Effect of Iman on non-Muslims

When the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) passed away, the Emigrants (Muhajirun) and the Ansar (natives of Madina) started differing on the issue of Caliphate.  Because Madina itself was their land, the Ansar told the Muhajirun that at least one leader should be from among them.  However, Hadhrat ‘Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) said:  Do you not know that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) appointed Hadhrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (May Allah be well pleased with him) as the Imam for Salaat before His death?  Now which one from among you would like to lead Hadhrat Abu Bakr (May Allah be well pleased with him)?  The Ansar:  May Allah save us from this!  We can never bear it.  Thus, the issue was decided on this itself and Hadhrat Abu Bakr’s (May Allah be well pleased with him) caliphate was assured.

 

Now consider this.  Is it a small thing to abandon the rule of the whole Islamic world only on one issue, particularly when the country itself was theirs?  This is a small miracle of Iman that only with the thought that how should they lead the one whom the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) had appointed to lead the Salaat, they left the sultanate.  In this cultured community, no one spoke that leading in Salaat has no relation to governance.  This is Iman.  They are getting the sultanate, but when they know that it is against the wishes of their Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam), then not one word in its longing escapes their lips.

 

Just think that when the faculty of carnality and faculty of anger are so cultured and civilized, then what manners they must have had and what would have been the level of civilization at that time and what kind of peace they must have established then!

 

Maulvi Shibli has written in “Al Farooq” that in the caliphate of Hadhrat ‘Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him), when Muslims conquered most of Syria, then the Caesar’s dignity was offended and with a lot of enthusiasm, he decided to bring the whole force of his kingdom against the Arabs.  Thus, from Rome, Constantinople, Armenia and other places, such huge armies came that around Antakya as far as the eye could see only regiments could be seen.

 

When Hadhrat Abu ‘Ubaida (May Allah be well pleased with him) received frequent reports of this and they strategized to leave Hims and go to Damascus, he called Habeeb Bin Muslima who was the treasurer and told him:  Jizya taken from Christians was to protect them and that we could save them from their enemies.  At this point in time, our condition is so delicate that we cannot take up the responsibility of protecting them.  Thus, return whatever we have taken from them.  Tell them that our relationship still stands, but as we cannot protect them now and Jizya is taken in lieu of protection, it is being returned to them. 

 

Thus, a huge amount which had been received was returned.  The Christians were so affected by this gesture that they would cry and say passionately:  May the Lord bring you back soon!

 

The Jews were even more affected by this gesture.  They said:  By the Torah!  As long as we are alive, the Caesar cannot occupy Hims.  They closed the ramparts of the city and put up patrols and outposts.

 

This gesture was not restricted to Hims, but Hadhrat Abu ‘Ubaida (May Allah be well pleased with him) wrote to all the districts/areas that had come under occupation that the Jizya should be returned in full.  This was the effect of Islamic culture that non-Muslims became well-wishers of Muslims and developed sympathy for them.

 

It was a Christian state since old, their religious fervor had not yet died down, but Islamic culture and civilization had endeared them in such a way that they had become sincere well-wishers of Muslims and were crying at their parting as if somebody cries at parting of an old friend.

 

(Maqasid Ul Islam, Vol. 1, Shaykh Ul Islam Imam Muhammad Anwarullah Farooqui,  Pg. No. 31/32)