PACT OF SAQEEF (TAIF)
In the name of Allah, the compassionate, the Merciful.
1. This writing of Muhammad (Sal Allaho Alehe Wasallam) the
Prophet of Allah is for Saqeef.
2. Whatever has been written in this deed, its responsibility
is that of Allah Who is One and does not share His Powers with anybody, and of
Prophet Muhammad (Sal Allaho Alehe Wasallam) son of Abdullah.
3. The valley of Saqeef has been declared as Haram. The cutting
of the wild thorny trees thereof, hunting therein, oppression, theft and evil
actions in it are all Haram (strictly prohibited).
4. Saqeef has the greatest right to Wuj. Neither army shall
pass through the land of Taif, nor shall a Muslim go there and eject these
People from there. These people may do whatever they like in Taif and its
valley and construct whatever building they like.
5. The people of Taif shall be exempt from Ushr, Zakat and
Military aid. There shall be no coercion, in so far as their life and property
is concerned.
6. These people shall be regarded as a group of the Muslims.
They can, therefore move amongst the Muslims without any Restriction.
7. If someone is taken prisoner from amongst the people of
Taif, they shall have the right to settle the case.
8. Whatever debt of the people of Taif may be due for payment
on a pawned article and whatever debt on a pawned article may be payable till
after the Ukaz season, should be paid by Ukaz. Allah has no responsibility
regarding interest.
9. In the books of the people of Taif whatever debts are due
for receipt till the time of their acceptance of Islam, they shall be in their
right to receive them.
10. If an article belonging to the people of Taif, held in
trust, is destroyed by the trustee, it shall be caused to be returned to the owner.
11. The people of Saqeef, who are not present here shall have
the same safeguards and rights as are admissible to those present here.
Whatever property they have in Layya, shall be secure like wuj.
12. Similarly whoever is their partner in trade or their
helper, shall have the same rights.
13. If someone commits a financial or physical excess or
outrage on the people of Saqeef, all the Muslims shall help Saqeef against the
offender.
14. Anybody whose entry into the area is not desired, shall not
enter it.
15. These people can construct places for buying and selling in
front of their houses.
16. A ruler for Saqeef shall be appointed from amongst them.
Accordingly, Bani Malik and Bani Akhlaf shall have their own Amirs.
17. The people of Saqeef who will irrigate the gardens of
Quraish, shall have right to half of the produce.
18. No interest shall be charged on the pawned articles. If
they are in a position to pay the amount of pawn, they should pay it. If they
are not able to pay immediately, they should pay up to the Jamadi-ul-Oola of
the next year. And one whose time is up and does not pay, he has no doubt
turned it into an interest transaction.
19. If the people of Saqeef are in debt, the amount of
principal only shall be paid to the creditor.
20. If they have amongst them a prisoner, whom his master sold
away, the transaction shall be regular. If he was not sold, his ransom shall be
6 she-camels, which can be given in two instalments.
21. Only a person purchasing an article, shall have the right
of its sale
Seal: Allah's Prophet Muhammad
Note: As in the present day, Taif was the summer resort of the
wealthy Quraish. Being five thousand feet above sea level, its climate is cool
and pleasant. In the past it was full of gardens and produced fruits and
vegetables. The City of Taif, is now a big centre of trade and is a highly
developed and modernised city.
Despite the fact that the Quraish knew that the Holy Prophet (Sal
Allaho Alehe Wasallam) was extremely noble, truthful, honest, charitable and
truth-worthy person, they treated him with contempt, malice and animosity, when
he declared that he was Prophet of Allah. Day by day their attitude grew more
and more hostile and bitter. When there was little hope of their listening to
the voice of reason, the Holy Prophet (Sal Allaho Alehe Wasallam) went to Taif
to preach Islam there. But unfortunately the people of Taif proved to be more
callous, unreasonable and tyrannical.
In the city there lived wealthy and highly influential people. The
Holy Prophet went to the three brothers named Abd ya lail, Mas'ood, and Habeeb,
who belonged to the Omair tribe, which was the chief of all other tribes and
invited them to accept Islam. What the three said was derogatory and
humiliating to the extreme. One of them said, "If Allah has sent you as a
Prophet, you are tearing the cover of Ka'ba". The second said, "Did
not Allah get somebody else for prophethood except you?" The third said.
"I cannot Talk to you. If you are true, it would be discourteous to talk
to you. If you are a liar, you do not deserve to be talked to."'
Not content with this insulting behaviour, they roused the street
urchins and rogues of Taif, to jeer and make fun of the Holy Prophet (Sal
Allaho Alehe Wasallam). The result was that the rascals stood in line on both
sides of the way. When the Holy prophet (Sal Allaho Alehe Wasallam) went that
way, they pelted stones and rocks on him, till his shoes were smeared with
blood. When due to blows and wounds, his strength gave way, he sat down; but
the callous miscreants held him by the arms and made him stand up. When he
would begin walking again they abuse him and clapped their hands. The Holy
Prophet (Sal Allaho Alehe Wasallam) at last took refuge in a vineyard.
The Prophets (A.S.) were generally subjected to such injuries and insults.
Some of them prayed for Allah's curse. Prophet Nooh's (A.S.) curse resulted in
the destruction of a big part of earth, by the Deluge. But the Holy Prophet
(Sal Allaho Alehe Wasallam) was sent for the good and benefit of the world, he
could not even think of such a curse. His companion on the jourey, Zaid
(Raziallah AnhoA.) requested him to invoke the curse of Allah on such a bad lot
of people, but the Holy Prophet got piqued and said,. "Never! I have been
sent as a blessing for the world". Thereafter he prayed, "oh Allah!
Give guidance to my people and give them a sense to differentiate between good
and bad." But the moral and physical pain which he under-went can be
easily gauged by the answer of the Holy Prophet to the query of Aisha
(Raziallah Anho) as to which was the hardest day of his life. He (Sal Allaho
Alehe Wasallam) referred to that day in Taif.
