THE AIMS OF THE TREATIES

The Prophet (pbuh) always honored the treaties signed in the Age of Ignorance to assure peace and concord. He stated that Islam would reinforce those treaties and asserted that he could join treaties regarding this issue. As a matter of fact, Prophet Muhammad signed treaties with the neighboring tribes in accordance with the context of the “If enemies incline to peace, incline you also to it, and trust in Allah” verse.

Especially before engaging in battle, Prophet Muhammad preferred to try to attain the following several aims through treaties:

a. Assuring Peace in the Stat

The treaty that the Prophet prepared during his first years in Medina stands as an example of this issue. According to this treaty, all people, whether Muslim or non-Muslim shall become a society under the leadership of Prophet Muhammad, and they shall be considered as an ummah (community/nation).

In order to sign this treaty in the first year after migrating to Medina, the Prophet gathered the Aws tribe, Hazraj tribe and the Jews in the house of Anas, a resident of Medina. This treaty constituted the first constitution of the State of Medina as a written document. In this way, the Prophet formed a very different social structure (ummah), which had never been seen before in the Arabian Peninsula, from a city-society composed of various races, religions and tribes. As a political leader, the Prophet represented the highest governmental authority and held a presidential status from a judicial, military and legal perspective. In other words, thanks to this political move the Prophet represented the worldly authority, namely the presidency of Medina City-State along with the religious authority he had before. In this way, the legal, political, individual, financial and military statuses of Medina were defined. Again with this treaty, Prophet Muhammad formed a new order instead of the old, “Ignorance” order and managed to reunite the disintegrating Medina.

b. Establishing the Existence of the State and Preserving Its Prestige

The Prophet knew that all mushriks were enemies to the Islamic State he founded. Particularly the Quraishis actively opposed this State as the cause of the Muslims’ hijrah to Medina. In the treaty that Prophet Muhammad made in Medina, the following article was especially included to address this matter: “No mushrik shall safeguard the life and assets of a Quraishi and shall not prevent a believer in doing so.” According to this provision, the existence and protection of the Islamic State in Medina was approved by all residents, thus forming an alliance in Medina against the Quraishis who were the most important danger at that time. In other words, a society was gathered as a whole under a head of state. Moreover, the continuance of the existence of the State and the protection of its prestige were guaranteed with this treaty.

c. Ensuring Relations with Neighbors

The most important issue that threatens a state apart from the internal mingle is the condition of its neighbors. For that reason, every state wants to get along with its neighbors and maintain good relations with them. The Prophet knew that his neighbors were mushrik tribes when he founded the State of Medina. In order to prevent their hostile attitudes and indicate that he would strive to get along with them, he made treaties with the Banu Damrah, Mudlij, Gifar and Juhainah tribes. These treaties not only maintained good neighbor relations, but they also constituted an alliance against danger. Furthermore with these tribes, it became possible to be informed in advance of dangers directed at Medina. These treaties also held importance in the context of trade activities.

d. Preventing Wars

The Prophet preferred everything to be dealt with in peaceful ways. As a matter of fact, before the Battle of Badr, in order to prevent financial and moral damage to both sides, the Prophet sent Umar, one of his dearest companions, to Mecca asking the mushriks, who had come to demolish the State of Medina and to preserve their prestige in the idolater society, to back away. The Quran refers to Prophet Muhammad’s call for peace in this verse: “O Quraishis! If you sought a judgment, now the judgment has come unto you. And if you cease (from persecuting the believers), it will be better for you, but if you return (to the attack), we also shall return. And your host will avail you naught, however numerous it be, and (know) that Allah is with the believers (in His Guidance).”

e. Upon Peace Proposition

The Prophet proved with all his attitudes that he was open to the peace propositions of the mushrik and made an agreement whenever presented with this option. As a matter of fact, in the sixth year of the Hijrah, the Prophet set out on a journey to Mecca with the purpose of making umrah (the minor pilgrimage to the Kaaba), yet after having been informed that Meccan mushriks took up arms, he changed his course and went to Hudaybiyah with the hope of making a treaty. Despite diplomatic talks, it was not possible to visit Mecca that year, and a treatise was reached after the proposition of the mushriks. Eventually, after days of traveling a long distance, Muslims arrived in Hudaybiyah and returned back to Medina solely for the sake of peace.

The people of Ta’if arriving in Medina in the ninth year of the Hijrah wanted to be held exempt from salah, zakat, hijrah and jihad. Moreover, they wished that their idol Lat not be touched and prostitution, interest and alcoholic drinks not be prohibited. In order to conclude the process, the people of Taif even presented their wishes in writing and left a space only for the seal of Prophet Muhammad. However, the Prophet found an opportunity to make a treaty by changing those terms that were against the laws of Islam.