The Idea of Pakistan

Religious Rights and Liberty to Non-Muslims 
Non-Muslims in an Islamic state can freely profess their own belief 
system. Actually when the Qur’an inculcates the necessity for Jihad it 
mentions the protection of other religions before the protection of Islam 
itself. The order in which the protection of the places of worship is 
mentioned in the Qur’an is worth noticing and is very significant to 
appreciate the spirit of Islam and its philosophy of war. The Qur’an says: 
“Had there not been Allah’s repelling some people by others, 
certainly there would have been pulled down cloisters and churches 
and synagogues and the mosques in which Allah’s name is much 
remembered
45
.”
 
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In the above verse, the worship place of Muslims (mosques) is 
mentioned last and not first. This shows how much importance has been 
attached to the rights of freedom of worship and freedom of conscience, the 
rights from which so many other civil rights and liberties flow. 
Islam does not impose its own way of life or faith on others for, 
according to the teachings of Qur’an “there is no compulsion in din”
46
. 
However, this does not mean that Muslims should not preach Islam.
Muslims may invite non-Muslims to the fold of Islam but in a decent, 
cultured and behaving manner
47
. They are, however, forbidden to compel 
others to embrace Islam. It follows that non-Muslim minorities of the 
Islamic state can freely and fearlessly perform their religious ceremonies in 
places of their worship. It is explicitly forbidden in the tashri’i law of Islam 
to demolish or discrete the places of their worship
48
. The presence of their 
churches and synagogues in cities of the early Islamic state implies the Ijma’ 
of the Muslim umma to the effect that non-Muslims should have the places 
of their worship in the Dar al-Islam and that they must be protected from 
encroachment by others
49
. They are permitted to construct their churches 
and synagogues in cities other than those constructed by Muslims
50
. They 
are also permitted to construct places of their worship in cities where they 
are in majority. In Muslim majority towns, the point of constructing new 
churches and synagogues is controversial. Some hold that they can 
construct
51
. While others contend that they cannot construct the places of 
their worship in such towns
52
. There is however, consensus of opinion 
among the Muslim jurists to the effect that they cannot construct their 
churches or synagogues in Hijaz or its vicinity
53
. 
Likewise, non-Muslims are allowed to perform their rituals within 
the places of their worship. In towns where they are in majority, they may 
also perform their religious functions outside their churches and 
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synagogues
54
. They have also been given the liberty to beat their trumpets 
(for religious ends) any time in the day or night. However, during prayer 
times of Muslims they are not permitted to do so
55
and of course they must 
not do so. In fact, in safeguarding the rights of non-Muslims, Islam has 
given them such liberal concessions as to give them the liberty of 
maintaining even those practices which are forbidden to Muslims. For 
example, the consumption of intoxicants is forbidden to Muslims but the 
non-Muslims have the liberty not only of consumption but also of its 
manufacture, important sale subject to certain conditions
56
.
Non-Muslims of the Islamic state enjoyed their religious rights and 
liberties not only in the formative phase of the Islamic state but in later ages 
as well when liberal concessions seem to have been given to them in this 
respect. It is important to note here that the Umayyid caliph, ‘Umar bin 
‘Abd Al-‘Aziz who himself wondered why so much religious liberties had 
been given to non-Muslims by his predecessors, once inquired the learned 
scholar of the day, namely, Hassan al-Basri, about this. The answer of the 
latter was that the status given to them in the state was in lieu of the jizyah 
exacted from them and advised the caliph to keep firm to what his 
predecessors had done in that respect
57
.