Dr M HARIS DEEN
LONDON
On this day when Muslims all over the world are remembering the birth of Prophet Muhammad (May peace be upon him), I wish to recall the most incredible legacy of peace and unity offered by the Prophet to the people of Yathrib on his acceptance by the people of that region as their leader on the Prophet’s migration to Yathrib 1445 years ago.
It is essential to highlight that Muhammad (May peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not enter Medina as a conqueror. He went there seeking refuge from persecution in Mecca. But strangely, the people of Yathrib (as Medina was called by the Arabs during that time) admitted the Prophet as their leader. Therefore, he (Muhammad Peace be upon him) sought the confidence of the Yathribite populace by declaring the “Saheefa”, a charter guaranteeing peace and protection to all the people. The Constitution of Medina, also known as the Charter of Medina (Sahifat al-Medina), is believed to have been written in 622-624 CE and is said to have been drawn up on behalf of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) shortly after the Prophet arrived in Yathrib as it was known then, in 622 CE which is the first Hijra year (1 AH).
The preamble to the charter declares the document to be “a book [kitab] of the prophet Muhammad to operate between the believers [mu’minin] and Muslims from the Quraysh tribe from Yathrib and those who may be under them and wage war in their company” declaring them to constitute “one community [ummah wāḥidah] separate from all other people”. It established the collective responsibility of nine constituent tribes for their members’ actions, emphasizing blood money and ransom payments. The first constituent group mentioned are the Qurayshi migrants, followed by eight other tribes. Eight Jewish groups are recognized as part of the Yathrib community, and their religious separation from Muslims is established. The constitution also established Muhammad as the mediating authority between groups and forbids the waging of war without his authorization. This constitution formed the basis of a multi-religious Islamic state in Medina. (Source Wikipedia)
The constitution was created to end the bitter inter-tribal fighting between the rival clans of Banu Aws and Banu Khazraj in Medina and to maintain peace and cooperation among all Medinan groups. Establishing the role of Muhammad as the mediating authority between the two groups and the others in Medina was central to the ending of Medinan internal violence. It was an essential feature of the Constitution. The document ensured freedom of religious beliefs and practices for all citizens who “follow the believers”. It assured that representatives of all parties, Muslim or non-Muslim, should be present when consultation occurs or in cases of negotiation with foreign states. It declared that “a woman can only be hosted by a host with the consent of her family” and imposed a tax system for supporting the community in times of conflict. It declared the role of Medina as a ḥaram (حرم, “sanctuary”), where no blood of the peoples included in the pact can be spilt.
This fact is extensively acknowledged by great scholars as follows:
George Bernard Shaw –”He must be called the saviour of humanity. I believe that if a man like him were to assume the dictatorship of the modern world, he would succeed in solving its problems in a way that would bring it – much needed peace and happiness” (The Genuine Islam, Singapore, Vol. 1, No.8, 1936)
Karen Armstrong
“But the very idea that Muhammad would have found any thing to be optimistic about in the carnage committed in his name on September 11th is an obscenity, because, as I try to show in these pages, Muhammad spent most of his life trying to stop that kind of indiscriminate slaughter. The very word Islam, which denotes the existential “surrender” of the whole being to God, which Muslims are required to make, is related to Salam, “peace.” And most importantly, Muhammad eventually abjured violence and pursued a daring, inspired policy on non-violence that was the culmination of his prophetic career. In imagining that the holy war was the culmination of his career, the fundamentalists (extremists) have distorted the whole meaning of his life.
Far from being the father of Jihad, Muhammad was a peacemaker who risked his life and nearly lost his closest companions because he was so determined to effect a reconciliation with Mecca. Instead of fighting an intransigent war to the death, Muhammad was prepared to negotiate and to compromise. And this apparent humiliation and capitulation proved, in the words of the Qur’an, to be a great victory (fat-‘h)….If we could view Muhammad as we do any other important historical figure we would surely consider him to be one of the greatest geniuses the world has known”. (A biography of the Prophet)
Annie Besant
It is impossible for anyone who studies the life & character of the great Prophet of Arabia, …., to feel anything but reverence for that mighty Prophet, one of the great messengers of the Supreme. And although in what I put to you I shall say many things which may be familiar to many, yet I myself feel whenever I re-read them, a new way of admiration, a new sense of reverence for that mighty Arabian teacher. (The Life & Teaching of Muhammad)
Thus, it can be seen, far from being dictatorial, the Prophet of Islam – Muhammad (on whom be the peace and blessings of God) adopted a semi-democratic form of administration to unite the peoples of different faiths as one community. An excellent example for nations in conflict to promote peaceful coexistence not only within their own territories but worldwide.
May the peace and blessings of God be showered upon Prophet Muhammad.
