Fundamentals of Interactions of the Infallibles with the People of the Book

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Ph. D Student of Philosophy of Religion, Imam Khomeini Education and Research Institute

Abstract

‘People of the Book’ is a term used to refer to followers of certain heavenly beliefs that either live outside Muslim lands or live in Muslim lands under certain conditions that they choose to accept. By analyzing the social, political, and economic interactions of Muslims at the time of the Prophet and Imams, we have tried to come up with certain fundamentals that must govern our interactions with them in this era. This article first briefly defines and explains the concept of the People of the Book and then analyzes the fundamentals given to us by the infallibles. These can be divided into four broad categories:  pivotal piety, good character of individuals, an attempt to maintain peaceful relations, and not trying to force anyone to accept the religion of Islam along with the consequences of infringing on their rights. The article reaches the conclusion that the interactions of the Prophet and the Imams were not like what the enemies try to portray, rather they were based on intellectual and social principles.

Keywords