1. The missionary spirit- Political Contacts, Diplomacy & Relations.
Simultaneously, with the extending of invitations to tribes to accept Islam, Rasulullahﷺ also explored the possibility of widening his area of political activity. The political contacts of Rasulullahﷺ were based on three outstanding documents, viz., the first and second pledges of Aqaba, and the constitution of the Islamic state of Madinah. In the first pledge of Aqaba which some young men of the Ansar clans of Madinah executed with Rasulullahﷺ, there were matters of belief and morality such as those offering the pledge would not assign partners to God, would not steal or commit adultery, would not kill their children, would not unjustly accuse anyone and would not disobey Rasulullahﷺ in any act of virtue.
In the second pledge of Aqaba, the following items were also included: "That we will listen to and obey Rasulullahﷺ in everything whether in ease or in difficulties and whether we like or dislike any of his injunctions and whether we hold different views and that we will not be afraid of calumnies and never dispute the leadership." Thus Rasulullahﷺ established political contact with the Ansar and the foundation was laid for an Islamic state. This pact also declared that when Rasulullahﷺ migrated to Madinah the Ansar would protect him as they protected the members of their own family. Rasulullahﷺ at the same time appointed twelve persons of the Ansar as a representative to be responsible to Rasulullahﷺ for all matters concerning them.
According to Abdullah bin Abu Bakr, Rasulullahﷺ told these representatives, "You will be responsible for your community just as the companions of Prophet Jesus were responsible to their Prophet, while Rasulullahﷺ himself will be responsible for his community (of Makkah)." Thus the representatives were entrusted not only with religious responsibility but also political, and the administrative form given to Madinah was not only religious but also political and that on the very first opportunity it would form itself into a state as was done just a few months later.
The constitution intended for this state is the monument of the genius of Rasulullahﷺ which has no equal in history. No new state had ever been established without the use of some force. When the state is based on an ideology and is established in an alien atmosphere with the cooperation of divergent elements its peaceful establishment is a unique phenomenon and its constitution indicates the rare genius and political foresight of its framer. The parties to the contract included Muhajirs, the two great clans of Ansar, Aus, and Khazraj, their non-Muslim clansmen, the Jews, and various Jewish warring clans.
Rasulullahﷺ had a material relationship with the people of Madinah and had spent some of his childhood there. Thus he was not unfamiliar with the place, and after establishing contact with the people of Madinah in the early days of his preaching he had very carefully studied its political situation and obtained knowledge of the affairs of its various elements.
The entire population of Madinah at the time must have been about 5,000 of which nearly half were Jews and the Muslim group including the migrants and the Ansar could not have been more than 500. With this virilely organized minority, Rasulullahﷺ had taken up the leadership of a population of 5,000. The two clans of the Ansar which were divided into twelve sub-clans had a history of intermittent clashes and the general population was tired of these clashes and counter-clashes, for it always happened that some Arabs and some Jews on the one side and some of both on the other side fought their battles.
People were thus hankering after peace and constructive leadership. The two great clans of the Jews were also divided into ten subclans. When they saw the Ansar aligned with Rasulullahﷺ they found themselves isolated and when Rasulullahﷺ tried to appease the Jews and appealed to their finer feeling the ground was prepared for creating a politically unifying force. To understand the different elements of the population of Madinah to comprehend their political interests and problems and then to turn their psychological trend in a particular direction and all this in the briefest period was a feat of the highest political acumen which was awe-inspiring.
All these factors helped in the drafting of a constitution that contained 53 clauses. It began with the benediction "In the name of God, the Benevolent, the Merciful" and the very first sentence clarified the basic ideology of Islam. It declared:
"This document is from Muhammad Rasulullahﷺ, salutation, and peace upon him" The vital factor of this organized group was the Muslims, and its scope was indicated thus: "Between men of the faith and Muslims of the Quraish and Madinah and those who follow them and are attached to them and fight along with them", The Jews were included with the words "and those who are with the men of the faith", and constituted into one community.
Summary of The Madinah Constitution. (The Political Clauses)
(Clause 1). The Jews who cooperated with the Muslims would have equal civic rights.
(Clause 3 to 12). The Islamic term "in the path of God" was included in the constitution.
(Clause 13). Certain clans were specifically named to observe virtue and justice on lines agreed upon among the Muslim
(Clause 14). In case of any doubt or difference reference should be made to God and the prophet.
(clause 15). It was enjoined on all pious men of the faith to stand together in suppressing any crime or sin or oppression. In peace and war, all Muslims are joined together
(Clauses 25-35). Then it said, "In contrast to others, men of the faith are knit into one brotherhood"
(Clause 16). The responsibility for oppression or murder would be on the person concerned or his family (as the family had to participate in the blood money) and on no other.
(Clause 17). It was made incumbent on the men of the faith to stand together to avenge the bloodshed and that no one should give protection to a murderer, and if excesses were committed on them and blood was shed they should avenge it
(Clause 19),22). It was also enjoined that no Muslim should kill a Muslim or a non-Muslim nor any Muslim should help a non-Muslim against a Muslim ( (Clause 19) as also the term "tyranny", "virtue" and "sin" )
(Clause 20) and the word "The help is to the oppressed" as a specific Islamic principle was established as an international principle and that God was with him who was the most sincere and faithful in obeying the provisions of this constitution.
Clause 21). In the matter of expenses of the war, it was considered that some people, particularly the Jews might prove miserly and so it was resolved that every constituent should bear its own war expenses
(Clause 23). Muslims of the humblest position could give protection to anyone and all should respect it in the name of God.
(Clause 25). Thus while the Muslims were one community both in politics and religion and had a double responsibility non-Muslims had only political responsibility and were assured of religious freedom. Thus it was on basis of this constitution that the Islamic state of Madinah was founded and Rasulullahﷺ's leadership was established while an area of 100 square miles with a population of 5,000 was made its headquarters where for the first time ground was cleared for the spread of the Islamic message
(Clause 26). In the matter of defense it was resolved that if Medina was attacked, all the constituents would be bound to defend it.
(Clause 36) but in the case of a religious fight of any party, others would not be bound to participate in it It was also specified that pious men or faith were on the best and straight path.
(Clause 37). If any of the constituents of the constitution was attacked, all the other constituents would join against the aggressor. It was also enjoined that no one would take military action without the permission of the prophet. The responsibility of blood money and ransom for prisoners was as prevalent among the Arabs as also the responsibility of paying the debt of a poor debtor.
(Clause 39). All the constituent units of the constitution were declared to be one single community.
(Clause 44). The responsibility of blood money and ransom for prisoners was as prevalent among the Arabs as also the responsibility of paying the debt of a poor debtor. Religious freedom was assured to all with the word "for you your religion and for us ours"
(Clause 45). If the constituent were called to make peace everyone would participate In order to keep the Quraish out of this alliance it was resolved that no non-Muslim citizen would protect the person or property of anyone belonging to the Quraish nor would stand against a Muslim in this respect
(Clause 42,46,47). The geographical boundary of Medina of about one hundred square miles was declared not only as the primary base of the Islamic state but also a sacred city (Clause 39). All the constituent units of the constitution were declared to be one single community.
(Clause 44) . Religious freedom was assured to all with the word "for you your religion and for us ours"
All the agreements and pacts with the Arab clans were based on the principles enunciated in this constitution and as soon as the internal order was established Rasulullahﷺ started his international campaign, as Islam is a universal message that could not remain confined within the boundaries of Arabia. The success of Rasulullahﷺ's works is most astounding because, within the brief period of 13 years, he completed his preliminary mission and prepared a body of workers and in eight years' time he established an Islamic state after winning over all hostile forces and within his life carried the message to the surrounding states.
After performing his postponed Umra in 7 Hijra, Rasulullahﷺ sent a letter through special messengers to the rulers of neighboring countries. It may be noted here that under the government of those days, the people had no civic rights and the kings did not like any foreigner to approach their subjects directly.
That is why the letter was addressed to the kings directly and the form of address was "To the Chief of Rome" or "Chief of Iran" or "Chief of Qibt", and in the letter to the rulers of Iran and Rome, it was specifically stated that if they rejected the message the responsibility of the wrong action of their people would be on them. The form of address adopted in these letters was the prophet's own and the seal was prepared with the words "Muhammad, Rasulullahﷺ".
Each letter began with the name of God, the Benevolent and the Merciful after which was the name of the prophet as the writer and then the name of the addressee, and then in the briefest and most comprehensive words, the object was mentioned. A special phrase written in these letters was "Accept Islam and be safe" which was full of meaning: on the one hand declaring that Islam is the only path to peace, and on the other warning that if they rejected it they would not remain safe.
The letters were not stereotyped but took into consideration the peculiar conditions and religious trends of each country. Besides, the messenger sent to each ruler was one who knew their language. There were men among Rasulullahﷺ's companions who knew the languages of the neighboring countries on account of their commercial contacts while some of the companions were specially instructed to learn a foreign language.
Madinah Constitution:
After the Hijrah, the biggest problem Rasulullahﷺ faced was establishing unity in the cosmopolitan Madinah society. It was necessary to put out of the way any potential danger from within Madinah while struggling with the Quraish. In order to open up flanks, the center should not be problematical. Consolidating unity among Muslims by making the Ansar (residents of Madinah) and Muhajireen (immigrants to Madinah) brothers to one another, Rasulullahﷺ documented brotherhood with a written text. It would only be possible to unite with Jews and non-Muslim Arabs on the common interests of people from Madinah. As a result of negotiations, a text emerged that put forth the rights and responsibilities of each group. This text is referred to under the heading in classical Sirah of “agreements made in Madinah.” Compilers of the last period accept this as the “first constitution in the world and Islamic history.”
Uniting all the groups in Madinah under his rule at their own will, Rasulullahﷺ recorded one more of the most important and successful turning points of politics. The statement at the top of the document, “The Quraish and Yathrib (Madinah) believers and those in allegiance to them constitute a community separate from other people,” is very striking. When passages are classified under topics, this document includes around fifty articles.
It sets rules for many matters that are included in modern constitutions like state integrity; structure; organs; who is responsible for the administration, the judiciary, and legislation; belief and religious freedom; the sovereignty of law; the concept of the country; relations between individuals and administration; and rights and responsibilities.
The rules of the Constitution that revolved around the common interests of the citizens of Madinah can be summarized as follows: Except for religious wars, an attack made on one of the parties will be mutually defended; economic responsibilities like paying ransom and compensation will be met mutually; the ties of one party will be binding on the others; most importantly, no party can cooperate with the Quraish for any reason.
Thus, during the struggle against the Quraish and in the midst of the activities to spread Islam, treachery and dissension from the non-Muslims in Madinah were prevented; the roads to friendship between the Quraish and parties in Madinah were closed; and an opportunity was born for non-Muslims in Madinah, who were allied with Muslims in the new Islamic state and who lived intimately with them, to get to know Islam first-hand and through living examples.
Alliance Agreements
Establishing security and unity in Madinah and getting acceptance of his sovereignty, Rasulullahﷺ began political relations with tribes outside of Madinah. Rasulullahﷺ made agreements with surrounding tribes via detachments of troops or delegations he sent to them.
In the second year of the migration, he made agreements with the following tribes between Madinah and Makkah: Banu Damra, a three days distance from Madinah, and their branch, Banu Ghifar; several weeks later with the Banu Juhayna living in Buvat; and four months later the Banu Mudlich living in Zulushayra. At the end of the same year, an agreement was made with the Aslam Tribe. Similar expressions are used in all these agreements: they guarantee that the parties will not attack each other, and that they will remain neutral or when one of the parties is attacked, they will help each other.
With these agreements, Rasulullahﷺ made an agreement with these tribes before the Quraish did, prevented opportunistic attacks from their neighbors, and secured his surroundings while struggling with the Quraish. Beyond all these, with the agreements, the caravan route of the Quraish was put under control and blockade since the above-named tribes were all located on the caravan route.
Shortly after the migration, the tribes on the roads going north to the coast from Makkah had become Muslim or allies of Muslims.
This economic war Rasulullahﷺ waged against the mushrik Quraish was supported with another tactic. He sent five-hundred pieces of gold to Makkah, which was suffering from famine because they could not send caravans, and had it distributed to the poor, aimed at gaining the sympathy of the people.
Rasulullahﷺ announcing the Huzaa Tribe as an ally of the Muslims as a result of the Hudaybiyah peace was another part of his policy to put the mushrik Quraish under blockade. This tribe was close to Makkah. There is a letter of friendship from Rasulullahﷺ’s showing the cooperation between them. Rasulullahﷺ would get secret information from members of this tribe regarding the Quraish.
Hudaybiyah Agreement of Peace.
While, on the one hand, exhausting his strength for struggle by putting the Quraish under blockade, on the other hand, the Prophet was seeking an opportunity to sign a peace with them. By means of this peace, he would be able to realize some plans easily. As a matter of fact, the Jews were about to be a big danger to Madinah. The Khaibar Jews were trying to ally with the Fadak Jews by giving them Khaibar’s dates. Without resolving the Jewish matter, Muslims could be hit from behind by the Jews while at war with the mushrik Quraish or, while at war with the Jews, they could be hit from behind by the mushrik Quraish.
As a matter of fact, the treachery of the Banu Qurayza Jews in the Battle of the Ditch had caused the Muslims some major difficulty. In addition, in case of peace was to be made with the mushrik Quraish, power could be gained in regions like Bahrain, Amman, and Yemen, which were under the control of Iran and had been defeated by the Byzantines. It would be easier to spread Islam in an environment of peace.
In the 6th year of the Hijrah of Rasulullahﷺ headed off with 1400 Companions for the purpose of visiting the Kaaba. It can be thought that, by taking advantage of amnesty during this month when war was forbidden, there was an aim to make a dialogue with the Quraish with this trip. Rasulullahﷺ had announced that he would make an agreement with the Quraish regardless of the conditions, and he informed the Quraish of this decision. Actually, the Quraish who had become greatly weakened economically were in favor of this peace. After long negotiations, the agreement was signed.
Although at first glance some rules of the agreement may appear to be against the Muslims, actually it was a great conquest. The farsightedness of Rasulullahﷺ’s insistence upon signing this agreement in spite of all the resistance from the Companions was understood later. As a matter of fact, while returning to Madinah after signing this agreement, Surat Al-Fath was revealed and Allah announced that this peace was a clear victory.
Zuhri explains clearly why the Hudaybiyah Agreement of Peace was a conquest: “There could be no greater conquest than this in Islam. Previously people (pagans and believers) would fight when they came face to face. When peace was signed, war was left aside and people were sure of each other. When they met face to face, they talked and debated. Some became Muslim when Islam was explained to them. Within two years after this peace, the number of new Muslims was greater than the previous number of Muslims.”
With this agreement, the Quraish accepted the Islamic state as a party and officially recognized it. More than that, they showed their weakness by signing the peace and they indicated that they were abandoning the struggle. For this reason, the authority among the mushrik Arabs was completely shaken and Muslims began to assume the authority. This event elevated Muslims in the eyes of all Arabs.
After this, they began to enter Islam in large groups. Also, during this period of peace, Rasulullahﷺ, sending letters of invitation to all rulers and administrators he could reach with the means of that time, conveyed Islam’s message to very distant places. The Jewish presence in Madinah was eradicated at this time. Also, the abrogation of this peace by the mushrik Quraish gave a legitimate necessity for the Makkan conquest. Islam’s sovereignty was completed in Arabia with this conquest.
(The Prophet Muhammad`s Diplomatic Tactics in Alliances, Guarantees, and Agreements),¨¨ Erciyes UIFD, 5, 1988.
Thus, the demised of one who had enriched the world with a new message and new life, who suffered excruciating tortures in his efforts to take humanity safely to the right path, faced all reverses unflinchingly and accepted no remuneration for this great task.
The hostilities Rasulullahﷺ encountered for our sake, the most dangerous paths he treaded without taking anything from us, sacrificed everything for the establishment of the Islamic system and then created a new era of history, prepared a great nation, brought forth new worlds of thought and knowledge, made every part of our being indebted to him. And for this indebtedness no compensation that we can possibly pay will be adequate we, therefore, pray to Allah to accept our gratitude and from His unlimited treasure of Mercy, shower blessing on Rasulullahﷺ’s soul, raise it to the highest honor and status and give further life to his message and mission Amen!!
1.Naim Siddque ( Muhcsin al Inssaniyat)
2.For the entire text, please see, Polat, Salahattin, ¨¨Hz. Peygamber`in (SAV) İttifak, Teminat ve Anlaşmalarındaki Diplomatik Taktikler (The Prophet Muhammad`s Diplomatic Tactics in Alliances, Guarantess and Agreements),¨¨ Erciyes UIFD, 5, 1988.
