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This article discusses Muhammad's attitude towards Christianity as well as his interactions with Christians during the 7th century.

Contents 1 Interactions 1.1 Pre-Islamic 1.2 Meccan period 1.3 Medinian period 1.4 Byzantines 2 See also 3 Notes 4 References

Before Muhammad started preaching Islam, at the age of forty, he had few interactions with Christians.

Waraqah ibn Nawfal was a Nestorian monk^[1], Mecca's priest or preacher according to some sources.

Waraqah is said to have believed in Muhammad as a prophet, but died as a Christian. After the early Muslim community faced intense persecution, Muhammad sent 90 of his followers to Abyssinia. There the Muslims were received by the Christian king Ashama ibn Abjar.

In 630 AD Muhammad received a Christian delegation from Najran in Medina. Debate with Christians ensued some days. Finally the Christians asked Muhammad for peace and he accepted. Muhammad extended the hand of friendship towards them, a treaty was signed and both parties left on friendly terms.

According to traditional Islamic sources, in 628 Muhammad sent a letter to Heraclius inviting him to Islam. The Byzantine emperor received it while on a pilgrimage in Jerusalem and called upon a person who belonged to Muhammad's tribe Quraysh. Abu Sufyan came forwards and a discussion between them took place.^[2] At the end of the discussion the emperor said,

If what you say should be true, he will very soon occupy the earth under my feet, and if I knew that I would reach him definitely, I would go immediately to meet Him; and were I with him, then I would certainly wash his feet.” ^[3]

In 629, Muhammad sent a force of 3,000 men to fight 100,000 Byzantines and Ghassanids, near Al-Karak. The battle ended when both sides retreated.

• Islamic Christianity studies
• Christianity and Islam

1. ^ Al-Jibouri (2007)
2. ^ Siddiqui (2007)
3. ^ Sahih Bukhari 4:52:191

• Al-Jibouri, Yasin T. Khadija Daughter of Khuwaylid, <http://www.al-islam.org>[1] (accessed January 8, 2007)
• Siddiqui, Muzammil. Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) as a Political Leader [2] (accessed January 8, 2007)