Constitution of Medina

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The Constitution of Medina or Dustūr al-Madīna (Arabic: دُستُور المَدِينَة), also known as the Prophet's Charter (Sahifat al-Nabi) or the Pledge of Medina, was an agreement that outlined the relationships among Muslims as well as between Muslims and Jews. Instituted in the first year of the Prophet's (s) migration to Medina, this pledge established that the Prophet (s) was the sole authority on matters of war and peace, and the final arbiter in disputes within the city. It is emphasized that this pledge was crucial in unifying Muslims against their enemies.

The text of the Pledge of Medina is first cited in Ibn Hisham's Sira, as transmitted from Ibn Ishaq. While the exact timing of the pledge's formulation is not known, most historical sources suggest it was established in the fifth or eighth month after the Prophet's (s) migration to Medina, within the first year of his arrival. Some scholars, however, argue that the Constitution of Medina was actually formulated after the Battle of Badr, in the second year after migration (2/624).

Significance and Place

The Constitution of Medina (Dustur al-Madina),[1] also known as the Prophet's Charter,[2] the Charter of Medina (Sahifat al-Madina),[3] or the Pledge of Medina,[4] is regarded as a major action taken by the Prophet (s) after his arrival in Medina.[5] It established guidelines for relations between Muslims and non-Muslims in the city and laid down fundamental rules for interactions among Muslims themselves.[6] As such, the Pledge of Medina is considered a foundational document outlining principles for both internal and external affairs of the nascent Islamic state.[7] Additionally, it is recognized as one of the most advanced methods of dispute resolution using Islamic principles, contributing to sustainable peace within the community.[8]

Some contemporary researchers and historians view the Constitution of Medina as a key document issued by the Prophet,[9] serving as an important source for understanding relationships within the early Islamic community in Medina.[10] According to the Pledge of Medina, the Prophet (s) was the sole authority on matters of war and peace and the only arbiter for resolving disputes in the city.[11] This pledge not only unified the Muslims but also thwarted any potential cooperation between the Jews and the Quraysh or other enemies of Islam.[12]

Sources

The full text of the Constitution of Medina was first cited by Ibn Hisham,[13] as transmitted from Ibn Ishaq (d. 151/768), though without mentioning the chain of transmission. It was subsequently cited by other scholars, including al-Suhayli,[14] Ibn Sayyid al-Nas,[15] and Ibn Kathir.[16]

Abu 'Ubayd and Ibn Zanjuwayh also cited the full text of the Pledge of Medina along with its chain of transmission as transmitted from Ibn Shahab al-Zuhri (d. 124/741-2).[17]

The possibility of this text being fabricated has been dismissed, as its style is considered consistent with other letters and messages from the Prophet (s).[18]

Date of Formulation

There are various views on when the Constitution of Medina was formulated. Many sources indicate that it was established upon the Prophet's (s) arrival in Medina. In his book Tarikh al-Khamis, Diyar al-Bakri dates the Prophet's (s) pact with the Jews of Medina to the fifth month after his arrival in the city.[19] Ibn Hisham notes that the Constitution of Medina was formulated before the brotherhood pact was established between the Muhajirun and Ansar.[20] Since the Pact of Brotherhood was made in the fifth[21] or eighth month after the migration,[22] this timing can help approximate the date of the Constitution of Medina.

According to historical sources such as Tarikh al-Tabari, al-Maghazi, and Ansab al-ashraf, the Prophet (s) made a peace pact with the Jews upon his arrival in Medina.[23] Al-Baladhuri maintains that this pact was established before the divine command for jihad and before the Prophet's (s) involvement in any wars.[24]

Nonetheless, some contemporary scholars believe that the Constitution of Medina dates back to the period after the Battle of Badr, when the Prophet (s) and his companions had solidified their status in the city following their victory. These researchers argue that the constitution was established during this time to address the growing threats from the Jews against the Muslims in Medina.[25]

Notes

  1. ↑ Sāliḥ, Dirāsāt: al-Ṣaḥīfa aw dustūr al-Madīna.
  2. ↑ Shākir, Ṣaḥīfat al-Nabī (s); namād-i qānūngarāyī dar ḥukūmat-i nabawī.
  3. ↑ Dughmī, al-Aḥkām al-fiqhīyya al-mutaʿalliqa bi-l-dawla wa l-muwāṭana min khilāl ṣaḥīfat al-Madīna l-munawwara.
  4. ↑ Pāyandih, Paymān-i Madīna.
  5. ↑ Aḥmadī Mīyānajī, Makātīb al-Rasūl (s), vol. 3, p. 53.
  6. ↑ Bakhtīyārī, Paymānnāma-yi Madīna: nimūnah-yī tārīkhī dar zamīna-yi ḥall-i ikhtilāf, p. 55.
  7. ↑ ʿĀmilī, al-Ṣaḥīḥ min sīrat al-nabī, vol. 5, p. 127, 136.
  8. ↑ Bakhtīyārī, Paymānnāma-yi Madīna: nimūnah-yī tārīkhī dar zamīna-yi ḥall-i ikhtilāf, p. 55-56.
  9. ↑ al-Ḥasanī, Sīrat al-Muṣṭafā, p. 280.
  10. ↑ ʿAlī, Dawlat al-Rasūl (s) fi l-Madīna, p. 109; Mallāḥ, Ḥukūmat al-Rasūl (s), p. 57.
  11. ↑ Ibn Ḥāmīd, Mawsūʿa naḍrat al-naʿīm, vol. 1, p. 272.
  12. ↑ Aḥmadī Mīyānajī, Makātīb al-Rasūl (s), vol. 3, p. 53.
  13. ↑ Bayāt, Withāqat-i paymān nāma-yi Madīna, p. 88-89; see: Ibn Hishām, al-Sīra al-nabawīyya, vol. 2, p. 147-150.
  14. ↑ Suhaylī, al-Rawḍ al-anf, vol. 4, p. 240-243.
  15. ↑ Ibn Sayyid al-Nās, ʿUyūn al-athar, vol. 1, p. 318-320.
  16. ↑ Ibn Kathīr, al-Sīra al-nabawīyya, vol. 2, p. 320-323.
  17. ↑ Abū ʿUbayd, Kitāb al-amwāl, p. 260-264; Ibn Zanjuwayh, Kitāb al-amwāl, vol. 2, p. 466-470.
  18. ↑ ʿUmrī, al-Sīra al-nabawīyya l-ṣaḥīḥa, vol. 1, p. 275; Maʿrūf, Sīrat al-Muṣṭafā, p. 280.
  19. ↑ Dīyārbakrī, Tārīkh al-khamīs, vol. 1, p. 353.
  20. ↑ Ibn Hishām, al-Sīra al-nabawīyya, vol. 2, p. 150.
  21. ↑ Ibn Qutayba al-Dīnawarī, al-Maʿārif, p. 152.
  22. ↑ Maqrīzī, Imtāʿ al-asmāʾ, vol. 1, p. 49.
  23. ↑ Wāqidī, al-Maghāzī, vol. 1, p. 176; Balādhurī, Ansāb al-ashrāf, vol. 1, p. 334; Balādhurī, Futūḥ al-buldān, p. 17; Ṭabarī, Tārīkh al-umam wa l-mulūk, vol. 2, p. 479.
  24. ↑ Balādhurī, Ansāb al-ashrāf, vol. 1, p. 334.
  25. ↑ Dawrī, al-Naẓm al-Islāmīyya, p. 21-22; ʿAlī, Tanẓīmāt al-Rasūl al-idārīyya fi l-Madīna, p. 53, 62.

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