LESSON 2:
A Closer Look at the Prophetic Covenants, including the Texts of Seventeen of them in English Translation
2.1—Video:
The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World
[Dr. John Andrew Morrow]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtue_M8_d8g
2.2—Text:
The Prophet Muhammad: a Master Diplomat
[Excerpted from The Messenger of Mercy by Dr. John Andrew Morrow]
The Prophet Muhammad authored over three hundred letters. They are found in books of biography, traditions, laws, history, and Qur’anic commentary. Dozens of letters are quoted in Jewish, Samaritan, Christian, and Zoroastrian sources. More than half a dozen originals survive in mosques, monasteries, museums, and private collections.
Although the Messenger of God used many different scribes, the major covenants or peace treaties with the People of the Book were written down by ‘Ali and Mu‘awiyyah and witnessed by dozens of prominent Companions of the Prophet, including Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, and ‘Uthman, among many others. The Messenger of God signed some of his correspondence with his palm-print and, later, when his ring was made, he marked them with his famous seal.
2.3—Text:
Qur’anic Principles of Religious Pluralism
[Excerpted from The Messenger of Mercy by Dr. John Andrew Morrow]
Pluralism is a social organization in which diversity of racial, religious, ethnic, and cultural groups is tolerated. In this sense, we can say that Islam is pluralistic. Some people confuse religious pluralism, which simply means religious diversity, with religious relativism, which means that all religions are the same.
Religious pluralism does not mean that all religions are equally true. It simply stresses that there is truth in many religions and that the existence of many religious is a positive thing that enriches the human experience.
The Qur’an promotes freedom of faith, conscience, belief, religion, association, thought and expression. It prohibits coercion or compulsion in religion and politics. In other words, in Islam, you cannot force someone to believe in something. Islam calls for tolerance and co-existence, namely, living together in peace and getting along. Islam recognizes that there is truth in other religious traditions and treats God as the final arbiter in matters of theological differences. As the Prophet Muhammad said: “Do not believe the People of the Book, nor disbelieve them, but say, ‘We believe in Allah, and whatever is revealed to us, and whatever is revealed to you’” (Bukhari).
Some of the most striking passages in the Qur’an promoting religious pluralism, including:
There shall be no compulsion in religion. (2:256)
Surely those who believe, and those who are Jews, and the Christians, and the Sabians, whoever believes in God and the Last Day and does good, they shall have their reward from their Lord, and there is no fear for them, nor shall they grieve. (2:63)
And we have sent down the Book to you [Muhammad] with truth, confirming and conserving the previous Books… We have appointed a law and a practice for every one of you. Had God willed, He would have made you a single community, but He wanted to test you regarding what has come to you. So compete with each other in doing good. And every one of you will return to God and He will inform you regarding the things about which you differed. (5:48)
If they [the enemy] incline toward peace, you should incline toward peace also and trust in God. (8:61)
O humankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). (49:13)
It may be that God will grant love and friendship between you and those you now hold as enemies for God has power over all things. God is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful. God does not forbid you from dealing kindly and justly with those who do not fight you nor drive you out of your homes. For God loves those who are just. (60:7-8)
Say: O followers of the earlier revelations! Come to a common word we and you hold: that we worship none but God, we shall not ascribe divinity to aught besides God and we shall not take human beings for our Lord besides God. (3:64)
Say: O you who reject the truth. I do not worship what you worship and you do not worship what I worship … Unto you your religion and unto me mine (109: 1–6).
The Texts of the Covenants
[Excerpted from The Messenger of Mercy by Dr. John Andrew Morrow]
2.4—Text:
The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Monks of Mount Sinai
[The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Monks of Mount Sinai was granted to the Monastery of St. Catherine in Egypt during the second year of the hijrah, namely, the migration of the Messenger of God from Mecca to Medina. It reads:]
In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
This covenant was written by Muhammad, the son of ‘Abd Allah…
He has written it for the members of his religion and to all those who profess the Christian religion in East and West, near or far, Arabs or non-Arabs, known or unknown, as a covenant of protection…
If anyone breaks the covenant… he has broken the Covenant of God, breaks his word, makes a joke of his religion, and deserves to be cursed by God….
If a monk or pilgrim seeks protection… in a church… I am behind him, defending him from every enemy…
Nothing will be forced upon them…
A bishop will not be removed from his bishopric. A monk will not be removed from his monastery. A hermit will not be removed from his tower. A pilgrim will not be prevented from completing his pilgrimage…
None of their buildings we will destroyed. The money from their churches will not be stolen to build mosques or houses for Muslims.
Christian monks, bishops, and believers will not pay taxes…
They are under my protection. They are covered by my covenant. They are under my security. I will protect them from all harm.
They will not be forced to go to war…
With the People of the Book there is to be no conflict…
If a Christian woman marries a Muslim, she must be treated kindly, and she must be allowed to pray in her church….
The Muslims will help the Christians take care of their religious buildings…
The Muslims will defend them…
The Muslims will not break this promise until the hour comes and the world ends…
2.5—Text:
The Covenant of Hudaybiyyah
[In the second year of the hijrah, the Prophet Muhammad concluded the Covenant of Hudaybiyyah, a peace treaty between the Muslims of Medina and the non-Muslims of Mecca. It served as an invitation to the People of the Book to sign covenants with the Prophet Muhammad and the Muslim Community. It reads:]
In your name, O God! This is the treaty of peace between Muhammad ibn ‘Abd Allah and Suhayl ibn ‘Amr. They have agreed to set down their weapons for ten years.
During this time each party shall be safe. No party will hurt the other. No damage will be done. They will act with honesty and honor toward one another.
Anyone in Arabia who wants to enter a treaty or covenant with Muhammad has the right to do so. Anyone who wants to enter a treaty or covenant with Quraysh has the right to do so…
2.6—Text:
The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of Persia
[The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of Persia was discovered in the Cathedral of New Julfa, in Isfahan, by Leon Arpee, an Armenian American scholar, during the first half of the twentieth century. The manuscript itself indicated that it had been authenticated by Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq himself who had compared it to a copy of the same document which was in the possession of his family. It reads:]
By the will of God! In the Name of God Merciful!
This covenant must be obeyed by all the Christian nations throughout the world…. Muslims must obey this covenant…
Muslim believers must defend and help Christian believers wherever they are, whether they are close or far, throughout the Christian world. They must protect their places of worship and the monks and priests that live there…
The Muslim believers must leave the religious buildings of the Christian believers alone… Christian priests must not be prevented from doing their duties…
They must not be persecuted because of their beliefs and practices….
They must be allowed to pray as they wish in their places of worship and according to their religion…
Their churches cannot be torn down or destroyed…
Christians shall not be asked to fight for Muslims against the enemies of the Faith…
Christians will not be forced to accept Islam…
Muslims will treat Christians with mercy and kindness and protect them from oppressors…
If a Christian woman marries a Muslim man, she will be allowed to keep her Christian faith, attend Christian churches freely, and practice her religion with liberty…
Since the Christians have submitted to us, and asked for our protection and refuge, it is legitimate to offer them all forms of help….
2.7—Text:
The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World (I)
[The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World was rediscovered in the Monastery of Mount Carmel, in the Holy Land, by Father Pacifique de Provins (1588-1648) in 1627 or 1628, and published in Paris, in Arabic and Latin, by Father Gabriel Sionita (1577-1648) in 1630, and by Father Pacifique himself, in 1631. Concluded by the Prophet Muhammad in the fourth year of the hijrah, it reads:]
This covenant was written by Muhammad, the Messenger of God, for the followers of the Christian religion…
This document… must be respected…
Anyone who respects Islam will respect this covenant…Anyone who breaks it, breaks the Covenant of God…
I protect their churches and places of pilgrimage…
I protect their religion and their property … in the very same way that I protect myself, my successors, and the People of my Community among the Believers and the Muslims.
I place them under my protection from any damage or harm…
I am behind them, protecting them myself, by means of my followers, my helpers, and the members of my religious community…
Since I have power over them, I must govern them. I must protect them from all damage and make sure that no harm happens to them that does not happen to me and my Companions who, along with me, protect this noble command…
It is not permitted to remove a bishop from his bishopric or a Christian from his Christianity, a monk from his monastery, a pilgrim from his pilgrimage or a hermit from his tower…
It is not permitted to destroy any part of their churches or to take parts of their buildings to build mosques or homes for Muslims…
It is not permitted to impose a tax on monks or bishops…
No Christian will be made Muslim by force: “And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better” [29:46]…
They must be covered by the wing of mercy. Prevent any harm from reaching them wherever they may find themselves and in any country in which they are…
The Muslims must not abandon the Christians and leave them without help and assistance…
Christian women must not be forced into marriages with Muslim men against their will…
If a Muslim takes a Christian woman as a wife, he must respect her Christian beliefs…
He will give her freedom to listen to her religious leaders, to follow her own religion, and she will not be forced to leave it…
If the Christians ask the Muslims to help them fix their churches and convents… the Muslims must help and support them…
Whoever breaks or changes this Covenant will be expelled from the Covenant between God and His Messenger…
This Covenant must not be broken or changed until the Hour and the end of the world…
2.8—Text:
The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World (II)
[This second version of the Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World was rediscovered by the author of this work, Dr. John Andrew Morrow, in the National Library of France, and published for the first time, in Arabic and English, in 2013, in The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World. This document, which is of Egyptian origin, was reportedly a copy of an ancient manuscript composed in the fourth year of the hijrah. It reads:]
In the Name of God, the Creator, the Living, the Speaking, the Everlasting…
This covenant of God was ordered to be written by Muhammad… the Messenger of God, may God’s peace and blessings be upon him and his family, to all the Christians and all the monks…
The person who respects this covenant respects Islam and his religion…
The person who breaks this covenant, which was given by the Messenger of God, changes it, or disobeys it, has rejected it…
I must use my power, my horses, my men, my weapons, my strength, and my Muslim followers, to protect the land and monasteries of the Christians in every region, near or far…
I provide security to the Christian people, their churches, their businesses, their houses of worship, the residences of their monks, and their places of pilgrimage…
I place them under my protection, my security, and my trust at every moment. I defend them from any damage, harm or revenge. I am behind them, protecting them from every enemy or anyone who wishes them harm.
I sacrifice myself for them by means of my helpers, my followers, and the People of my Community because they are my flock and the people under my protection…
I extend my authority, my care, and my protection over them from every harm so that it does not reach them. No harm will reach them unless it reaches my Companions who [are there to] protect them and assist Islam.
It is not permitted to remove a bishop from his bishopric, a monk from his monastery, a Christian from his Christianity, a hermit from his tower or a pilgrim from his pilgrimage.
It is not permitted to destroy any part of their churches or their businesses or to take parts of their buildings to build mosques or homes for Muslims.
It is not permitted to tax monks, bishops, and those who live with them…
The Christians under our protection will not be forced to go war…
No one who practices the Christian religion will be forced to enter into Islam. “And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better” [29:46]…
They must be covered by the wing of mercy and all harm that could reach them, wherever they may find themselves and wherever they may be, must be repelled.
If a Christian were to commit a crime or an offense, Muslims must provide him with help, defense, and protection, as well as pay his penalty for him. They should encourage reconciliation between him and the victim, to help or save him…
The Muslims must not abandon him or leave him without help and assistance since I have given them a covenant of God which is Muslims must respect…
They have received rights to protection that cannot be broken…
Muslims should not take Christian women in marriage against the will of their parents…
Whoever … forces his [Christian] wife to disobey her religion has broken the Covenant of God and the promise of His Prophet… He will be considered a liar…
If the Christians ask Muslims to help fix their churches and convents, or to help them with other matters dealing with their affairs and religion, the Muslims must help and support them…
Whoever breaks or changes this covenant will be forced out of the Covenant of God and His Messenger.
Everyone must respect the treaties and alliances that I have made with the monks wherever they may be.
The Messenger of God, may the peace and blessings of God be upon him, must respect what he has given on his behalf and on behalf of the Muslims. He must guard and protect them. He must have mercy upon them until the end. In other words, until the hour arrives, and the world comes to an end.
Anyone who is unjust to a Christian, breaks this covenant and rejects it, I will be his enemy on the Day of Judgment…
2.9—Text:
The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of Najran
[Muhammad, the Messenger of God, concluded several covenants with the Christians of Najran during the second part of his prophetic mission. The most extensive of them was rediscovered by Habib the Monk in the House of Wisdom in Baghdad in 878/879 CE and was cited in the Chronicle of Seert, a Nestorian history which may date as early as the ninth century CE. It reads:]
In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
This covenant of protection was given by God and His Messenger to the People of the Book, the Christians, who belong to the religion of Najran or any other Christian sect…
It was written by Muhammad, the Messenger of God to all of humanity, as a guarantee of protection on the part of God and His Messenger…
It is forbidden for any man, whether he is a governor or holder of authority, to cancel it or break it…
The Christians are worthy of this covenant of protection from God, His Messenger, and the Believers…
The Christians…refused to make war against God and His Messenger. God, as well, has declared that their kindness towards the followers of this faith and their kindness towards Muslims was sincere…
In fact, some Christians, who were trustworthy and who knew the divine religion, helped us to proclaim this religion and came to the help of God and His Messenger, by preaching to men according to His Will and to help him accomplish his mission…
And since the cause of God seemed clear to them, they did not turn back on their steps nor did they turn their backs.
They drew close, remained firm, consented, assisted, confirmed, made generous promises, gave good advice, and assured me by means of oaths and covenants that they would support the truth which I brought and that they would repel those who refused and contradicted it…
After they returned to the followers of their religion, they did not break their covenant, nor did they change their opinion. On the contrary, they observed what they had promised to me when they left me and I learned, to my great pleasure, that they proved their devotion…
The Christians tried to support my movement and waged war against those who hated my doctrine and who wanted to discredit it, alter it, reject it, change it, and overturn it…
All the Arab chiefs, leading Muslims, and People of the Book, from all around the world, sent me letters expressing the fondness of Christians towards my cause…
The bishops and the monks showed an unshakable loyalty in their attachment to my cause and the devotion of their persons to confirm and support the spread of my mission…
The Christians acted this way in observance of the treaties contracted between them and me, in order that they fail not to fulfill the obligations to which they had committed themselves during their meeting with me and through a spirit of zeal to support my cause and to make my mission known…
The Christians…respected my alliance. They recognized my rights. They fulfilled the promises that they had made during our meeting. They assisted the representatives that I had sent to the frontiers. They earned my concern and my affection by fulfilling the obligations that I had contracted with them in the name of all the Muslims spread from East to West. They earned my protection during my life and after my passing, when God will cause me to die…
So long as Islam will spread and my true mission and faith will grow, this covenant will be obligatory for all Believers and Muslims…
If, after my passing, any member of my community breaks this covenant of God… the proof of God will testify against him. And God is Sufficient as a Witness.
The people, as well, must not harm them. They must respect the covenant that I have made with them…
This covenant reminds Believers to be kind, to encourage good will, to command charity, and to prevent evil. It is the path of sincerity that leads to justice, God willing.
2.10—Text:
The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Assyrian Christians
[The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Assyrian Christians was brought to scholarly attention by Reverend George David Malech in his History of the Assyrian Nation (1910), which itself was based on a history authored by Shamasha George David Malech (1837-1909), the father of the author, in Assyrian. In it, the Messenger of God decrees the following:]
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 Christian 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 Christians are my subjects, pay tribute to me, and will help the Muslims.
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 Christians. If anyone disobeys this command, the anger of God and His Prophet shall be upon him…
The Christians are not obliged to turn Muslims, until God’s will makes them believers…
The Muslims shall not force Christian women to accept Islam, but if they themselves wish to embrace it, the Muslims shall be kind to them.
If a Christian woman is married to a Muslim 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 Christians wish to build a church, their Muslim 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 Muslims shall honor him and not be envious of his greatness. If anyone is unjust and unkind to the Christians, he will be guilty of disobeying the Prophet of God…
This document shall be entrusted to the Christian chief and head of their church for safe keeping.
2.11—Text:
The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Syriac Orthodox Christians
[The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Syriac Orthodox Christians has been housed in St. George al-Humayrah, in Syria’s Valley of Christians, since time immemorial. In it, the Messenger of God declares the following:]
I commit myself to grant Covenants and treaties to those who requested them from me and from the entire community of Muslims.
I … grant them the Covenant of God and his treaty, and place them under the protection of the prophets, His Chosen Ones, His friends, from the believers and the Muslims…
I protect them … and I safeguard them. I grant security and safety to their churches, their homes, their places of worship, their monasteries, their sites of pilgrimage…
I protect their religion and their property… I place them under my protection from any damage, harm, death, and retribution…
Having authority over them, I must govern them, protecting them from all damage…
It is not permitted to remove a bishop from his bishopric or a Christian from his Christianity, a monk from his monastic life or a pilgrim from his pilgrimage or a hermit monk from his tower.
Nor is it permitted to destroy any part of their churches, to take parts of their buildings to construct mosques or the homes of Muslims.
Whoever does such a thing will have violated the Covenant of God, disobeyed His messenger, and betrayed the Divine Alliance.
It is not permitted to impose jizyah or any kind of tax on monks or bishops save that which they are prepared to give up willingly…
No Christian will be made Muslim by force: And dispute ye not with the People of the Book, except with means better [29:46].
They must be covered by the wing of mercy. Repel all harm that could reach them wherever they may find themselves and in any country in which they are.
If a Christian were to commit a crime or an offense, Muslims must provide him with help, defense, and protection…
The Muslims must not abandon the Christians and leave them without help and assistance…
In virtue of this Covenant, they have obtained inviolable rights to enjoy our protection, to be protected from an infringement of their rights, so that they will be bound to the Muslims both in good and bad fortune.
Muslims should not take Christian girls in marriage against the will of their parents…
If a Muslim takes a Christian woman as his wife, he must respect her Christian beliefs….
Whoever, despite this order, forces his wife to act contrary to her religion … will enter into open rebellion against the pact of His messenger, and God will count him among the liars.
If the Christians seek the help and assistance of the Muslims to repair their churches and their monasteries or to arrange matters pertaining to their affairs and religion, they, [the Muslims], must help and support them…
Whoever contravenes or transgresses the provisions of this treaty, he will be cast out of the protection of God and the protection of His messenger.
May every believer abide by the Covenants and treaties which were granted to the bishops, monks, and Christians from the People of the Book…
The Messenger of God must respect what he has decreed for himself and the Muslims as a protection for them until the Hour comes, and the world comes to an end….
God is Sufficient as a Witness to this Covenant
2.12—Text:
The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Coptic Christians
[The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Coptic Christians was brought to light by Georg Graf in 1914. The copy of the covenant he rediscovered appears to date from the 1800s; however, it was said to have been copied from the original. In it, the Messenger of God professes the following:]
This is my Covenant to all the protected Christians, and with all the places where they live, so that they may be protected by us for the sake of God, the Most-High.
They are God’s trusted subjects on His earth. They preserve what He revealed to them in the Gospel, in the Psalms, and in the Torah. Before God, the Most-High, they have nothing that angers Him or gives Him cause to accuse them…
The Christians shall be safe in all their affairs from the rising of the sun until its setting and from the north to the south. He gave this commandment to them out of fairness on his part and upon the command of God, the Most-High…
I will protect them wherever they may be… I personally take them under my protection and the protection of my followers, the sons of Ishmael, who must guard and watch over them.
I will always keep all harm and violence away from them and will keep every person away from them who is their enemy and causes them harm.
I will lead them personally and with the help of my followers, my helpers, and with the family of my religion, the Muslims, for they are God’s flock and my flock.
I also command the government and its leaders, the jurists and religious scholars, to not treat them harshly. I will keep all violence and all evil away from them. Such violence will not happen to them from the family of my religion and my community.
I will see that they are honored in all cities and villages. They will be scribes and trusted advisers of those in power and kings, appointed governors, and all the judges of the earth.
The monks and priests shall not owe any taxes. Their monasteries, churches, and property will always be free of taxation.
None of their patriarchs and none of their bishops will be removed from their positions and places. They shall be honored.
Their laws and customs shall not be abolished, and you will not cause them and their churches any problems.
A Christian may not be prevented from practicing his religion. It is not permitted to destroy their houses of worship. This is not what God commands. Every creature of God hopes for leniency from the Lord.
It is not permitted to remove anything from the homes of the Christians to take to your homes. It is not permitted to enter the homes of Christians without permission…
Nothing will be removed from their places of worship or from their churches. If any of their places of worship are destroyed, they will be rebuilt as they originally were.
No crime, accusation or sin shall be directed towards them…
I command you not to harass the Christians…
Muslims should not intervene between two Christians … in order to favor one over the other. They can only intervene to promote reconciliation between them, to encourage mutual good-will and friendship, to prevent conflict, and to prevent the use of weapons…
No Muslims shall deceive a Christian out of hatred in order to commit an injustice. Do not adorn yourselves with their possessions by force! Do not respond to them other than in the kindest manner! Take them under your wing and keep all harm and every act of violence away from them, wherever they are and wherever they stay. If one of you wrongs a Christian, then the Christian will receive support from my people against the danger threatening him.
Do not be hostile towards them. Do not abandon them. Do not lead them to destruction. Truly, we have given them what they deserve. You must remove from them every act of violence that strikes them. Be their helpers in the affairs of the world…
Whenever the Christians need one of you, then you shall grant them your support and provide him with assistance in any matter that concerns their welfare. The Muslims must help them.
None of you can hate, oppress or despise them. Whoever does so, hates God and hates me and is excluded from our mercy until he respects the commands of this covenant that we have made with the religion of the protected Christians. None of you may hate or assault them.
Do not set foot in the houses of worship, churches, and monasteries. Do not make their worship and prayers impossible for these are commanded, in truth, in the revealed books…
The monks and priests are to be sincerely honored by you. Treat them in a friendly manner, wherever they may be. Do not turn them over to their enemies. Do not use violence to force them to abandon their religion. They must be protected for the sake of God, the Most-High, the Mighty, and the Wise, out of goodness and kindness.
The monks and priests have a covenant of protection that I have given them. No evil or injustice will touch them, wherever they are, and wherever they reside, in cities or villages, so long as we and all Muslims have power over them. We must guarantee their protection. We must be lenient, kind, merciful, helpful, and protective… until the end of this world and the coming of the Hereafter on the Day of Resurrection.
None of my people will prevent the Christians from beating their clappers. They were already beaten on the ship of our lord, Noah, may peace be upon him.
2.13—Text:
The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Armenian Christians of Jerusalem
[The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Armenian Christians of Jerusalem was granted by the Messenger of God to Abraham I, the Patriarch of Jerusalem in the year 626 CE. In it, the Prophet of Islam provides the Armenians with the property rights to many major Christian sites in the City of Peace in the Holy Land. This remarkable document reads:]
From Muhammad, the son of ‘Abd Allah, the Prophet and Messenger of God, to Abraham, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, and to the Armenian Bishops of Damascus, and those who are found in other Muslim territory, and to those who depend upon them, namely, the Ethiopians, the Copts, and the Syrians, who live in Jerusalem: I have given their convents, churches, schools, residences, and fields.
I, the Messenger of God, with God as my Witness, and with the conscious witness of all people, men and women, who are found here, have promised and given the churches located in Jerusalem, including the Church of the Holy Resurrection and the Cathedral of St. James in the southern part of the Holy City, which is located next to the Monastery of Zion.
I have also given them the Mount of Olives Monastery, the Chapel of the Prison of Christ, the Church of Bethlehem, and the chapels of St. John of Samaria, the oratories located behind the sanctuary of the Holy Resurrection and the totality of the upper and inner levels of Golgotha and the Tomb of Christ where the eternal light shines, all the places of religious pilgrimage, as well as the mountains, the valleys, the residences, and their acquisitions; I have granted them with the witness of God, the Messenger of God, and all believing Muslims.
2.14—Text:
The Treaty of Najran
[The following Treaty of Najran is recorded in Muslim sources. It might be a summary of the longer version found in the Chronicle of Seert or another treaty altogether. It reads:]
In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
This is a covenant of protection between Muhammad, the Messenger of God, and the People of Najran.
To the Christians of Najran and its neighboring territories: God’s protection and the promise of His Prophet applies to their lives, their religion, and their property.
It applies to those who are present as well as those who are absent.
Nothing will stop them from practicing their faith and religious practices. There will be no change to their rights and privileges.
No bishop will be removed from his bishopric. No monk will be removed from his monastery. No priest will be removed from his parish.
They will continue to enjoy everything they previously enjoyed great or small.
No image or cross will be destroyed.
They will not oppress or be oppressed.
They will not practice blood-vengeance as they did in the Days of Ignorance.
They will not be taxed. They will not be forced to supply the Muslim troops.
If anyone demands his right from you, justice will be maintained between you.
You will not be oppressed. You will not be allowed to oppress others.
Whoever charges usury or high interest rates will be excluded from my protection.
No of you will be responsible for the crimes of another person.
Whatever is mentioned in this treaty is from God. Muhammad is responsible for enforcing it until God sends a new command.
This treaty is binding as long as they are loyal, respect their obligations, and avoid what is wrong.
2.15—Text:
The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Jews of Maqna
[The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Jews of Maqna was granted to the Jewish community that lived in northwestern Arabia towards the end of his prophetic mission. It is cited by early Muslim authorities like Ibn Sa’d and Baladhuri.
The original on which the Muslim versions were based was rediscovered in the Cairo Geniza, a collection of three-hundred thousand Jewish manuscript fragments found in the storeroom of the Ben Ezra Synagogue in Fustat or Old Cairo, in Egypt. The document reads as follows:]
To the sons of Hanina, who are Jews of Maqna, and the people of Maqna, near Aylah…
Your security is ensured. You are given the protection of God and His Messenger…
God’s Messenger forgives you the wickedness you have done and all your sins…
You are given God’s protection and that of His Messenger. Nobody will do you injustice or harm. The Messenger of God himself gives you protection…
Nobody will rule over you unless it is one of your people or someone from the Family of the Messenger of God.
Peace be upon you.
2.16—Text:
The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of Aylah
[The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of Aylah was granted to the believers in Christ that lived on the Gulf of ‘Aqabah in northwestern Arabia. In it, the Messenger of God professed the following:]
In the Name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful.
This is a covenant of protection from God and Muhammad, the Prophet and the Messenger of God, for the People of Aylah, their ships, and their caravans, by land and by sea…
They have the protection of God and the protection of Muhammad, the Prophet….
2.17—Text:
The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Kings of Himyar
[The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Kings of Himyar is recorded in Ibn Ishaq’s biography on the life of the Messenger of God. In this long letter, which was written in the tenth year of the hijrah, the Prophet Muhammad says the following:]
If a Jew or a Christian becomes a Muslim, he is a believer with his rights and obligations.
He who holds fast to his religion, Jew or Christian, is not to be turned from it.
2.18—Text:
The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Samaritans
[The Samaritans are monotheistic followers of Moses. They have their own version of the Torah, limited to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, which they hold is the original, unchanged text. There are about six thousand differences between the Samaritan Torah and the Jewish Torah. The Samaritans believe that the Jews turned away from the real form of Judaism. Samaritan leaders predicted the coming of the Prophet Muhammad, visited him, and asked for his protection. In return, he gave them the following pledge:]
I, Muhammad, the son of ‘Abd Allah, have commanded that a covenant of protection and security be written for the Samaritan community for their persons, their children, their property, their wealth, their places of worship, and their savings, and that it be binding in all the provinces and places in which they live. We also promise to treat them and the people of Palestine in the best possible way.
2.19—Text:
The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Yemenite Jews
[The Messenger of God made many covenants with the Jewish people in northern, central, and southern Arabia. Over half a dozen Covenants of the Prophet with the Jews of Yemen have been passed down through rabbinical lines. They are very similar in content and form to the covenants or peace treaties that the Prophet Muhammad concluded with the various Christian groups of the Middle East. The following document was dictated by the Messenger of God to Imam ‘Ali in the ninth year of the hijrah and was witnessed by ten Companions of the Prophet. It reads:]
In the Name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate. By God’s mercy and His blessing.
O people of the tribes of Israel and Muslims and Believers…
The Children of Israel … will be safe under God’s security… and under the security of the Muslims and the Believers…
I have taken them as my clients and extended protection to them.
I have removed from them all shame, insult, abuse, accusations of wrong-doing, and any disgrace.
I have extended security to them in every village, in every market, and in all the land of the Muslims and the Believers.
No wrong, harm, and no crime should affect them.
Nobody can make legal claims against them, steal from them, or tax their properties and their farms…
God will not bless anyone who oppresses the Children of Israel even the weight of an atom. If anyone does, I will testify against him on the Day of Resurrection.
They will not be stopped from entering mosques, the tombs of saints or schools…
No one will lay a hand upon them or oppress them…
They are not to change their religion for another.
They are not to violate their Sabbath or do any work on it.
They are not to stop reading the Torah…
They are not to be stopped from praying in their synagogues or from drinking intoxicating beverages in their homes.
They are not to be stopped from attending schools or ritual baths.
God will punish anyone who harms the Children of Israel with misfortune on himself and upon his household, upon his offspring, his beasts and his fields, from that day forth until the Day of Judgment.
He will condemn him to Hell for having acted against my Covenant, my seal, my protection, my oath, and my witness.
This is the reward of the Children of Israel who fought for me and broke their Sabbath.
The Sons of Jacob fought bravely for me, O Quraysh and O my allies.
The Children of Israel rallied around me and we were victorious over the enemy.
By God, by God, O Muslims and Believers, may you keep and honor this covenant of protection upon which I have placed my seal.
2.20—Text:
The Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Zoroastrians
[Zoroastrianism is one of the world’s oldest religions. It was founded by Prophet Zoroaster in ancient Persia over three-thousand five hundred years ago. He preached a monotheistic religion, a religion that believes in one God, centered in a dualistic cosmology of good and evil, namely a battle between good and bad, in which evil is eventually destroyed.
Zoroastrianism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, share many common beliefs, including angels, demons, saviors, and a cosmic battle at the end of times. Although Muslims could not eat their meat nor marry them, the Prophet Muhammad placed the Zoroastrians under the category of People of the Book or Protected People. In honor of Salman the Persian, a close companion of the Prophet who had been a Zoroastrian priest, and later a Christian, before he embraced Islam, the Messenger of God granted a covenant of protection to his family of hereditary Zoroastrian priests. It reads:]
This is a covenant for the people of the House of Salman.
They have God’s protection and my protection. It applies to their lives, property, homes, plains, mountains, pastures, and springs. They will not be treated unjustly. No hardship will be imposed on them.
It is obligatory for all the believing men and women who hear this covenant to honor, respect, and revere the family of Salman. They must not oppose them, harm them or do anything bad to them.
They will not be forced to cut their forelocks. They will not be forced to pay taxes…
If they ask you for something, give it to them. If they misbehave, forgive them, but if misdeeds are committed against them, defend them…
The House of Salman deserves these protections because God … has given Salman a high status over believers.
God revealed to me: “Paradise longs for Salman more than Salman longs for Paradise.”
He is a man in whom I put my trust and faith. He is pious and pure. He is a sincere advisor to the Messenger of God and the believers. Salman is one of us, a member of the Family of the Prophet.
Let no one oppose this covenant regarding respect for the people of the House of Salman and their descendants. It applies to those who convert to Islam and those who keep their religion.
Whoever opposes this covenant has opposed God and his Messenger and will continue to be cursed until the Day of Reckoning.
Whoever honors them has honored me and will be rewarded by God. And whoever harms them has harmed me, and I will be his enemy on the Day of Resurrection: the Fires of Hell will repay him, and I will remove my protection from him.
2.21—Video:
“The Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad with the Christians of the World in the 21st Century,”
Presented at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, Toronto, 2018
[Dr. John Andrew Morrow]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLwkWDdayro
2:22—Video:
[Charles Upton, Dr. John Andrew Morrow, and Dr. Craig Considine]
“An Offering of the Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad to the Christians of the World in the 21st Century,”
Presented at the Parliament of the World’s Religions, Toronto, 2018
The Covenants of the Prophet Foundation 