Q. & A. 711 to 1707 with solved Papers css 1971 to date

Duties and Obligations of Peace and War
1 have already described that the valley of Yathrib (Medina) shall be a sanctuary for the people of this document. So according to

- this document: Peace and war shall be observed in common. Each must help the other against anyone who attacks the people of Medina. If at any stage the Muslims are invited to make peace, Jews of Medina shall also accept the same terms and conditions and followed them. Same happened with the Muslims except religious matters. Prohibition of Civil Strife

Another revolutionary step was the establishment of one community out of the heterogeneous nature and structure of the multi-social 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. If anyone fights with the people of this community, he will be jointly resisted by them, that is, by the Jews and the Muslims. Political Duties of the Jews
According to this document, the Quraysh and their helpers shall not be given protection. Duties Towards Peace and Blood-Money
The Muslims must avenge the blood of one another shed in the way of Allah. The Muslims enjoy the best and most upright guidance. The parties will pay blood-money on equal basis and they will ransom their prisoners out of their own treasury, so the relations between the parties of the document may be based on equality and justice. Duties of the Muslims
According to this document, no Muslim will assassinate a Muslim on behalf of an infidel, nor is he to render help to a nonMuslim against a Muslim. Freedom of Worship
It gave everybody equality and freedom of religion and action in the city state of Medina. Jews are free to profess their religion. IMPORTANCE
This was an historic document which brought revolutionary changes in the body politic of the city of Medina and gave it new
The Prophet (PBUH) at Medina
97
status. The main achievements of the document are summarised below.
The guarantee of peace and protection of life, property, sanctity of women and liberty were all incorporated in the charter of Medina was assured of peace and prosperity as long as the citizens remained loyal to its terms. Thus the Holy Prophet (PBUH) succeeded in creating an Ummah of the Jews and the Muslims of Medina.
A careful exam-’nation of the text shows, however, that it was more than a treaty of alliance. The first part indeed reflects to us more than an attempt at reconciliation between the tribes; it is infact a convention for fusing ail the rival attempts of the Arab tribes in Medina to constitute one nation in distinction from the rest of the people. It is, in other words, a constitution for the Islamic state in its embryonic stage rather than a loose alliance of tribes. In this Muhammad (PBUH) had attempted to dissolve the narrow tribal loyalties within a superstructure, rjy shifting their focus of attention to a new religion and state.11 Thus the various Jewish clans were blended together with the Muslims under the leadership of Muhammad (PBUH) into a community. The feuding code was abolished and the murderer was subjected to blood vengeance and deprived of any assistance from any quarter. The Jews and the Muslims were to resist external attacks as one community. In case of war, if the city was not attacked, the Jews were obliged to contribute towards war funds though not compelled to participate actively in the war.’2
Tor Andrae has commented in the following words: ”The Law of Medina congregation are the first draft of the theocratic constitution which gradually made Islam a world empire and world
religion Whosoever acts contrary to the religious authority
cannot even be protected by his nearest relatives. Islam is to become not only a religion but also a brotherhood.”13
The treaty abolished the local territorial and tribal alliances so conspicuous in the history of Arabia. The principle that there is no confederacy (Hilf) in Islam was accepted. Now two groups within ^n community were to establish a specially close relationship, for
1 Safdar Husain, Outline of Islamic History, India, 1980, P.I 10.
!Ibid
’ Tor Andrae, Muhammad (PBUH), The Man and His Faith, London, 1909, P. 136.

98 Political and Cultural History of Islam

this could amount to a denial of Islam and would imply that the protection given by Muhammad (PBUH) or his successors was incomplete. The sub-divisions into which the tribal Arab was divided became redundant in theory. The movement of unification started by this treaty was amply justified by later events which showed that Islam was capable not only of doing away with divisions and subdivisions but of expanding itself into an efficient and effective commonwealth and a living force.14
According to H.G. Sarwar, ”This treaty was made more than thirteen centuries ago. Is there any example of any prophet or reformer having ever made such a treaty of peace with those who profess a rival faith ? Protection of life, or property, of the modesty of women, of liberty and the guarantees of pr,ace are all included therein.”15 The foregoing political document, which Muhammad (PBUH) wrote down fourteen centuries ago, establishes the freedom of faith and opinion, the inviolability of the city, human life, and property, and the forbiddance of crime. It certainly constitutes a breakthrough in the political and civil life of the world of that time. For that age was one in which exploitation, tyranny, and corruption were well established. Though the Jews of Banu Qurayzah, Banu Nazir, and Banu Qaynuqa did not sign this covenant at its conclusion, they did enter later on into like pacts with the Holy Prophet. Thus Medina and all the territories surrounding it became inviolate to their peoples who were now bound to rise to their defense and protection together. These peoples were now bound to guarantee one another in the implementation of the covenant, in the establishment of the rights arising there from, and in the provision of freedom it has called for.
According to Bernard Lewis, ”Its purpose was purely practical and administrative and reveals the cautious, careful character of the Holy Prophet. It regulated the relations between the Makkhan immigrants and the Medinese tribes, and between both of these and the Jews. All the disputes brought before Holy Prophet for settlement.”16 It is interesting to note that this first constitution of the Holy Prophet dealt almost exclusively with the civil and political relations of the citizens among themselves and with the outside.
14 Haykal, see detail.
15 H G. Sarwar, Muhammad The Holy Prophet, P. 157.
16 Bernard Lewis, The Arabs in History, London, 1958, P.43.
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