1. Statements by Syrian Christians in the document known as the Umar Agreement in history presented to Abu Ubayda:
[We imposed these terms on ourselves:]… not to withhold our churches from Muslims stopping there by night or day; to open their doors to the traveler and wayfarer; … to entertain every Muslim traveler in our customary style and feed him… We will not abuse a Muslim, and he who strikes a Muslim has forfeited his rights. (Majid Khadduri, War and Peace in the Law of Islam (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins Press, 1955), 193-94.) |
2. When Hazrat Umar (ra) captured Jerusalem in person in 637 he issued a decree to the people of the city and announced that the places of worship of the People of the Book would not be touched.
3. Hazrat Umar’s (ra) promise to the Medina Christians contains the principle that “None from the Christian faith shall be forced to become Muslims against their will.”
4. The article concerning dhimmis in the treaty between Christians and Muslims in the time of Hazrat Umar (ra) is very important.
"If one of them becomes weak or old or suffers from sickness or becomes poor when once he was rich, he and his family will receive assistance from the public purse for so long as they are in Islamic territories." |
Do not take the lands bestowed by Allah away from people and impose the jizye [capitation tax] according to people’s ability to pay, as set out in the Book of Allah. Do not ask for more if the jizye is paid by them... If we share the lands among ourselves, nothing will remain for their children. If the lands are left to their true owners, then Muslims can live on what they produce. You may impose the jizye on them, but you can never take them captive. You may commit no injustice that will offend or harm them, and you may not take away their property of you have no right to it. You must fulfill the responsibilities you have accepted in their agreements with us. (Majid Khoduri, Islam in War and Peace, Fener Press, Istanbul, 1998, p. 216) |
They [Abbasids] have not attacked the Christian religion, but rather they have commended our faith, honored our priests... and conferred benefits on churches and monasteries. (Fred Aprim, “The A to Z of the ancient Chaldeans and their relation to modern Chaldeans;” http://www.atour.org/news15_1.htm) |
26. A letter sent by our Prophet (saas) to the Christians of Najran said; "... No matter what happens, no matter how much they own, be it much or little, their churches and monasteries belong to them. They are the responsibility of Allah and His Messenger. No bishop will be removed from where he is serving as bishop and sent elsewhere, nor any monk from his monastery or any priest from his own church. No change will be made to their rights, laws or customs. So long as they behave with honesty and abide by the responsibilities laid upon them, the protection of Allah and His Messenger will be upon them. They will suffer no oppression, and they will oppress nobody.” |