and everyone to convert to Islam, but he would never force anyone to convert, since they did not truly believe in Islam. Muhammad and the Quran quite often address Christians and Jews directly. Under his subjugation, Muhammad had no expectations of the religions of the bookJudaism and Christianity. The Quran states that Islam, Judaism, and Christianity all worship the same god and that Muhammad himself is from the same prophethood as Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus. Q2: 62 and 5: 69 say that Christians and Jews and people called Sabeans, who "believe in God and in the Last Day, and who do right" have no cause to fear the Day of Judgment. Another verse, 29: 46 says that Muslims should not argue with the "People of the Book" unless it be by "fair means" because "our God" and "their God" is One. On a similar note, Q5: 48 says that God has given "a divine law and a traced out way" to both Muslims and to Christians. Therefore, they should "compete with each other in good works". At the Last Day, God himself will judge their differences. Jesus is described in the Qur'an as "God's Word" and as a "Spirit" (4: 171). When Muhammad gained power, he offered his religion to other Christian leaders, but he would not expect them to abandon their Christianity, but [only] to enter the umma on rather the same basis as the remaining Jewish clans in Medina (Muhammad, 212). All this meant was that Christians, Jews, and other non-Muslims were offered the protection of Muhammad as long as they never took up arms against their protectors; they could practice their own religion, but simply had to pay a tax for Muhammads services. If the Quran was unsuccessful in convincing people that Islam was the true religion, then Muhammad successfully implemented treaties based on tolerance that would successfully bring the entire Arabian Peninsula under his rule. While many were forced to sign the treaties under threat of military force, the end result was that w...
