According to traditions a delegation of Christian monks from St. Catherine's Monastery on Mt. Sinai, visited the Prophet in Medina in 628 AD to request the safeguarding of their monastery. The Prophet personally promised them their rights and privileges, including freedom of worship and movement, freedom to appoint their own judges and to own and maintain their property. This was written into a document by Ali Ibn Abi Talib which the prophet signed using his seal. The document reads:
"This is a message from Muhammad ibn Abdullah, as a covenant to those who adopt Christianity, near and far, we are with them. Verily I, the servants, the helpers, and my followers defend them, because Christians are my citizens; and by Allah! I hold out against anything that displeases them.
No compulsion is to be on them. Neither are their judges to be removed from their jobs nor their monks from their monasteries. No one is to destroy a house of their religion, to damage it, or to carry anything from it to the Muslims' houses. Should anyone take any of these, he would spoil God's covenant and disobey His Prophet. Verily, they are my allies and have my secure charter against all that they hate. No one is to force them to travel or to oblige them to fight. The Muslims are to fight for them.
If a female Christian is married to a Muslim, it is not to take place without her approval. She is not to be prevented from visiting her church to pray. Their churches are to be respected. They are neither to be prevented from repairing them nor the sacredness of their covenants. No one of the nation (Muslims) is to disobey the covenant till the Day of Judgment."
In recent times some have raised doubts about this document's historical authenticity. We live in the scientific age where the scientific method has helped us achieve astounding advances in technology & understanding the world around us. Many want to also apply the scientific methodology to religion too. But this is problematic as religion by it's nature is about belief & faith and not about facts or empirical evidence that can be tested using the scientific method. After all, that which is certain does not require faith. Religion is about the intangible realm of metaphysical beliefs. It is about faith in the unseen and spiritual enlightenment. If one is going to discard elements of faith on the basis that it cannot be historically authenticated, then pretty much all of what is believed by followers of any religion would have to be discarded too, not to mention belief in God himself since science cannot prove his existence.
There are of course many who do reject the notion of God and religion on that basis and that's their choice and a perfectly reasonable position to take. However for those of us who do believe and have faith in God and a particular religion, there is a distinction between science and religion. Between faith and academia. They are two separate worlds and should not be conflated.
When we look at a document like this from a perspective of faith we gain spiritual lessons from it. It inspires us to not only respect other faiths but actively protect the rights of those with different beliefs.
Regardless of it's historical origin, the reality is that this document was and continues to be believed and honoured by the majority of Muslims who have come into contact with it. Successive Caliphs and Sultans in the area upheld and reaffirmed the covenant and protected the rights & privileges it enshrined right up to this very day where the Egyptian Government ensures the special status of the monastery of St Catherine, in which a copy of the charter from Muhammad is can still be seen.
Muslims can be justly proud of this covenant and the rights it enshrined as well as that under Muslim protection the monastery was able to build up a vast library second only to the Vatican library, in the number of early codices and manuscripts it preserves. However at the same time we should also recognise that although the rights and protection given were quite remarkable for the time and context, today they are things we would hope to expect any civilised leader or nation should offer to it's citizens in the pluralistic & multi-faith world we now live in. So this document should also serve as a reminder that time does not stand still. We should not stop seeking to improve and evolve. The past can rightly serve as an inspiration for us - but it should never be a fixed template to merely imitate. This covenant serves as an excellent example of how the early Muslims sought to apply justice and rights at the time and so it should motivate us to continue in that pursuit rather than mistakenly thinking it is the final word on the matter.
The Quran says:
"The same religion He has established for you is as that which He enjoined on Noah -- and what We now reveal to you -- and enjoined on Abraham, Moses, Jesus, saying, 'Establish the religion and do not become divided therein'" (42:13)
"Say, 'We believe in God and in that which He has revealed to us and to Abraham, Ismail, Isaac, Jacob, the descendants and that which was revealed to Moses, Jesus and that which was revealed to the prophets from their Lord, We make no difference between one and another and we bow in submission to Him'" (2:136)
"Let there be no compulsion in religion" (2:256)
"Will you then compel mankind, against their will, to believe?" (10:99)
When we as Muslims look at these verses we should look at the spirit they encourage - a spirit of pluralism and inclusiveness. A spirit of justice and liberty. They should drive us forward and not make us look backwards. They should inspire us to regard all humanity as our brothers and equals, just as Ali b. Abi Talib said in a letter to the Muslim governor of Egypt - under which jurisdiction the monastry of St Catherine fell:
"Infuse your heart with mercy, love and kindness for your subjects . . . either they are your brothers in religion or they are your equals in creation."
Brilliant!
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