Non-Muslim’s Participation in Administration

Hazrat ‘Umar (ra) always used to consult Dhimmis in the affairs of state. When the question of land settlement in Iraq arose, he called a meeting in Medina to decide the matter. In this meeting the non-Muslim Chiefs of Iran and Iraq also participated.1

Again we see that in settling the affairs of Egypt, Hazrat ‘Umar (ra) always consulted Maquqas—the religious leader of the Egyptians before taking any decision.2

Similarly a Nestorian priest, a contemporary of ‘Umar (ra), writing about the political conditions of his area, says in a letter to a friend of his:

"The Muslims protect our religion, respect our priests and Pharisees and have bestowed lands and Jagirs on our churches."3

It is also worth noting that the Muslim caliphs used to invest the religious leaders of the Dhimmis with certain civil and administrative powers.4

The Muslims continued to treat the non-Muslims throughout the centuries in a similar manner. The door of every office of the government was open to them and they were given a fair deal in these matters. Thus we see that under the Umayyads and Abbassides, the Dhimmis were not only always consulted by the rulers but they were also appointed to the highest civil and military offices under the caliph. Thus, Hazrat Amir Mu‘awiyah’s personal physician and court interpreter, Ibn-e-Athal, who was a Christian, was appointed the governor of Hims by the Amir.

Even as late as the days of Aurangzeb in India it is recorded that once a Muslim officer of state objected to the appointment of two non-Muslim in his department on the basis of the Quranic verse:

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تَتَّخِذُوۡا عَدُوِّیۡ وَعَدُوَّکُمۡ اَوۡلِیَآءَ 

"O ye who believe! take not My enemy and your enemy for friends." (60:2)

On this application the Emperor remarked:

"Noted the contents of your application. Let it be clear once and for all that no Parsi or Hindu government servant can be dismissed simply because he is a non-Muslim. The verse that you have quoted in your report does not at all prove that a Muslim should have no relationship whatsoever to a non-Muslim. In fact, you have not quoted the verse in full, the complete verse is as follows:

یٰۤاَیُّہَا الَّذِیۡنَ اٰمَنُوۡا لَا تَتَّخِذُوۡا عَدُوِّیۡ وَعَدُوَّکُمۡ اَوۡلِیَآءَ تُلۡقُوۡنَ اِلَیۡہِمۡ بِالۡمَوَدَّۃِ وَقَدۡ کَفَرُوۡا بِمَا جَآءَکُمۡ مِّنَ الۡحَقِّ ۚ یُخۡرِجُوۡنَ الرَّسُوۡلَ وَاِیَّاکُمۡ اَنۡ تُؤۡمِنُوۡا بِاللّٰہِ رَبِّکُمۡ

"O ye who believe! take not My enemy and your enemy for friends, offering them love, while they disbelieve in the truth which has come to you and drive out the Messenger and yourselves from your homes merely because you believe in Allah, your Lord." (60:2)

This shows that this verse prohibits the Muslims to have relations only with those non-Muslims who compelled the Holy Prophet (sas) to migrate from his city by inflicting all kinds of cruelties on him and with those who did their most to persecute the Muslims. But there are others who are not like them and God does not forbid the Muslims to maintain good relations with, and to be generous to, them. Thus in another verse in the same chapter as the one quoted above God says:

لَا یَنۡہٰٮکُمُ اللّٰہُ عَنِ الَّذِیۡنَ لَمۡ یُقَاتِلُوۡکُمۡ فِی الدِّیۡنِ وَلَمۡ یُخۡرِجُوۡکُمۡ مِّنۡ دِیَارِکُمۡ اَنۡ تَبَرُّوۡہُمۡ وَتُقۡسِطُوۡۤا اِلَیۡہِمۡ ؕ اِنَّ اللّٰہَ یُحِبُّ الۡمُقۡسِطِیۡنَ ۝

"Allah forbids you not, respecting those who have not fought against you on account of your religion, and who have not driven you from your homes, that you be kind to them and act equitably towards them; surely Allah loves those who are equitable." (60:9)

"Therefore if your interpretation of the verse quoted by you were true, it would have been obligatory upon us to kill all the Rajas and non-Muslim subjects of India. The fact, however, is that the verse absolutely does not mean what you say. The offices of state are open to all, on the basis of ability and competence, irrespective of caste or creed. As far as religion is concerned, we should follow the Divine word: لَکُمۡ دِیۡنُکُمۡ وَلِیَ دِیۡنِ i.e., For you your religion and for me mine.'" (109:7)5