Guest Author - Serkan Tufan

Every time we hear the word Islam, some really marginal words came with it especially in the last couple of years. Also there is a massive interest in Islam and when people search about Islam or get to know muslim people themselves, they are shocked to say: I had no idea this was such a beautiful, loving and articulate belief system.

Most of the negative remarks come with media and really absurd examples and pictures that I have even no idea where they come from. Yet, I understand the people who have rather misconceptions about Islam since they are really led by media and negative sources to believe that there is this utophic religion of violence.

In this article, I want to take you to the golden age of Islam and how Islam governments treated other religions and other peoples in their time.

Islam history started with the divine revelations to Prophet Muhammad in Mekke (Mecca) in Arabian Peninsula in around 611 A.C. After 13 years, Prophet Muhammad and believers with him were forced to leave Mekke, then they migrated ot Medina, where the first Islam state and Islam community life established. There Muslims were the majority and Jews were another smaller community, followed by the Christians in less numbers. As the perfect example for humanity, Prophet Muhammad, first made an aggreement with Jews that declared their safety and ultimate rights to be protected by Muslims.

Indeed, Jews and Christians were named Ehl-i Kitab (the people of the testaments) as the followers of Abraham religion along with Muslims and they were considered as "believers" altogether in Medina document signed. This was just the beginning of the unique peace ages that Islam created. Indeed, treating others kindly was just the way of Quran:

Chapter Mumtehine Verse 8 says:
[8] Allah forbids you not, with regard to those who fight you not for (your) Faith nor drive you out of your homes, from dealing kindly and justly with them: for Allah loveth those who are just.

[9] Allah only forbids you, with regard to those who fight you for (your) Faith, and drive you out, of your homes, and support (others) in driving you out, from turning to them (for friendship and protection). It is such as turn to them (in these circumstances), that do wrong.

From Nisa chapter Verse,128:
"Peace /reconciliation is the best"

Now, in the next article, we will talk about civilization Islam brought to the world by giving examples from history.