The Pact of Al-Fudhul (Hilf Al-Fudhul)

Hilf Al-Fudhul (حلف الفضول) or the Pact of Al-Fudhul was a famous coalition of the prominent leaders of Makkah which was formed after the Battles of Al-Fijar, but 20 years before the declaration of Prophethood by Prophet Muhammad . This coalition was made against the prevailing injustice and violence among the tribes of Makkah. This pact was known as one of the most fair and honorable pacts ever to be reached among the Arabs. ¹

Muhammad also participated in it and regarded it to be valuable, even after the establishment of in Arabia. ² It is also considered as Prophet Muhammad’s first recorded participation in a public act. ³

Background

Until Hashim ibn Abd Manaf's and Abdul Muttalib's reign, the tribe of Quraysh had a special status in Arabia and no tribe challenged their leadership. Their status provided them with protection and security from all types of threats and attacks from the nomadic tribes of Arabia. As their prominent leaders passed away, the authority of the Quraysh started to decline and started being challenged. The Quraysh had realized that their status had declined due to the internal divisions and disagreements of the tribe. ⁴ Hence,

Muhammad’s uncle, Al-Zubair ibn Abd Al-Muttalib was the first individual who proposed and advocated for this pact. ⁵ Then, this motion was endorsed by some clans of the Quraysh and they gathered in Dar Al-Nadwa to discuss its articles so that a pact could be formed.

The most important cause which triggered the formation of this pact was the incident of a merchant, which occurred in Makkah. It is narrated that a merchant named Zubair, who belonged to the Banu Abi Zubaid tribe of Yemen, from the generation of Munabbah ibn Rabi’ah ibn Salmah, visited Makkah for trading. In Makkah, he sold some of his goods to ‘Aas ibn Wail, an influential figure of Makkah. ‘Aas ibn Wail held the goods and refused to pay the amount which was agreed between them. Due to this injustice and tyranny, Zubair decided to go to Abu Qubays hill at day break and call upon the Quraysh tribe for help. ⁶ At that time, the people of Quraysh were gathered in their assemblies. From the hill, he cried:

  يا آل فهر لمظلوم بضاعته ... ببطن مكة نائي الدار والنفرِ
ومحرم أشعث لم يقض عمرته ... يا للرجال وبين الحجر والحجر
إن الحرام لمن تمت كرامته ... ولا حرام لثوب الفاجر الغدر. ⁷

  ‘O descendants of Fihr, help the oppressed one, who has been wronged of his goods, right here in the middle of Makkah, far away from his own home and folks. Dressed in Ihram, messy and destitute, who has not yet finished his pilgrimage; O people! Sitting in between the hijr and the stone (Hajr Al-Aswad). Surely! Reverence is only for the one whose dignity is complete and there is nothing revered for the robe of the immoral and deceitful.

After listening to his cry for help, Zubair ibn Abdul Muttalib got up and stated that this matter could not be ignored. He insisted his people to form a coalition which could resolve these type of issues in Makkah. ⁸ The people of Quraysh agreed with him and the representatives of Banu Hashim, including

Muhammad , Members of Banu Zuhra ibn Kilab, Banu Taim ibn Murra, Banu 'Abd Al-Muttalib and Banu Asad ibn 'Abd Al-Uzza gathered in the house of Abdullah ibn Jada’an ibn ‘Amr ibn Ka’b ibn Saad of Taym tribe, who was respected for his age and high reputation in Makkah. He hosted this meeting and prepared a grand feast for them. ⁹The above-mentioned tribes formed this agreement in the month of Dhu Al-Qa’ada, ¹⁰ which was considered a sacred month in Arabia. All the members of the pact agreed that they would protect and support everyone who was maltreated in Makkah, whether he belonged to their people or was a visitor. They vowed to be united against any wrong doer to help the victims ¹¹ and would ensure that the rights of the individual would be upheld, irrespective of the tribe and clan affiliations of the parties involved, or their social position and residence. Thus, they vowed to respect the doctrines of justice and to collectively interfere in the disputes, to establish justice and protect the weak from the oppression of the tyrants, whoever they might be and whatever associations they might have. ¹²The Quraysh named the treaty Hilf Al-Fudhul ¹³ which is also called as ‘The Pact of the Pious’. ¹⁴ Al-Fudhul pact was established twenty (20) years before the first revelation to Prophet Muhammad thus, he was 20 years old at that time. ¹⁵ Some also cited that he was 25 years old. ¹⁶ However, the prevailing opinion is that he was 20 years old at that time.

To make the treaty imperative and revered, the members went into the Ka’bah along with Zamzam water in a vessel, which they poured on the black stone (Hijr-e-Aswad) and drank from it. ¹⁷ Then, they raised their right hands over their heads to demonstrate that they would work together for this cause. ¹⁸ After concluding the pact, all of the dignitaries of Quraysh went to ‘Aas ibn Wail's house and recovered the money which was supposed to pay. ¹⁹

It is cited that Zubair ibn Abd Al-Muttalib said following lines about this pact:

  حلفت لنعقدن حلفا عليھم... وإن كنا جميعا أهل دار
نسميه الفضول إذا عقدنا...يعزبه الغريب لدى الجوار
ويعلم من حوالي البيت أنا...أباة الضيم نمنع كل عار. ²⁰

  I swore to make a pact against them, though we're all the members of one family. We’ll name it Al-Fudhul. If we make a pact, by it the stranger could be protected and pilgrims of the Ka’bah will know that we reject injustice and will prevent all shameful things.

Following lines are also narrated from Zubair ibn Abd Al-Muttalib:

  ان الفضول تحالفوا وتعاقدوا...ان لا يقيم ببطن مكة ظالم
أمر عليه تعاقدوا وتواثقوا...فالجار المظلوم فيھم سالم ²¹

  Indeed, the Fudul (the alliance) made a pact and swore an oath That no oppressor shall remain in the heart of Makkah; they made a pact and a firm agreement * So that the neighbor and the visitor among them are safe.

The Name Al-Fudhul

Different opinions are cited for calling this pact ‘Al-Fudhul’. One of the reasons mentioned is that the participants of this pact went to the level of ‘fadl’ or excess in this matter, thus, they named it the pact of Al-Fudhul, which is the plural of ‘fadl’. Some of the scholars suggested that ‘fadl’ refers to ‘everything that is captured unlawfully or by means of oppression’. As this pact was made to seize a property from a person which he held in excess (i.e. Fudhul) of his rightful claim, and return it to the rightful owners, that’s why it was called Hilf Al-Fudhul. ²²

Another reason mentioned for naming this agreement as 'Al-Fudhul' is that a pact, similar to this one was concluded in ancient times during the era of Banu Jurham, in which the main participants were Al-Fadhl ibn Fadhalah, Al-Fadhl ibn Wada’h and Fudhail ibn Al-Harith, while some have also mentioned the names of Al-Fudhail ibn Shra’ah and Al-Fadhl ibn Qudha’ah as participants. That pact was named the Al-Fudhul due to the names of the main participants who had the word ‘Fadhl’ in their names. Therefore, the Quraysh also titled their pact as Hilf Al-Fudhul, basing it on Banu Jurham’s pact ‘Hilf Al-Fudhul’, due the similarity of the objectives. ²³ However, the first reason given above is deemed to be more authentic.

Importance of Al-Fudhul Pact

Importance of the Pact of Al-Fudhul can be seen from the fact that

Muhammad acknowledged the validity and significance of the treaty, even after the establishment of . He used to state that he would not exchange the covenant, which he witnessed at Abdullah ibn Jud'an's house for any number of red camels. He also stated that if he was invited to participate in such a pact again, he would do so. ²⁴

The pact of Fudhul had deep impact on socio-political system of Makkah. It proved to be a powerful factor in the social life of the city and could be asserted against the Ahlaf clans. ²⁵ All the members of the coalition would rush to support the person who invoked Hilf Al-Fudhul and called for help. As a result of this pact, the respect and trust of the Quraysh was restored in the eyes of the tribes of Arabia.

This pact proved to be very valuable in preventing injustice and tyranny in Makkah. Once, a man from Jath’am tribe visited Makkah for Hajj or Umrah. On this occasion, one of his extremely beautiful daughter Al-Qatool was kidnapped by one of the tribal leader, Nubaih ibn Al-Hujjaj. He kept the girl at his place and refused to return her to her father. Someone directed that person to seek help from the tribes of Makkah and invoke Hilf Al-Fudhul. Thus, that man went to the Holy Ka’bah and cried for help while invoking the pact of Al-Fudhul. People from all sides rushed to help him with unsheathed swords. After listening to his problem, they accompanied him to the house of Nubaih ibn Al-Hujjaj and demanded him to return the girl back to her father. Nubaih ibn Al-Hujjaj demanded that he wanted to remain with the girl, only for one night, but people refused to fulfil his illegitimate demand. Eventually, he returned the girl to her father because of the role played by the participants of Hilf Al-Fudhul. ²⁶

 

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• ¹ Abd Al-Rahman ibn Abdullah Al-Suhaili (2000), Al-Raudh Al-Unf fi Sharha Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah, Dar Al-Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 46.
• ² Abd Al-Malik ibn Hisham (1955), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Hisham, Shirkah Maktabah wa Matba’ Mustafa Al-Babi, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 1, Pg. 134.
• ³ Mohammad Mohar Ali (1997), Sirat Al-Nabi and the Orientalists, King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an, Madinah, Saudi Arabia, Vol. 1 A, Pg. 171.
• ⁴ Muhammad Husein Haykal (1993), The Life of Muhammad (Translated by Ismail Raji Al-Faruqi), Islamic Book Trust, Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, Pg. 57.
• ⁵ Muhammad ibn Saad Al-Basri (1968), Tabqat Al-Kubra, Dar Sadir, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 128.
• ⁶ Ahmed ibn Yahya ibn Jabir ibn Dawood Al-Baladhuri (1996), Jumal min Ansab Al-Ashraf, Dar Al-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 12.
• ⁷ Abd Al-Rahman ibn Abdullah Al-Suhaili (2000), Al-Raudh Al-Unf fi Sharha Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah, Dar Al-Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 46-47.
• ⁸ Abul Fida Ismael ibn Kathir Al-Damishqi (1976), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Kathir, Dar Al-Ma’rifat lil Taba’at wal-Nashr wal-Tawzi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 259.
• ⁹ Abd Al-Malik ibn Hisham (1955), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Hisham, Shirkah Maktabah wa Matba’ Mustafa Al-Babi, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 1, Pg. 133-134.
• ¹⁰ Abul Fida Ismael ibn Kathir Al-Damishqi (1976), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Kathir, Dar Al-Ma’rifat lil Taba’at wal-Nashr wal-Tawzi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 258.
• ¹¹ Abd Al-Malik ibn Hisham (1955), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Hisham, Shirkah Maktabah wa Matba’ Mustafa Al-Babi, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 1, Pg. 133-134.
• ¹² Mohammad Mohar Ali (1997), Sirat Al-Nabi and the Orientalists, King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an, Madinah, Saudi Arabia, Vol. 1 A, Pg. 169-170.
• ¹³ Abd Al-Malik ibn Hisham (1955), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Hisham, Shirkah Maktabah wa Matba’ Mustafa Al-Babi, Cairo, Egypt, Vol. 1, Pg. 133-134.
• ¹⁴ Mohammad Mohar Ali (1997), Sirat Al-Nabi and the Orientalists, King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an, Madinah, Saudi Arabia, Vol. 1 A, Pg. 170.
• ¹⁵ Muhammad ibn Yusuf Al-Salihi Al-Shami (1993), Subul Al-Huda wal-Rashad fi Seerat Khair Al-Abad, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 154.
• ¹⁶ Muhammad ibn Abdullah Al-Azraqi (1414 A.H.), Akhbar Makkah wa ma Ja’a feha min Al-Aathar, Dar Khizar, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 5, Pg. 170.
• ¹⁷ Ibid.
• ¹⁸ Martin Lings (1985), Muhammad ﷺ: His Life Based on the Earliest Sources, Suhail Academy, Lahore, Pakistan, Pg. 32.
• ¹⁹ Muhammad ibn Abdullah Al-Azraqi (1414 A.H.), Akhbar Makkah wa ma Ja’a feha min Al-Aathar, Dar Khizar, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 5, Pg. 170.
• ²⁰ Ibid, Pg. 172.
• ²¹ Abul Fida Ismael ibn Kathir Al-Damishqi (1976), Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah le-ibn Kathir, Dar Al-Ma’rifat lil Taba’at wal-Nashr wal-Tawzi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 260.
• ²² Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Ahmed Al-Halabi (1427 A.H.), Al-Seerah Al-Halabiyah, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 1, Pg. 191.
• ²³ Abd Al-Rahman ibn Abdullah Al-Suhaili (2000), Al-Raudh Al-Unf fi Sharha Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah, Dar Al-Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 45-46.
• ²⁴ Muhammad ibn Yusuf Al-Salihi Al-Shami (1993), Subul Al-Huda wal-Rashad fi Seerat Khair Al-Abad, Dar Al-Kutub Al-Ilmiyah, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 154.
• ²⁵ Mohammad Mohar Ali (1997), Sirat Al-Nabi and the Orientalists, King Fahd Complex for the Printing of the Holy Qur’an, Madinah, Saudi Arabia, Vol. 1 A, Pg. 171.
• ²⁶ Abd Al-Rahman ibn Abdullah Al-Suhaili (2000), Al-Raudh Al-Unf fi Sharha Al-Seerat Al-Nabawiyah, Dar Al-Ihya Al-Turath Al-Arabi, Beirut, Lebanon, Vol. 2, Pg. 47.