British Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences 10
August 2012, Vol. 6 (2)
© 2012 British Journals ISSN 2048-1268
Behaviour of Islam with the followers of other religions
Professor Dr. Salahuddin Mohd. Shamsuddin
Department Arabic and Middle Eastern Languages,
Faculty Languages and Linguistics, University of Malaya,
50603-Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Professor Dr.Zuraidah Mohd Don
Dean Faculty of Languages and Linguistics, University of Malaya,
50603-Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Abstract
Islam is a religion of the soul's harmony and heart's intimacy, but most of the people do not know this
reality. In the era of Muslim Caliphs, the behavior of Islam with the free non-Muslims, who had enjoyed
with a free living status, protection and safety in Muslim states, was not in return for paying the capital
tax. The taken tribute from them, was not the price of their freedom, but it was for the integrity of the
Righteous justice between them and Muslims, to protect them and their family members, who were living
with Muslims side by side in the society, but they were not involved in military services to defend a
nation believes in Islam. How they can defend a Muslim country and they do not believe in Islam?
Penalty of apostate in Islam is not for the apostasy from the fold of Islam, but it is because of
fighting against Islam. Jihad does not mean killing some one without any reason and right, but it is to
recover the rights of vulnerable people from the harshness of powerful oppressors. After the granted
permission in choosing polygamy, stoning of the adulterer and the adulteress in Islam is not an injustice,
nor affront to human rights. Islam is not a religion of men only, as some people think, because of their
mental illness. The men and women both are created being two sides of the one soul. While some Muslim
families in some Eastern countries: India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and elsewhere, can be called "women's
prisons", because of the ill-based thinking of some guardians who take care of their family affairs badly
and do not understand the soul of Islamic teachings. The hatred between Muslims and followers of other
religions throughout the ages is created by the West for a planned temptation against Islam in the period
of the Crusades and purposely for the western colonialism. There are millions of people not crazy if they
believe that Islam has no connection to any kind of racialism, colonialism and terrorism. Therefore, we
must correct the misconceptions about Islam in the contemporary World.
Keywords: 1. Islam, 2. Freedom for the Non-Muslims, 3. Capital tax in Muslim states, 4. Jihad: the Holy
war, 5. Polygamy in Islam, 6. Penalty of apostate in Islam.
1. Introduction: Advantages characterized by Islam
First, we record here some of those advantages, which are characterized by Islam only, not any other
religion. The Islamic religion was a revolution against all traditional social system in pre-Islamic era.
Therefore, it faced a violent opposition from the pagan polytheists in Mecca. It was natural, because
whenever a new thought or a new religion (doctrine) appears it has to face a violent opposition. This
religion (Islam) broke the iron chains of the social customs and traditions in pre-Islam era. Islam called to
the equality amongst human beings. Islam wanted to destroy the basis of narrow Arabic tribalism and
presented an International doctrine of monotheism. Islam is based on uniting worship of one God. Islam
united all humans saying: (the believers in one God all together are brothers) and removed the darkness of
ignorance from Arabs and brought them into the light of the science. Islam succeeded to repair