Over the course of the 20th century tolerance and liberalism have been conflated such that the two are often used interchangeably: to be liberal is to be tolerant, and to be tolerant is to be liberal. Tolerance has been claimed not just as a central tenant of liberalism, but increasingly as the sole preserve of liberalism. However, there is a tension at the heart of this relationship that this paper will explore through and engagement with the political thought of two Islamic thinkers.