Covenant between the Muslims and the Jews

When Muhammed (r) came to Medinah, he found himself confronted with many problems, internal as well as external. He was faced with aggression from the Quraysh and subversion and revolt from the hypocrites and the Jews of Medinah. Shortly thereafter, the Prophet (r) got a written document, which bound the Muhaajirun and the Ansaars to a friendly agreement. The covenant made the Jews a party to the treaty that guaranteed them the freedom of their rights and obligations. (Ibn Hisham, Vol. p. 501).

He made pacts and treaties of diverse natures with the Jews, but the most significant agreement which the Prophet (r) signed was with the Jews of Medinah.

It was not only an agreement with them but a proclamation on the part of the Prophet (r). It permanently established the central authority of the Islamic State of Medinah as well as that of Muhammed (r) as the chief administrator and ruler. It also established the rule of law in the country with one legal authority and one law for all people. The main provisions of this agreement are as follows. (Ibn Ishaq, The Life of Muhammed, pp231-235).

I begin with the Name of Allah, Most Merciful, Most Gracious

1. This is a document from Muhammed the Prophet (r) governing the relations between the believers and Muslims of the Quraysh and Yathrib and those who followed them and joined them and labored (fought) with them.

2. They are one community (Ummah) to the exclusion of all other people.

3. The muhajjirun of the Quraysh, according to their present custom, shall pay the blood-money within their own number and shall redeem their prisoners with the kindness and justice common among believers (ma'ruf).

4. The Banu Auf, according to their present custom, shall pay the blood money they paid in times of ignorance; every section shall redeem its prisoners with the kindness and justice common among believers.

5-8. The Banu Sa’idah, the Banu Harithah, the Banu Jusham and the Banu Najjar likewise.

9-11.The Banu Amr bin Auf, the Banu al-Nabit and the Banu al-Aus likewise.

12. Believers shall not leave anyone destitute among them by not paying his redemption money or blood money in kindness.

13. A believer shall not take away the freedom of another Muslim against his will.

14. The God-fearing believers shall be against the rebellious or him who seeks to spread injustice, or sin or enmity, or corruption between believers; the hand of every man shall be against him even if he be a son of one of them.

15. A believer shall not slay a believer for the sake of an unbeliever nor shall he aid an unbeliever against a believer.

16. Allah's protection (dhimmah) is one; the least (adna) of them may give protection to a stranger on their behalf. The believers are friends (mawali) one to the other to the exclusion of other people.

17. To the Jew who follows us belong help and equality. He shall not be wronged nor shall his enemies be aided.

18. The peace of the believers is indivisible. No separate peace shall be made when believers are fighting in the Way of Allah.

19. Conditions must be fair and equitable to all (in all peace treaties).

20. In every party, a rider must take another behind him (while doing military duties).

21. The believers must avenge the blood of one another shed in the Way of Allah. The God-fearing believers enjoy the best and most upright guidance.

22. No polytheist shall take the property or person of a Quraysh under his protection nor shall he intervene against a believer.

23. Whoever is convicted of killing a believer without just cause shall be subject to retaliation, unless the next of kin is satisfied (with blood-money), and the believers shall be against him as one man, and they are bound to take action against him.

24. It shall not be lawful for a believer who has agreed to what is in this document and believes in Allah and the Last Day to help an evil-doer or to shelter him. The curse of Allah and His Anger on the Day of Resurrection will be upon him if he does, and neither repentance nor ransom will be accepted from him.

25. Whenever there is a difference of opinion about anything, it must be referred to Allah and Muhammed for a final decision.

26. The Jews shall contribute to the cost of war as long as they are fighting alongside the believers.

27. The Jews of the Banu Auf are one community with the believers (the Jews have their religion and the Muslims have theirs'), their freedmen and their persons except those who behave unjustly or sinfully, for they hurt but themselves and their families.

28-35. The same applies to the Jews of the Banu al-Najjar, Banu al-Harith, Banu Sa'idah, Banu Jusham, Banu al-Aus, Banu Thalabah and the Jafnah, a clan of the Thalabah and the Banu al-Shutaibah.

36. Loyalty is a protection against treachery. The freedmen of Thalabah are as themselves. The close friends of the Jews are as themselves.

37. None of (the believers)? shall go to war, except with the permission of Muhammed, but he shall not be prevented from taking revenge for a wound.

38. He who slays a man without warning slays himself and his household, unless it be one who has wronged him, for Allah will accept that.

39. The Jews must bear their expenses and the Muslims their expenses.

40. Each must help the other against anyone who attacks the people of this document.

41. They must seek mutual advice and consultation, and loyalty is a protection against treachery.

42. A man is not liable for his ally's misdeeds.

43. The wronged must be helped.

44. The Jews must bear expenses along with the believers so long as war lasts.

45. The valley of Yathrib shall be a sanctuary for the people of this document.

46. A stranger under protection (jar) shall be as his host so long as he does no harm and commits no crime. A woman shall only be given protection with the consent of her family.

47. If any dispute or controversy likely to cause trouble should arise it must be referred to Allah and to Muhammed, the Messenger of Allah (r). Allah accepts what is nearest to piety and goodness in this document.

48. Quraysh and their helpers shall not be given protection,

49. The contracting parties are bound to help one another against any attack on Yathrib.

50. If they are called to make peace and maintain it, they must do so; and if they make a similar demand on the Muslims, it must be carried out, except in the case of the Jihad.

51. Everyone shall have his portion from the side to which he belongs; the Jews of al Aus, their freedmen and themselves have the same standing with the people of this document in pure loyalty from the people of this document. Loyalty is a protection against treachery. He who acquires anything acquires it for himself.

52. Allah approves of this document. This deed will not protect the unjust and the sinner. The man who goes forth to fight or the man who stays at home in the city is safe unless he has been unjust and a sinner. Allah is the Protector of the good and the Cod-man and Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah (r).

This was a historic document, which brought revolutionary changes in the body politic of the City of Medinah and gave it a new status. The main achievements of the document are summarized below.

1. It gave definite rights and duties to the participants in the document. The Muslims (the Ansaar and the Muhaajirun) and the Jews and their allies and helpers were all given these rights equally. Thus it was truly a Charter of Rights and Duties of the people of Medinah and the surrounding areas.

2. It established the authority of the central government of Medinah over Medinah and the surrounding areas.

3. Muhammed was now recognised as the undisputed ruler and leader of the people, including the Jews. He was established as the head of the legislative, executive and judicial powers and the final authority in all matters.

4. The Jews not only accepted Muhammed (r) as sovereign but also recognised Medinah as a sanctuary (a sacred city) like Makkah. They also accepted him as the final authority in all judicial matters and his decisions were to be accepted by all.

5. This document introduced a novel idea into politics. It brought morality into politics against all material and secular attitudes. Allah was recognized as the source of all Authority and Law and Muhammed was recognised as the Messenger of Allah (r) and as His agent.

6. It established the rule of law in the country. One law was applied to all, irrespective of caste, creed, color or race, and even Muhammed himself was not excluded. And interference with law in any form was strictly forbidden. Muslims and Jews and others were treated in the same manner before the law and no distinction was made in such matters.

7. Another revolutionary step was the establishment of one community (Ummah) out of the heterogeneous nature and structure of the multiracial society. The Muslims, the Jews and their allies were knit together into one community with one authority and one law for all as against the rest of the world. Thus the idea of oneness infused a spirit of unity and solidarity among the peoples of Medinah and made them one solid cemented structure against their enemies.

8. It also established Muhammed as commander of the allied forces in case of war.

9. It gave everybody equality and freedom of action and joined them together in the ties of human brotherhood. Thus it brought them all onto an equal level: the Ansaar and the Muhaajirun, the Jews and their allies and helpers were now politically and culturally equal.

10. It also made the matter of war and peace the exclusive concern of the central authority of Medinah. In other words, Muhammed was given the absolute right and power to declare war against, or make peace with, any tribe or power. The Jews and others had no right or power to independently declare war against, or make peace with, any outside power.

11. Military service was made compulsory and every citizen was required to take part in it.

12. It also made it obligatory for all Muslims and Jews to help one another in war and peace as well as in adversity and plenty.

13. In all judicial matters, the decision of the Prophet (r) was final.

14. The right of seeking revenge was transferred from individuals to the central authority. The individual could no longer take the law into his own hands, and had to go to the central authority.

15. It clearly forbade all participants in this document to give any kind of help or protection to the Quraysh of Makkah. The Jews did not honor this clause of the document.

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