Page 47 - Justice and Compassion in the Qur'an

45
HARUN YAHYA (ADNAN OKTAR)

given to a Muslim man to marry a woman from among
the People of the Book. On this subject Allah commands:

Today all good things have been made lawful for you.
And the food of those given the Book is also lawful for
you and your food is lawful for them. So are chaste
women from among the believers and chaste women
of those given the Book before you, once you have
given them their dowries in marriage, not in
fornication or taking them as lovers. But as for anyone
who disbelieves, his actions will come to nothing and
in the Hereafter he will be among the losers. (Surat Al-
Ma'ida, 5)
Throughout Islamic history, the People of the Book
have been always treated with compassion in Muslim
societies. This was particularly evident in the Ottoman
Empire. It is a well known fact that the Jews, whose rights
were denied and were exiled by the Catholic Kingdom of
Spain, took refuge in the lands of the Ottoman Empire. As
will be dealt with in detail in the following sections, when
Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror captured Istanbul, he
granted both Christians and Jews all their fundamental
rights. Throughout Ottoman history, Jews were regarded
as a People of the Book and enjoyed peaceful coexistence
with Muslims.

How Should a Muslim Regard Judaism?

As exemplified in the previous pages, throughout his
life, the Prophet (saas) treated the People of the Book with
the utmost understanding and justice. As a result of this
noble attitude, Abdullah ibn Salam, a prominent rabbi,