Medina Constitution

After the Hijrah, the biggest problem the Prophet faced was establishing unity in the cosmopolitan Medina society. It was necessary to put out of the way any potential danger from within Medina 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 Medina) and Muhajirun (immigrants to Medina) brothers to one another, the Prophet documented brotherhood with a written text. It would only be possible to unite with Jews and non-Muslim Arabs on common interests of people from Medina. 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 Medina.” Compilers of the last period accept this as the “first constitution in world and Islamic history.”

Uniting all the groups in Medina under his rule at their own will, the Prophet recorded one more of important and successful turning points of politics. The statement at the top of the document, “The Quraish and Yathrib (Medina) 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 country; relations between individuals and administration; and rights and responsibilities.

The rules of the Constitution that revolved around common interests of the citizens of Medina 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 dissention from the non-Muslims in Medina were prevented; the roads to friendship between the Quraish and parties in Medina were closed; and an opportunity was born for non-Muslims in Medina, who were allies with Muslims in the new Islamic state and who lived intimately with them, to get to know Islam first-hand and through living examples.