Islamic community (1)

The brotherhood between individual immigrants and their host families created a strong sense of community that was further consolidated when the Prophet instituted common rules of conduct for all. However, Madinah was also home to two other communities, the polytheists who had not accepted Islam, and the Jewish tribes. In order to avoid the kind of conflicts the Muslims had experienced in Makkah, the Prophet entered into a covenant with these two communities. The following points were included in the document: “The Ansar and many other tribes who signed a treaty with them were a distinct Ummah (nation).”

1) The payment of blood money and the release of prisoners between them and the Muslims would take place according to past practice, and the two non-Muslim communities of Madinah would help the Muslims in matters of ransom and blood money.

2) All three communities of Madinah would unite against any criminals, rebels or hostile armies, even if they should be their own offspring.

3) No Muslim was allowed to kill another Muslim to aid a non-Muslim, nor could he help a non-Muslim against another Muslim.

4) The obligations owed to Allah were common to all Muslims, and the entire community was responsible for the discharge of this duty if an individual failed to carry out his responsibility.

5) Jews who became Muslim would be treated as any other Muslim.

6) Booty would be shared by all Muslims.

7) One who deliberately killed a Muslim would be killed, unless the victim’s family forgave the killer. It was incumbent upon the Muslims to rise against the killer.

8) It was unlawful for a Muslim to support anyone who tried to create dissension among Muslims, or anyone who attempted to tamper with the tenets of Islam.

9) Allah and His Prophet would settle all disputes arising among any of the three communities. The covenant marked a turning point for Muslims. They were bound to each other by a solemn undertaking and through the course of later events, they would prove that the unity, brotherhood and cooperation sown by the covenant had flowered and borne fruit.