MISCONCEPTION 5: Only Muslims Exist In An Islamic State

Ka'abah

Points:
(a) Jews were expelled from Madina
(b) Muhammad (SAW) executed Jews

(b) Propagation of other faiths is not allowed

REFUTATION

Jews were expelled from Madina

When the Muslims migrated to Madina, there were large Jewish communities present there. At that time however, most of the inhabitants of Madina had embraced Islam including the strongest tribes; the Aws and the Khazraj. The Prophet (SAW) was then declared the highest authority in Madina. 

The Prophet called all the tribes in Madina (Muslim and non-Muslim) together to get them all to agree on certain pertinent issues the most significant of them being that no Madinite will assists any enemy from outside to attack Madina and that should any external adversary come to attack Madina, all Madinites (Muslim and non Muslim) would come together to defend the city. 

This they all agreed to but, after the battle of Badr which the Muslims fought against the Quraish of Macca, the leader of Banu Nadir (a Jewish tribe), Ka’b bin Ashraf went to Macca to instigate the polytheists against the Muslims. He even signed a pact with Abu Sufyan who was still a polytheist then. 

These were all violations of the pact that was agreed on by the tribes of Madina and to which the tribe of Ka’b bin Ashraf was a signatory. All the major Jewish tribes were guilty of violating the pact, hence their expulsion. 

So we see that Jews were not expelled for not being Muslims, some other Jews who maintained respect for the pact and paid their taxes (Jizya) led normal lives in the Islamic state. 

When the Prophet was alive, he had a Jewish servant whom he cared for, so much so that when the boy (name was not mentioned) fell sick, the Prophet (SAW) visited him to get him to embrace Islam before dying; this he did. 

In the time of Umar bin Khattab, he came across two Jewish lepers who were begging along the paths, he was saddened by this and ordered that they be given monthly stipends from the state treasury. 

It should be noted that the payment of taxes by non Muslims in an Islamic state has been defined, this means that non Muslim can live freely in a state governed by the Qur'an.

Muhammad (SAW) executed Jews

The incident been referred to is the verdict on the Banu Quraiza. The incident still has to do with the violation of the treaties that were signed between the Muslims and the non Muslims of Madina. 

The Banu Quraiza openly sided with the pagans of Macca who came to attack the Muslims in Madina, Muhammad (SAW) took the ultimate step. After quenching the external threat, the Muslims faced the Banu Quraiza and fought them until they surrendered.

As was the wish of the Banu Quraiza, the Prophet (SAW) appointed Sa'd ibn Mu'adh, a Muslim from a Jewish tribe, to pass a verdict on the case. Thereupon, Sa'd ibn Mu'adh proposed the killing of the matured males as stated in the Torah.

"When you march up to attack a city, make its people an offer of peace. If they accept and open their gates, all the people in it shall be subject to forced labor and shall work for you. If they refuse to make peace and they engage you in battle, lay siege to that city.  When the Lord your God delivers it into your hand, put to the sword all the men in it. As for the women, the children, the livestock and everything else in the city, you may take these as plunder for yourselves. And you may use the plunder the Lord your God gives you from your enemies." Deuteronomy (20:10-14)

The verdict that led to the execution of the matured Jewish males was not passed by Muhammad (SAW), it was passed by a man chosen by Jews themselves and judgement was taken from their own book; Muhammad (SAW) only complied with their scripture.

Propagation of other faiths is not allowed

For anything to be propagated in an Islamic community, it must have been proven to be genuine. It’s not a new thing for Muslims to hold religious debates with non-Muslim as this was even encouraged by ALLAH. “Invite (all) to the Way of thy Lord with wisdom and beautiful preaching; and argue with them in ways that are best and most gracious, indeed your Lord well knows him who has strayed from his path, and He well knows the guided.” Suratul Nahl (16:125). 

A religion will have to prove that it is from the Creator of the Universe before it can be propagated otherwise, it will only breed corruption in the land. In the West, communist views are not tolerated at all because the authorities feel it lacks sound basis. There was McCarthyism in America in the 40s and 50s elements of which are extant.

When the early Muslims migrated to Abyssinia, the King called them to prove the authenticity of their faith which they did and were allowed to stay. 

Conclusively, it is proven from the Islamic scriptures and historical facts that the belief that only Muslims exist in an Islamic state is a misconception.