Özet:

Non-Muslims are generally categorized into three classes in terms of their relations with the Muslim administration: Non-Muslims who are citizens of a state with which Muslims are at war, Non-Muslims who are citizens of another state but are in the Islamic society for a while through security, Non-Muslims who live as citizens of a Muslim state and are called dhimmis. It is possible to summarize the principle that emerged regarding relations with non-Muslims in the direction of the practices during the period of the Prophet Mohammad and the Rashidun Caliphs as the greatness of Islam and world peace. Accordingly, the method to be followed by a Muslim administration in social relations should be to carry out activities aimed at ensuring peace and tranquility in the world in a balanced manner, without compromising the dignity of Islam. As a matter of fact, although the Prophet Mohammad paid attention to the freedom of Christians in the field of worship, he did not tolerate their activities that were contrary to Islamic principles and aimed at disrupting the social order. The Rashidun Caliphs also closely adhered to the practices of the Prophet Mohammad. The Umayyad period was a breaking point in terms of relations with the dhimmis. Because the Umayyad administration, which had great problems in terms of legitimacy and social support in the process that developed after the caliphate struggle against ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib, chose to benefit from Christian elements as support against the opposition. However, it is necessary to exclude ʿUmar b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz, who was sensitive about Islamic principles. In general, during the Umayyad period, non-Muslims living in the status of dhimmis in the Islamic society showed an important presence in the field of literature as well as in many areas of life. The poets of the Umayyad period originally belonged to Arab tribes. Among these, it is seen that Christian-Arab poets were especially more active in the field of politics and worked as propaganda officers of the Umayyad dynasty. The poetry of the Umayyad period was predominantly about factional politics based on kinship. In this context, political poetry expresses the conflicts between the poets of the groups opposed to the Umayyad dynasty and their rivals. The Umayyads needed and watched over the propaganda of Christian poets who praised them for their system of oppression. Therefore, the Umayyad caliphs greatly valued and favored the poets in order to incline the opposing groups towards them and sometimes to make them respond on their behalf. Christian poets did not always sing poetry for political purposes. Because greed for profit and position was also one of the reasons for writing poetry. A third group of Christian poets wrote poems only to express their feelings. The theme of their poems was usually alcohol. Although there were Christian poets from different tribes during the Umayyad period, it is noteworthy that the Banū Taghlib tribe was at the forefront in this regard. Because the majority of Christian poets belong to this tribe. Other prominent poets belonging to the Benî Tağlib tribe are Aʿshā Taghlibī and Shemʻal al-Taghlibī. Additionally, among the Christian poets belonging to other tribes of the Umayyad period, there are names such as Abū Zubayd al-Ṭāʾī, Ebû Qābūs, Hunayn al-Hīrī, Al-Qāsim b al-Tavīl al-ʻIbādī and Jawwās b. Kaʻtal. There were also poets during the Umayyad period whose Christianity is doubtful. The leading poets of these group are Mūsā b. Jābir, Qutāmī, Kāʻb b. Cuʻayl, Nābighat Banī Shaybān, Al-ʿAjjāj b. Ruʻba, Udayl b. al-Farh and Hudbah b. al-Khashram al-‘Udhrî. However, the prevailing opinion is that these poets were generally Christians before but later became Muslims. As a result, it is possible to summarize the Christian poets of the Umayyad period in three groups in terms of their aims: Those who propagandize the Umayyad dynasty by writing politically themed poems for their benefit, those who sing poetry to gain the satisfaction of the Umayyad dynasty in order to gain personal benefits, and those who sing poetry only for literary pleasure to express their feelings.

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