Al Haqeeqa
The very word “Islam” etymologically refers to peace and submission to the will of God. In that sense Islam is the same as Salaam, which is the same as Hebrew Shalom, meaning peace, with the special connotation of soundness and wholesomeness. Peace is so dear to Islam that every Muslim is ordered to greet another person on meeting “Peace be upon you”. In the Quran, God refers to himself as as-salam or peace, so as a Muslim, the yearning for peace is nothing but yearning for God.
Islamic history shows that Muslims and non-Muslims had lived in peace in Madina (first ever Islamic country) and in the successive states, wherein many treaties and pacts were signed between Muslims and non-Muslims. The constitution of Madina, an excellent example of peaceful coexistence among people of different religions, also clarifies that there is no scope for hatred in Islam. There were numerous treaties which were very important in the early history of Islam that showed tolerance and respect for other religions. According to the constitution of Madina which was prepared in 622AD under the leadership of Prophet Muhammad(PBUH), everyone was free to adhere to any belief or religion to make any political/philosophical choice and free to come together to form a peaceful society.
