Prophet’s letter on the protection of Egyptian Copts
I am grateful to Saadi to have forwarded me the this amazing ancient text.
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The Letter of Prophet Muhammad
Below is the English translation of the extra-ordinary letter by Prophet Muhammad as a Charter of Privileges to Christians monks of St. Catherine Monastery at Mt. Sinai. It consists of several clauses covering all aspects of human rights including such topics as the protection of Christians, freedom of worship and movement, freedom to appoint their own judges and to own and maintain their property, exemption from military service, and the right to protection in war. It bears the hallmark of Islam and Prophet’s attitude about the right[s] of other religious practitioners.
* This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them.* Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.* No compulsion is to be on them.
* Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries.
* No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims’ houses.
* Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God’s covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate.
* No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight.
* The Muslims are to fight for them.
* If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray.
* Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants.
* No one of the nation (Ummah, the Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Last Day (end of the world).
The letter stands out as a beacon of extra ordinary pluralism and how deep the attitude of respect for another religious group can be extended.
More here
 Stop the discrimination against the Egyptian Copts - the Orthodox Coptian Church
The world must not make the present day Saudia Arabia as a touchstone of judging Islam’s treatment of other faiths. The Ottoman Empire respected other religions, a tradition that continues to date in modern Turkey.
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An excellent post
Here is an old post on Darvish that also has the blessed Prophet’s letters to the Assyrian Christians:
http://darvish.wordpress.com/2006/10/20/the-prophets-letters-to-christians/
It is a sin that today’s Muslim leaders behave with such disregard to his example.
Ya Haqq!
Comment by Irving — December 15, 2007 @ 12:33 am
Perhaps the neocon-worshipping Coptic jackasses from Egypt and the diaspora should read this and taken note.
But I highly doubt it since they prefer to be licking the boots of their Evangelical masters than to admit the truth.
Comment by Danial — December 15, 2007 @ 5:22 am
Is it safe to believe that this letter is authentic. If it is, then should we also believe that such accounts of the Prophet’s life and times have been kept out of the Muslim public’s reach under an organized conspiracy? This brings us to the question whether obscurantists are capable of implementing their conspiracies with such success. I mean, could they possess such cunning, when most of their actions seem to defy logic and reasoning?
Apart from that, if the modern Saudi Arabian law of banning public practising of any other religion, or any version of Islam other than Sunni Wahhabism, as well as the public display of their symbols, is contrary to the teachings of the Prophet, should we conclude that Saudi Arabia is the most un-Islamic country?
Comment by Shueyb Gandapur — December 15, 2007 @ 2:56 pm
Irving
thanks for the link and the comment. I was amazed at the letter you have posted - have to confess my ignorance - as Shuyeb says, such aspects of Islam are always kept in the dark from the poor Muslims lest they discover the real Islam and not the clergy tailored nonsense packaged as salvation..
Danial: yes indeed the neocon loving copt leaders need to be reminded of these historical facts..
Comment by RR — December 15, 2007 @ 3:34 pm
Well, this needs to be read by as many as possible of those who follow other faiths as well, in order for them to be able to respect Islam even more.
Comment by Sidhusaaheb — December 16, 2007 @ 12:49 pm
Pingback by Particles: January 2008 Archives — January 16, 2008 @ 1:19 pm
EPISTOLA PARA LA PROTECCIÓN DE LOS COPTOS EGIPCIOS (628 EC)…
Navegando por Internet me encuentro en el interesante blog de Raza Rumi la traducción al ingles de una interesante epistola del Profeta Mahoma que es una Carta de Privilegios para los monjes del monasterio cristiano de Santa Catalina en el Monte Sina…
Trackback by Rend Soul — January 26, 2008 @ 12:22 pm
…muslims highly discriminate against coptic egyptians.
just recently there was a mishap where muslims raided a monestry and broke monks legs threw a monk in a pit stoned him etc.
this behaviour is disgusting appauling and is greatly frowned upon.
the muslims in egypt should mind their own business and get on with their lives instead of interferring in the lives of the copts.
or maybe they should pay more attention to their so called prophet mohammed.
they need and must stop their disgraceful behaviour as worldwide they are now known as a looney religion with disgusting trades in australia even comedians take the piss out of them, and to the moron danial above get a clue ….!!!!!
Comment by the coptic — June 15, 2008 @ 8:29 am
i wish for every1 to read this article and be aware of the suffering the coptics go through this explains my above statement on the monestary attack.
PLEASE HELP SUPPORT THE EGYPTIAN COPTICS!!
they do not desevre such brutality and should be left in peace and be treated eaualy!!!
Comment by the coptic — June 15, 2008 @ 11:29 am
http://freecopts.net/english/index.php?option=com_content&
there is the link to the article PLEASE READ
Comment by the coptic — June 15, 2008 @ 11:29 am