End of Fitna Religious Persecution

One of the feats achieved by the Companions was the ending of fitna, that is, religious persecution. This was central to the mission of monotheism: to allow people to think freely.

One of the feats achieved by the Companions was in response to the Quranic injunction: “Fight them until there is no more (religious) persecution (fitnah)” (8:39). In ancient times, religious persecution (fitnah) was the greatest problem faced by those who accepted a faith other than the traditional one. This has been expressed thus in the Quran: “…Destroyed were the people of the trench, the makers of the fuel-stoked fire! They sat by it to watch what they were doing to the believers, whom they hated for no reason other than believing in God, the Almighty, the Praiseworthy.” (85:4-8)

Because religious persecution was the order of the day in ancient times, there was no freedom to choose one’s religion and a complete suspension of free thinking from all points of view. The rulers supported religious persecution, for they knew full well that it was favourable to their maintaining their political power. In a democracy, a political party takes its mandate from the voters, whereas in ancient times, the kings acquired the right to rule through idolatrous beliefs. The Companions of the Prophet ended the fitna, that is, religious persecution, which presented the main obstacle to religious freedom.