- Category: ,PROPHET ﷺ
- Language: ENGLISH
- Format: PDF
Prophet Muhammad (S) is reported to have said: “Whenever you see a funeral procession, stand up till the procession goes ahead of you”. [1] One day a funeral procession passed in front of him and he stood up. When he was told that it was the coffin of a Jew, he said, “Is it not a living being (soul)?” Also, Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) used to visit non-Muslims who were sick. Hence, the Prophet (S) visited Abu Talib in his sickness, and he also visited a sick Jewish boy. [2]
He (S) observed people’s rights in terms of good neighbourliness, as he said: ““The best of companions with Allah is the one who is best to his companion, and the best of neighbours with Him is the one who is best to his neighbour”.[3] The tradition included every neighbour, even if he was a non-Muslim.
Prophet Muhammad (S) did not come to deprive those who did not follow him of freedom. Instead, he treated them with a rare form of tolerance. The following are some of the most important principles of Prophet Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) treatment of non-Muslims:
There is no compulsion in religion:
Although Prophet Muhammad (S) and his companions believed that it is right to adopt Islam – as it is the seal of the previous messages – they never tried to force any one to adopt Islam. The Noble Qur’an highlighted this meaning clearly by saying: “There is no compulsion in religion as truth stands out clear from error”. (Al-Baqarah, 2: 256).
Therefore, no one is forced to adopt Islam. Even the Messenger of Allah (S) himself did not force people to adopt this religion, and Allah the Almighty says, “If it had been your Lord’s will, they would all have believed- all who are on earth! Will you then compel mankind, against their will, to believe?” (Yunus, 10: 99).
