SuperTutor
$15/per page/Negotiable
VIEWPOINTS
Islam and the People of the Book
As monotheists, Jews and Christians living in Muslim lands were considered “protected
peoples.” They were not forced to convert to Islam, were allowed to maintain churches and
synagogues in Muslim towns and cities, and faced no undue restrictions on their social and
economic activities. Without question, the experience of Jews and Christians living in Muslim
society compared favorably to that of Jews and other religious minorities living in Christian
Europe. Nonetheless, toleration was not the same as full equality. Christians and Jews were seen
as members of distinct communities, separate from and inferior to the larger Islamic community,
and their protected status was contingent on their acknowledgment of Muslim political authority.
Moreover, their religious views and practices, while tolerated, were seen by the Muslim majority
as corrupted versions of their own much purer truth. The documents included here offer an
opportunity to further explore Islamic views of other “people of the book.” As you read them,
consider what they reveal about the scriptural foundations of Islamic policies toward religious
minorities.
9-1 | Muslims, Christians, and Jews in the Qur’an
MUHAMMAD, Qur’an (ca. 650) The Prophet Muhammad urged “submission” (Islam) to God (Allah), and he demanded that the
nomadic Arab tribes of the Arabian peninsula convert from polytheism. His revelations (Qur’an)
delivered by the angel Gabriel accepted the authority of Jewish prophets and the teachings of
Jesus, who was also considered a prophet. However, according to the Qur’an, most Jews and
Christians had lost sight of the truths their prophets revealed. Thus, their special status as “people
of the book” was more a reflection of their potential for spiritual perfection than a statement
about the truthfulness of Christianity and Judaism as actually practiced. As you read these
passages from the Qur’an, pay particular attention to the light they shed on Muslim views of the
relationship between Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. What potential sources of tension do they
reveal between Muslims and the Jews and Christians who lived in Muslim domains? In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Praise be to God, the Lord of the Worlds!
The Compassionate, the Merciful!
King of the day of judgment!
Thee we worship, and Thee we ask for help.
Guide us in the straight way, The way of those to whom Thou art gracious;
Not of those upon whom is Thy wrath, nor of the erring.
In the name of the merciful and compassionate God. That is the book! There is no doubt therein;
a guide to the pious, who believe in the unseen, and are steadfast in prayer, and of what we have
given them expend in alms; who believe in what is revealed to thee, and what was revealed
before thee, and of the hereafter they are sure. These are in guidance from their Lord, and these
are the prosperous.
Verily, those who misbelieve, it is the same to them if ye warn them or if ye warn them not, they
will not believe. God has set a seal upon their hearts and on their hearing; and on their eyes is
dimness, and for them is grievous woe. There are, indeed, those among men who say, “We
believe in God and in the last day”; but they do not believe. They would deceive God and those
who do believe; but they deceive only themselves and they do not perceive. In their hearts is a
sickness, and God has made them still more sick, and for them is grievous woe because they lied.
...
And if ye are in doubt of what we have revealed unto our servant, then bring a chapter like it, and
call your witnesses other than God if ye tell truth. But if ye do it not, and ye shall surely do it not,
then fear the fire, whose fuel is men and stones, prepared for misbelievers. But bear the glad
tidings to those who believe and work righteousness, that for them are gardens beneath which
rivers flow. Whenever they are provided with fruit therefrom they say, “This is what we were
provided with before, and they shall be provided with the like; and there are pure wives for them
therein, and they shall dwell therein for aye [forever].” . . .
In the Name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful
Have we not made the earth as a bed? And the mountains as tent-pegs? and created you in pairs,
and made you sleep for rest, and made the night for a mantle, and made the day for
breadwinning, and built above you seven firmaments, and put therein a burning lamp, and sent
down water pouring from the squeezed clouds to bring forth grain and herb withal, and gardens
thick with trees?
Lo! the Day of Decision is appointed — the day when there shall be a blowing of the trumpet,
and ye shall come in troops, and the heavens shall be opened, and be full of gates, and the
mountains shall be removed, and turn into [mist]. Verily hell lieth in wait, the goal for rebels, to
abide therein for ages; they shall not taste therein coolness nor drink, save scalding water and
running sores, — a meet reward! Verily they did not expect the reckoning, and they denied our
signs with lies; but everything have we recorded in a book: —
Then the people of the right hand — what people of good omen! And the people of the left hand
— what people of ill omen! And the outstrippers, still outstripping: — these are the nearest [to
God], in gardens of delight; a crowd of the men of yore, and a few of the latter days; upon
inwrought couches, reclining thereon face to face. Youths ever young shall go unto them round
about with goblets and ewers [pitchers] and a cup of flowing wine, — their heads shall not ache with it, neither shall they be confused; and fruits of their choice, and flesh of birds of their desire;
and damsels with bright eyes like hidden pearls, — a reward for what they have wrought. They
shall hear no folly therein, nor any sin, but only the greeting, “Peace! peace!”
And the people of the right hand — what people of good omen! Amid thornless lote-trees,1 and
bananas laden with fruit, and shade outspread, and water flowing, and fruit abundant, never
failing, nor forbidden. . . . But the people of the left hand — what people of ill omen! — amid
burning wind and scalding water, and a shade of black smoke, not cool or grateful! Verily before
that they were prosperous; but they persisted in the most grievous sin, and used to say, “When
we have died, and become dust and bones, shall we indeed be raised again, and our fathers, the
men of yore.” Say: Verily those of yore and of the latter days shall surely be gathered to the
trysting-place of a day which is known. Then ye, O ye who err and call it a lie, shall surely eat of
the tree of Zakkum,2 and fill your bellies with it, and drink upon it scalding water, — drink like
the thirsty camel: — this shall be their entertainment on the Day of Judgment! . . .
On Violence, Unbelievers, and the People of the Book
In the month of Ramadān the Qur’an was revealed, a book of guidance for mankind with proofs
of guidance distinguishing right from wrong. Therefore whoever of you is present in that month
let him fast. But he who is ill or on a journey shall fast a similar number of days later on.
God desires your well-being, not your discomfort. He desires you to fast the whole month so that
you may magnify God and render thanks to Him for giving you His guidance.
If My servants question you about Me, tell them that I am near. I answer the prayer of the
suppliant when he calls to Me; therefore let them answer My call and put their trust in Me, that
they may be rightly guided.
It is now lawful for you to lie with your wives on the night of the fast; they are a comfort to you
as you are to them. God knew that you were deceiving yourselves. He has relented towards you
and pardoned you. Therefore you may now lie with them and seek what God has ordained for
you. Eat and drink until you can tell a white thread from a black one in the light of the coming
dawn. Then resume the fast till nightfall and do not approach them, but stay at your prayers in
the mosques.
These are the bounds set by God: do not approach them. Thus He makes known His revelations
to mankind that they may guard themselves against evil.
Do not devour one another’s property by unjust means, nor bribe the judges with it in order that
you may wrongfully and knowingly usurp the possessions of other men.
They question you about the phases of the moon. Say: “They are seasons fixed for mankind and
for the pilgrimage.”
Righteousness does not consist in entering your dwellings from the back.3 The righteous man is
he that fears God. Enter your dwellings by their doors and fear God, so that you may prosper. Fight for the sake of God those that fight against you, but do not attack them first. God does not
love aggressors.
Slay them wherever you find them. Drive them out of the places from which they drove you.
Idolatry is more grievous than bloodshed. But do not fight them within the precincts of the Holy
Mosque unless they attack you there; if they attack you put them to the sword. Thus shall the
unbelievers be rewarded: but if they mend their ways, know that God is forgiving and merciful.
Fight against them until idolatry is no more and God’s religion reigns supreme. But if they desist,
fight none except the evil-doers.
A sacred month for a sacred month: sacred things too are subject to retaliation. If anyone attacks
you, attack him as he attacked you. Have fear of God, and know that God is with the righteous.
Give generously for the cause of God and do not with your own hands cast yourselves into
destruction. Be charitable; God loves the charitable.
Make the pilgrimage and visit the Sacred House for His sake. If you cannot, send such offerings
as you can afford and do not shave your heads until the offerings have reached their destination.
But if any of you is ill or suffers from an ailment of the head, he must do penance either by
fasting or by almsgiving or by offering a sacrifice. . . .
The People of the Book ask you to bring down for them a book from heaven. Of Moses they
demanded a harder thing than that. They said to him: “Show us God distinctly.” And for their
wickedness the thunderbolt smote them. They worshipped the calf after clear signs had been
revealed to them; yet We forgave them that, and bestowed on Moses clear authority.
When We made a covenant with them We raised the Mount above them and said: “Enter the
gates in adoration. Do not break the Sabbath.” We took from them a solemn covenant. But they
broke their covenant, denied the revelations of God, and killed the prophets unjustly. They said:
“Our hearts are sealed.”
It is God who has sealed their hearts, on account of their unbelief. They have no faith, except a
few of them.
They denied the truth and uttered a monstrous falsehood against Mary. They declared: “We have
put to death the Messiah, Jesus son of Mary, the apostle of God.” They did not kill him, nor did
they crucify him, but they thought they did.
God made a covenant with the Israelites and raised among them twelve chieftains. God said: “I
shall be with you. If you attend to your prayers and render the alms levy; if you believe in My
apostles and assist them and give God a generous loan, I shall forgive you your sins and admit
you to gardens watered by running streams. But he that hereafter denies Me shall stray from the
right path.” But because they broke their covenant We laid on them Our curse and hardened their hearts.
They have tampered with words out of their context and forgotten much of what they were
enjoined. You will ever find them deceitful, except for a few of them. But pardon them and bear
with them. God loves those who do good.
With those who said they were Christians We made a covenant also, but they too have forgotten
much of what they were exhorted to do. Therefore We stirred among them enmity and hatred,
which shall endure till the Day of Resurrection, when God will declare to them all that they have
done.
People of the Book! Our apostle has come to reveal to you much of what you have hidden of the
Scriptures, and to forgive you much. A light has come to you from God and a glorious Book,
with which God will guide to the paths of peace those that seek to please Him; He will lead them
by His will from darkness to the light; He will guide them to a straight path.
Unbelievers are those who declare: “God is the Messiah, the son of Mary.” Say: “Who could
prevent God, if He so willed, from destroying the Messiah, the son of Mary, his mother, and all
the people of the earth? God has sovereignty over the heavens and the earth and all that lies
between them. He creates what He will; and God has power over all things.”
The Jews and the Christians say: “We are the children of God and His loved ones.” Say: “Why
then does He punish you for your sins? Surely you are mortals of His own creation. He forgives
whom He will and punishes whom He pleases. God has sovereignty over the heavens and the
earth and all that lies between them. All shall return to Him.”
Those that disagreed about him were in doubt concerning him; they knew nothing about him that
was not sheer conjecture; they did not slay him for certain. God lifted him up to Him; God is
mighty and wise. There is none among the People of the Book but will believe in him before his
death; and on the Day of Resurrection he will bear witness against them.
Because of their iniquity, We forbade the Jews wholesome things which were formerly allowed
them; because time after time they have debarred others from the path of God; because they
practice usury — although they were forbidden it — and cheat others of their possessions.
Woeful punishment have We prepared for those that disbelieve. But those of them that have deep
learning, and those that truly believe in what has been revealed to you and what was revealed
before you; who attend to their prayers and render the alms levy and have faith in God and the
Last Day — these shall be richly recompensed.
We have revealed Our will to you as We revealed it to Noah and to the prophets who came after
him; as We revealed it to Abraham, Ishmael, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes; to Jesus, Job, Jonah,
Aaron, Solomon and David,4 to whom We gave the Psalms. Of some apostles We have already
told you, but there are others of whom We have not yet spoken (God spoke directly to Moses):
apostles who brought good news to mankind and admonished them, so that they might have no
plea against God after their coming. God is mighty and wise. N. J. Dawood, trans., The Koran: With a Parallel Arabic Text (London: Penguin Books, 1990),
28–29, 76–77, 81.
9-2 | Muhammad Signs a Treaty with the Jews of Medina
MUHAMMAD, The Constitution of Medina (ca. 625) In 622, Muhammad was invited by the Jewish tribes of Yathrib (Medina) to settle disputes that
caused continual fighting among them. Because Muhammad’s teaching faced growing
persecution in Mecca, his entire community followed him to Medina. This “flight” (hijra) marks
the beginning of the Islamic calendar. Muhammad became the most important leader in Medina
as many of the Jewish tribes converted to Islam. Around 625, Muhammad and the remaining
Jewish tribes signed the following treaty, which was originally recorded by the eighth-century
Arabic historian Ibn Ishaq and preserved in the text of the ninth-century writer Ibn Hisham. The Messenger of God [Muhammad] wrote a document, concerning the emigrants from Mecca
and the helpers of Medina, in which he reconciled the Jews and covenanted with them, letting
them act freely in the religion and possessions which they had, and stated reciprocal obligations.
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate!
This document is from Muhammad the Prophet, governing relations among the Believers and the
Muslims of Quraysh [Mecca] and Yathrib (Medina) and those who followed them and joined
with them and struggled with them.
1. They are one Community (umma) to the exclusion of all other men. . . .
11. The Believers shall not desert any poor person among them, but shall pay his redemption
or blood-money, as is proper.
12. No Believer shall seek to turn the auxiliary of another Believer against him.
13. God-fearing Believers will be against whoever among them is rebellious or whoever
seeks to sow injustice or sin or enmity among the Believers; every man’s hand shall be
against him, though he were the son of one of them.
14. No Believer shall kill a Believer for the sake of an unbeliever, or aid an unbeliever
against a Believer.
15. The protection of God is one: even the least of them may extend it to a stranger. The
Believers are friends to each other, to the exclusion of all other men.
16. The Jews who follow us shall have aid and equality, except those who do wrong or aid
the enemies of the Muslims. 17. The peace of the Believers is one: no Believer shall make peace separately where there is
fighting for God’s sake. Conditions (of peace) must be just and equitable to all.
18. In every raid, the riders shall ride close together.
19. And the Believers shall avenge one another’s blood, if shed for God’s sake, for the Godfearing have the best and strongest guidance.
20. No idolator [polytheist] (of Medina) shall take Qurayshi property or persons under his
protection, nor shall he turn anyone against a Believer.
21. Whoever kills a Believer shall also be killed, unless the next of kin of the slain man is
otherwise satisfied, and the Believers shall be against him altogether; no one is permitted
to act otherwise.
22. No Believer who accepts this document and believes in God and Judgment is permitted to
aid a criminal or give him shelter. The curse of God and His wrath on the Day of
Judgment shall fall upon whoever aids or shelters him, and no repentance or
compensation shall be accepted from him if he does.
23. Whenever you differ about a case, it shall be referred to God and to Muhammad.
24. The Jews shall bear expenses with the Muslims as long as they fight along with them.
25. The Jews of the Banu ’Awf [one Jewish tribe] are one community with the Believers; the
Jews have their religion and the Muslims have theirs. This is so for them and their clients,
except for one who does wrong or treachery; he hurts only himself and his family. . . .
46. Everyone shall have his portion from the side to which he belongs; the Jews of al-Aws
[another Jewish tribe], their clients and themselves, are in the same position as the people
of this document. Honorable dealing is without treachery.
47. Whoever acquires any (guilt) does not acquire it for any but himself. God is the most just
and loyal fulfiller of what is in this document. This writing will not protect a wrongdoer
or a traitor. Whoever goes out is safe, and he who stays at home is safe in the town,
unless he has done wrong or treachery. God is the protecting neighbor (jar) of whoever
does good and fears Him, and Muhammad is the Messenger of God. Verily God is
wrathful when His covenant is broken. Peace be upon you.
J. A. Williams, Themes in Islamic Civilization (Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of
California Press, 1971), 11–15. ▪ COMPARATIVE QUESTIONS ▪
1. How is God (Allah) described in these passages? What Muslim religious practices do
they reveal?
2. What is the fate for believers and unbelievers? In what ways does this contradict or
support the idea of a compassionate, merciful God?
3. What does this selection say about religious violence? What about nonreligious violence?
4. How does the Qur’an describe Jews and Christians? How does this selection criticize
their beliefs? How is Islam connected to Judaism and Christianity?
5. What is the role of religion in administering justice for Muhammad and the tribes of
Medina?
6. How is the relationship between Jews and Muslims defined here? What could negatively
affect that relationship?
7. Muhammad, unlike Jesus, was a secular ruler in addition to being a religious teacher.
How may this have affected his teachings?
8. How do Muslims understand their relationship to God? How do their views on this
subject compare to those of Jews and Christians?
9. Drawing on the documents in this chapter, what evidence is there to explain the success
of Islam? What factors might have influenced people to convert to Islam?