The Life & Character of the Seal of Prophets (sa) - Volume II — Page 567
XII - First Era of Life in Madīnah Comes to an End and the Islāmic System of Government 567 been mentioned above. In order to divide their revenue, the Holy Prophet sa would sent a Companion named ‘Abdullāh bin Rawāḥah ra. According to the instruction of the Holy Prophet sa , whilst dividing produce, ‘Abdullāh bin Rawāḥah ra would act so leniently that after the produce had been divided into two, he would give the Jews the right to chose whichever portion they preferred between the two, and take whatever was left behind. 4 In the era of Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar ra when Syria was conquered, by virtue of mutual agreement, the Muslims levied a tax, etc. , upon the Christian population of Syria. However, a threat of war arose shortly thereafter from the Roman front. At this, Ḥaḍrat Abū ‘Ubaidah ra , the Islāmic Amīr of Syria, returned all of the tax which had been collected from the Christian population back to them and said, “Due to war since we are unable to safeguard your rights, it is not permissible for us to keep this tax. ” When the Christians witnesses this, they could do nothing but pray for the Muslims and said, “May God grant you victory over the Romans so that you may return to rule this land. ” As such, when the Muslims gained victory again, the Christian population of the region celebrated jubilantly, and returned this tax to the Muslims. 5 It was as a result of this very kind treatment that when Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar ra , the second Khalīfah , went to Syria, the Christians who lived there came out to welcome him whilst singing and playing their instruments; they escorted him in the shadow of swords and showered him with flowers. 6 Even in the matter of civil posts, the rights of non-Muslim citizens were protected. Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar ra appointed a Christian named Abū Zubaid as the revenue collector of a certain region. 7 According to the teaching and practice of the Holy Prophet sa , Ḥaḍrat ‘Umar ra would remain so concerned for the rights, ease, and comfort of the non-Muslim citizens in the Islāmic State that he would continue stressing upon his Governors to take special care of the Dhimmīs , and he would also directly inquire from them himself as to whether they were suffering from any 4 * Sunanu Abī Dāwūd, Kitābul-Buyū‘, Bābun Fil-Musāqāh, Ḥadīth No. 3410 * Sunanu Abī Dāwūd, Kitābul-Buyū‘, Bābun Fil-Kharṣī Ḥadīth No. 3413 * Al-Muwaṭṭā, By Imām Mālik bin Anas, Kitābul-Musāqāh, Bābun Mā Jā’a Fil-Musāqāti, Ḥadīth No. 1412 5 Kitābul-Kharāj, By Qāḍī Abū Yūsuf Ya‘qūb bin Ibrāhīm, p. 135, Faṣlun: Fil-Kanā’isi Wal-Bai‘i Waṣ- Ṣulbāni, pp. 148-151, Printed by Baulāq (1302 A. H. ) 6 Kitābu Futūḥil-Buldān, By Aḥmad bin Yaḥyā bin Jābir Al-Baghdādī Al-Balādhurī, p. 146, Amru Falasṭīna, Al-Mausū‘ātu Bi-Shāri‘i Bābil-Khalq, Egypt, First Edition (1901) 7 Al-Iṣābah Fī Tamīziṣ-Ṣaḥābah, By Aḥmad bin ‘Alī bin Ḥajar Al-‘Asqalānī, Volume 7, pp. 136-137, Bābul-Kunā / Ḥarfuz-Zāyil-Manqūṭah , Abū Zubaid Aṭ-Ṭā’ī, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon (2005)