Absolute Justice, Kindness and Kinship — Page 342
Covenants with Non-Muslims, Treaties and Contracts 335 the non-believers. He always offered the non-Muslims three choices. If they had a book of their own they had a right to be judged according to their own book, also they had a right to decide that the dispute should be settled according to Islamic law. The third option was that their dispute should be judged according to the prevalent Arab custom. The Personal Example of the Holy Prophet sa regarding his Commitment to Contracts In relation to commitment to contracts, I now present before you some examples of the Holy Prophet’s sa virtuous conduct. Once an emissary of a people came to the Holy Prophet sa to deliver a message. Having met him, he was so impressed that he accepted Islam. Despite the fact that all his family, cattle and property were evidently left behind, he pleaded with the Holy Prophet sa that he should kindly be permitted to remain at his feet as he could not bear to leave him. The Holy Prophet sa responded by saying, 'I cannot be guilty of breach of contract. You, being an emissary, must return. ' An emissary is not permitted to bring a message and stay behind without returning to his master with the answer. What a glorious teaching it is! Had it been someone else in the Prophet’s sa place, however just he might have been, he would be likely to have greeted him with all his heart, saying, 'With pleasure, it is your own choice, you are a free man to