Page 63 - Justice and Compassion in the Qur'an

61
HARUN YAHYA (ADNAN OKTAR)

Just Administration During the
First Periods of the Ottoman Empire

Right from the initial years of its development, the
founders of the Ottoman Empire adopted the principle of
administering justice. They administered the various
communities and disbelievers under their rule with great
fairness and never resorted to coercion to make them convert
to Islam. The establishment of peace was always their main
priority.
Osman Ghazi, the founder of the Ottoman Empire,
established strong friendships with the non-Muslims living
around his territory. These good relations ensured mutual
trust. For example, before Osman Ghazi took his people to the
high plateau in springtime, he entrusted his goods to the care
of non-Muslims in Bilecik, and months later returned with
28
gifts such as cheese, butter and carpets for them. The bazaar
in Ilıca-Eskisehir, a province within the territories held by
Osman Ghazi, attracted non-Muslims from the neighbouring
29
regions because of its security. Warm social relations with
non-Muslims permeated Osman Ghazi's time. One event the
historian Joseph von Hammer relates in his book, Ottoman
History, exalts Osman Ghazi's just administration for all
people, no matter to which religion they belonged:
One day, non-Muslims from Bilecik brought a load of glasses to the
bazaar. One Muslim bought glasses but did not pay for them.
When the salesman complained, Osman Ghazi called the Muslim
who had failed to pay, took the money from him and immediately
gave it to the non-Muslim. Following that, Osman Ghazi used his
town criers to order his people not to act unjustly towards the non-