TOLERANCE OF THE CALIPHS OF ISLAM TOWARDS NON-MUSLIM SUBJECTS: HISTORICAL EVIDENCE AND TESTIMONIES OF ORIENTALISTS

Abstract

From its very inception, Islam not only introduced the concept of global unity based on the doctrine of monotheism but also practically implemented principles of justice, equality, and tolerance in human society. This gave rise to a unique system of governance that challenged the oppressive and tyrannical regimes of its time. During the eras of the Rightly Guided Caliphs, followed by the Umayyads and Abbasids, the Islamic government protected the rights of non-Muslim subjects with justice and fairness, setting a shining example in world history. Non-Muslim citizens under the Islamic Caliphate known as "dhimmis" were granted complete freedom of life, property, religion, and worship. Moreover, the Islamic state itself guaranteed their religious, cultural, judicial, and economic rights. The rulers consistently maintained a policy of non-interference in their places of worship, religious leaders, and customs. The continuity of this tolerance is not merely an ethical claim but a reality supported by concrete historical evidence found in the Qur’an, the Prophetic Sunnah, and the conduct of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them).The legitimacy of this system of governance has been affirmed not only by Muslim historians but also by impartial Orientalists, historians, and observers, who have attested to the benevolent treatment, justice, and equality extended to non-Muslim subjects under the Islamic Caliphate. Statements by figures such as Edward Gibbon, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Thomas W. Arnold, and other Western thinkers testify that non-Muslims were not only secure within the Islamic state but also enjoyed the status of respected citizens. This essay, in light of historical evidence and Orientalist testimonies, aims to academically demonstrate the brotherly, just, and tolerant attitude adopted by the Islamic Caliphate toward its non-Muslim citizens a model that remains exemplary in today’s global social context.

Keywords: Tolerance, Caliphs of Islam, Non-Muslim, Historical Evidence, Testimonies of Orientalists