How did Muslims initially show tolerance?

Answer 1

Muslims showed tolerance by permitting the practice of religions other than Islam in the territories that they conquered. They also did not engage in a mass slaughter of the inhabitants of any major city, which was common practice in the Middle Ages.

Answer 2

The first potential practical demonstration of Islam tolerance is when Muslims got control of Makkah (or Mecca) that they were expelled from it without taking with them any of their belongings and properties. They didn't practice any revenge action. They didn't kill any of Makkah (or Mecca) people, irrelevant to his/her faith; and they didn't take any of their belongings or properties. They just destroyed the idols around Kaaba and left it back to Medina.

Another example, when they got control of Spain, they never destroyed any worship house, tree, or any building. they never forced any non-Muslim to convert to Islam. They transferred the Islamic civilization to Spain to the extent that many Europeans went to Spain for study.

Refer to question below.

Answer 3

One of the simple example for how Muslims have shown tolerance to Christians is that 14 million Arabs are Coptic Christians.

Muslims were the lords of Arabia for 1400 years. For a few years the British

ruled, and for a few years the French ruled. Overall, the Muslims ruled Arabia

for 1400 years. Yet today, there are 14 million Arabs who are Coptic Christians

i.e. Christians since generations. It proves the fact that Muslims are highly tolerant towards Christians as they are the people of the book. And Muslims respect them equally and have only tried peaceful means to enlighten them towards the path of Islam.

Answer 4

Why is this question in the past tense? Islam did and does classify Christians and Jews as "people of the book," viewing their religions as mislead but not entirely wrong. As a result, Islam has traditionally tolerated Christian and Jewish practice in under Islamic rule. This tolerance generally had a price. Jewish and Christian communities have frequently been subject to a tax and restrictions on such things as the right to ride horses or other signs of status. At times, waves of what we tend to call fundamentalism have swept through Islam, leading to forced conversions and more serious restrictions, but even 800 years ago, Islamic courts later invalidated conversions forced by such extremists.