Religious freedom in Islam: The witness of the Qur'an and the Prophet

The words of the Qur'an and hadith contain rich resources for supporting the democratic order. If Muslims are to embrace modernity, including life in a pluralistic, democratic society, without abandoning their faith, they must take up the argument for religious liberty that is embedded in their history and that stands at the centre of their most sacred texts.

Although the broad thrust of the Qur'an and hadith supports religious liberty, many parts of these texts can be, and traditionally have been, interpreted as denying it. One example is a qur'anic verse (9:29) that deals with the question of the jizyah, a tax on non-Muslims: