Yahya - Justice and Tolerance in the Qur'an (2003)

PEACE IN SOCIETIES WHERE TRUE JUSTICE PREVAILS
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earned the trust of everyone, be he a friend or an enemy, because he
kept his promises, even if they later turned out to be against his
interests. 39
Gibbon, the British historian, described Sultan Murad's
tolerance towards Christians by writing that he treated
Orthodox people much better than Catholics treated Orthodox
people. 40
All these examples reveal why the Ottoman Empire
gained great power so rapidly during its early years. The just
attitudes of the rulers had very positive effects on people of
different religions, and the Ottomans extended their borders
to far-off continents. The most important reason why this
expansion continued during the reigns of other sultans is this
same tolerant and just attitude. The tolerant and just
environment established in the time of Sultan Mehmed the
Conqueror is an established fact accepted by all historians.
True Justice was Established at the
Time of Sultan Mehmed the Conqueror
The conquests during the time of Sultan Mehmed the
Conqueror extended the borders of the empire to three
continents, and the conquest of Istanbul marked the
beginning of a new age. This conquest was a milestone in
European history as well as Ottoman. Sultan Mehmed also
practiced the justice and tolerance of Islam on the people of
the lands he conquered.
Sultan Mehmed's tolerance towards the People of the
Book is documented by the agreements he made. His tolerant
administration stemmed from Islamic tenets and included