Biography- Prophetic Biography- Understanding the Prophet's Biography- (Lesson 47-57): the Treaty That the Prophet Made for Al-Madina Inhabitants
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Biography- Prophetic Biography- Understanding the Prophet's Biography- (Lesson 47-57): The Treaty that the Prophet made for Al-Madina Inhabitants Praise be to Allah, the Lord of Creations, and Peace and blessings be upon our prophet Muhammad, the faithful and the honest. Oh, Allah, w e know nothing but w hat You teach us. You are the All- Know er, the Wise. Oh Allah, teach us w hat is good for us, and benefit us from w hat You taught us, and increase our know ledge. Show us the righteous things as righteous and help us to do them, and show us the bad things as bad and help us to keep aw ay from them. O Allah our Lord, lead us out from the depths of darkness and illusion, unto the lights of erudition and know ledge, and from the muddy shallow s of lusts unto the heavens of Your Vicinity. Oh, dear brothers, in the previous lesson w e talked about the brotherliness that the prophet PBUH made betw een Al-Muhajereen ( the Immigrants) and Al-Ansar ( the Helpers).Today w e w ill move to the second stage of the administrative arrangements that the Prophet made to be as the strong base for the Islamic State. The Social Structure of Al-Madinah at the Prophet’s Arrival At the arrival of the prophet PBUH, Al-Madinah w as forming a various human mixture in terms of religion and faith, in terms of tribal belonging, and in terms of life style. There had been the Immigrants, Al-Aus and Al-Khazraj tribes, the pagans of Al-Aus and Al- Khazraj, the Jew s of Al-Aus and Al-khazraj, the three Jew ish tribes; Banu Qaynoqa’a, Banu Nazeer, Banu Quraiza, the Bedouins w ho w ere living w ith the people of Yathrib, non-Arab Muslims, the slaves and allies. They w ere earning their living by trade, agriculture, industry, shepherding, fishing and w oodcutting. Their housing distribution w as based either on villages, fortified houses or forts surrounded by fields and lands in w hich they enter after the falling of darkness, protecting their houses against invasions and raids. Their housing communities reached up to 59. Each tribe had a leadership that cared about its affairs and guaranteed its living and security. Wounds of Al-Aus and Al-Khazraj caused by Bu’ath w ar w ere not healed up yet. We can describe the general situation in Al- Madina by saying that it depended on the tribal system and on the tribes’ common traditions. In addition, illiteracy and ignorance w ere common among most Yathribans w hile the People of the Scripture w ere people of know ledge and religion. Never the less, they w ere practicing Riba (usury), exploiting trade and provoking disputes betw een Al-Aus and Al-Khazraj so that they could guarantee their superiority, interests and safety. Administrative and Social Model of Islamic Madina 1. Islamic Constitution for Both Muslims and Non-Muslims It’s certain that the Prophetic model applied by the Prophet in Al-Madina is divided into tw o harmonious directions; the first one is related to the Muslims w ho believed in Allah and His Prophet and w ho follow ed and adhered to Allah’s Shara’ (law s). The second one is related to the harmony and peaceful coexistence betw een Muslims ad non-Muslims w hether they w ere pagans or the People of the Scripture. The greatest mission carried out by the Prophet PBUH w as founding a general system and a comprehensive constitution that governed all al-Madinah Inhabitants, Muslims and non-Muslims O brothers, here is a detailed presentation of Al-madinah’s reality before the Prophet PBUH began organizing this society in order to transfer it to be a nation and a cohesive structure for establishing a state 2. Muslims Enjoy Administrative political social Civilization. Non-Muslims believe that Muslims are naïve and backw ard, but you'll see an unbelievable thing manifested in how the Prophet PBUH could organise this society in accordance w ith the highest degree of citizenship, rights and duties. Thus, organising is civilization, religion and progress. Allah, Most Glorified, created this universe in accordance w ith a marvelous system and Man is the viceroy of Allah in the earth and, thus, he should found this marvelous system, w hich's the evidence of success in life, in his society. 3. Islam has Assigned Individual Responsibility for the Muslim. Backw ardness means chaos and neglect in Islam. For example: The Porphet PBUH says:”If someone w orked as a doctor and w asn’t know n as a good doctor curing people, and if he caused harm or death for somebody, he w ould be responsible (pay blood money for death)”By Abu-Daw ud, Nasay, Ibn Majah and Alhakim So, he is responsible and w ill be held answ erable. The Prophet PBUH w as asserting that everyone is responsible for every task assigned to him. Allah, Most Glorified, says: "Then, by thy lord, w e shall question, everyone (92) of w hat they used to do (93)” [Al-Hijr Surah] Any society that doesn’t call its individuals to account for their mistakes is a society moving tow ards destruction. There should be a precise calling to account and integrated concepts. Islam is a religion of Coexistence 4. You w ill see later on how coexistence betw een different parties, sections and belongingnesses is part of Islam. What's the matter w ith those w ho refuse the other w hile the other is accepted in the Islamic society under a very precise treaty that included the Immigrants, Al Aus and Al Khazraj, the pagans of Al Aus and Al Khazraj, the Jew s of Al Aus and Al Khazraj and the Jew ish tribes. How could this Document gather all these dissimilar parties?! The concept of citizenshipin Islam. Coexistenceis principal in Islam. Accepting the other is principal betw een different groups is a constituent of Islam. The claim w e hear from the enemies of Islam from time to time saying that Muslims don't accept the other is a false accusation. The Prophet PBUH made an agreement that included Qureish, bne A'of, Al Harith from Al Khazraj, bne Sa'eda, bne Jashim, bne Annajjar, bne Amr bin A'of, bne Nabeet and Al Aus. Eventhough these people are of different parties, sections, groups and ranks, they're included by an agreement that defines very clearly their rights and duties. Analysis of the Prophet's Treaty: Study and Summary. First Analysis: Concept of One Nation The articles of the Treaty are very long. Before tackling some of these articles, I w ould like to present a study about it. Article 1 in this study states that all inhabitants of Yathrib w hether Immigrants or Yathribans and all those w ho follow them and fight w ith them are one nation. This concept of one nation has a present dimension for w hosoever lives in Yathrib and a future dimension for the w hole nation w here this Treaty secures all these inhabitants and those w ho follow them and fight w ith them. The concept of nation appeared firstly in Al Madinah w hile in Mecca Allah- Most Glorified- says: " Hast thou not seen those unto whom it w as said: Withhold your hands" (77) [Al-Nissaa Surah] The Prophet w as prevented to repel any irritation, any provocation, and even any crime because he w anted to establish conviction there. Also because there w as a Muslim and a disbeliever in every house and if he resisted, a civil w ar, w hich the Prophet has alw ays avoided, could have been w aged. So Allah - Most Glorified- says: "Say: He is able to send punishment upon you from above you" (65) [Al-Anaam Surah] w hich is thunderbolts, now adays the missiles, "or from beneath your feet" (65) [Al-Anaam Surah] w hich is earthquakes, now adays mines, "or to bew ilder you w ith dissension and make you taste the tyranny one of another"(65) [Al-Anaam Surah] w hich is the civil w ar: " make you taste the tyranny one of another". [Al-Anaam Surah] In Mecca the Prophet PBUH w as the most determined to turn aw ay from civil w ar due to the Quranic instruction: " Hast thou not seen those unto whom it w as said: Withhold your hands and establish w orship" (77) [Al-Nissaa Surah] There must be a preparatory phase w here the believer is prepared for strong conviction, or w here the believer should prepare himself for strong conviction. But after a w hile there should be an Islamic entity, an Islamic character, an Islamic stand, an Islamic attitude, an Islamic response, an Islamic analysis and an Islamic movement. This exactly w hat happened in Al Madina, w here the Prophet PBUH established an Islamic State. He accepted, perceived and embraced the reality. He recognized special traits and variables. He and his Companions constitute one article w hile the other groups, tribes, Jew s, pagans and Muslims constitute the other many articles. In summary, the first characteristic of this Treaty is that it made all Yathrib inhabitants: Immigrants, Yathribans and w ho follow s and fights w ith them- as one nation. This concept of one nation has a present dimension for w hosoever lives in Yathrib and a future dimension for the w hole nation w here this Treaty secures all these inhabitants and w hoever follow them and fight w ith them.