Six Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of His Time: The Primary Documents 1621380025, 9781621380023

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(hapter o The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Assyrian Christians [Translation cited by George David Malech in 1910]

God has told me in a vision what to do, and I confirm His

Command

by giving my solemn promise to keep this

agreement.

To the followers of the Islam I say: Carry out my command, protect and help the Nazarene nation in this country of ours in their own land. Leave their places of worship in peace; help and assist

their chief and their priests when in need of help, be it in the mountains, in the desert, on the sea, or at home. Leave all their possessions alone, be it houses or other

property, do not destroy anything of their belongings, the followers of Islam shall not harm or molest any of this nation, because the Nazarenes are my subjects, pay tribute to me, and will help the Moslems.

No tribute, but what is agreed upon, shall be collected

from them, their church buildings shall be left as they are, they shall not be altered, their priests shall be permitted to

teach and worship in their own way—the Christians have full liberty of worship in their churches and homes. None of their churches shall be torn down, or altered

into a mosque, except by the consent and free will of the Nazarenes. If anyone disobeys this command, the anger of Allah and His Prophet shall be upon him.

a7

SIX COVENANTS

The tribute paid the Nazarenes shall be used to promote the teachings of Islam and shall be deposited at the treasury of bayt al-mal.

A common man shall pay one dinar, but the

merchants and people who own mines of gold and silver and are rich shall pay twelve dinars. Strangers and people who have no houses or other settled property shall not have taxes levied upon them. Ifa man inherits property he shall pay a settled sum to the bayt al-mal treasury. The Christians are not obliged to make war on the enemies of Islam, but if an enemy attacks the Christians, the Mohammedans

shall not deny their help, but give them

horses and weapons, if they need them, and protect them from evils from outside and keep the peace with them. The Christians are not obliged to turn Moslems, until God’s will makes them believers. The Mohammedans shall not force Christian women to accept Islam, but if they themselves wish to embrace it, the

Mohammedans shall be kind to them. Ifa Christian woman is married to a Mohammedan and does not want to embrace Islam, she has liberty to worship at her own church according to her own religious belief,

and her husband must not treat her unkindly on account of her religion.

If anyone disobeys this command, he disobeys God and his prophet and will be guilty of a great offense. If the Nazarenes wish to build a church, their Moham-

medan neighbors shall help them. This shall be done, because the Christians have obeyed us and have come to us and pleaded for peace and mercy. If there be among the Christians a great and learned man the Mohammedans shall honor him and not be envious of his greatness. 58

Chapter 6

If anyone is unjust and unkind to the Christians he will be guilty of disobeying the Prophet of God. The Christians should not shelter an enemy of Islam or

give him horse, weapon or any other help. Ifa Mohammedan is in need the Christian shall for three days and nights be his host and shelter him from his enemies. The Christians shall, furthermore, protect the Moham-

medan women and children and not deliver them up to the enemy or expose them to view. If the Nazarenes fail to fulfill these conditions, they have forfeited their right to protection, and the agreement is null and void. This document shall be entrusted to the Christian chief

and head of their church for safe keeping. Signatures:

Abu Bakr Siddig, ‘Umar ibn Khattab, ‘Uthman ibn Affan, Ali ibn Abi Talib, peace be upon him, Mu‘awiyyah ibn Abi Sufyan, Abu Darda, Abu Dharr, Abu Barah, Abd Allah ibn Masud, Abd Allah ibn Abbas, Hamzah ibn al-Muttalib, Fadl ibn Abbas, Zubayr Awwam, Talhah ibn Abd Allah, Sad ibn Mu‘adh, Sad ibn

‘Ubadah, Thabit ibn Qays, Yazid ibn Thabit, Abd Allah ibn Yazid, Sahl ibn Sufya [or Sifa], ‘Uthman ibn Matun, Dawud ibn Jibah, Abu al-Aliyyah, ‘Abd Allah ibn Amr ibn al-Qadi, Abu Hudayfah,

Ibn Asir, Bin Rabi‘ah, Ammar ibn Yasir, Hashim ibn Asiyyah, Hassan ibn Thabit, Ka‘b ibn Ka‘, Ka‘b ibn Malik, Jafar ibn Abi Talib

The peace of God be upon them all! This agreement is written down by Mu‘awiyyah ibn [Abi] Sufyan, according to the dictates of Mohammed, the

messenger of God, in the 4th year of the Hegira in the city of Medina.

Do

Ottoman Achtiname (by permission of St. Catherine’s Monastery, Sinai, Egypt)

The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World [by Dr. John Andrew Morrow] AVAILABLE FROM AMAZON.COM

www.covenantsoftheprophet.com COVENANTS

OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMAD CHANNEL https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqM3-puvWuKuCEJsDQDZFrA VIMEO: https://vimeo.com/88478224

Endorsements “This narrative has the power to unite Muslim and Christian communities.

A work

of scholarship,

its release is

timely, and its content critical in fostering mutual respect and religious freedom.”—Imam Feisat AsppuL Rave, Chairman, Cordoba Initiative

“In his indispensable contribution to the study of the Abrahamic faiths, John Andrew Morrow tells the story of how

the Prophet Muhammad used his desert experiences of hospitality and protection to bring Muslims and Christians

together. Morrow quotes the Prophet’s instruction—as relevant today as in his time: “With the People of the Book there is to be no strife.”—JosepH Hosss, University of Missourt

61

SIX COVENANTS

“Today, we realize more than ever that either we will learn to live together like siblings, or we shall perish together like

fools. These letters from the Prophet Muhammad to Christian communities can serve to inspire both Muslims and

Christians about our ability to live together as God’s people, as friends, as neighbors, and as custodians of the same

small planet.,—Omp Sart, University ofNorth Carolina “ The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad is a useful source

for all those interested in the cultural and religious history of the Muslim world and the cultural relationship between

Islam and Christianity. It will be very helpful in strengthening tolerance, goodwill, and better understanding between different civilizations; and it opens new horizons for further

studies.” —Arpa Gasimova, Baku State University

“With painstaking effort and much dedication invested in this ground-breaking work, Professor Morrow will surely manage to attract the attention of Islamic studies students and specialists. Indeed, the book is a genuine call for reconsidering the relationship among the three revealed Abrahamic faiths of Christianity, Judaism and Islam.”—-AMarR SELLAM, Mohamed I University John Andrew Morrow's work, The Covenants ofthe Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World, is intriguing

and engaging material.”—KarEN Lestiz HERNANDEZ, Islam

On

“The standards set by these treaties appear not only advanced for the time of the Prophet, they remain advanced in our own age. —ANNA Maria Marte ul, /tal-

ian Institute for Africa and the Orient 62

Endorsements

“This book documents what is possibly the third foundational source of Islam: the Prophet’s treaties and covenants among people of the Abrahamic faiths. Dr. Morrow brings

forth exceptionally important findings that dictate peaceful coexistence

among

Jews, Christians,

and Muslims,

and

includes multiple translations for comparison of how the

Prophet and his followers treated Christians and Jews with respect and care, far beyond a mere tolerance.” BLOMFIELD, University ofNebraska

—BRIDGET

“These covenants are not merely historical documents; they remain valid, binding covenants for all Muslims from the

moment of their inception until the end of time. Dr. Morrow’s work has illuminated a new horizon of Islamic public

international law and promotes further scholarly investigation of the covenants.,"—-HisHam

M. Ramapan,

S.J.D.,

Kwantlen Polytechnic University “The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad is a timely, pioneering, and penetrating study that sheds much light on

the thoughts and the policy of the Prophet Muhammad.’—Mouam_ED ErkoucHE, Mohamed I University “This is a remarkable scholarly contribution: a collection of the covenants

of the Prophet

Muhammad,

now

made

widely available. They form an integral part of his discourses, particularly because they concern non-Muslims, and mainly Christians.-—MuHAMMAD-REzA FakHrR-RoHANI, University of Qom “Dr. Morrow, with his mastery of classical Arabic and versatile knowledge of the Islamic heritage, openly, and fearlessly, invites all scholars interested in Islam to reflect on a

63

SIX COVENANTS

religion that welcomes dialogue and mutual understanding.

His book should be on the shelf of every open-minded reader who seeks the truth about Islam.”—Sarp MENTAK, Mohammed I University

“John Andrew Morrow has done with this book what Martin Luther King Jr. did with his “Letter from Birmingham

Jail’—called people to account for straying from what they are purported to stand for. He is saying, ‘Here are the covenants. Read them! Honor them, and honor the intent of the Prophet.” —BarBara CASTLETON, co-author of Arabic, Islam, and the Allah Lexicon “A brilliant piece of scholarship.,—Craig Huffington Post

ConsIDINE,

“Thoughtful, accessible and scholarly, The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World offers important evidence for understanding Islam as a religion founded on ideals of respect and tolerance.”—Dan WILKINSON, Patheos

64

The Covenants

Initiative

In response to the clash of barbarisms that is presently laying the world in ruins, interested Muslims have elected to

take the rare opportunity presented by the publication of The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World to launch “The Covenants Initiative,” which asks all Muslims, Sunni, Shi‘ite, and Sufi, from all

schools of jurisprudence and spiritual paths, including scholars and non-scholars, to append their names to the following declaration: We the undersigned hold ourselves bound by the spirit and letter of the covenants of the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him) with the Christians of the world, in the understanding that these covenants, if

accepted as genuine, have the force of law in the shari‘ah and that nothing in the shari‘ah, as traditionally and correctly interpreted, has ever contradicted them.

As fellow victims ofthe terror and godlessness, the spirit of militant secularism and false religiosity now abroad in the world, we understand your suffering as Christians

through our suffering as Muslims,

and gain greater

insight into our own suffering through the contemplation ofyour suffering. May the Most Merciful of the Merciful regard the sufferings of the righteous and the innocent; may He strengthen us, in full submission to His will, to follow the spirit and letter of the covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the world in all our dealings with them.

65

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Praise be to Allah, the Cherisher and Sustainer of the worlds.

We have forwarded this declaration and the endorsements we receive, along with copies of The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World, to Christian leaders in the Middle East, Africa, and elsewhere in the world, many of whose communities are now under

serious attack by “Muslim”

extremists. In view of the

bombings and brutal massacres committed in the name of Islam in the past, as well as others that—God forbid!—may

take place in the future, it is safe to say that if there was ever a time when Muslims need to do something to break the growing identification of Islamicist terrorism with all Islam in the minds of the non-Muslim populations of the western nations, it is now. Islam has been on the losing end ofvirtu-

ally every interaction with the western world during the past two centuries, and is presently under relentless attack both from without and from within. Why, then, should

Muslims make a point of drawing public attention to the sufferings of contemporary Christians? One reason is that compassion extended to fellow sufferers by those who themselves are in great need of compassion is a powerful and chivalrous act. Those who come with demands drive

people away from them; those who come with offers of help draw them closer. It is time for Muslims to move beyond simply protesting, once again, “but we're not all

terrorists!"—a phrase which, for all its obvious sincerity, has rather a self-serving ring to it for many non-Muslims,

whether it is believed or disbelieved—and take a vigorous, proactive, and public stance in support of peaceful Chris-

Signatories

tians presently being attacked by some seriously misguided “Muslims,” doing so in the name of the Prophet Muhammad himself, peace and blessings be upon him, based on

newly-rediscovered documents that record his very words. This project, insha’ Allah, will have three good effects, which we will list in ascending order of importance: 1) Like

nothing else we can imagine, it will present Muslims in a positive light to those who are still capable of human feeling; 2) It might save a few lives; and 3) It is a worthy thing to do in the sight of Allah, according to His clear Command as transmitted by His Prophet Muhammad, peace

and blessings be upon him. Peace is not made by generating peaceful feelings and/or attending exclusively peaceful gatherings. It is made by facing and enduring conflict, while never departing from the remembrance of God. It is a rare occurrence when strategic advantage, moral recti-

tude, and Divine Command apparently converge so as to point out a particular course of action; we believe that the Covenants Initiative represents just such a convergence. If

you are a Muslim, and feel moved by your own conscience, after reading The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World—remembering, always, that no-

one can decide for you or compel you in any way, seeing that there is to be no compulsion in religion—to add your name to this Initiative.

Signatories Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, Cordoba Initiative; Kathryn Qahira Santana; Marina (Nouria) Bouteillier, Los Angeles Beloved Sufis; Yousef Casewit,

Yale University; Farah Kimball, International Peace Project; Zachary Markwith, Graduate Theological Union; Luqman Ali; Charles Daines;

67

SIX COVENANTS

Adam Deen, The Deen Institute; Professor Alan Godlas, University of Georgia; Shaikh Kabir Helminski, The Threshold Society; Dr. Jeremy Henzell-Thomas,

The

Book

Foundation;

Irving Karchmar;

Qaisra

Ehsan Khan; Amnah Malik; Sadat Malik; Dr. John Parks, M.D.; Saqib Safdar, Tarbeyah: An Exploration of Spirituality, Parenting and Education; Yusuf A.H. Salaam, Ohio Kentucky Indiana World Trade Group

ETC;

Dr. Reza Shah-Kazemi,

Institute of Ismaili Studies; Kamal

Southall; Alicia Carrara; Hector Manzolillo; Matthew Johnson; Dr. Aida Shahlar Gasimova, Baku State University; Dr. Omid Safi, University of Delaware; Dr. Hisham M. Ramadan, Kwantlen Polytechnic Uni-

versity; Dr. Bridget Blomfield,

University of Nebraska;

Dr. Said

Mentak, University Mohamed I; Dr. Mohamed Elkouche, Mohamed I

University; Dr. Muhammad-Reza Fakhr-Rohani, University of Qom; Dr. Amar Sellam, Mohamed

I University; Charles Upton, Covenants

Initiative; Rachida Bejja, Quality Counseling & Psychological Services; Dr. John Andrew Morrow, The Covenants Initiative; Saimma Dyer; Daniel Dyer; Nigel Jackson, Artist and Illustrator; Dr. Cyrus Ali Zargar, Augustana College; Dr. Mahdi Tourage, University of Western Ontario, King’s College; Priscilla Machado (BSW); Faysal Burhan, Institute of Arabic and Islamic Studies; Safeer Siddiqui, Ahmadiyya Moslim Djama’at; Amal

Hayati; Captain Wisam

Elmajed,

Royal Jordanian;

Mohammad Z. Malik; Ali Malik; Abdul Fattah; Yasser Chaudhary, LAFZ Magazine; Muhammad Islam Singh; Arshad Sharif, Muslim Council of Southampton; Mahmud Abdullah Abdat; Muhammad Fadillah Bin Rosli; James Parker; Bahauddin

Peter Hughes;

Malak

Shumburo; Zahit Krajna; Ibrahim Hanif; Sara Ozer; Dr. Hesham A. Hassaballa; Sufi John Ishvaradas Abdallah, World Without Borders Interfaith Sufi Ashram; Khadija Fitzwilli Hall; Dr. Walid Radwan; Leo

Abu Aziz Schmitt; Khaldoun Bitar; Enise Anas; Ahmed Saleem; Rafif Al-Ruhaimi; Guy St-Hilaire; Arnold Yasin Mol, Deen Research Center (DRC) & Leiden University; Dr. Kevin Barrett, Muslim-Jewish-Christian Alliance; Mohamad Reza; Alim Ali, Muslim Perspectives Radio Program; Muhammad Arshad, FSU; Abbas Shah; Hussain Khan; Nebil Nuradin, Muslim Women Network; Fyza Durrani; Muhammad Ab-

68

Signatories bass;

Asif Merchant,

Foundation

for

Pluralim;

Mike

Mohamed

Ghouse, University of Delaware, Foundation for Pluralism; Dr. Mudte-

dar Khan, University of Delaware; Muhammed Haron, University of Botswana; Wazir Bax, Guyana Islamic Trust; Bibi Ruqaiyah Baksh, GIT Youths; Fazeel Mohamed Ferouz, President, Central Islamic Organization of Guyana; Muhammad Yunus; Tariq Najee-ullah; Abdul-Rahman Malik; Atiya Ahsan; Rifat Belal; Osman Saffah, Author and Journalist;

Osman

Qureshi,

Author

and Journalist;

Fouad

Ahsayni;

Aasim

Soomro; Cheryfa MacAulay Jamal; Abeer Ameer; Andrzej} Ahmed Saramowicz, Rumi Foundation of Poland; Latifa Chentouf; Jayde Russell, London Central Mosque and ICC; Humera Khan; Fatimah Moham-

med-Ashrif; Ismaeel Siddique; Noor-Malika Chishti; Dr. Munawar A. Anees, President, Rawi University; Professor Emeritus Abdallah Schleifer, American University in Cairo; Shereen Williams; Dr. Bouchra Belgaid; Dr. Maged Agour;

M.

Shiraz

Kaleel; Zahoor

Ahmad;

Brent

(Bashier) Slabbert; Shakireh Ispahani; Sam Amico, Niche ofLight; Serhat Cakmakoglu; Mahmoud Mostafa; Tasneen Kinaci; Tevfirk Aydoner,

Canadian

Sufi Cultural

Centre;

Daniel Abdal-Hayy

Ecstatic Exchange; Dr. Roger Abdul-Wahhab

Moore, The

Boase; Ghazala Akbar;

Khalid Masud; Nafiseh Ispahani; Qasim Kazmi; Saleh Jaleel; Uzma Taj; Imam Rashid Patch; Salim Warda, Wardrobe Pictures; Sabah Jaka; Alexander Valenzuela; Ryan Brizendine, Yale University; Oliver S. Muhammad, As Salaam Islamic Center of Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Siema Taj; Vehap Kola; Natalia Andujar, Junta Islamica; Mohamad Saeb Martini; Mohammed Nazerul Khairy Bin Dzulkefli, Citizen, Republic of Singapore; Shabbir Agha Abbas, Muslims for Peace, Inc.; Rashed Y. Al-Foudary; Feroz Hamd; Ishrat Ahmad; Adnan Momin, James R. Wetmore...

We ask all Muslims to sign the Covenants Initiative at

www.coventantsoftheprophet.com For more information contact:

[email protected] / drjamorrow3333@hot-

mail.com / www.johnandrewmorrow.com

69

|| Hi |lil Hil | 40231965RO00

045

Made in the USA

Lexington, KY 28 March 2015

|:IS A BLESSING,

A WARNING,

AND

A SIGN THAT

these Six Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of His Time have resurfaced at this particular moment in history. Renewed by caliphs and sultans, supported by scores of fatwas, and accepted as law for nearly 1400 years, these documents were common knowledge to educated Muslims and Christians until the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, after which they virtually disappeared

from collective consciousness. Their rediscovery will certainly open a new field in both Islamic Studies and interfaith relations. As the written words of the Prophet Muhammad himself, peace and blessings be upon him, and a central part of the Sunnah, they should sit side by side with the Qur’an in both mosque and home. If Muslims are ever to recover the reality of Islam and undergo a collective awakening, these covenants of hope will play a major part in that restoration. Those wishing to familiarize themselves with Dr. Morrow’s exhaustive arguments supporting the authenticity of these Covenants should refer to The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World (Angelico, 2013).

“The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World, by Dr. John Andrew Morrow ... is a very interesting and crucial work.” — THEOPHILOS

I11, Patriarch of Jerusalem

“An enlightening reference that brilliantly sheds light on the glorious and magnificent spirit of Islam as epitomized by the Prophet Muhammad.” — DR. BOUCHRA BELGAID, University Mohamed I “This is one of the most important projects related to Christian-Muslim relations in recent decades.” — ZACHARY MARKWITH, Graduate Theological Union “The Holy Council of the Fathers at Saint Catherine’s Monastery expresses sympathy for your work.” — FATHER JUSTIN OF SINAI ISBN

COVENANTS

PRESS

978-1-62134-002-3

||

=:9.781621" 380023

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