The life of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ demonstrates numerous examples of tolerance towards representatives of different religions and beliefs. The events taking place in the modern world require us to appreciate the example of tolerance of the Missionaryﷺ in order to understand the lack of connection between the actions of those who hide behind religion and the moral core of Islam. The book "Prophet Muhammad ﷺ . An Example of Tolerance", published by the "Khuzur" publishing house of the Religious Board of Muslims of Tatarstan, allows the reader to plunge into the times of the birth of Islamic civilization, based on fundamental values, including tolerance.
The author of the book is Turkish theologian Nihat Hatipoglu, in the course of his narrative, often draws analogies between the facts of the early Islamic community and the trends of modern times. It is surprising how the high morality of the Missionary ﷺ , who granted non-Muslims the right to live peacefully in Muslim lands and showed concern for sick non-believers, contrasts with the evil happening today. The author bitterly observes how modern people are going through the “dark ages”, when Islamophobia is spreading, and some coreligionists are busy thinking about destroying each other. According to Professor Hatipoglu, Muslims will face many negative phenomena until they stop succumbing to the influence of hegemonic and colonialist forces.
It should be noted that “An Example of Tolerance” is the first work from the extensive list of publications of the Turkish scholar to be published in Russia in Russian. Nihat Hatipoglu graduated from the Faculty of Theology at Ankara University in 1981. In 2000, he received his doctorate after defending his dissertation on the role of Hadith in understanding the Holy Quran, and later received the academic title of professor.
The presented hagiography contains selected ayats of the Holy Quran, the history of the revelation of some of them, as well as a large number of references to collections of hadith, which confirms the scientific nature of the book. Probably, the average reader, only familiar with the sayings of the Prophet ﷺ , will be interested to know the circumstances under which people first heard certain words of wisdom spoken by the venerable Muhammad ﷺ . For example, “Make things easy, don’t make things difficult” was the main principle of the Prophet ﷺ . Therefore, he commanded his ummah to act mercifully, not forgetting about patience and compassion.
The book consists of three parts, each of which reveals in great detail the amazing tolerance of the Missionary ﷺ . The first two sections narrate the events surrounding the opening of Mecca. In this regard, the publication can become the next step in the study of the "sira" of Muhammad ﷺ . The refusal of the Prophet ﷺ to curse the Meccan pagans in the position of an outcast emphasizes the boundless mercy that he bestowed on his enemies even after gaining power as the leader of the ummah. Muhammad ﷺ 's political and diplomatic successes became the foundation for the spread of Islam throughout the world, but this happened not because of a desire for power or a desire to elevate Muslims, but thanks to the ideas embedded in the religion that the Missionaryﷺ preached.
Islam turned Muslim lands into the most advanced part of the civilized world. This period, both in terms of the degree of stability in society and the rationality of moral principles, and in terms of the high standard of living, the degree of tolerance and the relative absence of fanaticism, as well as the level of development of science and literature, is one of the brightest periods in the history of world civilization. The third part of the book, "The Great Leader Who Achieved Balance in Relations", reveals the secret of the broad political horizon of the Prophetﷺ , who proved by his behavior that peaceful coexistence of Muslims and non-Muslims is possible without attacks on each other's honor and dignity.
"Islam was not built through violence, but by winning people's hearts and creating a culture of mercy", - the author summarizes at the end of his work before summing up the results. The book "Prophet Muhammad ﷺ . An Example of Tolerance" is capable of decorating any library not only due to its expressive design. The soft cover and size of the publication allows you to take the book on a trip. However, reading the book itself gives you the opportunity to see the grandiose path that lies in following the example of the Missionary of the Almighty ﷺ - an example of tolerance for every Muslim.
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"