This article is written by Radin Ariff, a PhD student in Stirling. He is doing a thesis on Takaful/Islamic Insurance. A Central Bank of Malaysia officer. He was my former university classmate. He is also an avid and excellent photograph.
Sometimes, I dont get it. Why people wants to over react on this kind of matter. Cant they just be patience on this matter? Everybody is looking for a solution on this matter.
Anyhow, read his article. I really agree with his statement. I hope it can bring some sense back to these people.
Of Building Bridges and Burning Churches - Lessons from Prophets and the Companions
With the recent news on burning of churches in Malaysia, I just had to say something on this.
I was a keen student of Islamic Constitutional Law as an undergraduate at the IIUM. One thing I found out was about the rights of a non-Muslim in a Muslim country. Al-Ahkam Al-Sultaniyyah (Islamic Constitutional Law) is of utmost importance - because the Constitution is one legal document which guarantees the rights of citizens of an Islamic state. The Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) upon his hijrah to Medina, set up an Islamic state and introduced the Constitution of Medina, the world's first written constitution. Among others, the Constitution guarantees religious freedom to the Jews of Medina and the protection of Jewish tribes. If the Messenger of God could do it, why can't we in modern times. Some things to ponder on: "Not only does Islam give the freedom of religious freedom to non-Muslims, its tolerant law extends to the preservation of their places of worship. God says in the Quran: “(They are) those who have been evicted from their homes without right — only because they say, ‘Our Lord is God.’ And was it not that God checks the people, some by means of others, there would have been demolished monasteries, churches, synagogues, and mosques in which the name of God is much mentioned (praised). And God will surely support those who support Him (meaning His cause). Indeed, God is Powerful and Exalted in Might.” (Quran 22:40).
The Muslim caliphs used to order their military leaders who went on military campaigns to take steps to guarantee this matter. The first example is the command of Abu Bakr to Usamah bin Zayd: ‘I command you to do ten things: kill no woman, no child, nor an elderly person; do not cut down fruit trees, or vandalize homes, or wound a sheep or camel except if you must eat it; do not drown a palm tree, or burn it, do not be treacherous; do not be cowardly; and you will pass by people who have devoted themselves to monastery life; leave them alone to their devotions.’ The second example is the treaty of Umar ibn al-Khattab with the people of Iliya of Jerusalem: ‘This is the security given by the slave of God, Umar, the Commander of the Faithful, to the people of Iliya: they are guaranteed the security if their persons, possessions, churches, crucifixes, and everyone within, whether sick or in good health, as well as everyone in their community. Their churches will not be occupied or demolished, nor will anything be taken from them: neither furnishings nor crucifixes or money. They will not be forced away from their religion, or harmed because of it. They will not be occupied by the Jewish settlers in Iliya.’ As a result, since the era of the rightly-guided caliphs, Jews and Christians have held their services in freedom and security." source - http://www.islamreligion.com/articles/380/ May Allah purify our hearts and minds and take us to the right path. Wassalam.
InsyaAllah.
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