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Why were some religious communities of the Middle East accepting of Muslim rule despite not converting to Islam themselves?

a) They were forcefully converted to Islam.
b) They were allowed religious freedom and social autonomy under Muslim rule.
c) Muslim rule did not affect non-Muslim communities.
d) The religious communities fled the region due to Muslim rule.

1 Answer

2 votes

Final answer:

Some religious communities of the Middle East accepted Muslim rule without converting to Islam because they were given religious freedom and social autonomy. They were allowed to practice their own religion and follow their own religious laws under Muslim rule. The Muslims saw Christianity and Judaism as precursors to Islam and did not forcibly convert these communities.

Step-by-step explanation:

Some religious communities in the Middle East were accepting of Muslim rule despite not converting to Islam themselves because they were allowed religious freedom and social autonomy under Muslim rule. The Muslims practiced a policy of religious tolerance and allowed non-Muslim communities, known as dhimmis, to practice their own religion and follow their own religious laws. They were also allowed to have their own religious courts to settle disputes among their own people. The Muslims saw Christianity and Judaism as precursors to Islam and did not forcefully convert these communities. Instead, they enforced a special tax called jizya on non-Muslims. In some cases, the non-Muslim communities found Arab rule preferable to the previous Byzantine rule as it offered them more safety and lower taxes.

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