In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, the Ever-Merciful

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds.  Peace and Blessings be upon our Master Muhammad, the truthful in his promise, the trustworthy.  O Allah, we know not but what you have taught us, indeed you are The All-Knowing, The Ever-Wise.  O Allah, teach us what is useful to us, and make useful to us what you have taught us, and increase our knowledge, and show us the truth as truth and grant us compliance with it, and show us falsehood as falsehood and grant us its avoidance, and let us be of those who listen to what is said and follow the best of it.  And accept us with your mercy among your righteous servants.  Bring us forth from the darkness of ignorance and illusion to the lights of knowledge and enlightenment.

Introduction to the concept of peaceful coexistence:

We are now going to touch on a subject closely related to our reality.  How the Prophet (PBUH), upon settling in Madinah, created a general system based on peaceful coexistence, in modern terms: citizenship also reffered to as civil peace.  Today, Muslims in their countries, living among different denominations, creeds and faiths, are in desperate need of this concept - the concept of living with the other – the concept of citizenship – the concept of civil peace – the concept of accepting the other.

These pressing concepts in today’s Islamic world have no religious roots, they are novelties.

The inhabitants of Al-Madinah: a varied social and human mixture.

1-    Inhabitants of Madinah: tribes and clans.

The Prophet (PBUH) found in Madinah a varied mixture of people in terms of religion and creed, tribe and clan affiliation, way of living: (The immigrants from Quraysh, the Muslims of the tribes of Aws and Khazraj, the pagans of the tribes of Aws and Khazraj, the Jews of the tribes of Aws and Khazraj, the three jewish tribes: Banu-QaynuQa` and Banu-Al-Nadeer, Banu-Quraydha, the bedouins living among the people of Yathrib, the slaves etc.

Immigrants, Aws and Khazraj (Muslims, pagans and Jews), the three Jewish tribes, Bedouins, slaves, in modern terms: a mosaic society just like some of the Islamic countries whose inhabitants are at war against each other.  How did the Prophet reconcile these different affiliations? between different currents and religions? between people of faith and pagans? Between people of a certain faith who are non-believers? Between people of monotheistic faith?

This is what we are in urgent need of, to face the enemies lurking at every corner.

These elements: tribes, denominations, creeds, faiths, free men and slaves, servants, Bedouins, were involved in various occupations: trade, craftsmanship, agriculture, shepherding, hunting, logging.  They lived in villages or fortresses surrounded by orchards and agricultural lands.  They used to enter their fortresses at night and guard them from raids.

2-    The inhabitants of Madinah reside in fortresses and citadels:

Madinah holds 59 fortifications, each clan has a leadership that looks after its affairs, and caters for its needs and security.  Moreover, the wounds of the Aws and Khazraj left by the wars between them especially the war of Bu’aath, had not yet healed.

Tribal laws ruled in Madinah, on top of a wide spread ignorance and illiteracy among the people of Yathreb.  On the other hand, the people of the Book were knowledgeable people, but they dealt with usury and exploitation in trading.  They also worked on stirring conflicts between Aws and Khazraj to guaranty their authority, interests and safety.

Treaties system in Madinan society after the arrival of the Prophet:

Among the clauses of the treaties system:

This versatile society ruled by the Prophet and that included the Islamic faith, the faiths of the people of the book, paganism and tribalism, how did the Prophet bring them together? How did he put a system that included them all?

These were people from Quraysh, from Bany Awf, from bany Al-Haareth, from bany Sa’eda, from bany Jasham, from bany an-Najjaar, from bany Amr-Ibn Awf and from bany Al-Aws, so what did the Prophet agree on with them? What is the system that gathered them? What is the treaty that covered them all? And what are the common factors between them?

I spoke in the previous lesson about the characteristics of this treaty, but today I will go into some of its details that we desperately need.

The first clause: Standing by the weak.

Muslims do not leave a needy or poor person without giving to him with kindness.

The first clause is standing by the weak.  Scholars said, “The world is reformed by justice, and ruined by injustice.”

“Indeed Victory is granted to you but on account of the weak among you.”[1]

A society that does not support its weak is a broken society and a broken society is an easy target for its enemies. Any nation that wants to secure its safety looks after its needy population.  The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, clarified that one of the means of achieving victory is giving the weak their rights.

Second clause: A believer does not negotiate work with the employee of another believer secretly.

The employee reports to a believer, no betrayal.

For example:

You own a shop and your neighbor has an employee.  You spoke to the employee and asked him, “How much does your boss give you?”  He replied, “five thousand.”  You said, “I will give you seven thousand, come and work for me.” You made a deal with the employee of a brother of yours. This is what is meant by the saying of the Messenger of Allah, “Anyone who corrupts a man’s wife or slave is not one of us.”[2]

Any agreement with a man, even over the phone, ask him for divorce and I will marry you…  You’ll have your own house… Or turning a servant against his master, or by today’s terms an employee against his employer, this is called corruption and it is cursed by Allah, exalted be He.

The other point of this clause is that bent ways, deception, craftiness and malice are not of a believer’s character.

Third clause: Believers act as one against those who do them injustice.

Believers who fear Allah unite against their oppressor.  It is inconceivable that a state violates an unarmed population in Palestine, while Islamic states support them and hold diplomatic relations with them and normalize relations with them. This contradicts the way of the believers.

Believers who fear Allah also act as one against any oppressor among them even if he was the son of one of them.  This is a crucial point.  If the Islamic nation, with its one billion and five hundred million, was one in peace and one in war, and had one spokesman representing it.  If the entire Islamic nation fought the war and concluded the peace… If the Islamic nation had one unified stance at all times…

But we make peace with this side and have a treaty with that, and normalize relations with the other, visit this, begrudge that and go to war against the other, this is one of the points of weakness of Muslims, they are not united in their decisions.

…and do not contend together, (and) so you would be disheartened and your vigor goes away… (Al-Anfaal, 8:46)

While Israel exterminates a whole nation in various ways, and destroys a whole country, Lebanon, other countries establish relations with it, carry out visits and treaties, exchange advice collaboration and support.  Are these Muslims?!

Look at this pledge: they are one hand against whoever wrongs them even if he was one of them.

And in case two sections of the believers fight each other… (Al-Hujuraat, 49:9)

A war broke between Iraq and Iran.  It lasted eight years and caused one million deaths.  Once, and this is for history to remember, there was a conference for industrial countries in the capital of Britain, a western leader had a disagreement with the British Prime Minister, and do you know what the western leader threatened her with? With stopping the war between Iraq and Iran. He threatened her, because stopping the war meant stopping arms deals. They prosper on our misery, they live on our wars, they live on our disagreements, they live on the animosity between us.

Forth clause: Allah’s protection is for all, and they have to protect the weak among them.

Allah’s protection is for all and they have to support their weak. Believers are support for one another and for others.  This society in its versatility, sections, spectrum and denominations is one society. This is the concept of citizenship; this is the concept of peaceful society, of accepting the other.  These are the directions given by our Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is there a person more knowledgeable than him, the best of all creation and the beloved of The Truth[3].

Non-Muslims under Islamic protection are guaranteed safety and security in Muslim lands:

The Jews who follow us will be awarded our support; they will not be wronged and will not be discriminated against.

A man visited our country, with a clearance visa on his passport to enter.  What does that mean?

He is in our trust, under our protection, there are diplomatic relations, and a clearance visa, what does the clearance visa mean?

This citizen, with whose country we hold relations and treaties, exchanged ambassadors, when he enters our country with a clearance visa given by us he is under our protection. What do we deduce from this?  Kidnapping foreigners is prohibited.

We have three statuses of society: Islamic status, Hostile status, Peace status.

Hostile status: we are at war. Peace status: governs our relations with the countries with whom we have relations, agreements and exchanged diplomacy.  The Islamic status is between us and other Muslim countries.

Esteemed brother, this is a crucial matter.  I say this with great pain, this is Islam: peace with Muslims is one.  No Muslim can make peace apart from other Muslims in a matter of fighting for the sake of Allah, except to guarantee Justice for all Muslims.  The Islamic nation fights together and makes peace together.  This is where our strength lies.  Where did the strength of the West come from?

From the fact that one speaks for the whole of Europe.  One person speaks for the whole of Europe.  One person speaks about issues for the whole of Europe. This is the source of their strength. We are one and a half Billion, a quarter of the earth inhabitants.  We occupy what is considered the most important area of earth, the Middle-East.  We sit on natural wealth only Allah knows. Still, our fate is not in our hands and our word does not prevail because of our disunity.

“…and do not contend together, (and) so you would be disheartened and your vigor goes away…” (Al-Anfaal, 8:46)

As you can see now, division in Lebanon, division in Iraq, division in Palestine, isn’t it?

This is the Prophet’s understanding, his policy, his directions and his wisdom.

Believers make peace as one and make war as one.

When Iraq invaded Kuwait who interfered?  The western world.

Who should have interfered?  Muslims, because of Allah’s words, which can be translated as,

“And in case two sections of the believers fight each other, then make a righteous (reconciliation) between them both; (Literally: act righteously between them)…” (Al-Hujuraat, 49:9)

O you believers:

“Then in case one of them is inequitable to the other, then fight the one that is inequitable until it concedes to the Command of Allah…” (Al-Hujuraat, 49:9)

Two animals fought over a big piece of cheese, so they resorted to the fox to be their judge as he claimed to be an honest Judge.  He brought a scale and put on one side a third of the cheese and on the other the two thirds.  The latter side was heavier, he ate half of it.  Then the other side was heavier so he ate half of it and so on until after a while there was nothing left.

This is what happened, we fought among ourselves so they came and ripped us of our wealth.  They took the oil and forced us to buy weapons beyond our capacity.

In the first war, over 700 billions where transferred to the west, also in the second war.  The biggest monetary lump sum we had went to the west. The Dinar was worth three dollars.  Now 1500 Dinars equal one Dollar.

Economic collapse! Where is the wealth? It was relocated.

“…and do not contend together, (and) so you would be disheartened…”

I cannot stress this lesson enough because this is the methodology of the Prophet peace be upon him.

The fifth clause: Pious believers follow the most righteous guidance and path.

Our relations with non-believers are governed by limited relations, I have my duties and rights and he has his duties and rights.  Does that mean he is right? No

You are an employee or of a department or a school and the head is not running it properly.  As for me, my duty is to arrive to work on time, give an excellent lesson, treat the students in the best possible way and respect the Head-teacher.  There is no harm in you being on the right path unlike him.  This does not prevent you from dealing with him.  I call this a work relationship.  Work relationships are legitimate.  However, I do not accept that a believer has close relationships with non-believers.  Long trips, company mergers, joint outings, impossible.  A Muslim feels jealousy for his family, the matter of the veil.  A Believer does not sit in a place that serves alcohol, where women in revealing cloths sit and music is played.  It is impossible to have a close relationship with a non-believer.  However work relationships are legitimate.  Believers are open-minded, positive, constructive and not destructive.

Sixth clause: Those part of this treaty are not allowed to harbor and give support to those who brake it.

A believer who agrees to this treaty, and who believes in Allah and the Day of Judgment, is not allowed to harbor or support a person who breaks it.  For example, a person who has gone against the vote of the majority of Muslims, you are not to harbor them or support them.  Whoever does that has earned Allah’s wrath and anger on the Day of Judgment and he cannot redeem himself then.

A person deceiving Muslims is not worthy of your support.  A person who brought expired products for human consumption, and they were banned from entering.  You are not to intercede in his favor.  These are products that harm Muslims, they are not for human consumption; they are animal feed.  This is a man who has wronged Muslim, do you defend him?  Do you intercede for him?

A believer who agrees to a treaty, and who believes in Allah and the Day of Judgment, is not allowed to harbor or support a person who breaks it. 

A believer who agrees to this treaty, and who believes in Allah and the Day of Judgment, is not allowed to harbor or support a person who breaks it.  Whoever does that has earned Allah’s wrath and anger on the Day of Judgment and he cannot redeem himself then.

Seventh clause: refer disagreement and disputes to Allah and his Messenger.

Now: no matter how hard you disagree about something, you have to resort to Allah and his Messenger in the end.  In case of dispute, we have the methodology of Allah, and the tradition of the messenger of Allah and this is a great thing.

When I refer to manmade laws, I might not accept that this person is my equal and this person is my peer.  However, when I refer to divine laws, Allah is above everyone.  Therefore:

“So in case you contend together about anything, then refer it to Allah and the Messenger” (An-Nisaa’, 4:58)

Eighth clause: A man is not at fault for taking an ally.

An ally is not a reason to punish someone. When I openly take an ally, in front of every one, I am not at fault.

Ninth clause: Supporting the wronged and not the wrongful.

We should give support to the wronged not the wrongful.  A neighbor is like oneself, as long as he does not cause harm or sin.  A believer treats a neighbor as he treats himself because he is the closest person to him, except if he aggresses or commits a sin.

Any event or dispute that perturbs the parties in this treaty and may ruin relations is to be solved according to the laws of Allah and his messenger.

Tenth clause: Fending off aggressors on Madinah.

All the various denominations, sections, spectrums, races, creeds, tribes and clans have agreed to protect Yathrib.  This is in modern terms a joint defence agreement.  Man is man in all places and at all times.  If all Muslim countries had real joint defence agreements among them and not just ink on paper, who would dare aggress any of these countries.  They would count to a million before doing so because they have to face 1.5 billion Muslims.

However they are able to destroy the whole of Ghaza, its houses, and power station to leave it without electricity.  They are able to remove Olive orchards and fill up wells with earth, obstruct movement and build separating walls and the 1.5 billion stand watching. Is it not true?  This is the treaty.

They will unite against those who aggress Yathrib and accept peace if it is offered.

They are united in war and peace. Do you see the strength and power!

Eleventh clause: The wrongful will be punished.

This treaty does not exempt any tyrant or sinner.  The oppressor will be punished so will the sinner. Neither one can seek refuge in this text and treaty.

Twelfth clause: The inhabitants of Madinah are safe inside it and safe when they return to it.

Those who leave Madinah leave it in peace, and those who stay, stay in peace.

Those who leave can come back, they leave in peace and they stay in peace, except those who oppress or sin.  Allah will protect those who do good and fear Him, so will the Prophet.

Esteemed brothers, these are some of the clauses in this treaty, which brought together different tribes, religions, clans, ethnicities and races, from Bedouins to servants to Muhajreen to Ansaar, to Muslims from the tribe of Aws and Khazraj, to pagans from the tribes of Aws and Khazraj, to Jews from the tribes of Aws and Khazraj.  This treaty gathered all of these people.  This is the planning of the Messenger peace and blessings be upon him, this is his wisdom, more importantly this is the methodology of Allah, exalted be He.

A practical deduction from the clauses of this treaty:

Brothers! We need to go back to the roots of our religion, we need to go back to the roots.  The river of Barada, go to its source and you will find clear spring water, go to its estuary and you will find stagnant dark water.  The same goes for religion go back to the roots of religion, to the sources, to the Qur’an and tradition (of the Prophet).

Nowadays, many people buy from the west with credit cards and never pay the bills thinking these are non-believers, and that they are entitled to do that.  This is utmost ignorance.  When the non-believers and pagans entrusted the Prophet with their money, and then he decided to migrate, why didn’t he take it with him since they were non-believers?  He left his cousin Ali behind, so that later on he can return the trusts to their owners.  This is the methodology of Allah. Wronging a peaceful person who did not fight you or take your wealth, because they are non-Muslims is a huge mistake.

Dear brothers, all I ask of you is to search for faith and understand it from its sources.

“Verily Islam started as something strange and it would again revert (to its old position) of being strange just as it started.”[4]

“Blessed are the strangers: a group of pious people among a vast majority of corrupt people.”[5]

Go back to the roots of Islam.  The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him said,

“I have left amongst you two things which, if you hold fast to them, you will never stray: The book of Allah and my Sunnah.”[6]

Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds