Islam and Tolerance

Tolerance in the Qur’aan and Sunnah
Tolerance towards other religions
Tolerance in teaching Islam

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• Islam does not compel anybody to become Muslim.
• The idea that Islam was spread by the sword is false and does not carry any weight. On the contrary, Islam was mainly spread through the distinguished characters of the believers, who called others towards their faith with kindness and mercy.
• History bears testimony to the Prophet’s approach to people of other faiths and how the Prophet ﷺ gave non-Muslims religious freedom and citizenship in the city of Madinah. In fact, religious freedom was included and assured in the constitution of Madinah. Other religious groups, such as the Jews and the Christians, were given full citizenship and the freedom to practice their religions .
  Allah ﷻ says in the Qur’aan:

لَآ إِكْرَاهَ فِى ٱلدِّينِ ۖ قَد تَّبَيَّنَ ٱلرُّشْدُ مِنَ ٱلْغَىِّ ۚ فَمَن يَكْفُرْ بِٱلطَّـٰغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِنۢ بِٱللَّهِ فَقَدِ ٱسْتَمْسَكَ بِٱلْعُرْوَةِ ٱلْوُثْقَىٰ لَا ٱنفِصَامَ لَهَا ۗ وَٱللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ ( سورة البقرة : ٢٥٦)

There shall be no compulsion [in acceptance] of the religion. The right course has become clear from the wrong. So whoever disbelieves in taaghoot and believes in Allah has grasped the most trustworthy handhold with no break in it. And Allah is Hearing and Knowing. [Soorat al-Baqarah: 256]

• Furthermore, the constitution, also allowed these religious groups, the freedom to make legal decisions by themselves. A dispute was only referred to the Prophet ﷺ if it could not be dealt with from within these religious groups. Furthermore, these religious groups were given equal protection as long as they adhered to the dictates of the constitution. The Prophet ﷺ wanted them to see the beauty of Islam, without forcing them. As a result many of them accepted Islam.
• The Prophet ﷺ , who was guided by the the Qur’aan, showed great tolerance towards non-Muslims. Even in the initial stage of delivering the message in Makkah he had to endure much resistance and persecution. The Prophet ﷺ was very tolerant towards them, their misguidance and oppression.
• When viewing the Qur’aan and Sunnah we find the true position of Islam, in dealing with person and having tolerance towards them. There are many references in the Qur’aan and Sunnah that show us how to deal with people. The Qur’aan is the only religious book that also accepts the scriptures of the Jews and the Christians as Scriptures of Allah. In fact, a person cannot be a true Muslim if he/she does not believe that the scriptures revelaed to the various Prophets such Ibraheem, Dawood, Moosa and Eesaare revelations from Allah. As a condition of faith the Qur’aan instructs the believers to believe in all the previously revealed books. Allah says,

وَٱلَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْكَ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ مِن قَبْلِكَ وَبِٱلْـَٔاخِرَةِ هُمْ يُوقِنُونَ ( سورة البقرة : ٤)

And who believe in what has been revealed to you, [O Muhammad], and what was revealed before you, and of the Hereafter they are certain in faith. [Soorat al-Baqarah: 4]

• Muslims must therefore believe in the original scriptures of the religions that preceded Islam. As it is a condition of faith to believe in the previous revealed scriptures, it is also a condition to believe in all the previous prophets that were sent.
  The Qur’aan states:

قُولُوٓا۟ ءَامَنَّا بِٱللَّهِ وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَيْنَا وَمَآ أُنزِلَ إِلَىٰٓ إِبْرَٰهِـۧمَ وَإِسْمَـٰعِيلَ وَإِسْحَـٰقَ وَيَعْقُوبَ وَٱلْأَسْبَاطِ وَمَآ أُوتِىَ مُوسَىٰ وَعِيسَىٰ وَمَآ أُوتِىَ ٱلنَّبِيُّونَ مِن رَّبِّهِمْ لَا نُفَرِّقُ بَيْنَ أَحَدٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ وَنَحْنُ لَهُۥ مُسْلِمُونَ ( سورة البقرة : ١٣٦)

Say, [O Believers], “We have believed in Allah and what has been revealed to us and what has been revealed to Abraham and Ishmael and Isaac and Jacob and the Descendants [Al-Asbaat] and what was given to Moses and Jesus and what was given to the prophets from their Lord. We make no distinction between any of them, and we are Muslims [in submission] to Him.” [Soorat al-Baqarah:136]

• The above verses and examples of the Prophet ﷺ clearly shows that Islam respects and tolerates other religions, their prophets and their people. Islam promotes a peaceful coexistence with other religions.
• The Prophet ﷺ had the ability to deal with different types of people according to their nature and circumstances, showing a great deal of tolerance towards them. Finally, tolerance towards others plays a very important role in spreading the message of Islam. The best way of achieving tolerance is by understanding peoples’ differences. Once we understand differences of others we will have tolerance towards one another.
• We have seen how the Prophet ﷺ , who is the best of examples, dealt with different types of people, showing tolerance towards them. The Prophet ﷺ truly understood the nature of people. Without a mutual understanding of our differences we cannot expect to be tolerant towards one another, be it among ourselves as Muslims, or be it among us and non-Muslims.

Learning from the lesson

1. Examples of tolerance from Qur’aan and Sunnah
2. To be tolerant towards other religions
3. To be tolerant when teaching Islam