Page 57 - A Call for a Turkish-Islamic Union

Harun Yahya - Adnan Oktar

Justice and Compassion in
Justice and Compassion in
Islamic Morality
Islamic Morality

Islam's rapid spread continued even after the Prophet's (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) death. Within a few
decades, Islam spread to all of Mesopotamia and North Africa,
and reached Spain in the west and India in the east.
The Arabs, who had been tending their flocks in the desert
just a few decades ago, were now the rulers of an empire due to
the reason, culture, and awareness they had acquired through
Islam. This was the fastest growing empire ever. Within 100
years, the Muslim empire spread over an immense area and

firmly established itself. In this huge geographic area, many dif-
ferent religious denominations existed side by side. Most of them,
however, were composed of Christians and Jews. The Muslims,
as a general rule, were always very compassionate toward all re-
ligious groups in their lands, did not force people to embrace
Islam, and respected every person's freedom of conscience, for
Allah says:

There is no compulsion where religion is concerned. (Surat
al-Baqara: 256)
Churches and synagogues were protected. At a time when
enforced proselytization was a common practice, such compas-
sion was unique.
One of the most extraordinary examples of this compassion
was the conquest of Jerusalem. The patriarch of the city's Church

of the Holy Sepulcher feared that his church would be destroyed
by the Muslims. Thus, Caliph `Umar visited the church and said
that there was nothing to worry about. When the time for prayer
came, he asked the patriarch for permission to leave so that he
could pray nearby. The al-Aqsa mosque was built later on that
very spot.

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