Islam is a religion of peace and peace in any society cannot be established without tolerance, it could be in the form of tolerating difference of opinion or in the form of recognizing the existence of different religions or ethnic groups in a society.

 Islam strongly believes in the unity of mankind and people speaking different languages and belonging different nations is only for the purpose of identification, they do not convey anything about a person’s worth as a human being.

 Oh! Mankind we created you from a single pair of male and female and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of is he who is the most righteous of you (Quran 49 : 13)

 And among in his sign is the creation of the heavens and the earth and the variations in your languages and your colours: verily in that are signs for those who know. (Quran 30 : 22)

Religious diversity is based on the will of god and each community and nation is free to practice it’s religion and adhere to it’s traditions.

 If it had been your Lords will they should have all believed, all on earth, will you compel against their will to believe (Quran ; 10 : 99)

The truth is from your Lord let him who will believe, and let him who will reject,( it) (Quran 18 : 29)

 It’s clear from the above Quranic statement that every individual is absolutely free to exercise his choice in respect of belief, conviction and worship.

 It is this broad concept of tolerance as expounded by Islam, which made Muslims to co-exist with other communities and religious group in an atmosphere and environment of peace and harmony.

 With the migration of the prophet from Makkah to Madinah and the establishment of the first Islamic state the Jews who formed an important part of the Madinate Society was recognized as a distinct, autonomous community within the Islamic state.

 Prophet Mohammed S.A.W entered in to an agreement, which is popularly known as “Charter of Madinah” with the inhabitants of Madinah. According to terms of this charter, Jewish religion, law and Institution became a sacred trust whose protection became a responsibility of the   state of Madinah.

 After the establishment of the state of Madinah, the Christians of Najran, a neighboring territory came to Madinah to negotiate with the prophet their place in the new society. Prophet concluded a treaty with them whereby he pledged to protect their religious rights and to preserve the sanctity of their monasteries ⁽¹⁾.

 With the expansion of Islam within hundred years after the death of the prophet and with the spread of the Muslim rule to include the areas and countries that were under the Byzantine and Sassanaide emperors Muslims encountered different races, religions and cultural traditions as a result of which Islamic world became cosmopolitan, multi-ethnic and multi-religious in it’s social structure.

 Prof. Seyed Hussain Nasr describes it as follows:

 In the case of Islam it is particularly interesting that it is the only religion before the modern era, which had confronted every major religious traditions of mankind. It had encountered Christianity and Judaism it is birth place, Zoroastrianism and Manichaenism and Mithraism in Persia, Shamanism and Religions in Central Asia and Mongolia, the native African religion South of Sahara and of course Hinduism and Buddhism in India and Eastern Persia ⁽²⁾.

 The Muslims rulers practiced same spirit of tolerance and magnanimity taught by Islam in relation to diverse ethnic groups and religious traditions in all countries that came under their sovereignty. The non-Muslim communities enjoyed complete freedom in the management of their affairs and their religious leaders exercised judicial freedom in the cases that concerned their co-religionists ⁽³⁾

 Sri Lanka as a Model:

 While many studies have been made about the peaceful co-existence of Muslims with non Muslim in Muslim states, very little attention has been focused on co-existence of Muslims in non Muslim state, Burma (Myanmar), Sri Lanka, Thailand and China are some of the Asian countries where Muslims have co-existed with the other majority ethnic and religious communities, and each non Muslim state have had experiences unique to it’s historical situation.

 Generally speaking the co-existence of Muslims in the Asian region has it’s own unique features, sometimes leading to integration, and in other instances to assimilation.

 The spread of Islam in the Asian region is the result of gradual extension of Arab trading activities in the Indian Ocean. Gujarat in Western India, Malabar cost of South India and Sri Lanka in South Asia, Thailand and Malacca in South East Asia and China are countries where Islam spread through the peaceful trading activities of the Arabs. In these countries where Islam came not as a conquering, proselytizing force but as a religion, which struck, it’s roots through peaceful means, there ensued a harmoniums relationship with other communities.

The account of Arab travelers of the 10^th century speaks about the Muslims settlement in Cambay and other principle towns of Gujrat where they were living peacefully with other inhabitants and also being well treated by the kings. The Arab travelers speak very favorably about the friendly attitude of the King Balhara towards Muslims. Moreover the it’s stated that on one occasion King Jayasinghe of Gujarat personally visited Cambay to investigate a complain of a Muslim trader suggests the concern shown by the rulers to Muslims. Muslims settlement in Gujrat had their own mosques on lands made available to them by the state, the inscriptions in Somnath Patan mentions about a mosque built on the land donated by the local king.

Kerala in the Western Cost of India is another region where Arab trading activities   were responsible for the spread of Islam. It’s port Crangore had attracted Arab merchants from Yemen and Hadramouth from very early times. It was this trade relationship that resulted in Muslims settlement in Kerala. Muslims of Kerala lived in cordial relationship with other communities, enjoyed the patronage extend to them by the local kings According to Ibn Batuta the Arab traveler of 14^th century, Mangalore, Quilon and Calicut were important Muslims settlements they had there own mosques and practiced their religion in a peaceful atmosphere. But the advent of the Portuguese in the 15^th century disrupted the peace and tranquility that prevailed in Kerala as far as Arab relations with that country were concern ⁽⁴⁾.  

Sri Lankan model of co-existence of Muslims with other with other communities, mainly the majority Buddhist community, has it’s unique features in many respects.

 Sri Lanka is a much multi ethnic, multi religious country in which the Muslims constitute eight percent (8 %) of the total population, Muslims who have a history of over a period of thousand years in Sri Lanka, had co-existed with majority Buddhist community in an atmosphere of peace and harmony in this country.

 In the eastern province of Sri Lanka the Muslims have co-existed with the Tamil Hindu community and had lived in peace and harmony until recent times in which their cordial relationship was disrupted and subjected to strain due to certain political developments. Our focus in this study is mainly confined to the co-existence of Muslims with the majority Sinhala community, the followers of Theravada Buddhism.

The central position of Sri Lanka between Africa, India and China, made it a busy center of commercial activities from very early times and it’s spices and gems for which it had acquired international fame, drew to it’s shores travelers from various part of the world. One of the ancient nations to trade with Sri Lanka was Arabs to whole Sri Lanka was known as “Jazerat – ul – Yaqut” or the Island of rubies ⁽⁵⁾. It was also known to them as “Serendib” :Sailan” and “Sahilan”⁽⁵⁾.

 It was due to the peaceful trade activities of Arabs with the Island, the religion of Islam over the years spread in this country. Muslims who had established their trade settlements in the costal ports enjoyed total freedom to engage in trade and practice their religion in a peaceful atmosphere. The relations between the Sinhalese and the Muslims were very cordial. Muslims traders were allowed to live freely at the ports and traders from Arabia Yemen and India were allowed free access to them. Muslims in the ports enjoyed many concessions. They were allowed to practice their religion without any interference. They were permitted to settle their dispute according to their religious laws.

An Arabic inscriptions belonging to the 10^th century discovered in Colombo, an early Arab settlement is an important source of information about the religious freedom enjoyed by the Muslims under the Sinhala kings.

This inscription was erected over the tomb of Khalid bin abu Bakaya, a religious teacher sent by the caliph of Baghdad at the request of the Muslims to instruct them on religion. He performed his missions and died in Colombo in 948 AD (336 AH).

An account of the inscription was given by Alexander Johnston chief justice of Ceylon during the British period in a paper read by him before royal Asiatic society of great Britain and Ireland ⁽⁶⁾.

 Historians draw many important conclusions from these inscriptions about the cordial and harmonious relationship that existed between the Muslims and Sinhala Buddhist community during this period. The fact that Muslims were able established contact with Baghdad and solicit the assistance of the caliph to send a teacher for religious instructions shows the extend of tolerance that prevailed in the country and also total absence of discrimination

This is further collaborated by an incident narrated by the Arab historian Al-Baladhuri , (According to Al-Baladhuri (D:829 AD: 213 AH) the king of the Island of rubies (Jazerat – ul – yaqut) had sent by a ship some orphan girls who had lost there parents in Sri Lanka to Hajjaj bin Yousuf, the Umayyad governor, the ship that carried the girls were attacked by sea pirates near modern Karachi. it was this incident that led to the annexation of Sind in 715 AD ( 96 AH) to the Umayyad empire) ⁽⁷⁾.

The fact that Muslims that enjoyed the trust and goodwill of the Sinhala rulers could also be seen from the statement of Al-Idrisi, an Arab geographer and traveler of 12^th century Al-Idrisi mentions about a council of sixteen at the royal court consisting of four Buddhist, four Christians, four Muslims, four Jews ⁽⁸⁾.

In view of the healthy relationship Muslims had established with the rulers, the Muslims were assigned by Sinhala royalty to perform various duties that were related to the economic   well being and at time involving the security of the country. The Sinhalese king of Yapahua, Buvanekabahu (1273-1284) (671-682 AH) sent a diplomatic mission led by a Muslim, Abu Uthman to the court of Sultan Qualaun of Egypt ⁽⁹⁾. The aim of this mission was to establish trade contact with Egypt, it’s relevant here to mentioned the Arab coins belonging to the period of Sultan Qualaun (1279-1290) (677-688 AH)have been discovered between Colombo and Kandy.

During the Kandiyan period of Sri Lankan history the kings   employed Muslims on very important missions and some of this missions are of highly confidential nature, involving the security of the state. This further shows the trust and the confident of the Sinhala king in Muslims.

With the arrival of the Portuguese in Sri Lanka in 1505(910 AH),the Muslims who were considered by the Portuguese as rivals in trades and enemies of their religion, were subjected to many hardships, trials and persecution.   Portuguese enacted very harsh laws, which prevented the Muslims from practicing their religion in public. According to a decree enacted in 1576 (983 AH), it was prohibited to invoke the name of the prophet in the call to prayer, in addition, orders were given to seize the copies of the Quran. Mosque were destroyed and churches were built in their sites ⁽⁹⁾.

With the persecution of the Portuguese Muslims of Sri Lanka who had co-existed peacefully in an atmosphere of harmony and mutual understanding encountered a critical situation. Their strong social oganization centered around the “masjid” and “kuttab” faced a crisis situation. At this critical juncture, the Muslims had no other alternative but to move to the interior of the Island to practice their religion in a free atmosphere and to preserve their religious and cultural identity. The Sinhala kings welcomed them to their territory. It was in the interior Kandiyan kingdom that the co-existence of Muslims with the Sinahal Buddhist found it’s fullest manifestation due to two important factors, the tolerance and magnanimity of the Kandiyan kings towards the Muslims, and the accommodative nature adopted by the Muslims to the new situation.

Although the Muslim traders and the Sinhalese peasants had peacefully co-existed for centuries it was in the Knadiyan kingdom the integration of the community took it’s perfect form and structure.

The kings and the Buddhist Bhikkus provided temple lands to Muslims for the purpose of construction of mosques. A notable instance of magnanimity is that the Buddhist Bhikkus of the Ridi Vihara had given a part of the land belonging to the temple for the erection of a mosque, and also allocated a portion of the land for the maintenance of an Imam. It’s said that the mosque still stands on the land that belongs to Ridi Vihara.

The mosque at Pangollamada was built on a land belonging to Degalduriwa Vihara (Temple) the present Meera Makkah mosque in Knady was built on a land gifted by Sinhala king ⁽¹⁰⁾.

There also instances of Muslim boys receiving their education in Buddhist monasteries. While studying Sinhala language and indigenous medicine in these monasteries, facilities were provided for the Muslim boys to perform their prayers and to attend the Quranic classes ⁽¹¹⁾.

But under no circumstances there were attempts made to convert the Muslims. While integrating themselves with the social structure they maintained their religious and cultural identity. In the Kandiyan kingdom Muslims acted with loyalty and won the confidence of the rulers. They served in the kings army and fought against foreign invaders. There were also occasions in which they functioned as envoys of Sinhala kings.

The king Kirti Sri Rajasinghe sent his Muslim physician Gopala Mudhaliyar to Pondicheri in India seeking the assistance of the French against the Dutch who had occupied some part of his kingdom.

Muslims also served as physicians to the Sinhala kings, the family of Muslim physician known as Gopala Moors played a significant role in this field. A member of this family was at one time in charge of Department of king’s physician. Sinhala kings have granted them lands and also copper plate known as Sannasa in appreciation of their         services ⁽¹²⁾.

Generally speaking, the history of Muslims of Sri Lanka is a history of peaceful co-existence with other communities in the pluralistic Sri Lankan society. They lived in peace and harmony with the majority Buddhist community, contributing to the common progress and prosperity of the country, attaining influential position in the royal court of the Kandian kings and even integrating with the Kandian social structure, Maintaining their religious identity. The unique feature of this peaceful co-existence is that there was no any pressure towards total assimilation at any stage of history as it happened in the case of some other Asian countries.

Dr, Lona Devaraja who had made a serious study about the co-existence and ethnic integration of Muslims of Sri Lanka, mainly with majority Buddhist community, had made some interesting observations about the co-existence of Muslims in Sri Lanka in comparison with that of the Muslims minorities in other countries in Asia. She takes as case studies Thailand and Burma, the countries where Theravada Buddhists are in majority as in the case of Sri Lanka. Muslims constitute in Thailand eight percent (8 %) of the total population and Islam had long history of co-existence with Thai Buddhism. As in the case of Sri Lanka. Muslims were dominant in the field of trade and commerce and integrated themselves in the Thai society enjoying the confidence of the Thai royalty. They were accorded complete freedom of religious practice and as in Sri Lanka the state grants were given for the construction of mosques. Muslims of Thailand served as diplomats and advisers to Thai kings. But in contrast to the Muslims of Sri Lanka. Thai Muslims had assimilated in the Thai culture, speaking Thai language, adopting Thai names and dress. Similar is the case of Muslims of Burma. In Burma Islam spread due to the Arab trade with the ports of Burma. The Burmese Muslim community over the years assimilated to the extend of giving up their language customs and dress while retaining their faith. Although Burmese Muslim enjoyed the freedom to practice their religion built their own mosques, there was no continuous unbroken tradition of co-existence as in the case of Sri Lanka.

In the case of China, Islam spread due to the Arab commercial activities from the eight century and Chinese Muslims maintained their contacts with the Muslims main land. Some Chinese Muslims attained a position of distinction. In this respect mentioned must be made of Cheng Ho (1371-1435 AD) (772-838 AH) a Muslim admiral who had attained fame and admiration as a diplomat and military strategist. He was sent on number of diplomatic missions by the Ming emperor Young Lo.

But with arrival of Portuguese in the east Muslims lost contacts with the main land. The policy of forced Sinicisation over the years pulled them more towards assimilation.

Sri Lanka in many ways stands in contrast to other Asian countries noted above as a unique model of peaceful co-existence. Muslims never under went a process of assimilation, what in sociological terms may be called, a melting port syndrome, loosing their cultural identity. They co-existed with major community integrating themselves with the ethnic mosaic of the Sri Lankan nation retaining their religious and cultural identity.

 Reference:

1. Ibn Hisham, Al-Seerat al-Nabawiyya, Egypt, 1335 AH / 1936 AD, Vol – II , PP : 147 – 156

2. Professor Seyed Nasr,Religion and Religious – The challenge of the living Multi in a Multi – religious world, North Carobina, 1985, PP : 15-16

3. Dr, Amir Hussain Siddeqi,Non Muslims under Muslim Rule, Karachi, 1969, PP : 22

4. Mendis V.L.B,Currents of Asian History, Colombo, 1981, PP : 408-415

5. S.A.Imam, Ceylon – Arab Relations, Moors Islamic Cultural Home Souvenir, 1944-1965,

     PP : 10-13

6. Transaction of Royal Asiatic society of Great Britain and Ireland,Vol – I, Part – I, London, 1824.

7. Al- Baladhuri,Futhuh-ul Buldan, Cairo, 1396, PP : 423

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9. W Codrengton, A Sinhalese embassy to Egypt, in the journal of the Royal Asiatic society (Ceylon Branhc), No – 72, 1919, PP : 82-84.

10. W Codrengton,Ceylon coins and currency, Colombo, 1924.

11. Boxer C.R, The Portuguese sea born empire 1415-1825, London, 1969.

12. Lorna Dewaraja,The Muslims of Sri Lanka – One thousand years of ethnic harmony 900-1915, Colombo, 1994, P : 113

The paper presented at the International Conference organized by the Muslim World League, Makkah, Saudi Arabia. On “Peaceful Co-Existence in Islam” held at Hilton Hotel, Colombo,Sri Lanka 7-9 July 2006