Peaceful coexistence of various religious groups in islam; some examples from the history of muslim societies

Abstract

“O mankind, We created you all from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes so that you may know one another.”1 This verse clearly indicates that there should not be any discrimination based on clan, creed, race or religion. The word Islam itself refers to peace. Islamic teachings contain many injunctions for settling disputes between people and nations with the aim of establishing peace. Islamic history shows that Muslims and non-Muslims co-existed in peace in Medina (first Islamic State) and the successive Muslim states. The Charter of Medina, declared by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) in 622 A.D., is the best example to establish communal coexistence of different beliefs. This policy was also exercised by successive rulers of different Muslim territories in the history of Islamic world. Unfortunately, establishing peaceful coexistence has now become a challenge in the world. Several Muslim countries have been suffering from internal conflict and resistance even among the different Muslim groups. Hence, the review of Islamic attitude towards coexistence is deemed significant. Within this context, the paper aims at exploring the view of Islam towards the peaceful coexistence of various religious groups with some examples from the history of Muslim societies particularly during the early time period of Islam. The methodology used in this conceptual study is the critical analysis of literature surveyed on the concept of Islam regarding the peaceful coexistence of religions and its practice in the history of Muslim societies.