The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 561
XII - First Era of Life in Madīnah Comes to an End and the Islāmic System of Government 561 Then, He states: ٖ مَن ْ ظَلَم َ مُعَاھِدًا اَو ِ انْتَقَصَه ٗ اَو ْ كَلَّفَه ٗ فَوْق َ طَاقَتِه ٖ اَو ْ اَخَذ َ مِنْه ُ شَیئًا بِغَیْر ِ طِیْب ِ نَفْسِه ِ فَاَنَا حَجِیْجُه ٗ یَوْم َ الْقِیَامَة “O Ye Muslims! Listen well! I shall seek justice on behalf of such a non-Muslim on the day of resurrection before God, who is in a covenant with the Islāmic state, if he is wronged by another Muslim, caused any harm, or given a responsibility or burden beyond his power, or deprived of something without his pleasure and consent. ” 1 However, it should be remembered that Islām does not only speak of treatment which should be abstained from. Quite the contrary, Islām does not merely state that one should not usurp the rights of a non-Muslim and nothing more; rather, it enjoins good and benevolent treatment towards non-Muslims as well. Therefore, Allāh the Exalted states: “O Ye Muslims! Where God has forbade you from befriending those cruel disbelievers who fight against you in order to wipe out your religion, this does not imply that you should not befriend those non-Muslims who are not bent upon putting your religion to an end by force, and do not persecute you. On the contrary, you should treat such people with goodness, justice, and benevolence. For Allāh loves those who are equitable. ” 2 Religious Tolerance An illustration of the Islāmic teaching with regards to religious freedom and tolerance has already been described in the discussion relevant to Jihād. The Holy Qur’ān has especially emphasized in numerous verses that the matter of religion relates to the conscience of every individual. Hence, 1 Mishkātul-Maṣābīḥ, By Waliyyudīn Abū ‘Abdillāh Muḥammad bin ‘Abdillāh, Volume 2, p. 69, Kitābul- Jihād , Bābuṣ-Ṣulḥi, Al-Faṣluth-Thānī, Ḥadīth No. 4047, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2003) 2 Al-Mumtaḥinah (60:9)