Hilf al-Fudul
Encyclopedia
Hilf al-Fudul was a 7th-century alliance created by various Mecca
ns, including the prophet Muhammad
, to establish fair commercial dealing. Because of Muhammad's role in its formation, the alliance plays a significant role in Islamic ethics
. Because fudul commonly means "virtuous" the alliance is often translated as Alliance of the Virtuous.
Following the Fijar War, the Quraysh realized that the deterioration of their state and the loss of Mecca's prestige in Arabia were the result of their inability to solve disagreements, creating internal division.
had sold some goods to a notable member of the clan of Sahm. Having taken possession of the goods, the man from Sahm refused to pay the agreed price. The wronger knew very well that the merchant had no confederate or kinsman in Mecca, whom he could count upon for help. But the merchant, instead of letting it pass, appealed to the Quraysh to see that justice was done.
To make the pact imperative and sacred, the members went into the Ka'aba and poured water into the receptacle so it flowed on the black stone
. Thereupon each man drank from it. Then they raised their right hands above their heads to show they would stand together in this endeavor. The pact was written and placed inside the Ka'aba, the place where the participants believed it would be under the protection of God.
Among the members who agreed to the terms of the pact was the Islamic prophet Muhammad
. Later on, after proclaiming Islam, Muhammad still acknowledged the validity of the pact, ignoring the fact that most of the members were non-Muslim. Abu Bakr is also said to have agreed to this pact. This presumption is based on the fact that Abdullah ibn Ja'dan, whose house was the venue for this pledge, was Abu Bakr's fellow clansman. Amongst the clans, Banu Hashim
, Zuhra and Taim participated in its formation. Neither the Banu Nawfal
, nor the powerful Banu Umayya took part in it.
That pact also marked the beginning of some notion of justice in Mecca, which would be later repeated by Muhammad when he would preach Islam. Another aspect of the pact was that it would open up the Meccan market to Yeminite merchants, who were hitherto excluded. Nevertheless, the pact was considered "superficial and that which has no primary significance." It is said that some Quraysh went as far as excluding the participants from their rank.
once threatened the Medinan governor, who Hussayn believed gave an unjust decision, that he would take the case to the members of Hilf al-Fudul.
Anas Malik sees the pact as example libertarianism in Islam, and Anthony Sullivan considers it as a support for Muslim democrats.
. According to Anthony Sullivan, the pact represents Islam's interest in human rights and protection of such rights. Muhammad, later as a Muslim, accepted the substance of the agreement made by primarily non-Muslims. Tariq Ramadan
draws three principles from this:
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
ns, including the prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, to establish fair commercial dealing. Because of Muhammad's role in its formation, the alliance plays a significant role in Islamic ethics
Islamic ethics
Islamic ethics , defined as "good character," historically took shape gradually from the 7th century and was finally established by the 11th century...
. Because fudul commonly means "virtuous" the alliance is often translated as Alliance of the Virtuous.
Historical background
In the years preceding the pact, the Quraysh were involved in intermittent conflict. The war, as usual, was a result of an unsettled murder. The effect was growing discontent with the form of justice that required sacrilegious war. Many Quraysh leaders had travelled to Syria, where they found relative justice prevailed. Similar conditions also existed in Abyssinia. No such system, however, existed in Arabia.Following the Fijar War, the Quraysh realized that the deterioration of their state and the loss of Mecca's prestige in Arabia were the result of their inability to solve disagreements, creating internal division.
Yemeni merchant
A Yemini merchant from ZabidZabid
Zabid is a town with an urban population of around 23,000 persons on Yemen's western coastal plain. The town, named after Wadi Zabid, the wadi to its south, is one of the oldest towns in Yemen...
had sold some goods to a notable member of the clan of Sahm. Having taken possession of the goods, the man from Sahm refused to pay the agreed price. The wronger knew very well that the merchant had no confederate or kinsman in Mecca, whom he could count upon for help. But the merchant, instead of letting it pass, appealed to the Quraysh to see that justice was done.
Formation
In response a meeting was hosted at the house of Abdullah ibn Ja'dan. At the meeting, various chiefs and members of tribes pledged to:- respect the principles of justice, and
- collectively intervene in conflicts to establish justice.
To make the pact imperative and sacred, the members went into the Ka'aba and poured water into the receptacle so it flowed on the black stone
Black Stone
The Black Stone is the eastern cornerstone of the Kaaba, the ancient stone building towards which Muslims pray, in the center of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is revered by Muslims as an Islamic relic, which according to Muslim tradition dates back to the time of Adam and Eve.The...
. Thereupon each man drank from it. Then they raised their right hands above their heads to show they would stand together in this endeavor. The pact was written and placed inside the Ka'aba, the place where the participants believed it would be under the protection of God.
Among the members who agreed to the terms of the pact was the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
. Later on, after proclaiming Islam, Muhammad still acknowledged the validity of the pact, ignoring the fact that most of the members were non-Muslim. Abu Bakr is also said to have agreed to this pact. This presumption is based on the fact that Abdullah ibn Ja'dan, whose house was the venue for this pledge, was Abu Bakr's fellow clansman. Amongst the clans, Banu Hashim
Banu Hashim
Banū Hāshim was a clan in the Quraysh tribe. Muhammad, was a member of this clan; his great-grandfather was Hashim, for whom the clan is named. Members of this clan are referred to by the Anglicised version of their name as Hashemites, or Huseini or Hasani...
, Zuhra and Taim participated in its formation. Neither the Banu Nawfal
Banu Nawfal
Banu Nawfal is a notable Arabic sub-clan of the Quraish tribe. Its progenitor is Nawfal ibn Abd Manaf .Chief: Mut`im ibn ‘Adi...
, nor the powerful Banu Umayya took part in it.
That pact also marked the beginning of some notion of justice in Mecca, which would be later repeated by Muhammad when he would preach Islam. Another aspect of the pact was that it would open up the Meccan market to Yeminite merchants, who were hitherto excluded. Nevertheless, the pact was considered "superficial and that which has no primary significance." It is said that some Quraysh went as far as excluding the participants from their rank.
Legacy
Husayn ibn AliHusayn ibn Ali
Hussein ibn ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib was the son of ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib and Fātimah Zahrā...
once threatened the Medinan governor, who Hussayn believed gave an unjust decision, that he would take the case to the members of Hilf al-Fudul.
Anas Malik sees the pact as example libertarianism in Islam, and Anthony Sullivan considers it as a support for Muslim democrats.
Islamic ethics
The pact holds significance in Islamic ethicsIslamic ethics
Islamic ethics , defined as "good character," historically took shape gradually from the 7th century and was finally established by the 11th century...
. According to Anthony Sullivan, the pact represents Islam's interest in human rights and protection of such rights. Muhammad, later as a Muslim, accepted the substance of the agreement made by primarily non-Muslims. Tariq Ramadan
Tariq Ramadan
Tariq Ramadan is a Swiss academic, poet and writer. He is also a Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies in the Faculty of Oriental Studies at Oxford University...
draws three principles from this:
- Islam embraces values derived from the human conscience, that are outside of the Islamic tradition. This is because Muhammad had acknowledged a pact before revelation, in the pre-Islamic era.
- Islam acknowledges the righteousness of non-Muslims. In this case, the non-Muslims had defended justice and the oppressed.
- Islam, instead of building allegiance to a closed community, requires allegiance to a set of universal principles. The message of Islam is not a closed value system, or at variance or conflict with other value systems.