not towards polytheists. Question #34770: There is no compulsion to accept Islam , by Ibn Baaz, Islam Q&A, retrieved March 25, 2006 "Then when the Sacred Months (the 1st, 7th, 11th, and 12th months of the Islamic calendar) have passed, then kill the Mushrikoon (idolaters, polytheists, pagans, the disbelievers in the Oneness of God, etc) wherever you find them, and capture them and besiege them, and lie in wait for them in each and every ambush. But if they repent rejecting Shirk (polytheism) and accept Islamic Monotheism and perform As-Salaah (Iqaamat-as-Salaah), and give Zakaah, then leave their way free. Verily, Allaah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful" :(Quran 9:5) It is claimed that that forced conversion of those regarded as "pagans" and "idolators" was practiced by Muhammad and other Muslim leaders in the early years of Islam. Although, this is disputed by other scholars, such as Yunus Osman who state that: The Shaykhs (Islamic mystic leaders) and the `Ulama' (Muslim religious scholars) who were instrumental in the propagation of the Deen (religion) were well acquainted with the fact that forced conversion was strictly prohibited by the Qur'an. Had there been a policy of forced conversions during the period of Muslim rule, which lasted for about nine hundred years, the Muslims in India would not have been included amongst the minority groups in India. Establishment of Islamic Institutions of learning in India , by Moulana Yunus Osman, Ask the Imam, March 2, 2001, retrieved March 22, 2006.. In the modern era, in most places, Islam is found to be usually spread by peaceful means (See also Dawah ) and forced conversion is regarded against the tenets of Islam by the majority of Muslims. However, in some socially and economically hindering places, evidence of a few cases of forced conversion has been found "Forced conversion to Islam fatal for Christian boy" , AsiaNews.it, May 10, 2004, retrieved March 22, 2006. REFERENCES NOTES
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