City State of Medina The Earliest Written Constitution of a State Promulgated by its Head in the World: In the name of Allah the Most Merciful, the Most Beneficent This is the prescript of Muhammad the Prophet SAW, to operate among the faithful and submissive to Allah SWT, from among the Quraish and the people of Yathrib (Medina) and those who may be under them and join them and take part in wars in their company. Verily they constitute a political unit (umma), as distinct from the other peoples. The Emigrants from the Quraish shall be responsible for their ward, and shall pay the blood money in mutual collaboration, and shall secure the release of their prisoners by paying their ransom, so that the mutual dealings between the Believers be in accordance with the Principles of recognized goodness and justice. So also the Banu ‘Auf, the Banu’l Harith, the Banu Saa’ida, the Banu Jusham, the Banu’s Najjaar, the Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Auf, the Banu’n Nabiit and the Banu’l-Aus and the Believers shall not leave anyone hard pressed with debts, without helping him in recognized goodness with regard to ransom or blood money. And no Believer shall oppose the client of another Believer against the latter. And the hands of pious Believers shall rise against every such person as stands in rebellion, or is guilty of any violation of pledge, or excess, or attempts to spread mischief among the Believers; and their hands shall rise together against such a person even if he be a son of anyone of them. And no Believer shall kill another Believer in retaliation for an unbeliever, nor shall he help an unbeliever against a Believer. The protection of Allah SWT is indivisibly one, and the humblest of the Believers can, by extending this to anyone, put the obligation on all… Those who obey us from the Jews will have help and equality: neither shall they be oppressed nor shall any help be given against them. The peace of all Believers shall be one, and if there be a war in the path of Allah SWT, no Believer shall make any peace with the enemy separately from other Believers… Every detachment that will fight on our side will be relieved by turns. The Believers as a body shall take vengeance for each either of the blood shed in the path of Allah SWT… No pagan (subject) shall give any protection to property or life of any Quraishite, nor shall he obstruct any Muslim in this matter. If anyone intentionally murders a Believer and it is proved, he shall be killed in retaliation, unless the heirs of the murdered person agree to blood-money. It shall not be lawful for any Believer, who has accepted the contents of the Document and has faith in Allah SWT and the Last Day, to give help or protection to any murderer. And whenever ye differ about anything, its reference shall be to Allah SWT and to Muhammad SAW. The Jews shall bear their expenditure along with the Believers so long as they fight in conjunction. The Jews of the Banu ‘Auf shall be considered as a community along with the Believers, for Jews their religion and for Muslims their religion, be one a client or original member of the tribe; but whoever shall be guilty of oppression or violation, shall put to trouble none but his own person and the members of his house. The Jews of Banu’n-Najjaar, of Banu’l-Haarith, of Banu Saa’ida, of Banu Jusham, of Banu’l-Aus, of Banu’l Tha’laba (together with the branch Jafna) and of Banu’sh-Shutaiba shall have same rights and the sub-branches of the Jews shall have the same rights as the principal members. None of them shall go out on military expedition except with the permission of Muhammad SAW. The valley of Yathrib (Medina) shall constitute an inviolable territory for the parties of this Document. The protected alien (foreigner) shall be considered just like the original member: neither shall he be harmed, nor shall he himself violate the pledge. Protection cannot be given (by a protected alien) without the permission of the original member. If any murder or quarrel of inter-tribal nature takes place between the parties of this Document, from which any trouble may be feared, it shall be referred to Allah SWT and to Muhammad Messenger of Allah. The Quraish shall be given no protection, nor those who help them. There shall be mutual aid between all inhabitants against those who invade Yathrib (Medina). If the Jews are invited to participate in and adhere to a peace they shall do that; and if they invite likewise, the same shall be incumbent upon the Believers in their favour. The fight for the cause of religion shall be excepted (an exception). Every group shall be responsible for the part (of the city) which faces it. The Jews of al-Aus, clients as well as original members, shall have the same rights as the parties of this Document. This prescript shall not protect any oppressor or violator of pledge. Whoever goes out (in a military expedition) shall have security, and whoever stays in Medina shall have security, except one who commits oppression and violates the pledge. Allah SWT is the protector of those who fulfil and observe the pledge scrupulously, even as Muhammad Messenger of Allah.

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