Respected Across Faiths

Christianity's Imperial Patron · First Profile

Constantine the Great

Roman Emperor · c. 272–337 AD · Emperor from 306–337

Faith: Christian; baptised shortly before his death. His personal religious development and the Christianity of his era are subjects of historical study.

Contribution: Alongside Licinius, he supported the 313 agreement commonly called the Edict of Milan, which established religious toleration and enabled Christian communities to worship openly and recover property. He also supported church building and convened the Council of Nicaea in 325.

Historical context: Constantine's reign was a turning point for Christianity in the Roman Empire, although he did not make Christianity the empire's sole official religion during his lifetime.

Non-Catholic · Muslim Caliph

Umar ibn al-Khattab

Second Rashidun Caliph · c. 584–644 AD · Caliph from 634–644

Faith: Muslim; a major early Islamic leader.

Contribution: Historical traditions associate Umar with assurances of safety for Jerusalem's Christian population after the city's surrender around 637/638. These accounts refer to protection for residents, churches, crosses, and Christian worship, and to a commitment against forced conversion.

Historical context: The exact wording, date, and later development of documents attributed to Umar are debated by historians. His rule should therefore be understood through both the protective traditions and the wider legal and political realities of early Islamic rule.

Non-Catholic · Muslim Sultan

Salahuddin Ayyubi (Saladin)

Ayyubid Sultan · 1137/1138–1193 · Sultan from 1174

Faith: Muslim; founder of the Ayyubid dynasty.

Contribution: After taking Jerusalem in 1187, Salahuddin negotiated terms that allowed many of the city's Christian inhabitants to leave through ransom arrangements. He also decided not to destroy the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, preserving an important Christian pilgrimage site.

Historical context: The conquest followed a major military campaign and involved warfare, ransom, and displacement. His treatment of Jerusalem's people should be described from multiple contemporary accounts rather than reduced to a legend of perfect tolerance.

Non-Catholic · Arab Christian

Waraqah ibn Nawfal

Meccan Christian scholar · Late 6th–early 7th century · Exact dates uncertain

Faith: Christian, according to early Islamic biographical traditions.

Contribution: Islamic accounts describe Waraqah as a learned Christian familiar with the Torah and Gospel. After Muhammad's first reported revelation, Khadija brought Muhammad to consult Waraqah; the tradition says Waraqah recognised the experience as a prophetic revelation and offered words of support.

Important clarification: Waraqah is identified in the sources as Khadija's paternal cousin, not Muhammad's direct cousin. The surviving accounts do not provide a secure, independently verified biography or exact dates for his life.