Alliance Agreements

Establishing security and unity in Medina and getting acceptance of his sovereignty, Prophet Muhammad began political relations with tribes outside of Medina. He 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 Medina and Mecca: Banu Damra, a three days distance from Medina, and their branch, Banu Gifar; 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 Ashlam 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, the Prophet made 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 Mecca had become Muslim or allies of Muslims.

This economic war the Prophet waged against the Quraish was supported with another tactic. He sent five-hundred pieces of gold to Mecca, 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.

The Prophet 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 Quraish under blockade. This tribe was close to Mecca. There is a letter of friendship of the Prophet’s showing the cooperation between them. He would get secret information from members of this tribe regarding the Quraish.