‘Abdullah bin Rawahah (ra) was appointed collector of Khaiber by the Holy Prophet (sas). The Jews of Khaiber entered into an agreement with the state to pay half the annual yield of land as tax. When the harvest would be ready he would offer the Jews the option to divide it into two equal shares and give him the first choice, or let him divide the harvest into two shares if they wanted the first choice. At this just offer the Jews were touched and exclaimed.
"God is our witness, that it is justice of this kind on which the equilibrium of the earth and the heavens rests."1
Once a Muslim and a Jew had a quarrel and came to ‘Umar (ra), the second Khalifah, for adjudication.
After hearing the two parties and finding the Jew was in the right he decided in his favour. At this the Jew exclaimed:
"By God! You have judged rightly."2
Islamic history is full of examples of a similar kind. The judiciary was absolutely independent and the judges used to give their verdict without any fear or favour. Even the head of the state could be summoned to the court and satisfy the demands of justice as an ordinary citizen. Little wonder therefore if the non-Muslim prospered under the Muslim rule and were immune from inroads against their fundamental rights, conscience, life and property.
1 Fatuhul-Buldan, p. 24. (Beirut 2000)
2 Izalatul-Khifa’ ‘an Khilafatil-Khulafa’, Section 2, p. 120. (Suhail Academy, Lahore 1976)