Religious Plurality According to Ibn Battuta

Religious Plurality According to Ibn Battuta

Ibn Battuta was a pioneer to the Arab society; being the first person of his time to travel over 75,000 miles and to almost all Muslim countries, even as far as China and Sumatra (Hrbek). Unlike his contemporaries who traveled for reasons such as trade or education, Battuta did it "for the joy of learning about new countries and new peoples" (Hrbek). He was a modern day anthropologist. In this time period there were many religious minorities living under another religions control which had to be dealt with delicately. Though he was generally well received everywhere he went because of what he was doing and the fame he was earning, based on the accounts of his travels Battuta believed that the Muslim people showed greater respect and hospitality towards religious minorities than did other religions with a Muslim minority.

In Syria, the Pact of Umar was created to establish a set of guidelines which the Christians must follow in order to have peaceful relations with the Muslims. The fact that it is called a "pact" and not a legal code or set of laws says that the Christians generally had a lot of freedom. They were still allowed to worship their God but could not convert or preach to anyone, nor could they build religious temples in Syria. This is coming a long way from religious persecution in the Roman Empire. The solution of creating the "dhimma," or "protected person" was highly regarded by all people and protected religious minorities though they had to pay an extra tax (Pact of Umar). Though this is thought to be an idealized relationship between a ruling religion and a religious minority, not all religions directly adhered to it.

When traveling through Muslim ruled Persia, Battuta was welcomed everywhere he went and by all the people he met with food, money, and hospitality. After entering the city of Barsa, Battuta states, "The inhabitants are so friendly to strangers that a traveler has nothing to fear among them" (Travels 34). It is easy to believe that these accounts are biased because of a diaspora that binds all Muslims together. However, when he visited a Sheikh in Janja Bal, Battuta says that the Sheikh "bestows costly presents; and moreover clothes and feeds all who visit him" (Travels 64). This therefore states that no matter your religious preference the Sheikh will accept you and provide you with whatever you need. Along with this, Battuta asserts that "in every one of the stations in this country, there are cells provided for the religious, enquirers, and travelers: and for every one who arrives, there are bread, flesh, and sweetmeats" (Travels 38). This coincides directly with the section of the "Pact" that states "we shall keep our gates wide open for passersby and travelers. We shall give board and lodging to all Muslims who pass our way for three