The Old City of Jerusalem has witnessed countless historical events, but few are as profound in their implications for interfaith relations as the tale of Masjid Omar. This mosque, nestled amidst the alleys of the Old City, serves as a testament to the vision and magnanimity of the second caliph of Islam, Umar ibn al-Khattab.
In 637 CE, Jerusalem, then a Byzantine-controlled city, opened its gates to the Muslim forces after a peaceful surrender. The city’s surrender was significant, given Jerusalem’s religious importance to Christians, Jews, and the growing Muslim community.
Upon the city’s surrender, Caliph Umar traveled from Madinah to Jerusalem to accept its keys. He was received by Patriarch Sophronius, the Christian leader of Jerusalem. The Patriarch, recognizing the caliph’s stature, offered a guided tour of the city’s sacred spaces, including the revered Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The narrative takes a turn when, during this tour, the call to Muslim prayer echoed through the city. Sophronius, in a gesture of goodwill, offered Caliph Umar the opportunity to pray within the Church. However, Caliph Umar (RA), cognizant of the Church’s sanctity to Christians and aware that future Muslims might use his act as a precedent to transform the Church into a Mosque, declined. Instead, he prayed a short distance away, outside the church. This spot would later be commemorated by the construction of Masjid Omar (RA).
Caliph Umar’s magnanimity did not stop at this singular act. He also drew up the “Treaty of Omar”, an agreement with the Christians of Jerusalem. This treaty ensured their religious freedoms and offered protection to their places of worship. The provisions guaranteed that churches would remain untouched, and the Christian population would not be harmed or persecuted.
The Mosque’s establishment in the subsequent years stands as a beacon of Caliph Umar’s foresight and the Islamic principles of respect for other faiths. While it might appear modest compared to other grand religious edifices in Jerusalem, its significance lies in its story – a story of mutual respect, tolerance, and peaceful coexistence.
Today, as the world grapples with interfaith tensions, the story of Masjid Omar and Caliph Omar’s actions in Jerusalem serves as a poignant reminder. The mosque underscores the potential for peaceful coexistence and mutual respect between different religious communities, even in places as historically contested as Jerusalem. It is a legacy that continues to inspire hope for a future where religious diversity is celebrated rather than contested.
Treaty Of Caliph Umar (RA)
In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate.
This is the assurance of safety which the servant of God, ʿUmar, the Commander of the Faithful, has given to the people of Jerusalem. He has given them an assurance of safety for themselves, for their property, their churches, their crosses, the sick and healthy of the city and for all the rituals which belong to their religion. Their churches will not be inhabited by Muslims and will not be destroyed. Neither they, nor the land on which they stand, nor their cross, nor their property will be damaged. They will not be forcibly converted. And [as per the Christians’ request] Jews will not live in the same areas as them.
The people of Jerusalem must pay the taxes like the people of other cities and must expel the Byzantines and the robbers. Those of the people of Jerusalem who want to leave with the Byzantines, take their property and abandon their churches and crosses will be safe until they reach their place of refuge. The villagers [who had taken refuge in the city at the time of the conquest] may remain in the city if they wish but must pay taxes like the citizens. Those who wish may go with the Byzantines and those who wish may return to their families. Nothing is to be taken from them before their harvest is reaped.
If they pay their taxes according to their obligations, then the conditions laid out in this letter are under the covenant of God, are the responsibility of His Prophet, of the caliphs and of the faithful.
Witnessed by: Khālid b. Walīd; ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀs; ʿAbd al-Rahmān b. al-ʿAwf; Muʿāwiya b. Abī Sufyān.
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