Page 66 - Justice and Compassion in the Qur'an

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JUSTICE AND COMPASSION IN THE QUR'AN

A letter written by the Archbishop of Thessaloniki,
Gregory Palamas, who was captured by the Ottomans in 1355,
explicitly reveals the compassion displayed by Orhan Ghazi
and his officials towards Christians. In his letter, Palamas
stated that Christians enjoyed complete freedom in Ottoman
lands, that Solomon Pasha, the son of Orhan Ghazi, asked him
questions about Christianity and that Sultan Orhan himself
had a discussion with him, as well as Muslim theologians and
scholars. 37
Orhan Ghazi's compassionate and just administration was
not limited to Christian communities. Jewish communities
also benefited from the justice stemming from the noble spirit
of Islam that manifested itself in Orhan Ghazi's
administration. Having lost everything they held dear under
the rule of other states, Jews in Edirne and other Thrace towns
received the Ottoman conquest with pleasure. 38
The Ottoman Emperor's favourable attitude to Jews also
continued during the time of Murad I. Byzantine historian
Chalcondylas described Sultan Murad's just and tolerant
administration as follows:

Regardless of their religion, the people who obeyed and served him
received generous and kind treatment. He was tough on those who
were hostile. None of his enemies succeeded in escaping him. He
earned the trust of everyone, be he a friend or an enemy, because he
kept his promises, even if they later turned out to be against his
interests. 39
Gibbon, the British historian, described Sultan Murad's
compassion towards Christians by writing that he treated
Orthodox people much better than Catholics treated Orthodox
people. 40