Before and After, How the Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) Teachings changed the people for the better

Indeed Islam is the religion of truth, a religion ordained by God, a religion that came to fix the people in both their doctrine and way of life, taking them from darkness and into the light. Many anti-Islamic’s like to claim otherwise, yet the facts speak for themselves, one of the most interesting incident we read takes place during the Muslim’s stay in Abyssinia, where they were forced to flee due to pagan oppression in their own homeland. I shall let the account speak for itself, the story comes from Ibn Ishaque’s Sirat Rasul Allah:

Then he summoned the apostles companions, and when his messenger came they gathered together, saying one to another, What will you say to the man when you come to him?’ They said, We shall say what we know and what our prophet commanded us, come what may.’ When they came into the royal presence they found that the king had summoned his bishops with their sacred books and exposed around him. He asked them what was the religion for which they had forsaken their people, without entering into his religion or any other. Ja’far b. Abu Talib answered, O King, we were an uncivilized people, worshipping idols, eating corpses, committing abominations, breaking natural ties, treating guests badly, and our strong devoured our weak. Thus we were until God sent us an apostle whose lineage, truth, trustworthiness, and clemency we know. He summoned us to acknowledge God’s unity and to worship and to renounce the stones and images which we and our fathers formerly worshipped. He commanded us to speak the truth, be faithful to our engagements, mindful of the ties of kinship and kindly hospitality, and to refrain from crimes and bloodshed. He forbade us to commit abominations and to speak lies, and to devour the property of orphans, to vilify chaste women. He commanded us to worship God alone and not to associate anything with Him, and he gave us orders about prayer, almsgiving, and fasting (enumerating the commands of Islam). We confessed his truth and believed in him, and we followed him in what he had brought from God, and we worshipped God alone without associating aught with Him. We treated as forbidden what he forbade, and as lawful what he declared lawful. (Alfred, Guillaume. The Life of Muhammad, A Translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasu Allah. Oxford University press, 2002. PP. 151-152)

So notice the before and after, from darkness and into the light, from backwardness to civilized, from evil to good, from idolatry to monotheism. And this is the religion and faith in which these Islamophobes want us the Muslims to forsake? Indeed, if I wanted to go backwards, and leave the light, and go back into darkness, idolatry, and polytheism, then yes, I would leave Islam.

And Allah Knows Best!

Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) and helping the poor

One of the great reforms that the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) brought was the rights and treatment of the poor. Prior to the advent of Islam, the pagan Arabs used to disregard the poor, they would look down on them, and could care less about them; the poor people were basically an insignificant portion of society that did not matter. However so, with the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) that all changed, the Muslims were now obliged to look after the poor, and were required to spend of their wealth to help the poor out. For instance the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught the following:

Bukhari Volume 7, Book 64, Number 264: Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “Allah said, ‘O son of Adam! Spend, and I shall spend on you.”

The basic meaning of this hadith was that Muslims should spend from their wealth in giving charity to the poor. This teaching of the Prophet, to spend and to give in charity, was a very common message that he would often give as we read in another hadith:

Bukhari Volume 2, Book 24, Number 492: Narrated Haritha bin Wahab :I heard the Prophet saying, “O people! Give in charity as a time will come upon you when a person will wander about with his object of charity and will not find anybody to accept it, and one (who will be requested to take it) will say, “If you had brought it yesterday, would have taken it, but to-day I am not in need of it.”

As I wrote earlier, the poor people of the time were completely disregarded, especially by the elite of society, those at the top of society, the very wealthy, did not care at all for the poor people, and they would look down on them. So what did the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) say in this regard? The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) specifically commanded the wealthy people to give in charity and gave a very dire warning to them if they didn’t do so:

Bukhari Volume 2, Book 24, Number 486: Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “Whoever is made wealthy by Allah and does not pay the Zakat of his wealth, then on the Day of Resurrection his wealth will be made like a bald-headed poisonous male snake with two black spots over the eyes. The snake will encircle his neck and bite his cheeks and say, ‘I am your wealth, I am your treasure.’ ” Then the Prophet recited the holy verses:– ‘Let not those who withhold . . .’ (to the end of the verse). (3.180).

So the above hadith was a warning to the wealthy people of the consequences of not looking after the poor and giving in charity. The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) also taught the following about wealthy people giving in charity:

Bukhari Volume 2, Book 24, Number 507: Narrated Abu Huraira : The Prophet (p.b.u.h) said, “The best charity is that which is practiced by a wealthy person. And start giving first to your dependents.”

In a longer version of this hadith we read:

Bukhari Volume 2, Book 24, Number 508: Narrated Hakim bin Hizam The Prophet said, “The upper hand is better than the lower hand (i.e. he who gives in charity is better than him who takes it). One should start giving first to his dependents. And the best object of charity is that which is given by a wealthy person (from the money which is left after his expenses). And whoever abstains from asking others for some financial help, Allah will give him and save him from asking others, Allah will make him self-sufficient.”

So the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) taught the best of charity is the one given by those who are rich, the wealthy people. The reason for this was because the prophet wanted to give a very strong incentive for the rich to start giving in charity, something they didn’t really care about before. As well as this it was also to show the great reform of society, that now, the rich of society are giving for the poor, unlike before, when they could care less about the poor precisely because they were rich.

We also read in another hadith, what the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) would do when he encountered poor people:

Bukhari Volume 2, Book 24, Number 512: Narrated Abu Burda bin Abu Musa:that his father said, “Whenever a beggar came to Allah’s Apostle or he was asked for something, he used to say (to his companions), “Help and recommend him and you will receive the reward for it; and Allah will bring about what He will through His Prophet’s tongue.”

So whenever the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) would encounter with a poor person, he would tell his companions to help and give for that person, and they would be rewarded for it. The prophet would not simply ignore them and let them be, as would have been the custom of the time, rather he gave advise and teaching to his companions to help these people.

And in another hadith we also read the following;

Bukhari Volume 7, Book 64, Number 265: Narrated Abu Huraira: The Prophet said, “The one who looks after a widow or a poor person is like a Mujahid (warrior) who fights for Allah’s Cause, or like him who performs prayers all the night and fasts all the day.”

So the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) compared the one who looks after a poor person, with the one who fights in the cause of God! As anyone knows, the one who fights in the cause of God has a very high place and status in Islam, it is one of the highest honors one can have, yet the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) explicitly states that a person who looks after a poor person is like the one who fights in the cause of God! Thus one can see the very high value and importance Islam attaches to helping and looking after the poor. This teaching is a major incentive and motivation for the people to take care, and to look after the poor.

I think the best way to conclude this article would be to quote the early Muslims, to see how they themselves had changed for the better:

Then he summoned the apostles companions, and when his messenger came they gathered together, saying one to another, What will you say to the man when you come to him?’ They said, We shall say what we know and what our prophet commanded us, come what may.’ When they came into the royal presence they found that the king had summoned his bishops with their sacred books and exposed around him. He asked them what was the religion for which they had forsaken their people, without entering into his religion or any other. Ja’far b. Abu Talib answered, O King, we were an uncivilized people, worshipping idols, eating corpses, committing abominations, breaking natural ties, treating guests badly, and our strong devoured our weak. Thus we were until God sent us an apostle whose lineage, truth, trustworthiness, and clemency we know. He summoned us to acknowledge God’s unity and to worship and to renounce the stones and images which we and our fathers formerly worshipped. He commanded us to speak the truth, be faithful to our engagements, mindful of the ties of kinship and kindly hospitality, and to refrain from crimes and bloodshed. He forbade us to commit abominations and to speak lies, and to devour the property of orphans, to vilify chaste women. He commanded us to worship God alone and not to associate anything with Him, and he gave us orders about prayer, charity (for the poor), and fasting (enumerating the commands of Islam). We confessed his truth and believed in him, and we followed him in what he had brought from God, and we worshipped God alone without associating aught with Him. We treated as forbidden what he forbade, and as lawful what he declared lawful. (Alfred, Guillaume. The Life of Muhammad, A Translation of Ibn Ishaq’s Sirat Rasu Allah. Oxford University press, 2002. PP. 151-152)

Indeed what a great reform the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) brought! Now if all of us around the world could follow these teachings in regards to the poor people, then this would be a much better place!

And Allah Knows Best!

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and the rights of Animals

Islam is a true religion of mercy, not just a religion of mercy for human beings, but a religion of mercy for every living creature! As the prophet Muhammed (PBUH) taught:

Volume 8, Book 73, Number 38:

Narrated Abu Huraira:

Allah’s Apostle said, “While a man was walking on a road. he became very thirsty. Then he came across a well, got down into it, drank (of its water) and then came out. Meanwhile he saw a dog panting and licking mud because of excessive thirst. The man said to himself “This dog is suffering from the same state of thirst as I did.” So he went down the well (again) and filled his shoe (with water) and held it in his mouth and watered the dog. Allah thanked him for that deed and forgave him.” The people asked, “O Allah’s Apostle! Is there a reward for us in serving the animals?” He said, “(Yes) There is a reward for serving any animate (living being) .”

As one can see, the religion of Islam rewards the believer for looking after an animal, as the Muslim even asked the prophe in the hadith, is there a reward for serving animals? The prophet Muhammed (PBUH) replied in the affirmative, thus making it clear that Muslims must look after animals, and make sure of their well being!

There is another similar hadith which says the following:

Bukhari 4:538

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Apostle said, “A prostitute was forgiven by Allah, because, passing by a panting dog near a well and seeing that the dog was about to die of thirst, she took off her shoe, and tying it with her head-cover she drew out some water for it. So, Allah forgave her because of that.”

The moral of this story is that if one looks after an animal, and helps the animal, then God shall forgive this person, therefore forgiveness is even linked to the simple act of helping an animal! Therefore what should we say about the one who harms an animal? The obvious implication would be that if one wrongfully harms an animal for no reason then obviously this would be a sin, therefore not only do humans have rights in regards of being treated properly, but so do animals!

The prophet Muhammed (PBUH) did speak out and teach against the abuse of animals:

Narated By Ibn ‘Umar: The Prophet cursed the one who did Muthla to an animal (i e., cut its limbs or some other part of its body while it is still alive). – [Bukhari Vol. 7, Book 67, #424]

Narated By Hisham bin Zaid: Anas and I went to Al-Hakam bin Aiyub. Anas saw some boys shooting at a tied hen. Anas said, “The Prophet has forbidden the shooting of tied or confined animals.” – [Bukhari Vol. 7, Book 67, #421; #422]

Narated By ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar : Allah’s Apostle said, “A lady was punished because of a cat which she had imprisoned till it died. She entered the (Hell) Fire because of it, for she neither gave it food nor water as she had imprisoned it, nor set it free to eat from the vermin of the earth.” – [Bukhari Vol.4, Book 56, #689]

So the prophet Muhammed (PBUH) was very clear in this regard, that animals should not be wrongfully harmed, especially in the third hadith, in which he states that a lady was punished for locking a cat up and basically starving it to death! Hence the hadith makes it very clear that a Muslim will indeed be punished if he harms an animal and causes it’s death through abuse, in other words, ANIMAL ABUSE IN ISLAM WILL BE PUNISHED BY GOD!

And Allah Knows Best!

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Manners

One of the main virtues of the prophet Muhammad (PBUH) was his constant teaching of manners, he always taught the Muslims about good manners, and ways in which they should properly conduct themselves. Indeed, his advice back then is still very relevant to all Muslims of today, and we should all strive to follow his advice on good manners:

Malik Muawatta Book 47, Number 47.1.1:

Yahya related to me from Malik that Muadh ibn Jabal said, “The last advice the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, gave me when I put my foot in the stirrup was that he said, ‘Make your character good for the people, Muadh ibn Jabal!’ “

Bukhari Volume 1, Book 2, Number 9:

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr:

The Prophet said, “A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands. And a Muhajir (emigrant) is the one who gives up (abandons) all what Allah has forbidden.”

Bukhari Volume 1, Book 2, Number 10:

Narrated Abu Musa:

Some people asked Allah’s Apostle, “Whose Islam is the best? i.e. (Who is a very good Muslim)?” He replied, “One who avoids harming the Muslims with his tongue and hands.”

Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 4:

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr:

Allah’s Apostle said. “It is one of the greatest sins that a man should curse his parents.” It was asked (by the people), “O Allah’s Apostle! How does a man curse his parents?” The Prophet said, “‘The man abuses the father of another man and the latter abuses the father of the former and abuses his mother.”

Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 61:

Narrated Masruq:

We were sitting with ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr who was narrating to us (Hadith): He said, “Allah’s Apostle was neither a Fahish nor a Mutafahhish, and he used to say, ‘The best among you are the best in character (having good manners).”‘

Muslim Book 032, Number 6313:

Abu Huraira reported Allah’s Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying: The strong-man is not one who wrestles well but the strong man is one who controls himself when he is in a fit of rage.

Malik Muwatta Book 47, Number 47.1.8:

Yahya related to me from Malik that he had heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, “I was sent to perfect good character.”

Sahih Bukhari Volume 4, Book 56, Number 759:

Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amr:

The Prophet never used bad language neither a “Fahish nor a Mutafahish. He used to say “The best amongst you are those who have the best manners and character.”

If all Muslims could follow the above teachings then we would find ourselves in a much better state! Yet we Muslims curse, abuse, and insult one another, including each other’s parents, we get angry with each other, we cannot control ourselves, and often get into silly fights, and the cycle just continues and continues!

And Allah Knows Best!

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and being Truthful and Honest

The merit of truth and honesty was an important teaching of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh). In a hadith we read the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) stating the following:

Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 116: Narrated ‘Abdullah: The Prophet said, “Truthfulness leads to righteousness, and righteousness leads to Paradise. And a man keeps on telling the truth until he becomes a truthful person. Falsehood leads to Al-Fajur (i.e. wickedness, evil-doing), and Al-Fajur (wickedness) leads to the (Hell) Fire, and a man may keep on telling lies till he is written before Allah, a liar.”

So here we read about how truth leads to righteousness, and how eventually this righteousness leads to paradise, hence being truthful is linked with one going to paradise! As the prophet also correctly stated, truthfulness leads to one becoming righteous, because a truthful person will keep his word, you will be able to trust that person, and as anyone knows, when there is trust, then you have a very strong backbone for a strong noble person, as well as a strong society.

After the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) stressed the importance of truth, he contrasted this with the issue of lying, and as we read the prophet linked this sinful act with leading to hell! Hence one can easily conclude the grave sin of lying, and why it should not be done, and rather why one should be truthful.

We read in another hadith:

Bukhari Volume 9, Book 92, Number 381: Narrated Hudhaifa: Allah’s Apostle said to us, “Honesty descended from the Heavens and settled in the roots of the hearts of men (faithful believers), and then the Quran was revealed and the people read the Quran, (and learnt it from it) and also learnt it from the Sunna.” Both Quran and Sunna strengthened their (the faithful believers’) honesty. (See Hadith No. 208)

Once again we see the important merit of truth, and how the Quran and Sunnah strengthens the honesty of the Muslim, hence the Quran and Sunnah is linked to truth and honesty, so this should embody itself in the Muslim, the Muslim therefore must be truthful and honesty. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also taught the Muslims the following:

Bukhari Volume 9, Book 86, Number 94: Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar: A man mentioned to the Prophet that he had always been cheated in bargains. The Prophet said, “Whenever you do bargain, say, ‘No cheating.’”

So the prophet taught the Muslims to not cheat in their dealings and bargaining’s, now if a Muslim is not allowed to cheat during a bargain, then this means a Muslim cannot cheat and deceive in other affairs, and so he must always be truthful and honest in whatever he is doing.

In two other hadiths we continue to read about how the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) taught his people to be truthful:

Bukhari Volume 1, Book 1, Number 6: Narrated ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas Heraclius said, “Bring him (Abu Sufyan) close to me and make his companions stand behind him.” Abu Sufyan added, Heraclius told his translator to tell my companions that he wanted to put some questions to me regarding that man (The Prophet) and that if I told a lie they (my companions) should contradict me.” Abu Sufyan added, “By Allah! Had I not been afraid of my companions labeling me a liar, I would not have spoken the truth about the Prophet. The first question he asked me about him was: ‘What is his family status amongst you?’ I replied, ‘He belongs to a good (noble) family amongst us.’ Heraclius further asked, ‘Has anybody amongst you ever claimed the same (i.e. to be a Prophet) before him?’ I replied, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Was anybody amongst his ancestors a king?’ I replied, ‘No.’ Heraclius asked, ‘Do the nobles or the poor follow him?’ I replied, ‘It is the poor who follow him.’ He said, ‘Are his followers increasing decreasing (day by day)?’ I replied, ‘They are increasing.’ He then asked, ‘Does anybody amongst those who embrace his religion become displeased and renounce the religion afterwards?’ I replied, ‘No.’ Heraclius said, ‘Have you ever accused him of telling lies before his claim (to be a Prophet)?’ I replied, ‘No. ‘Heraclius said, ‘Does he break his promises?’ I replied, ‘No. We are at truce with him but we do not know what he will do in it.’ I could not find opportunity to say anything against him except that. Heraclius asked, ‘Have you ever had a war with him?’ I replied, ‘Yes.’ Then he said, ‘What was the outcome of the battles?’ I replied, ‘Sometimes he was victorious and sometimes we.’ Heraclius said, ‘What does he order you to do?’ I said, ‘He tells us to worship Allah and Allah alone and not to worship anything along with Him, and to renounce all that our ancestors had said. He orders us to pray, to speak the truth, to be chaste and to keep good relations with our Kith and kin.’

And in another hadith:

O King, we were an uncivilized people, worshipping idols, eating corpses, committing abominations, breaking natural ties, treating guests badly, and our strong devoured our weak. Thus we were until God sent us an apostle whose lineage, truth, trustworthiness, and clemency we know. He summoned us to acknowledge God’s unity and to worship and to renounce the stones and images which we and our fathers formerly worshipped. He commanded us to speak the truth, be faithful to our engagements, mindful of the ties of kinship and kindly hospitality, and to refrain from crimes and bloodshed. He forbade us to commit abominations and to speak lies, and to devour the property of orphans, to vilify chaste women. (Ibn Ishaque)

Last but not least the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) also described the qualities and traits of of what would make one a hypocrite:

1. Whenever he speaks, he tells a lie.

2. Whenever he promises, he always breaks it (his promise ).

3. If you trust him, he proves to be dishonest. (If you keep something as a trust with him, he will not return it.)” (Bukhari)

So as one can read, the traits of a hypocrite is a person who lies, breaks his promises, and is dishonest in his dealings. So therefore the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was clearly speaking against these acts, after all, nobody wants to be a hypocrite, and on top of that, Islam has a very low view of hypocrites. Hence a good Muslim is one who does not lie, one who does not break his promises, and one who is honest in his dealings!

So in conclusion, the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) taught the Muslims to be honest, truthful, and that this would lead to paradise.

And Allah Knows Best!

How to Treat your Neighbour According to Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) was a true example of mercy, kindness, peace, and justice. Another fine example to prove this is the noble teaching he passed on concerning the treatment of neighbors, indeed, there was not a single aspect of society that the prophet did not touch on in terms of how Muslims should behave.

In regards to how Muslims must conduct themselves with their neighbors we are told the following:

Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 45:

Narrated Abu Shuraih: The Prophet said, “By Allah, he does not believe! By Allah, he does not believe! By Allah, he does not believe!” It was said, “Who is that, O Allah’s Apostle?” He said, “That person whose neighbor does not feel safe from his evil.”

Notice the stern warning the prophet Muhammed (PBUH) gave. He repeated himself three times stating that a person has a deep lack of faith if their neighbor fears evil from the person. In other words, one must not be evil or bad to his neighbor, and his neighbor should have no fear of any harm coming to him. Basically, having good relations, and treating your neighbor properly is an aspect of faith in Islam!

This message is repeated in another hadith from the prophet:

Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 47:

Narrated Abu Huraira Allah’s Apostle said, “Anybody who believes in Allah and the Last Day should not harm his neighbor

So here the prophet clearly states that a person who has faith, must not harm his neighbor, again we see that treating one’s neighbor properly is an aspect of faith.

In another hadith the prophet taught the following:

Bukhari Volume 8, Book 73, Number 46:

Narrated Abu Huraira The Prophet used to say, “O Muslim ladies! A neighbouress should not look down upon the present of her neighbouress even it were the hooves of a sheep.”

So a Muslim should always be thankful for whatever his or her neighbor gives as a gift, even if it is something of no great value. This is a great teaching, as this will lead to better relations and friendship, it will not hurt the feelings of the neighbor who gives the gifts, and it will also lead to humbleness and modesty.

If we could all follow these teachings, this world would be a much better peaceful, and friendly world! The Prophet Muhammed (PBUH) was most certainly a mercy to mankind as these teachings prove.

And Allah Knows Best!

Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) and Religious Freedom

Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was a role model for religious freedom, for instance when the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) entered the city of Medina, he made a formal constitution with the large Jewish population of the city, and indeed, this was a historic moment and in this constitution it guaranteed religious freedom for those who were and weren’t Muslims.

The constitution stated the following:

(1) This is a document from Muhammad the prophet (governing the relations) between the believers and Muslims of Quraysh and Yathrib, and those who followed them and joined them and labored with them.

(2) They are one community (umma) to the exclusion of all men.

(3) The Quraysh emigrants according to their present custom shall pay the bloodwit within their number and shall redeem their prisoners with the kindness and justice common among believers.

(4-8) The B. ‘Auf according to their present custom shall pay the bloodwit they paid in heatheism; every section shall redeem its prisoners with the kindness and justice common among believers. The B. Sa ida, the B. ‘l-Harith, and the B. Jusham, and the B. al-Najjar likewise.

(9-11) The B. ‘Amr b. ‘Auf, the B. al-Nabit and the B. al-‘Aus likewise.

(12)(a) Believers shall not leave anyone destitute among them by not paying his redemption money or bloodwit in kindness.

(12)(b) A believer shall not take as an ally the freedman of another Muslim against him.

(13) The God-fearing believers shall be against the rebellious or him who seeks to spread injustice, or sin or animosity, or corruption between believers; the hand of every man shall be against him even if he be a son of one of them.

(14) A believer shall not slay a believer for the sake of an unbeliever, nor shall he aid an unbeliever against a believer.

(15) God’s protection is one, the least of them may give protection to a stranger on their behalf. Believers are friends one to the other to the exclusion of outsiders.

(16) To the Jew who follows us belong help and equality. He shall not be wronged nor shall his enemies be aided.

(25) The Jews of the B. ‘Auf are one community with the believers (the Jews have their religion and the Muslims have theirs), their freedmen and their persons except those who behave unjustly and sinfully, for they hurt but themselves and their families.

(26-35) The same applies to the Jews of the B. al-Najjar, B. al-Harith, B. Sai ida, B. Jusham, B. al-Aus, B. Tha’laba, and the Jafna, a clan of the Tha‘laba and the B. al-Shutayba. Loyalty is a protection against treachery. The freedmen of Tha ‘laba are as themselves. The close friends of the Jews are as themselves.

So the constitution of Medina guaranteed religious freedom for the large Jewish community, and on top of this, the Jewish tribes were declared as being one with the Muslims!

Another example of the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) religious tolerance was when a large group of Christian learned men came to Medina, the Najran Christians, they came to Medina and they remained in the Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) company for 3 days. The Christians debated and discussed many issues with the Prophet, such as the true nature of Jesus and so forth. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) even allowed the Christians to pray in the Mosque!

The fact that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) allowed the Christians to debate with him on religious matters in his own mosque showed that he had no problems in differing religious beliefs, not only did the Prophet debate them, he eventually even made a treaty with them that guaranteed their religious freedom as well. The treaty can be read on the following website:

http://www.explore-quran.com/Exploratory%20works/dars/Treaty%20of%20Najran.htm

And Allah Knows Best!