Islam is a religion that instructs harmony,
Among all nations and tribes of humanity,
None better than the other except in piety,
From Adam and Hawwa, we’re all progeny.
We each come from a tribe or a nation,
To which we belong and trace our origin.
It gives us a sense of who we are,
And through it, we recognize one another.
With all these races and faiths today,
Islam has got one thing to say:
Deal with justice, come what may
Indeed, towards piety, this is the way.
With kith and kin and those far-off,
With Muslims and non-Muslims,
We ought to deal with kindness,
And in our dealings with fairness.
When it comes to non-Muslim parents,
We must be all the more obedient.
To be obedient in all but Shirk,
While praying for their guidance.
The Prophet ﷺ is a mercy to the world
His words were gentle, not harshly hurled;
Not just with those around him — his disciples,
But also with those who wronged him.
When wars were waged, and prisoners made,
He ordered them to be well fed.
The gentleness and good treatment
Made the belligerent, placated.
The captive Thumamah * was bound in place,
He was then released, after three days,
What once was hate, now only love.
Most beloved to him, the Prophet’s ﷺ face.
There’s no reason to not be mellow
With those at peaceful terms with us.
To make trade, or to exchange gifts
With people of non-Muslim faiths.
The Prophet ﷺ borrowed food from a Jew
And left his shield as a guarantee.
At another time, a roast was gifted,
From a Jewish woman, which he readily accepted.
Such transactions, just and true
With any non-Muslim, Christian or Jew
Are sanctioned by Islam
The religion of tolerance and calm.
Then the mu’ahid ** among them,
Living under the protection of the muslims.
His rights must be honored, his dues fulfilled.
For neglecting it, bears a heavy sin.
To invite to Islam, is with actions first,
To reveal its beauty to their hearts,
A small gesture that touches the soul
Is enough to thaw a heart of stone. (By the will of Allah ﷻ)
*He was the chief of a tribe in Makkah, who was brought to Madinah as a captive. He was tied to a pillar of the Mosque for three days and then released. He accepted Islam immediately.
** Non-Muslims living in an Islamic state with legal protection.
REFERENCES:
(n.d.). How to Treat Non-Muslims. Islam Question & Answer.
https://islamqa.info/en/answers/13241/treatment-of-prisoners-of-war-in-islam
(n.d.). Sahih muslim 1603a – The Book of Musaqah – Sunnah.Com – Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Sunnah.com. https://sunnah.com/muslim:1603a
(n.d.). Sahih al-Bukhari 6914 – Blood Money (Ad-Diyat) – Sunnah.Com – Sayings and Teachings of Prophet Muhammad. Sunnah.com. https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6914
Written by: Hafsa Shaikh
Edited by: The Editorial Team
© The Islamic Reflections Blog
