Why Did They Become Muslims

after death, in the existence of Paradise and Hell. Every week they fill
their churches and synagogues. Their school curricula contains
compulsory religious lessons. If a person says that Europeans and
Americans are wise, modern and civilized and boastingly imitates
them in lying, drinking, indecency and fornication, on the one hand,
and does not believe as they do, on the other, is not he a liar? We
Muslims say that Christians are ignorant, idiotic, and regressive. For
they divinize Îsâ ‘alaihis-salâm’ and his blessed mother. They idolize
him, worship him, and thus become polytheists. Among them there
are people who work compatibly with the Sharî’at of Muhammad
‘alaihis-salâm’ in their worldly affairs. These people attain the
blessings of Allâhu ta’âlâ, living in comfort and peace. However,
because they do not believe in that exalted Prophet and in his Sharî’at,
they shall suffer the eternal fire of Hell.]
Now, in order to show you how a true Muslim should behave, we
shall translate a letter of our Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’:
The letter which our master the Prophet ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa
sallam’ had written (by his secretary) addresses to all Muslims and
reads as follows: [The original copy of the letter exists on the thirtieth
page of the first volume of Majmû’a-i-Munshaa-tus-salâtîn, by Feridun
Bey.]
“This letter has been written to inform of the promise that
Muhammad ‘sall-Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’, the son of Abdullah, has
made to all Christians. Janâb-i-Haqq has given the good news that He
has sent him as His compassion, and has assigned to him the task of
safekeeping the deposit entrusted to mankind. This Muhammad ‘sall-
Allâhu ’alaihi wa sallam’ has had this letter recorded for the purpose
of documenting the promise he has given to all non-Muslims.
“If anyone acts contrary to this promise, whether he be a sultan or
else, he will have revolted against Janâb-i-Haqq and derided His
religion, and will therefore deserve His condemnation. If a Christian
priest or tourist is fasting with the intention of worship in a mountain,
in a valley, in a desert, in a verdure, in a low place or in the sand, I, on
behalf of myself, my friends and acquaintances and all my nation, have
revoked all sorts of obligation from them. They are under my
protection. I have forgiven them all sorts of taxes that they have had
to pay as a requirement of the agreements that we made with other
Christians. They may not pay jizya or kharâj, or they may give as much
as they wish. Do not force or oppress them. Do not depose their
religious leaders. Do not evict them from their temples. Do not
prevent them from travelling. Do not demolish any part of their
monasteries or churches. Do not confiscate things from their churches
or use them in Muslims’ mosques. Whoever does not obey this will
have disobeyed the command of Allah and His Messenger and will
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