OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH CHRISTIANS

By 

Mubaarak Olayemi Ismail 

(Aboo Muhsinah)

There are religious conflicts everywhere, Politicians and other evil men who neither love God nor humanity are building false religious opinions in the hearts of people, they profound the opinion that Islam is inherently against any form of friendliness with those who do not ascribe to the faith. In fact, they tell people that the normative relationship that should between Muslims and Christians to be one of war and intolerance, they say these to bring enmity among us and cause conflicts.

They said that Islam only feigns friendship with Christianity but they failed to read Suratul Maaidah where Allah allowed Muslims to eat the foods of Christians and choose their soul mates from among the Christian women – what friendship is beyond that? And the most interesting part is that any Muslim that withdrew his belief from that verse automatically cannot be regarded to as a Muslim again. Is there any evidence of peaceful and harmonious co-existence beyond this?

There is a chapter in the Quran called the ‘Chapter of Rome’, while Ibn Kathir was explaining this chapter, he mentioned that there was a war between the Romans who were Christians and the Persians who were idol worshippers, the Muslims of that time were supporting the Christians and they were praying for their victory because they are also Monotheist like Muslims, the Prophet didn’t stop Muslims from supporting them, why will that same prophet now command Muslims to kill Christians.

The same Muhammad allowed his early followers to sought refuge to a Christian land under a Christian king, the early Muslims were allowed to seek refuge to Abyssinia under the rule of King Negus and the King accepted the Muslims. If this truly happened in the lifetime of the prophet, why will you believe anyone that says that the Muslims are not meant tolerate Christians?

What will you do if you were told that a Muslim received Christian guests in the mosque and they ate and slept there - you won't believe? But the leader of Muslims, Muhammad received 60 Christian delegates from Najran, they ate and slept in his mosque ( check vol 3. of zād al-Ma'ad by Shaykh Ibn qayyim),  Is there any higher level of tolerance beyond this? 

Ahl Dhimmi means non-Muslims living in an Islamic State and this includes Christians, the prophet sallalahu alayhi wa sallam said "Whoever hurts a dhimmi, hurts me, and he who hurts me angers Allah" he furthered that "who ever hurts a dhimmi, I am his adversary and I shall be an adversary to him on the day of judgement ", if the prophet can go to this extent in protecting the interests of Christians living in Islamic State, what would he have commanded in a secular state like Nigeria? 

Prophet Muhammad also accepted gifts from Salman Al faarisy while Salman was still a Christian, indeed it can be proved that the Christians are the closest neighbors of the Muslims since time immemorial. Why should we let mischief makers cause conflict among us?

From the above points, it can be proved that Islam is a religion of peace but the mischief carriers will open the Qur’an and show people the verses where Allah ordered Muslims to fight non-Muslims and they won’t tell them that those verses were revealed to the cause of war. They call Muslims bloodsuckers as if other religion advices its adherents to smile to their opponent of the warfronts.

Let me show you a verse from the Quran, Allah says "Allah does not forbid you from respecting those who have not made war against you on account of your religion, and not driven you forth from your homes, you should show them kindness and deal with them justly : surely Allah loves the doer of justice. " ... You're surprised? Yeah, it was written in the Quran but the mischief maker won't show you that. You can check Q60 v8.

Islam may forbid its adherents from eating from your festival foods, that is not hostility, a good Christian will also not eat a ram slaughtered to idol, these are just religious beliefs that shouldn't be compromised, and no one should be sued for that. 

Islam is indeed a religion of peace, don't let any mischief maker cause conflict of any such. Behold! If you see a bad egg among the Muslims does not mean that Islam teaches evil. Remember an Imam saved 300 Christians from terrorists and Adolf Hitler is not a muslim

May Allah ease our affairs