Over the centuries of Islamic history, Muslim rulers, Islamic scholars, and ordinary Muslims have held many different attitudes towards other religions. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Aqidah (sometimes spelled Aqeeda, Aqidah or Aqida) (عقيدة is an Islamic term meaning Creed. Allah ( Arabic: الله, ʔalˤːɑːh) is the standard Arabic word for ' In Islam, God is believed to be the only real supreme being all-powerful and all knowing Creator Sustainer Ordainer and Judge of the universe Islam puts a heavy emphasis IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics Muslims regard as Prophets of Islam ( Arabic: نبي) those non-divine humans chosen by Allah as Prophets The Five Pillars of Islam (Arabic أركان الإسلام is the term given to the five duties incumbent on every Muslim. The Shahada ( Arabic: ar الشهادة, from the verb ar شهد "to testify" is the Islamic Creed. Ṣalāt ( Arabic: صلاة‎, pl ṣalawāt, Qur'anic Arabic: صلوة ṣalawah) (also munz in Pashto and Sawm ( Arabic: صوم is an Arabic word for Fasting regulated by Islamic jurisprudence. This is a sub-article of Islamic economical jurisprudence. Zakaat ( زكاة zækæːh zakaat or zakāh, has the implied The Hajj (حج is a pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah It is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world Muslim history began in Arabia with the Muhammad 's first recitations of the Qur'an in the 7th century Caliph Caliph is the term or title for the Islamic leader of the Ummah, or community of Islam There is much more to Muslim history than its military and political aspects this particular chronology is almost entirely of military and political nature See also Muhammad's wives Ahl al-Bayt ( Arabic:ar أهل البيت is an Arabic phrase literally meaning People of the House, or family In Islam, the Ṣaḥābah (الصحابة "Companions" were the companions of the Islamic prophet Muḥammad. The Rightly Guided Caliphs or The Righteous Caliphs ( ar الخلفاء الراشدون) is a term used in Sunni Islam to refer to the first Imāmah (إمامة is the Shī‘ah doctrine of religious spiritual and political leadership of the Ummah. Qur'an Text Surahs ** Ayah Commentary/Exegesis Tafsir Sharia ( Arabic: ar شريعة) is the body of Islamic Religious law. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran Sunnah ar (سنة plural سنن Sunan literally means “trodden path” and therefore the sunnah of the prophet means “the way and the manners of the prophet” Hadith ( ar الحديث, pl aḥadīth; lit. "narrative" are oral Traditions relating to the words and deeds of the Islamic Fiqh ( Arabic: فقه, fɪqəh is Islamic Jurisprudence. Fiqh is an expansion of the Sharia Islamic law—based directly on the Sharia ( Arabic: ar شريعة) is the body of Islamic Religious law. Kalām (علم الكلام is the Islamic philosophy of seeking Islamic theological principles through Dialectic. Sufism ( تصوّف - taṣawwuf, Persian: صوفی‌گری sufigari, Turkish: tasavvuf, Urdu: تصوف Sunni Islam is the largest denomination of Islam. Sunni Islam is also referred to as Ahl as-Sunnah wa’l-Jamā‘h (Arabic Muslim Culture is a term primarily used in Secular Academia to describe all cultural practices common to historically Islamic peoples The term Muslim world (or Islamic world) has several meanings This is a sub-article to Religious education, Academic discipline, and Islam. This article is about Animals in Islamic thought The Qur'an assigns an inferior status to animals in comparison with humans and has a tendency towards Islamic art encompasses the arts produced from the 7th century onwards by people (not necessarily Muslim) who lived within the territory that was inhabited by culturally The Islamic calendar or Muslim calendar ( Arabic: التقويم الهجري at-taqwīm al-hijrī; Persian: تقویم هجری قمری ‎ The topic of Islam and children includes the rights of children in Islam children's duties towards their parents and parent's rights over their children both males and females Listing of Muslims by country Important note Population counts by religious affiliation like most demographic characteristics of a Population Muslim holidays are mostly based around the life of the Islamic prophet Muhammad, especially the events surrounding the first hearing of the Qur'an. A "mosque" in English refers to all types of buildings dedicated for Islamic worship although there is a distinction in Arabic between the smaller privately owned mosque and the larger Islamic philosophy is a branch of Islamic studies, and is a longstanding attempt to create harmony between Philosophy ( Reason) and the religious teachings See also Modern Islamic philosophy, Islamism, Islamic terrorism Political aspects of Islam are derived from the Quran, the Sunna The historical interaction between Christianity and Islam, in the field of Comparative religion, connects fundamental ideas in Christianity with similar ones in Islam Hinduism and Islam, from the of arrival of the Arabs as far back as the eighth century AD has had a checkered history Islam and Jainism came in close contact with each other following the Islamic conquest from Central Asia and Persia in the seventh The historical interaction of Judaism and Islam started in the 7th century CE with the origin and spread of Islam in the Arabian peninsula. In Islam, Muhammad is the last and final Prophet of God Islam views Jews Christians and Muslims as " People of the Book Arguments critical to religion in general or specific to monotheism such as the Existence of God, are not dealt with here Islamophobia is a Neologism that refers to Prejudice or Discrimination against Islam or Muslims The term itself dates back to the The following list consists of Concepts that are derived from both Islamic and Arab tradition which are expressed as words in the Arabic language. Muslim history began in Arabia with the Muhammad 's first recitations of the Qur'an in the 7th century A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion Ulema ( ar علماء,, singular ar عالِم,, "scholar" refers to the educated class of Muslim legal scholars engaged in the several Attitudes have varied according to time, place and circumstance.

Non-Muslims under Islam

Non-Muslims under Islamic law would be held under the status of dhimmi (from Arabic ذميّ th as pronounced in this) were allowed to "practice their religion, subject to certain conditions, and to enjoy a measure of communal autonomy" and guaranteed their personal safety and security of property, in return for paying tribute and acknowledging Muslim rule. Sharia ( Arabic: ar شريعة) is the body of Islamic Religious law. A dhimmi ( ذمي, collectively أهل الذمة, ahl al-dhimma, the people of the dhimma or pact of protection Ottoman Turkish ^[1] Taxation from the perspective of thimmis who came under the Muslim rule, was "a concrete continuation of the taxes paid to earlier regimes"^[2] (but now lower under the Muslim rule^[3][4]) and from the point of view of the Muslim conqueror was a material proof of the thimmi's subjection. ^[2] Various restrictions and legal disabilities were placed on thimmis, such as prohibitions against bearing arms or giving testimony in courts in cases involving Muslims. ^[5]

The Qur'an distinguishes between the monotheistic People of the Book (ahl al-kitab) (Jews, Christians, Sabians and others), and polytheists or idolaters on the other hand. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran This article is about the theological concept in Islam. For the novel by Geraldine Brooks see People of the Book (novel. Judaism (from the Greek Ioudaïsmos, derived from the Hebrew יהודה Yehudah, " Judah " in Hebrew יַהֲדוּת Yahedut Christianity ( Greek Χριστιανισμός from the word Xριστός ( Christ)is a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings The Sabians ( صابئين, צבאים) were a religious group Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple Gods (usually assembled in a pantheon) together with associated Mythology and Rituals The People of the Book should be tolerated to some extent: "whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does what is right—shall be rewarded by their Lord; they have nothing to fear or to regret. "^[6] Polytheists are not given that same degree of tolerance. Polytheism is belief in or worship of multiple Gods (usually assembled in a pantheon) together with associated Mythology and Rituals Atheists and agnostics are considered beyond the pale of tolerance. Atheism Agnosticism ( Greek: α- a-, without + γνώσις gnōsis, knowledge after Gnosticism) is the philosophical view that the ^[7] There are certain kind of restrictions, when involved with People of the Book, do not apply to polytheists. One example is Muslim males being allowed to marry a Christian or Jew, but not a polytheist. Muslim women, however may not marry non-Muslim men. ^[8]

The idea of Islamic supremacy is encapsulated in the formula "Islam is exalted and nothing is exalted above it. "^[9] Accordingly, Muslims must not place themselves in a position inferior to that of the followers of other religions. ^[10] Pursuant to this principle, Muslim women may not marry non-Muslim men, non-Muslims may not inherit from their Muslim relatives, and a testimony of a non-Muslim is inadmissible against a Muslim. ^[11] A non-Muslim who insults Islam must be put to death, according to most schools of Islamic jurisprudence, or flogged and imprisoned, according to others. ^[12]

Abraham, Moses, Hebrew prophets, and Jesus were all prophets of Islam, but according to Muslim tradition their message and the texts of the Torah and the Gospels were corrupted by Jews and Christians. Abraham ( Ashkenazi   Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: Moses ( Latin: Moyses,; Greek: grc Mωυσής in both the Septuagint and the New Testament; Arabic: ar موسىٰ Nevi'im (נְבִיאִים "Prophets" is the second of the three major sections in the Hebrew Bible, the Tanakh, between the Jesus of Nazareth (7–2 BC / BCE —26–36 AD / CE) Muslims regard as Prophets of Islam ( Arabic: نبي) those non-divine humans chosen by Allah as Prophets term " Torah " ( Hebrew: תּוֹרָה "teaching" or "instruction" sometimes translated as "Law" most commonly refers to This article is about the canonical books of the New Testament Tahrif ( Arabic: ar تحريف "corruption forgery" the stem-II verbal noun of the consonantal root, "to make oblique" PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ Similarly, children of non-Muslim families are born Muslims, but are converted to another faith by their parents. ^[13]

Apostasy in Islam is punishable by death. ^[14] W. Heffening states that Shafi'is interpret verse ^{[Qur'an 2:217]} as adducing the main evidence for the death penalty in Qur'an. The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran ^[15] Wael Hallaq states the death penalty was a new element added later and "reflects a later reality and does not stand in accord with the deeds of the Prophet. " He further states that "nothing in the law governing apostate and apostasy derives from the letter of the holy text. " ^[16]

Practice of the early Muslims

During the ten years that Muhammad led his followers against the Meccans and then against the other Arab tribes, Christian and Jewish communities who had submitted to Muslim rule were allowed to worship in their own way and follow their own family law, and were given a fair degree of self-government. IMPORTANT PLEASE READ ##### For all questions relating to the addition of (pbuh peace be upon him or other honorifics Mecca ˈmɛkə also spelled Makkah ˈmækə (in full Makkah Al-Mukarramah (Arabic mækːæ(t ælmʊkarˑamæ مكّة المكرمة, literally Honored The araB gene Promoter is a bacterial promoter activated by e L-arabinose binding A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth PLEASE TAKE NOTE************

The Jews generally rejected Muhammad's status as a prophet. ^[17] According to Watt, "Jews would normally be unwilling to admit that a non-Jew could be a prophet. The term Gentile (from Latin, gentilis, meaning of or belonging to a clan or tribe refers to non- Israelite tribes or nations in the Bible. "^[18] In the Constitution of Medina, Muhammad demanded the Jews' political loyalty in return for religious and cultural autonomy. The Constitution of Medina, also known as the Charter of Medina, was drafted by the Islamic prophet Muhammad in 622 ^[17][19]However, after each major battle with the Medinans, Muhammad accused one of the Jewish tribes of treachery (See ^{[Qur'an 2:100]}). The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran After Badr and Uhud, the Banu Qainuqa and Banu Nadir, respectively, were expelled "with their families and possessions" from Medina. Badr is a Male Arabic Given name that means " Full moon " Mt Uhud is a mountain near Medina. It is 142 meters high It was the site of the second battle between The Banu Qaynuqa (also spelled Banu Kainuka, Banu Kaynuka, Banu Qainuqa, بنو قينقاع) were one of the three main Jewish The Banu Nadir ( بنو النظير) were a Jewish tribe who lived in northern Arabia until the 7th century, at the oasis of Yathrib (now known as Medina After the Battle of the Trench in 627, the Jews of Banu Qurayza were accused of conspiring with the Meccans; 600-900 Qurayza men were beheaded (except for the few who chose to convert to Islam) and their properties confiscated. The Battle of the Trench (غزوة الخندق|Ghazwah al-Khandaq also known as Battle of the Confederates (غزوة الاحزاب|Ghazwah al-Ahzab was a fortnight-long Events By Place Byzantine Empire December 12 — Battle of Nineveh: Emperor Heraclius defeats the Persians ending The Banu Qurayza (بني قريظة بنو قريظة alternate spellings include Quraiza, Qurayzah, Quraytha, and the archaic Koreiza) ^[20]

After Muhammad's death in 632, the Islamic empire grew rapidly, encompassing what is now the Middle East, Egypt, North Africa, and Iran. Events By Place Europe Khan Kubrat starts to rule in Great Bulgaria. The Middle East is a Subcontinent with no clear boundaries often used as a synonym to Near East, in opposition to Far East. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. Most of the new subjects were Christian or Jewish, and considered People of the Book. (After some argument, the Zoroastrians were considered People of the Book as well^[21]). Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians were called dhimmi, protected peoples. A dhimmi ( ذمي, collectively أهل الذمة, ahl al-dhimma, the people of the dhimma or pact of protection Ottoman Turkish As noted above, they could worship, follow their own family law, and own property. People of the Book were not subject to certain Islamic rules, such as the prohibitions on alcohol and pork, but were subject to other restrictions. Under the Islamic state, they were exempt from military service, but were required to pay a poll tax known as jizya. A poll tax, head tax, or capitation is a Tax of a uniform fixed amount per individual (as opposed to a percentage of income Under Islamic law, jizya or jizyah (جزْية ʤɪzjæh Ottoman Turkish: cizye both derived from Pahlavi and ultimately from Aramaic (They were, however, exempt from the zakat required of Muslims). This is a sub-article of Islamic economical jurisprudence. Zakaat ( زكاة zækæːh zakaat or zakāh, has the implied They could be bureaucrats and advisors, but they could never be rulers.

They were not subject to forced conversion. In fact, under the first caliphs and the Ummayad dynasty, conversion was discouraged. The Caliph is the Head of state in a Caliphate, and the title for the leader of the Islamic Ummah, an Islamic community ruled by the Shari'ah Arab troops were settled in garrison towns like Kufa and Basra, in part to keep them separate from the conquered peoples. Kufa ( Arabic, ar الكوفة) is a city in modern Iraq, about 170 km south of Baghdad, and 10 km northeast of Najaf. Basra ( BGN: AlBasrah also called Basorah Abillah and Uruk or IRAQ The name that British colony has adopted for Basra If a dhimmi wanted to convert, he/she could only do so by convincing an Arab to act as a sponsor or patron, adopting the dhimmi in the patron's tribe and making him/her an honorary Arab. There are claims that there were several instances in which entire communities wanted to convert, and were prevented; and that they were more useful as taxpayers. ^[22]

The Syriac Patriarch Ishôyahb III wrote in his correspondence to Simeon of Rewardashir, "As for the Arabs, to whom God has at this time given rule (shultãnâ) over the world, you know well how they act toward us. Originally a patriarch was a man who exercised autocratic authority as a Pater familias over an extended family His letters during that period open a glimpse into the early period of Islam as seen by non-Muslim eye witnesses Not only do they not oppose Christianity, but they praise our faith, honour the priests and saints of our Lord, and give aid to the churches and monasteries. "^[23]

Later Islamic practice

Under the Ummayads and Abbasids, the Islamic community was increasingly fragmented into various sects and kingdoms, each of which had its own evolving policy towards dhimmi and towards conquered polytheists.

The Islamic heartland

In general, the policies of the territories comprising the earliest Islamic conquests were never harsh- towards the dhimmis. Although conversion to Islam was made easier (all one had to do was to recite the confession of faith, many dhimmis did not convert as a result of Muslims tolerance. Areas that were majority Christian or Zoroastrian before the Arab conquest at some point became overwhelmingly Muslim. Moreover, at some point (it is not clear when), non-Muslims were forbidden to visit the sacred cities of Mecca and Medina, while some hadith even urged their exclusion from the entire Arabian peninsula.

Later Islamic conquests

With the Ghaznavids and later the Mughals, Islam also expanded further into northern India. The Ghaznavid Empire was a Khorāṣānian Sunni Muslim state founded by a dynasty of Turkic Mamluk. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country Will Durant, in The Story of Civilization, described this as "probably the bloodiest story in history". William James Durant ( November 5, 1885 &ndash November 7, 1981) was a prolific American popularizer in the fields of History The Story of Civilization by Will and Ariel Durant is an eleven-volume set of books This approach was not uniform, and different rulers adopted different strategies. The Mughal emperor Akbar, for example, was relatively tolerant towards Hindus, while his great-grandson Aurangzeb was heavily intolerant. Akbar redirects here For other uses see Akbar (disambiguation Jalaluddin Muhammad Akbar ( Jalāl ud-Dīn Muhammad Akbar Aurangzeb ( (full title Al-Sultan al-Azam wal Khaqan al-Mukarram Abul Muzaffar Muhiuddin Muhammad Aurangzeb Bahadur Alamgir I Padshah Ghazi) ( November 4, Hindus were ultimately given the tolerated religious minority status of dhimmi. However, the underlying complexity of Hindu philosophy was useful in this regard, as it had always posited an underlying unity of all things, including the fusion of various deities into a single reality (Brahman). Hindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit ''{{IAST|āstika}}'') schools of thought or darshanas (literally "views" Sankhya Brahman ( bráhman-, Nominative bráhma sa ब्रह्म is a concept of Hinduism.

The Buddhists of India were not as fortunate; although Buddhism had been in decline prior to the Muslim invasions, the destruction of monastic universities in the invasions such as Nalanda and Vikramashila were a calamity from which it never recovered. A number of noted individuals have been Buddhists. Historical Buddhist thinkers and founders of schools Individuals are grouped by nationality except in cases where the Nālandā is the name of an ancient University in Bihar, India. University was one of the two most important centers of Buddhist learning in India along with University during the Pala dynasty. According to one Buddhist scholar, the monasteries were destroyed because they were large, fortified edifices considered threats by Muslim Turk invaders, not because they were non-Muslim institutions. ^[24]

The Almohad rulers of Muslim Spain were initially intolerant, and engaged in forced conversions; Maimonides, for example, was forced to masquerade as a Muslim and eventually flee Spain after the initial Almohad conquest. The Almohad Dynasty (From Arabic الموحدون al-Muwahhidun, i Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Moses Maimonides ( March 30 1135 – December 13 1204) also known as the Rambam, was a Rabbi, Physician, and

However, it is worth mentioning that most Muslims rulers in Spain could be considered tolerant with some exceptions. Christians were free to practice their own beliefs, and had kept their own churches. The tolerant atmosphere in Muslim Spain made it a refuge for Jews persecuted in other European lands.

Contemporary Islam

During the 19th and early 20th centuries, most Islamic states fell under the sway of European colonialists. The colonialists enforced tolerance, especially of European Christian missionaries. After World War II, there was a general retreat from colonialism, and predominantly Muslim countries were again able to set their own policies regarding non-Muslims. This period also saw the beginning of increased migration from Muslim countries into the First World countries of Europe, the UK, Canada, the US, etc. The term " first world " refers to countries that are capitalist, which are technologically advanced and whose This has completely reshaped relations between Islam and other religions.

Predominantly Muslim countries

Map of religious tolerance in the Muslim world. The term Muslim world (or Islamic world) has several meanings

Some predominantly Muslim countries allow the practice of all religions. Of these, some limit this freedom with bans on proselytizing or conversion, or restrictions on the building of places of worship; others (such as Mali) have no such restrictions. Mali, officially the Republic of Mali (République du Mali is a Landlocked nation in Western Africa. In practice, the situation of non-Muslim minorities depends not only on the law, but on local practices, which may vary.

Some countries are predominantly Muslim and allow freedom of religion adhering to democratic principles. Of particular note are the following countries:^[25]

• Indonesia, Bangladesh, Malaysia have a significant population from the Hindu, Christian and Buddhist faith. The Republic of Indonesia ( (Republik Indonesia is a Country in Southeast Asia. ( Bengali: বাংলাদেশ inc-Latn Bangladesh) officially For the biogeographical region see Malesia Malaysia (məˈleɪʒə or /məˈleɪziə/ is a country that consists of thirteen states and They are allowed to practice their faith, build places of worship and even have missionary schools and organizations but with limitation of such practice. Some Muslim countries nationally observe Hindu, Christian and Buddhist holidays, e. g. Durga Puja, Maghi Purnima, Buddha Purnima, Ashari Purnima, Moharram, Christmas etc.
• In Syria, there are about 1. Syria ( سوريّة or) officially the Syrian Arab Republic (Arabic ar الجمهورية العربية السورية 8 million Christians (10% of the population) from about 15 different religious and ethnic sects, as well as a few thousand Jews, and they have many hundreds of independent privately-owned churches and some 15 synagogues. Syrian Jews derive their origin from two groups those who inhabited Syria from early times and the Sephardim who fled to Syria after the expulsion of the Jews from The freedom of religion is well observed by the state law as well as the historical long record of tolerance since the Ummayde caliph days. Christmas and Easter days are official holidays for both the Catholic or Orthodox calendar.

Some predominantly Muslim countries are more intolerant of non-Muslims:

• Pakistan has different electorates for Muslims and non-Muslims, and limits the public positions a non-Muslim can hold. Pakistan () officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country located in South Asia, Southwest Asia, Middle East and
• Saudi Arabia limits religious freedom to a high degree, prohibiting public worship by other religions. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, KSA ( المملكة العربية السعودية, al-Mamlaka al-ʻArabiyya as-Suʻūdiyya) or Suudi
• The now-overthrown Taliban regime in Afghanistan was considered intolerant by many observers. The Taliban ( طالبان, also anglicised as Taleban; translation "students" is a Sunni Islamist, predominately Afghanistan /æfˈgænɪstæn/ officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan ( Pashto: د افغانستان اسلامي جمهوریت, Some ancient Buddhist monuments, like the Buddhas of Bamyan, were destroyed as idolatrous. The Buddhas of Bamyan ( - but hay-e bamiyaan) were two monumental statues of standing Buddhas carved into the side of a cliff in the Bamyan valley
• The Islamic government of Iran recognizes Jews, Christians, and Zoroastrians as minorities- although all three groups are subjected to some severe discrimination in practice - while the situation of Bahá'ís, considered by the government as a pro-Zionist, un-Islamic heresy, is far worse. For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iran topics. PLEASE TAKE NOTE************ A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings The Bahá'í Faith is a Religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in nineteenth-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind See Persecution of Bahá'ís. The persecution of Bahá'ís is the Religious persecution of Bahá'ís in various countries especially in Iran, where the Bahá'í Faith originated and
• In Sudan, there was extensive use of the rhetoric of religious war by both parties in the decades-long battle between the Muslim North and the largely non-Muslim South (see Second Sudanese Civil War. Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. The Second Sudanese Civil War (sometimes referred to as Anyanya II) started in 1983 although it was largely a continuation of the First Sudanese Civil )
• In Egypt, a 16 December 2006 judgement of the Supreme Administative Council created a clear demarcation between "recognized religions" — Islam, Christianity and Judaism — and all other religious beliefs; the ruling effectively delegitimatizes and forbids the practice of all but these aforementioned religions. This article is about the country of Egypt For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Egypt topics. Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Supreme Constitutional Court (المحكمة الدستورية العليا (or SCC) is an independent judiciary body in the Arab Republic of Egypt, with ^[26][27] The ruling leaves members of other religious communities, including Bahá'ís, without the ability to obtain the necessary government documents to have rights in their country, essentially denying them of all rights of citizenship. ^[28] They cannot obtain ID cards, birth certificates, death certificates, marriage or divorce certificates, and passports; they also cannot be employed, educated, treated in public hospitals or vote among other things. ^[28] See Egyptian identification card controversy. The Egyptian identification card controversy resulted from a ruling of the Supreme Administrative Council of Egypt on December 16, 2006 against the

According to Islamic law, jizya (poll tax) is to be paid by all non-Muslims,^[1] excluding the weak and the poor, living in a Muslim state, to the general welfare of the state. Under Islamic law, jizya or jizyah (جزْية ʤɪzjæh Ottoman Turkish: cizye both derived from Pahlavi and ultimately from Aramaic Also, in his book "Al-Kharaj," Abu Yusuf says, "No Jizya is due on females or young infants. " In exchange for the tax, the non-Muslims are required to be given security, provided compensation from the Muslim Exchequer when they are in need, treated on equality with Muslims, and enjoy rights as nationals of the state. Al-Balathiri comments on this saying, "Khaled Ibn Al-Walid, on entering Damascus as a conqueror, offered a guarantee of security to its people and their properties and churches, and promised that the wall of the city would not be pulled down, and none of their houses be demolished. Damascus ( دمشق,, also commonly known as الشام ash-Shām) is the capital and largest city of Syria. It was a guarantee of God, he said, and of the Caliph and all believers to keep them safe and secure on condition they paid the dues of the Jizya. "^[29] This poll tax is different from the alms tax (Zakah) paid by the Muslim subjects of a Muslim state. This is a sub-article of Islamic economical jurisprudence. Zakaat ( زكاة zækæːh zakaat or zakāh, has the implied Whereas jizya is compulsory and paid by the tolerated community per head count, zakat was paid only if one can afford it. Muslims and non-Muslims who hold property, especially land, were required however to pay Kharaj. In Islamic law, kharaj is a Tax on agricultural land Kharaj has no basis in the Qur'an or Hadith, being rather the product

Territorial disputes

One of the open issues in the relation between Islamic states and non-Islamic states is the claim from hardline Muslims that once a certain land, state or territory has been under 'Muslim' rule, it can never be relinquished anymore, and that such a rule, somewhere in history would give the Muslims a kind of an eternal right on the claimed territory. A Muslim (مسلم pronounced Muslim, not Muzlim) is an adherent of the Religion This claim is particularly controversial with regard to Israel and to a lesser degree Spain and parts of the Balkan and it applies to India as well. For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. India, officially the Republic of India (भारत गणराज्य inc-Latn Bhārat Gaṇarājya; see also other Indian languages) is a country

Forced conversion

Main article: Forced conversion

Many Muslim scholars believe that Quranic verses such as "Let there be no compulsion in religion: Truth stands out clear from Error" (Qur'an 2:256) and (Qur'an 18:29) show that Islam prohibits forced conversion towards people of any religion. A forced conversion is the conversion to a Religion or philosophy under duress with the threatened consequence of earthly penalties or harm The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran A forced conversion is the conversion to a Religion or philosophy under duress with the threatened consequence of earthly penalties or harm

However, some Wahhabi scholars such as the controversial Ibn Baaz believe that 2:256 was (partially) abrogated by later verses such as Qur'an 9:5, and so the verse only applies towards Christians, Jews, and Magians (Zoroastrians) and not towards polytheists:^[30]

Then, when the sacred months are drawn away, slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them, and confine them, and lie in wait for them at every place of ambush. Wahhabism ( Arabic: Al-Wahhābīyya الوهابية or Wahabism is a conservative reformist call of Sunni Islam attributed to Abd al-Aziz ibn Abd Allah ibn Baaz () also known as Bin Baaz, was the Grand Mufti of Saudi Arabia from 1993 until his death in 1999 The Qur’an ( القرآن, literally "the recitation" also sometimes transliterated as Qur’ān, Koran, Alcoran The Magi (singular Magus, from Latin via Greek μάγος; Old English: Mage; from Persian maguš and Kurdish Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings But if they repent, and perform the prayer, and pay the alms, then let them go their way; God is All-forgiving, All-compassionate.

The meaning of verse 9:5 is subject to some discussion. Sura 9 was received in the historical context of a broken treaty between Muslims and a group of "idolaters". Regarding verse 9:5, Quranic translator M. A. S. Abdel Haleem writes: "in this context, this definitely refers to the ones who broke the treaty"^[31] rather than polytheists generally. Muhammad A S Abdel Haleem, OBE is Professor of Islamic Studies at the secular School of Oriental and African Studies in London, England

Forced conversions played a role especially in the 12th century under the Almohad dynasty of North Africa and Andalusia as well as in Persia where Shi'a Islam is dominant. The Almohad Dynasty (From Arabic الموحدون al-Muwahhidun, i North Africa or Northern Africa is the Northernmost Region of the African Continent, separated by the Sahara from Sub-Saharan Al-Andalus (الأندلس was the Arabic name given to those parts of the Iberian Peninsula governed by Muslims or The Persian Empire was a series of Iranian empires that ruled over the Iranian plateau, the original Persian homeland and beyond in Western Asia ^[32]

Incidents of forced conversions have been rare in Islamic history. ^[33][34][35] Bernard Lewis adds that "In the early centuries of Islamic rule there was little or no attempt at forcible conversion, the spread of the faith being effected rather by persuasion and inducement. " Despite this, there have been examples of forced conversion,^[36] such as:

• Anusim of Meshhad, Jewish community forced on pain of death to convert in 1839 under Safawid rule. In the 1839 Allahdad incident, the Jews of Mashhad, Iran, now known as the Mashhadi Jews were coerced into converting to Islam. The Safavids ( صفوی) were an Iranian ref>Helen Chapin Metz Most continued Jewish practices in secret and many of their descendents returned to Judaism in the early 20th century. ^[37]
• Francis Bok - Sudanese-American activist, from Christianity; later returned to his Christian faith. Francis Piol Bol Bok (born February 1979 a Dinka tribesman and native of Sudan, was a slave for ten years but is now an Abolitionist and author Sudan (officially the Republic of Sudan) ( السودان al-Sūdān is a country in northeastern Africa. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the ^[38]
• Steve Centanni and Olaf Wiig - forced to convert at gunpoint by terrorists of the Holy Jihad Brigades. Steven James Centanni (born July 18, 1946) is an American News Reporter for Fox News Channel journalists Olaf Wiig, a New Zealander Photojournalist, and Steve Centanni, an American reporter >The Holy Jihad Brigades is a Palestinian organization that suddenly gained prominence in August 2006 by kidnapping two journalists in the Gaza Strip. ^[39]
• Sabbatai Zevi - convert from Judaism, 17th century mystic, pseudo-Messiah and the self-proclaimed "King of Jews". Sabbatai Zevi, ( (other spellings include Sabetay in Turkish, Shabbethai, Sabbetai, Shabbsai; Zvi; Sabbetai Converted ostensibly of his own free will, while in prison. Although, some speculate that he may have been executed for treason had he not converted,^[40] Muslim authorities were opposed to his death. ^[41]

See also

• Islam and Hinduism
• Islam and Judaism
• Christianity and Islam
• Jainism and Islam
• Islam and Sikhism
• Islam and antisemitism

Notes

References

• Bat Ye'or (2002). Bat Ye'or (בת יאור meaning "daughter of the Nile " a Pseudonym of Gisèle Littman, Islam and Dhimmitude. Where Civilizations Collide. Madison/Teaneck, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press/Associated University Presses. ISBN 0-8386-3943-7.  
• Lewis, Bernard (1984). The Jews of Islam. The Jews of Islam (1984 is a Book written by Middle-East historian and scholar Bernard Lewis. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-00807-8.  
• Lewis, Bernard (2002). Bernard Lewis (born May 31, 1916 in London, England) is a British - American The Arabs in History. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-280310-7.  
• Esposito, John (2002). What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195157133.  
• Friedmann, Yohanan (2003). Yohanan Friedmann (born 1936 is an Israeli scholar of Islamic studies. Tolerance and Coercion in Islam: Interfaith Relations in the Muslim Tradition. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0521026994.  
• Waines, David (2003). An Introduction to Islam. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521539064.