Christians Under Muslim Rule_ a Legacy of Fair Treatment
In This Thread We will be discussing the fair treatment of Christians, and how Muslims recused them.
Muslims rescued Christians from inter-religious and Byzantine persecution.
After the Chalcedon controversy, the East and West Church fought for centuries. Deprived of freedom and peace, Syriac Christian, John Bar Pankāyē, writing in 680 C.E. proclaims God put victory onto Muslim hands, removing Byzantine and Persian oppression.⁵ Additionally, 12th c. Jacobite Patriarch, Michael the Elder, shares the same sentiment proclaiming God — as an act of vengeance — brought forth the sons of Ishmael to save Christians and free them.
John Bar Pankāyē, 𝑹īš 𝑴𝒆𝒍𝒍ē —Book XIV
Sebastian Brock, 𝘚𝘵𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘺𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘤 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘺 (Britain: Variorum, 1992) 57.
Michael the Elder, in Book XI, Chapter 3, as translated by Jean-Baptiste Chabot in Chronique de Michel le Syrien, vol. 2 (Paris: E. Leroux, 1901, pp. 412-413), recounts how the arrival of the Arab Muslims, referred to as the “sons of Ishmael,” was perceived as a form of divine intervention. He describes how the oppressive treatment of the Orthodox Christians by the Byzantine Romans, including the plundering of their churches and monasteries and their merciless condemnation, prompted God to act.
According to Michael, God, in His justice and power, sent the Arab Muslims from the South to deliver the Christians from the cruelty of the Romans.
This reflects Michael’s view that the Muslims’ conquest provided relief to his community from Byzantine persecution and was seen as a fulfillment of divine will.
Islām provided fair-rule and freedom to other non-Muslims.
After a few conquests, 7th c. Eastern Orthodox, Jabrīl of Qarṭmīn, sought after ʿomar bin al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنه) in 639 C.E. to establish a treaty. Following a warm welcome, ʿomar had exempted churchmen from taxation; provided protection of the monasteries and permitted the practice of Christian customs. Hearing this, Jabrīl went back full of joy.
These events are agreed upon by numerous Orientalists such as Brock, Holyland and Palmer; also Syriac Orthodox historian Filoxenos Yuḥannā Dawlabānī.
The aforementioned tolerance is further corroborated by Pankāyē, speaking on Muʿāwiya’s (رضي الله عنه) control over the two major kingdoms. He established so much justice and peace, that none could’ve conceived of it.
Andrew Palmer, “A Critical Edition and Annotated Translation of the Qartmin Trilogy: Being the Lives of Samuel of Eštin, Simeon of Qartmīn, and Gabriel of Bēṯ Qūsṭān,” in 𝘔𝘰𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘔𝘢𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘛𝘪𝘨𝘳𝘪𝘴 𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘦𝘳, Microfiche Supplement
(Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989) LXII.
According to the source, Muslims, under the leadership of figures like Amr (Omar), treated Christian groups with fairness and mercy during their interactions.
In Studies in Syriac Christianity (p. 57), Brock shows how Mar Gabriel’s cooperation with the Arabs led to religious freedoms, tax exemptions for clergy, and protection for Syrian Orthodox Christians, reflecting the inclusive policies of early Islamic rule.
Robert G. Hoyland in Seeing Islam as Others Saw It (1997, p. 123) mentions that Mar Gabriel likely negotiated with an Arab general for tax exemptions for monks and priests, showing the practical agreements made under early Islamic rule.
Andrew Palmer in Monk and Mason on the Tigris Frontier (1990, p. 158) notes that Gabriel, as metropolitan of Dara, likely negotiated a treaty with the Arab conquerors in 639 during Caliph Umar’s reign, securing the rights and obligations of his Christian community.
The Monastery of Mar Gabriel recounts that during persecution by Chalcedonian bishops, Mar Gabriel welcomed the Arabs with kindness and assistance. His actions earned him respect and honor from the regional ruler, who treated him with high esteem.
John Bar Pankāyē in Rīš Mellē—Book XV (Brock, Studies in Syriac Christianity, 61) describes the reign of Mu’awiya as a time of justice and unparalleled peace. He permitted people to live freely according to their faith, requiring only tribute in return.
Even during Arab military campaigns, captives were taken, but religious diversity, including Christians of various sects, was preserved under his rule. This era of peace was noted as unprecedented by contemporary observers.