Tolerance in Islam

Since the beginning of time God has sent prophets and messengers to Earth to both guide and enlighten its residents. Starting with Prophet Adam and ending with Prophet Muhammed peace be upon them. Throughout history, many religions broke out but arguably the three main heavenly religions that had had an immersive effect are Christianity, Judaism, and Islam. All three of these monotheistic religions worship the same God, this is proven in Islam because it's a vital part to believe in all previous heavenly religions including their prophets and Scriptures. 
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“O you who have believed, believe in Allah and His Messenger and the Book that He sent down upon His Messenger and the Scripture which He sent down before. And whoever disbelieves in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, and the Last Day has certainly gone far astray.” [4:136] 

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Tolerance; the ability or willingness to tolerate the existence of opinions or behavior that one dislikes or disagrees with.

Islam is believed to be the final and refined form of the heavenly religions. A person steadily escalates to more advanced knowledge and education as they proceed in life , the same applied  for humanity as a whole. As the human race began to develop in all sides ethically, politically , mentally etc. religion developed with it, making it more acceptable, as it caters to the specific needs of that era. 
Thus it is of no surprise that Islam tolerates the heavenly religions that have precede it. It’s a mixture of the old laws that were present in the previous and untouched Scriptures of the heavenly religions before it  as well as the new laws that had to be added to adapt with the evolution of humanity . 
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ISLAM THE FINALE 

Looking at verses of the holy Quran and merits from the prophet and his household’s lives (PBUT) it can be concluded just how tolerant Islam is.  In general verses in the Quran always come in  a form of advice rather than order; with special cases where an order is due. Such  examples are verses that touch upon  the five branches of islam and or what is Halal and what’s not. These orders are always beneficial to who is acting upon them wether it’s spiritual or physical. The  five branches of Islam are :
1-Shahadah: sincerely reciting the Muslim profession of faith

2- prayer: performing ritual prayers in the proper way five times each day.

3-Zakat: paying an alms (or charity) tax to benefit the poor and the needy.  

4- fasting during Ramathan

5- pilgrimage to Mecca to those who are able

These tasks that might seem tiresome at first are actually the  foundation for a healthy and wholesome  way of living. Fatima Alzahara Prophet Muhammed’s daughter beautifully described the spiritual benefits in her outstanding speech in Fadak “Faith has been set so as to cleanse you of polytheism; ṣalat (prayers) are prescribed to keep you away from pride, zakat (charity) has been prescribed to purify ones’ self and results in the increase of sustenance; ṣawm (fasting) has been prescribed so that genuineness may be reinforced; hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca) has been prescribed to establish the religion; justice is prescribed to establish proper harmony in the hearts; the obligation to obey us (the Ahlul Bayt) has been prescribed to set up order in the community, and our authority (imamah) has been prescribed to save the people from differences.”

The Shahada and the pilgrimage to Mecca increase faith and thus a stronger relationship with God. The Shahada is verbal conformation of entering the religion whereas the pilgrimage to Mecca Is an annual event that requires physical endurance and love of God to complete which is rewarded by the cleaning of all sins ( excluding major sins such as murder and backbiting ). Prayer is a daily act performed 5 times throughout the day, the way of performing prayer can be altered depending if one is ill or traveling to better suit the situation. 
For example, prayer is shortened when one is traveling. This act activates the whole body with movements that are extremely similar to yoga thus insuring constant circulation of the blood. God doesn't benefit from a person’s prayer its’s only beneficial to those who perform the act, with obtaining a stronger spiritual connection with god and avoiding idleness. Zakat, which is obliged to those who are financially able to perform it, helps balance the economy of society ensuring that the needy will always have a source of extra income. Fasting is proven scientifically to immensely improve the wellbeing and health of the human body, such as reducing the risk of cancer. These “orders” are but a way to help humans for God doesn't benefit from these actions nor is he in need of them.  

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Halal is all that is permissible by God in food, drink, actions and sayings. 

An example of a non Halal act is eating pork which is proven to be harmful to the human body due to the animal itself being unclean. This was not only forbidden in Islam alone, but it was also forbidden in both Christianity and Judaism before the scriptures were changed, the forbidding of pork isn’t a way to torture or abstain a person from enjoying a certain food, rather its to prevent any illnesses that might occur due to its consumption. This further proves that all three of these heavenly religions worship the same God and that these religions are but an extension to each other with Islam as its finale. 

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Hebrew bible : These are the animals you may eat: the ox, the sheep, the goat, the deer, the
gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.
Any animal that divides the hoof and has the hoof cloven in two, and
chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. Yet of those that chew the cud or have the hoof cloven you shall not eat these: the camel, the hare, and the rock-badger, because they chew the cud but do not divide the hoof; they are unclean for you. And the pig, because it divides the hoof but does not chew the cud, is unclean for you. You shall not eat their meat, and you shall not touch their carcasses. (14:5–8; cf. Lev 11:2–8)


Bible : " And the swine,... . he is unclean to you. Of the flesh shall ye not eat, and their carcase shall ye not touch; they are unclean to you ." (Leviticus, 11:7-8). The same command is repeated in Deuteronomy, 14:8.

حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ الْمَيْتَةُ وَالدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ الْخِنْزِيرِ

Quran: Forbidden to you (for food) are: dead meat, blood, the flesh of swine . . ."(Qur'an, 5:3)

God placed these verses as a guide for mankind by setting a path to which they can follow making sure to place orders so that one is benefited in all ways and means but, given the freedom of choice when it comes to faith via Advice. Advice in the Quran could be direct or woven through a story, such as the famous Chapters Yousef, Marry and Luqman.
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 يُصْلِحْ لَكُمْ أَعْمَالَكُمْ وَيَغْفِرْ لَكُمْ ذُنُوبَكُمْ وَمَنْ يُطِعِ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ فَقَدْ فَازَ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا(71) إِنَّا عَرَضْنَا الْأَمَانَةَ عَلَى السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَالْجِبَالِ فَأَبَيْنَ أَنْ يَحْمِلْنَهَا وَأَشْفَقْنَ مِنْهَا وَحَمَلَهَا 
(72)الْإِنْسَانُ إِنَّهُ كَانَ ظَلُومًا جَهُولًا 
“O you who have attained to faith! Remain conscious of God, and (always) speak with a will to bring out (only) what is just and true -{70} (whereupon) He will cause your deeds to be virtuous, and will forgive your sins. And (know that) whoever pays heed unto God and His Apostle has already attained to a mighty triumph.{71} Verily, We did offer the trust (of reason and violation) to the heavens and the earth and the mountains: but they refused to bear it because they were afraid of it. Yet man took it up - for verily, he has always been prone to be most unjust, most ignorant.{72}.”     
33:70-72

يَا بُنَيَّ أَقِمِ الصَّلَاةَ وَأْمُرْ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَانْهَ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَاصْبِرْ عَلَى مَا أَصَابَكَ إِنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عَزْمِ الْأُمُورِ (17) وَلَا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ وَلَا تَمْشِ فِي الْأَرْضِ مَرَحًا إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ كُلَّ مُخْتَالٍ فَخُورٍ (18) وَاقْصِدْ فِي مَشْيِكَ وَاغْضُضْ مِنْ صَوْتِكَ إِنَّ أَنْكَرَ الْأَصْوَاتِ لَصَوْتُ الْحَمِيرِ (19)
“O my dear son! Be constant in prayer, and enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid the doing of what is wrong, and bear in patience whatever (ill) may befall thee: this, behold, is something to set one’s heart upon! {17} And turn not thy cheek away from people in (false) pride, and walk not haughtily on earth: for, behold, God does not love anyone who, out of self-conceit, acts in a boastful manner.{18} Hence, be modest in thy bearing, and lower thy voice: for, behold, the ugliest of all voices is the (loud) voice of donkeys.”{19} Luqman, [31 :17-19]
                            (9)مَا عَلَى الرَّسُولِ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ ۗ وَاللَّهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تُبْدُونَ وَمَا تَكْتُمُونَ 


“(And as for My messenger,) there is no (obligation) on him except to deliver (the. message). God knows what you expose and what you conceal”. (5:99).


وَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أَشْرَكُوا لَوْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ مَا عَبَدْنَا مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ نَحْنُ وَلَا آبَاؤُنَا وَلَا حَرَّمْنَا مِنْ دُونِهِ مِنْ شَيْءٍ ۚ
                      (35)كَذَٰلِكَ فَعَلَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِهِمْ ۚ فَهَلْ عَلَى الرُّسُلِ إِلَّا الْبَلَاغُ الْمُبِينُ
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“And those who associate others with Allah say, "If Allah had willed, we would not have worshipped anything other than Him, neither we nor our fathers, nor would we have forbidden anything through other than Him." Thus did those do before them. So is there upon the messengers except [the duty of] clear notification?” (16:35)

لَا إِكْرَاهَ فِي الدِّينِ ۖ قَدْ تَبَيَّنَ الرُّشْدُ مِنَ الْغَيِّ ۚ فَمَنْ يَكْفُرْ بِالطَّاغُوتِ وَيُؤْمِنْ بِاللَّهِ فَقَدِ اسْتَمْسَكَ بِالْعُرْوَةِ الْوُثْقَىٰ لَا انْفِصَامَ لَهَا ۗ وَاللَّهُ سَمِيعٌ عَلِيمٌ

"There is no compulsion in (accept­ing) the religion (of Islam) truly the right way has become clearly distinct from error. " (2:256)
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​ فَذَكِّرْ إِنَّمَا أَنْتَ مُذَكِّرٌ (21) لَسْتَ عَلَيْهِمْ بِمُصَيْطِرٍ

​You shall remind, for you are the reminder. You are not one to manage (men’s) affairs.” (88:21-22)
لَا يَنْهَاكُمُ اللَّهُ عَنِ الَّذِينَ لَمْ يُقَاتِلُوكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ وَلَمْ يُخْرِجُوكُمْ مِنْ دِيَارِكُمْ أَنْ تَبَرُّوهُمْ وَتُقْسِطُوا إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ إِنَّ اللَّهَ                                                              يُحِبُّ الْمُقْسِطِينَ  

"Allah does not forbid you to deal kindly and justly with those who have not fought against you about the religion or expelled you from your homes. God does not love the unjust people".(Sura al- Mumtahina, [60]: 8].

The verses highlight the freedom of choice as well as tolerance, the issue is placed ( mainly an issue that relates to faith and religion rather than political issues and law) with the consequence of both acting upon or abstaining from them.

The consequences are always displayed in the hereafter on the day of judgment meaning that a person does not have the right to punish, shun and or harm a person of another faith. The person is given the sources and has the right to choose their faith with God as their only Judge. 

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MERITS OF PROPHET MUHAMMED’S  LIFE AND HIS HOUSEHOLD  THAT REFLECT TOLERANCE

The Prophet of Islam faced much difficulty and opposition in his birthplace, the city of Mecca. He was eventually forced to migrate to Medina. But despite all the oppo­sition and even physical torture that he and his followers suffered in Mecca, Prophet Muhammad always approached the unbelievers of Mecca with tolerance. At one stage of his mission, the Prophet read to them a short chapter from the revelation:
“O’ disbelievers!(1) I do not  worship what you worship(2), nor are you worshippers of what I worship(3), nor will I be a worshipper of what you worship(4), nor will you be worshippers of what I worship(5), For you is your religion, and for me is my religion(6). ( ch.109) 

.When Prophet Muhammad migrated to Medina, he found that besides those who had accepted Islam, there was a large Jewish and Christian community in that city, but this did not bother him He did not contemplate on forcing them into the fold of Islam, instead, he made a peace agreement with them and called them ahlul kitab” the people of the Scripture. This was indeed the supreme example of tolerance shown towards the followers of other religions.

The peace agreement between the Prophet and the Jews and Christians of Medina dearly guaranteed the phys­ical safety and security of these two communities and also the freedom to practice their religion freely as long as these communities also abided the terms of the treaty.
So we see that even historically, the Prophet of Islam was prepared to live in peace with the followers of other monotheistic religions, espe­cially Judaism and Christianity.
Even the letters that the Prophet wrote to the rulers of various coun­tries and nations around Arabia  reflected the epitome of tolerance .In none of the letters does the Prophet threaten them of a mili­tary aggression if they did not accept the message of Islam. The letter to the Christian King of Abyssinia ends with the words: "I have conveyed the message and now it is up to you to accept it. Once again, peace be upon him who follows the true guidance.”

Islam respects not only the living people of other faiths but also their dead. when there was a funeral session of a non-Muslim person, and the crowd was passing by the place where the prophet Muhammad was staying, he used to stand up as a sign of showing his respect for the dead person. Once one of his companions mentioned to him such a case and remarked: "O Messenger of God! It's the funeral of a Jew!" The Prophet then said: "If you see a funeral, you should stand up because it is a soul, after all.”

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A historical document that also reflects tolerance is from the fourth Imam, ‘Ali Zaynul Abidin (a.s,) entitled as Risalatu 'l huquq which means “The treaty of Rights”.
In this treaty, the Imam has mentioned rights related to vari­ous issues and people in human soci­ety, the last part is on the rights of non-Muslims in a Muslim society. Among other things, it says: 
“And there must be a barrier keep­ing you from doing any injustice to them, from depriving them of the protection provided by God, and from flaunting the commitments of God and His Messenger concerning them”.

Because we have been told that the Holy Prophet said, “Whoever does injustice to a protected non- Muslim, then I will be his enemy (on the Day of Judgement),”. 
Imam Ali also shows tolerance  In a letter which he wrote for his governor in Egypt, that states , "Sensitive your heart to mercy for the subjects, and show affection and kindness for them. Do not stand over them like greedy beasts who feel it is enough to devour them, for they are of two kinds; either your brother in faith or like you in Creation." {Nahju 'l-Balagha, letter 53).
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Such an example of tolerance is set once again by Imam Ali, when he was walking with a man who saw a church and exclaimed “I wonder how many people are disbelieving in that church”. Imam Ali (as) replied, "I wonder how many are praying to God in that church". Islam teaches to be a brother in faith or an equal in humanity. Even in this minimal interaction, it shows how tolerant and respectful one should be with other faiths.
The imam could have agreed with the man’s statement deeming that since Islam is the last of all regions that any other is invalid by default. But that isn’t the case for Islam emphasis the order to believe in previous scriptures and prophets who all lay under God’s single message. 

TOLERANCE TODAY 

With all this proof, then why do some act upon the opposite by performing horrendous and treacherous acts?

Every religion has been burdened with extremists that diverge from the tolerance that the religion preaches; tearing apart societies and nations with their barbaric actions and beliefs. Such as the Ku Klux Klan, Nazis, Sicarii, Kuwarij (literal meaning; the secessionists) and ISIS
This is shown in Abu Khalid Abu Al-Fathla’s essay 
“These groups are not satisfied with living according to their own dictates but are actively dissatisfied with all alternative ways of life. They do not merely seek self-empowerment but aggressively seek to disempower, dominate, or destroy others”


For Islam, in particular, one of the first extremist to emerge as Abu-Fathal has mentioned were Al-Khawrij; they showed no mercy killing everyone who is and isn’t a part of them regardless if they were equals in faith. They were 
 the main causes of war through imam Ali's caliphate such as the battles of Nahrwan and Sfeen and were the reason for his martyrdom. It is blindly obvious that they  are not considered part of the religion nor do they reflect its beliefs and standards because they martyred the element of  guidance as described by the angel Gabriel.  


Any extremist group today or a single muslim that does  not tolerate and act mercifully to others is disregarding the true intentions of this religion and wrongly defining the mold of a decent Muslim and human being, for when God described prophet Muhammed in the Holy Quran he said  “ And indeed, you are of a great moral character.” {68:4}

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