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Muhammad's views on Christians were demonstrated through his interactions with them.
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Muhammad's nature toward Jews and Christians started to become a conflict after battles with the Jewish tribes in Medina and invasions by the Byzantines in Syria. When Muhammad began preaching to the Jews in Medina, they rejected him because he was not Jewish. They began to attack his followers. Next, they attempted an assassination plot on Muhammad himself. During the War of the Trench, they broke their peace treaty with Muhammad to help the pagan Arabs fight the Muslims. [1]
At the age of nine, Muhammad went to Syria with his uncle and had interactions with Christians. One important contact was with the Nestorian monk Bahira in Bosra, modern Syria who foretold to the adolescent Muhammad his future prophetic career.[2]
Waraqah ibn Nawfal was a Nestorian monk,[3] Mecca's priest or preacher according to some sources.
Waraqah is said to have believed in Muhammad as a prophet, but died as a Christian. After the early Sahaba ("Companions") faced intense persecution, Muhammad sent 90 of his followers to Abyssinia. There the Muslims were received by the Christian king Aṣḥama ibn Abjar.
In 630 AD Muhammad received a Christian delegation from Najran in Medina. Debate with Christians ensued some days. Finally the Christians asked Muhammad for peace and he accepted. Muhammad extended the hand of friendship towards them, a treaty was signed and both parties left on friendly terms.
Another Christian delegation this time from Iraq by Jesujab II was heading to Medina but Muhammad died before it arrived.[4]
According to Robert Spencer, Muhammad said in one Hadith:[5] When the last moment of the life of Allah's Apostle came, he started putting his 'Khamisa' on his face and when he felt hot and short of breath he took it off his face and said, "May Allah curse the Jews and Christians for they built the places of worship at the graves of their Prophets." The Prophet was warning (Muslims) of what those had done. Narrated 'Aisha and 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas Volume 1, Book 8, Number 427
According to traditional Islamic sources, in 628 Muhammad sent a letter to Heraclius inviting him to Islam. The Byzantine emperor received it while on a pilgrimage in Jerusalem and called upon a person who belonged to Muhammad's tribe Quraysh. According to Sunni tradition, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb came forward and a discussion between them took place.[6] At the end of the discussion the emperor said,
If what you say should be true, he will very soon occupy the earth under my feet, and if I knew that I would reach him definitely, I would go immediately to meet Him; and were I with him, then I would certainly wash his feet.[7]
In 629 according to tradition, Muhammad sent a force of 3,000 men to fight 100,000 Byzantines near Al Karak. The Battle of Mu'tah ended when both sides retreated.