The Medina Treaty from the ethnicity perspective

• Main Authors: Embong, Zaleha, Musa, Nik Yusri, Muslim, Nazri
• Format: Indexed Article
• Language: English
• Published: IAEME 2018
• Online Access: http://discol.umk.edu.my/id/eprint/7349/1/THE_MEDINA_TREATY_FROM_THE_ETHNICITY_PER%20%281%29.pdf; http://discol.umk.edu.my/id/eprint/7349/; https://www.iaeme.com/ijciet/issues.asp?VType=9&IType=3&JType=IJCIET&PageNumber=3

The Medina Treaty is the first written constitution in the world, formulated in the effort to manage and arrange the way the pluralistic society lives. The people in Medina comprise of a diversity of races, tribes and religions so they require laws that can be collectively agreed upon and accepted. Upon the awareness that the ethnic diversity of a country needs to be managed the best way possible, the treaty serves to be the best model to manage this diversity. Before the emergence of Islam, the people of Medina did not have a proper political system and the people live in segregation and groups. Their lives are based on a profound group or kabilah (tribal) system and a high spirit of ethnicity so much so that they were willing to fight with each other and kill each other because of trivial matters. The Medina treaty formulated by the Nabi Muhammad SAW had successfully united this diverse society. In the Medina treaty, the Prophet had acknowledged the value of ethnicity. The strength of this value had successfully built strong ties among the pluralistic society in Medina.