Patterns of Peaceful Cooperation in Medieval Muslim Medina and Its Relevance to the Present

Abstract

The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) managed to reconcile multi-tribal, multi-religious society of Medina by treating people with dignity and honour. He created a society without racism and racial superiority; it brought various faiths and flavors together and helped to remove barriers of tribal biases. The Prophet used nonviolent methods to resist those who persecuted him and considered peacemaking to be more effective than aggression and violence. Despite some clashes that took place between Muslims and Jews during domestic security arrangements in Medina, the Prophet (PBUH) welcomed the increasing racial and ethnic diversity and engaged in linguistic and cultural interactions. People of all colors felt safer under Muslim rule because there was no racism against blacks and no concept of white and Arab supremacy, Islamic philosophy has only two categories of human beings (believers and unbelievers). Dialogue begins when people meet each other and depends upon mutual understanding that is why the Prophet (PBUH) had frequent social interactions with people of different backgrounds and to improve the quality of relationships within local community, the Prophet (PBUH) explored different tools. This paper discusses the Prophet's (PBUH) attitude towards other communities and the nature of religious accommodation and coexistence.