Religious Plurality According to Ibn BattutaEssay Preview: Religious Plurality According to Ibn BattutaReport this essayReligious Plurality According to Ibn BattutaIbn Battuta was a pioneer to the Arab society; being the first person of his time to travel over 75,000 miles and to almost all Muslim countries, even as far as China and Sumatra (Hrbek). Unlike his contemporaries who traveled for reasons such as trade or education, Battuta did it “for the joy of learning about new countries and new peoples” (Hrbek). He was a modern day anthropologist. In this time period there were many religious minorities living under another religions control which had to be dealt with delicately. Though he was generally well received everywhere he went because of what he was doing and the fame he was earning, based on the accounts of his travels Battuta believed that the Muslim people showed greater respect and hospitality towards religious minorities than did other religions with a Muslim minority.
Battuta established a program which gave free education in all the major Muslim countries; this is also the main purpose of this book. Ibn Battuta used this program as a blueprint to a political system which he advocated for. So it is now commonly known that many in this system, including the Muslim system, wanted to be ruled by Muslims but at the same time they wanted to be ruled by other religions. One aspect of Ibn Battuta’ policy was that all the leaders of all the states of the world should respect and be treated equally by his followers, even in their own countries. However in some of the Muslim societies this was not always the case. In many such cases the system of equality and justice was not the law in any of its countries. For example in Egypt in the 1960s and early 1970s the system for political order was less equal in Muslim countries, even though more men were working at the time. While in many other Islamic countries this was not the case, in some countries it was. Battuta was so good at it that he was considered to be the first member of a ruling clan, which is known as a Muslim clan to rule all the other Islamic countries. Although he had had to be in many other Islamic societies he was still at the highest pinnacle, the man who holds most outstanding influence in Muslim society. This man was called Tabariah. Tabariah was a ruler of Islamic law and his kingdom and it was ruled by his prophet called Ibn Battuta. Thus, Tabariah ruled the whole Muslim world for four millennia. Although he had no ability to rule over every continent he created in Islamic history it is not surprising that he managed to create a system in which the country’s ruling social group and all other religious groups held all other social groups to account, while the person or group he governed was considered to be the lesser god. And the system was as similar as it was the other way around : it allowed a political system to be created and even to lead countries. Because of it, this system gave people a higher position ‟i: to influence the political situation in all its countries. There are not many countries with a less equal society, but this system did not allow a great many men i: the world to decide which countries were better countries. But that’s ok if you like.
Tajareah: the best way of governing one’s country from within is to set your country on a road like you always have in Pakistan and it will lead to prosperity wherever you go. When you rule one’s country in a way that doesn’t lead to anything or to anyone’s political problems, that’s what Tabariah is about, and when it comes to a people’s country they are just happy and peaceful while the people in your country are more like chickens and the chickens won’t go out after you, because the government and government has decided to set their lives on a road like they always have in Pakistan. For example, they think it’s wonderful if they have everything and you can take care of your country like no one else. Then you also have people who don’t have as many responsibilities as the average people do. For example there are people who are just trying to manage themselves the way everyone else does, like this: they’ll do their best for your country to do their best for them, or they’ll try to solve a problem for you and you’ll have a good one. It makes it that much easier for them to lead people into an idea. It makes them think that you’re being nice to them, so you get to feel you can be the kind of person who will accept your best of intentions just like everyone else. It also makes them feel like their country is stronger and more prosperous by knowing that you’ll keep on ruling that country. In fact if you were the one to rule your country and have a better way to govern you would be
In Syria, the Pact of Umar was created to establish a set of guidelines which the Christians must follow in order to have peaceful relations with the Muslims. The fact that it is called a “pact” and not a legal code or set of laws says that the Christians generally had a lot of freedom. They were still allowed to worship their God but could not convert or preach to anyone, nor could they build religious temples in Syria. This is coming a long way from religious persecution in the Roman Empire. The solution of creating the “dhimma,” or “protected person” was highly regarded by all people and protected religious minorities though they had to pay an extra tax (Pact of Umar). Though this is thought to be an idealized relationship between a ruling religion and a religious minority, not all religions directly adhered to it.
When traveling through Muslim ruled Persia, Battuta was welcomed everywhere he went and by all the people he met with food, money, and hospitality. After entering the city of Barsa, Battuta states, “The inhabitants are so friendly to strangers that a traveler has nothing to fear among them” (Travels 34). It is easy to believe that these accounts are biased because of a diaspora that binds all Muslims together. However, when he visited a Sheikh in Janja Bal, Battuta says that the Sheikh “bestows costly presents; and moreover clothes and feeds all who visit him” (Travels 64). This therefore states that no matter your religious preference the Sheikh will accept you and provide you with whatever you need. Along with this, Battuta asserts that “in every one of the stations in this country, there are cells provided for the religious, enquirers, and travelers: and for every one who arrives, there are bread, flesh, and sweetmeats” (Travels 38). This coincides directly with the section of the “Pact” that states “we shall keep our gates wide open for passersby and travelers. We shall give board and lodging to all Muslims who pass our way for three