Prophet Muhammad’s treaty with the monks of Mount Sinai

There is a treatise that the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, ordered to be written to Imam Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, with the monks of Mount Sinai, which is an example of the way in which Muslims should relate to those who follow other beliefs and forms of worship.

On the authenticity of this treatise, Dr. John Andrew Morrow writes:

In terms of chains of transmission, the ‘ahd, ‘ahdnam or ashtiname bestowed upon the monks of Mount Sinai seems to be the strongest of all the Covenants of the Prophet. It has been broadcast by Muslims and non-Muslims for nearly a millennium and a half. From an academic point of view, it reaches the highest degree of certainty that we can expect from a document dating from the seventh century. It would take a dangerous combination of ignorance and arrogance for any scholar or scholar to reject this document as a forgery when confronted with its illustrious transmission lineage. Not only is its chain of narration solid, but also its content, which is in complete agreement with the Qur’an and the reliable Sunnah. While some may argue that the Covenant for St. Catherine’s Monastery was an exceptional act limited to a particular place and people and applied only for a specific time, the Prophet himself stipulated that its provisions applied to all peaceful Christians, who were friends and allies of Muslims, for all times to come.

Regarding its recognition and application by the rightly guided Caliphs, and virtually all Muslim leaders after this, he says:

According to the historical record, the freedoms granted by the Prophet to the monks of Mount Sinai, along with other communities, were honored by Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman and ‘Ali, as well as the Umayyads and the ‘Abbassids.

And virtually all Muslim leaders – and many of the non-Muslims – so far. (For a full exposition and quotes from this you can check out the full article here)

The treatise, whose source is reliable and has been transmitted by Muslim and non-Muslim sources, reads as follows (from an English translation by Anton F. Haddad):

This is a letter written by Mohammed, Ibn Abdullah, the Messenger, the Prophet and the Believer, which has been sent to all peoples as a trust from God to all His creatures, so that they may not declare themselves against God in the future. Verily God is Almighty, the Wise. This letter is addressed to those who embrace Islam, as a covenant with the followers of Jesus of Nazareth, in the East and the West, the far and the near, the Arabs and the foreigners, the known and the unknown.

This letter contains the oath that has been given to them, and whoever disobeys what is in it will be considered a disbeliever and a transgressor of what he has been commanded. He will be regarded as one of those who have corrupted the oath of God, have not believed His Testament, have rejected His Authority, have despised His religion and have made himself worthy of His curse, whether he is a sultan or any other believer of Islam. Whenever Christian monks, devotees, and pilgrims assemble, whether on a mountain or valley, or plain, or frequented place, or plain, or church, or in houses of worship, we will certainly be [detrás de ellos] there and protect them, as well as their property and morals, myself, my companions, and my attendants, since part of them are of my subjects and are under my protection.

I will exempt them from anything that may disturb them; of burdens that are paid by others as an oath of allegiance. They must give nothing of their income but what pleases them, they must not be offended, molested, forced, or forced. Its judges must not be changed or prevented from fulfilling their functions, nor monks disturbed in the exercise of their religious order, nor persons in seclusion prevented from living in their cells.

No one is allowed to plunder these Christians, or to destroy or spoil any of their churches or houses of worship, or to take any of the things contained in these houses and take them to the houses of Islam. And whoever does any of these will be one who has corrupted the oath of God and, verily, has disobeyed His Messenger.

Jizya should not be imposed on its judges, monks, and those whose occupation is the worship of God; Nor can anything else be taken away from them, whether it be a fine, a tax, or any unjust right. Verily, I will keep the covenant, wherever they are, on the sea or on the land, in the East or in the West, in the North or in the South, for they are under My Protection and the testament of My Security, against all things that they hate.

No taxes or tithes should be received from those who devote themselves to the worship of God in the mountains, or from those who cultivate the Holy Lands. No one has the right to interfere with your affairs, or take action against you. In truth this is for something else and not for them; rather, in the growing seasons, they should be given one Kadah for every Ardab of wheat (about five and a half handfuls) as a provision for them, and no one has the right to tell them “this is too much”, or ask them to pay any taxes.

As for those who own property, the wealthy, and merchants, the tax to be taken from them should not exceed twelve drachmas per person per year.

No one will force them to undertake a journey, or to be forced to go to war or to bear arms; because Muslims have to fight for them. Do not argue or dispute with them, but treat them according to the verse recorded in the Qur’an, namely: “And do not argue with the people of the Book except in the best way.” [29:46] Therefore, they will live favored and protected from all that offends them, wherever they are and wherever they may dwell.

In case a Christian woman is married to a Muslim, such marriage should not be celebrated except after his consent, and she should not be prevented from going to his church to pray. Their churches should be honored and should not be prevented from building churches or repairing convents.

They should not be forced to carry weapons or stones; But Muslims must protect and defend them against others. It is incumbent upon each of the followers of Islam not to contradict or disobey this oath until the Day of Resurrection and the end of the world.

Ibn Kathir, a well-known scholar, exegete of the Qur’an and historian, summarizes this treatise in his book Qisas al-Anbiya (Histories of the Prophets):

It was at this time [después del Tratado de Hudaybiyyah] that the Prophet granted to the monks of St. Catherine’s Monastery, near Mount Sinai, their charter of rights by which they secured to Christians noble and generous privileges and immunities. He pledged and commanded his followers to protect Christians, defend their churches and the residences of their priests, and protect them from all attacks. They were not to be unjustly taxed; no bishop was to be expelled from his diocese; nor should any Christian be forced to reject his religion; no monk was to be expelled from his monastery; no pilgrim was to be prevented from his pilgrimage; nor would Christian churches be demolished for building mosques or houses for Muslims. Christian women married to Muslims were to enjoy their own religion and not be subjected to compulsion or annoyance of any kind. If Christians needed assistance in repairing their churches or monasteries, or any other matter related to their religion, Muslims were to help them. This was not to be regarded as support for their religion, but simply as assistance in special circumstances. In the event that Muslims engaged in hostilities with Christians from outside (Muslim-ruled territory), no Christian resident among the Muslims was to be treated with contempt because of his creed. The Prophet declared that any Muslim who violated any clause of the Treaty was to be regarded as a transgressor of Allah’s commandments, a violator of His testament and a neglecter of His belief.