Mutual Respect for Coexistence

MUTUAL RESPECT FOR COEXISTENCE What was the guiding principle of this Islamic society? The Prophet issued a declaration that, in Islamic history, is called Sahifat ul-Madinah, also known as the Covenant of Madinah. A clause in this covenant laid down that the Jews shall profess their faith and the Muslims theirs. This example shows that Islam prescribes religious freedom to manage religious differences. There is a verse in the Quran to this effect: “You have your religion, and I have mine.” (109:6). This means that the formula for social peace, social harmony and inter-faith relations should be based on religious freedom and peaceful coexistence. Mutual respect is very important in this regard. The following incident, referred to earlier in this book, exemplifies this: One day, a funeral procession wound its way along a street in Madinah. The Prophet, seated there at the time, stood up in deference to the deceased person. One of his Companions said, “O! Prophet, it is the funeral of a Jew.” The Prophet replied, “Was he not a human being?” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Hadith No. 1312) This humanitarian outlook was typical of the Prophet’s vision of life. He was able to see everyone as a human being. In the above case, he discovered a commonality between himself and a deceased Jewish person. Just as he was a human being, so had the latter been a member of the human family. Just as God had created him, so also had that Jewish person. As this incident shows, people may have differences regarding beliefs, religion, culture, etc., but a common bond has to