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 different 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 religious 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 compassion was unique.
THE ISLAMIC IMPRINT c.800-1200
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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.
The Muslims gave Jerusalem one of the world's most spectacular works of architecture: the Qubbat as-Sakhrah (Dome of the Rock), which was built on the rock believed to be the place from where Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) ascended to the heavens. The stunning motifs and golden dome of this architectural masterpiece reflects Islam's sense of art and civilization.
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Qubbat As-Sahra
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In this environment of compassion, non-Muslims were even given the democratic right to voice their complaints. During the Umayyad era, many Christians in Damascus (Sham) occupied important positions in the state bureaucracy and fulfilled their religious obligations as they wished. Some wrote even books that criticized Islam and Muslims without fear of retribution.
At the same time, Europe was governed by a dark fundamentalism and barbarism. The Catholic Church was oppressing the Jews and even Christians of other denominations. Forced proselytization, as well as torture and murder in the name of religion, were common. On the other hand, Muslims have always treated the People of the Book (Jews and Christians) with compassion, for Allah orders this in the Qur'an.
The St. John church of Damascus is another example of this compassion. The Muslims who conquered the region began to perform their Friday prayers in the church, and allowed the Christians to continue to use it for their Sunday services. Two separate faiths were sharing peacefully the same sanctuary. As the number of Muslims in the city grew, the Muslim leadership bought the church from the Christians with their consent. Next door, a mosque was built, and the décor of the forecourt buildings was enriched by Islamic motifs. Byzantine-era pillars were decorated with stunning examples of Islamic art.
Throughout the history of Islam, its compassion toward Jews and Christians continued. Jews fleeing the terror of the Spanish Inquisition found refuge and peace on Ottoman soil. The source and reason for such compassion was the morality of the Qur'an, for Muslims are told:
Only argue with the People of the Book in the kindest way—except in the case of those of them who do wrong—saying: "We believe in what has been sent down to us and what was sent down to you. Our God and your God are one, and we submit to Him." (Surat al-'Ankabut: 46)
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