Mohammed made explicit calls to treat people of other monotheistic faiths as brothers and sisters in religion. The most famous is the hadith where he asked Christians and Jews to pray alongside him in the mosque (even if they had no intention of converting to Islam). It is important to note, however, that he did not extend this tolerant attitude to the pagans, polytheists, and spirit doctors that he encountered throughout Arabia. Therefore, although he was incredibly tolerant for his period in history, he would not be considered tolerant by modern standards.
The case persisted through several courts and ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court, whose decision incensed abolitionists, gave momentum to the anti-slavery movement and served as a stepping stone to the Civil War.
