Coexistence

Dr. Craig Considine is a professor at Rice University in the United States and specialises in interfaith dialogue. He is the author of ‘The Humanity of Muhammad - A Christian View’.
The message of peace and pluralism is integral to the Quran (Qurʾān), Islam’s sacred text revealed over fourteen centuries ago that directed Prophet Muhammadﷺ to build bridges between different faith communities.
In the backdrop of a seventh century pagan Arabian society where disunity, tribalism and inequality was rife, the divinely guided Prophetﷺ inspired a new model of existence through the call for coexistence.
Constitution of Medina: a model of pluralism
Through this groundbreaking model of pluralism, the Prophetﷺ erased divisions and brought diverse people together as ummatun wahida – one community.
After Prophet Muhammadﷺ started receiving divine revelations from the year 610, God (Allāh) instructed him to initiate a new movement that stated, under the belief in One God, look to the great diversity among humanity. The Quran states, “We have created you into various nations and tribes so that you can get to know one another.” God instructed the Prophetﷺ to share a message of not only recognizing difference but celebrating it. Islam declared that people of different ethnicities, backgrounds and religions should feel a true sense of belonging without being restricted by the rigid categories of tribe and power.
One of Prophet Muhammad’sﷺ most impactful actions was in the year 622. Before then, the early Muslims in Mecca had been fiercely persecuted for their newfound faith by the pagan ruling elite, the Quraysh. After years of tribulation and suffering, the Prophetﷺ decided to move his beleaguered people to a city called Yathrib, over 200 miles away, at the invitation of its inhabitants who were in dire need of a peacemaker who could resolve the generations long in-fighting between the different pagan and Jewish tribes in the area. The tribes eagerly renamed the city, Medina (Madīnah), or more fully, “Madīnah al-Munawwara”: “The Illuminated City” upon the Prophet’sﷺ arrival.
Prophet Muhammadﷺ set about creating a new type of society, and his diplomatic endeavor and engagement with the diverse tribes resulted in the Constitution of Medina – a revolutionary new social contract that established a civic nation centered upon the principles of freedom of religion and belief, equal rights, mutual respect and protection. In return, the Jewish and pagan tribes pledged to defend the city alongside the Muslims if Medina came under attack.
The Constitution of Medina affirmed that the various tribes had the “support and the same equal rights as any one of us”, referring to the Muslims. Through this groundbreaking model of pluralism, the Prophetﷺ erased divisions and brought diverse people together as ummatun wahida – one community.
The Christian King of Abyssinia, Ibn Abjar, offered his protection to a group of Muslims fleeing persecution
Sanctuary with a Christian king
Not only did the Prophetﷺ demonstrate how coexistence was integral to a robust community, he also turned to those of other faiths for refuge.
It was during one of the darkest periods of Prophet Muhammad’sﷺ life, several years after he first started preaching the message of Islam, that he turned to a leader of a different faith.
After witnessing the fierce persecution and torture of his people, the Prophetﷺ instructed a small group of Muslims to leave their land and homes to seek refuge with a just and wise leader: the Christian King of Abyssinia, Ashama Ibn Abjar (Aṣḥamah Ibn Abjar) .
The Prophetﷺ had taught the Muslims about the Quranic verses of Prophet Jesus (’Īsa) and his mother, the Virgin Mary (Maryam), and it was in the court of the Christian king that an interfaith dialogue took place discussing the commonalities and differences between their two great faiths.
When the Quraysh enemies pursued the Muslims to Abyssinia and demanded that Ibn Abjar return the traitors to them, he refused. Instead, this Christian king defended the Muslims, declaring he would not give them up for a mountain of gold. It was the Prophet’sﷺ foresight and faith in Christian leaders that had ensured his community’s survival.
Respect for a Jewish funeral procession
Ever true to his commitment of honoring people of other faiths, Prophet Muhammadﷺ would show his respect at the most sensitive and vulnerable of times.
One day, he was sitting with his Companions, when a funeral of a Jewish man was about to pass them. The Prophetﷺ immediately stood up to pay his respects to the deceased, as well as conveying his sympathy to the family who were grieving. Some of the Companions were confused by his actions, especially as people whose previous cultural environment prior to Islam had taught them not to show care or concern for anyone beyond their own circle. They questioned him as to why he was standing up for a Jew, and the Prophetﷺ simply replied, “Is this not a human soul?”
He taught his Companions a vital lesson of respect, grace and dignity, encouraging them to stand up for everyone, regardless of a person’s background. The Prophet’sﷺ actions also directed them towards the ethics of behavior, that when people are grieving and at the most heartbreaking points in their lives, you show them sympathy, honor and compassion, whoever they are. In this way, the Prophet’s very existence was a code of coexistence.
A delegation of Christians from Najran were welcomed to pray inside the Prophet’sﷺ mosque after an interfaith dialogue.
Hosting the Christians of Najran
Prophet Muhammadﷺ showed his followers that faith is not compromised by being hospitable and accommodating. In fact, treating visitors with respect and dignity is a sign of faith.
Towards the end of Prophet Muhammad’sﷺ life, there was a key example of his eagerness to engage with other faiths. By the year 630, the Prophet’sﷺ community in Medina was establishing itself and the Prophetﷺ had sent diplomatic letters to various leaders around the Arabian peninsula, seeking to build connections between the Muslims and various regional players.
One letter was sent to the Christians of Najran, who lived south of Medina on the border with Yemen. The letter contained an invitation to visit Medina and spend three days in a respectful interfaith dialogue in the Prophet’sﷺ mosque. Towards the end of the three-day stay, the Christians of Najran asked if they could leave the mosque to pray outside, but the Prophetﷺ invited them to perform their services in the mosque itself, welcoming them to use the same house of worship wherein the Muslims offered their prayers.
Prophet Muhammadﷺ showed his followers that faith is not compromised by being hospitable and accommodating. In fact, treating visitors with respect and dignity is a sign of faith. In all his interactions with people of different beliefs, Prophet Muhammadﷺtaught his community that he was not merely tolerating difference, but that he was embracing and energetically engaging with it.