Page 10 - Pakistan Link - July 16, 2021

P10 – PAKISTAN LINK – JULY 16, 2021 OPINION
Thomas Jefferson and the Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad

n By John Andrew Morrow al-Haritha who was a bishop. Sale also notes on
several occasions that the Prophet Muhammad
he revelation that Thomas Jefferson had protected the People of the Book in return for trib-
a Qur’an and that Islam had influenced ute. In other words, anyone who reads the trans-
Tthe Founding Fathers of the United States lation of the Qur’an by George Sale is introduced
was groundbreaking. Inspired by the find- to the Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad. As
ings published by Denise A. far as Sale was concerned, “Mohammed gave his
Spellberg in Thomas Jefferson’s Arabs the best religion he could, as well as the best
Qur’an: Islam and the Founders, laws, preferable at least, to those of the pagan law-
a work that appeared in 2013, I givers” (ii).
set off to study the nearly sev- Not only did Thomas Jefferson have a Qur’an
en thousand titles in Thomas which refers to the Treaty of Najran, I also found
Jefferson’s personal library in that he had complete accounts of the Covenant the
search of any traces of the Covenants of the Prophet. Thomas Jefferson, the Founding Father,
Prophet Muhammad, namely, the charters of the second vice president of the United States from
rights and freedoms that the Messenger of God 1797 to 1801, and the third president of the Unit-
had granted to the Christians of the Middle East ed States from 1801 to 1809, owned a copy of the
and the world. The results of this research are Histoire de l’Empire Ottoman or The History of the
remarkable. They confirm that Thomas Jeffer- Ottoman Empire by prince Demetrius Cantemir
son, one of the Founding Fathers of the United which contains a complete account of the Cove-
States of America and its third President, had nant of the Prophet Muhammad with the Monks of
numerous accounts of the Covenants of the Mount Sinai and a full translation of Sultan Selim’s
Prophet in his library collection. This suggests decree of authentication, renewal, and perpetual
that the Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad, protection. It reads:
along with multifarious other sources, may have man Empire, signed by President John Adams in excel each other in good works: Unto God shall ye Among the rest were the monks inhabiting
played a role in the creation of the Declaration 1797, proves this to be true. It reads: all return, and then will he declare unto you that Mount Sinai. Of these something very particular is
of Independence, the Constitution of the United As the Government of the United States concerning which ye have disagreed. (5:48) related, which, since I don’t think it is mentioned
States, and the Bill of Rights. of America is not, in any sense, founded on the And if they incline unto peace, do thou also anywhere but in a fabulous treatise of a Sinaite
Christian religion; as it has in itself no character incline thereto; and put thy confidence in God, for monk, I shall here insert. They say, though fabu-
Islam and the Founding Fathers of enmity against the Laws, religion, or tranquility, it is He who heareth and knoweth. (8:61) lously, that Mahomet being, of mean birth, used
When the American Constitution was rati- of Muslims; and as the said States never entered O men, verily We have created you of a male to drive in his youth hired camels from place to
fied in 1787, the Founding Fathers decreed that into any war or act of hostility against any Muslim and a female; and We have distributed you into na- place. In these journeys, as he one day approached
“Congress shall make no law respecting an es- nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext tions, and tribes, that ye might know one another. Mount Sinai, the Abbot saw a cloud hovering over
tablishment of religion or prohibiting the free arising from religious opinions shall ever produce Verily the most honorable of you, in the sight of Mahomet’s head as he lay asleep in the open field
exercise therefore.” In 1783, George Washington an interruption of the harmony existing between God, is the most pious of you: And God is wise and defending it as it were from the sunbeams. The
(1732-1799), the first president of the United the two countries. (Spellberg 207) and knowing. (49:13) Abbot thence conjecturing there was something
States, stated that “The bosom of America is open As Denise A. Spellberg summarizes, “The Peradventure God will establish friendship more in this youth than was promised by his out-
to receive . . . the oppressed and the persecuted of treaty… unequivocally asserted that America’s between yourselves and such of them as ye now ward appearance, because so singular an omen, in
all Nations and Religions; whom we shall welcome government was neither officially Christian nor hold for enemies: For God is powerful; and God is his opinion, could only happen to the future Lord
to a participation of all our rights and privileges… inherently anti-Islamic” (207). The Treaty of Trip- inclined to forgive, and merciful. As to those who of those Regions, and therefore he went and sa-
They may be Muslims, Jews, Christians of any sect, oli, signed by Thomas Jefferson in 1806, also re- have not borne arms against you on account of re- luted him very civilly, inviting him into his room
or they may be atheists” (Spellberg 5). When it tains and reaffirms America’s official stance toward and bidding him to take his rest quietly. When he
came to workers, he judged people based on their Muslim beliefs: “The Government of the United The Declaration of Independence, thought he had grained his goodwill by all kind of
character as opposed to their creed: “If they are States of America has in itself no character of en- the Constitution of the United States, civilities he asked him if ever he should become
good workmen, they may be of Asia, Africa, or mity against the laws, religion, and tranquility of Sovereign of those parts what his pleasure would
Europe. They may be Muslims, Jews or Christians Muslims” (Spellberg 216). and the Bill of Rights enshrine be concerning the monks? Mahomet answered:
of any Sect, or they may be Atheists” (Spellberg 5). the rights to life, liberty, and the “He would free them as Ruhban, (Keepers of the
John Adams (1797-1801), the second Presi- Thomas Jefferson and the Covenants of the pursuit of happiness. They call for Life or Course), dispersed though the world from
dent of the United States and the first Vice Presi- Prophet freedom of religion; freedom of all tribute, and hold them in great honor.” He gave
dent, described the Prophet Muhammad as one The Founding Fathers were familiar with them this promise in an Arabic writing, and con-
of the world’s “sober inquirers of truth” alongside Islam. They were familiar with the Qur’an. And speech; and freedom of onerous firmed it, for want of a seal, with the palm of his
such figures as Confucius, Socrates, and Franklin they also appear to have been familiar with the taxation. They provide the right to hand dipped in ink and impressed on the paper.
and cited him as a model of compassion. Covenants of the Prophet Muhammad. In fact, the property, the right to a fair trial, the Long after, when Sultan Selim was in Egypt,
Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third Covenant of the Prophet Muhammad that was pub- right to bear arms, and the right the Abbot of Mount Sinai humbly came to him
President of the United States, owned and read a lished by Gabriel Sionita in Paris in 1630 under the with Mahomet’s true or forged Instrument, which
copy of the Qur’an. When it came to law, Thomas name Testamentum et Pactiones was well known to to petition the government for a the Emperor purchased of the monks for four
Jefferson insisted upon being universal. He op- people of class, education, and culture in the 17th, redress of grievances. They prohibit thousand gold crowns, with a declaration of their
posed the use of “Jesus Christ,” and other syn- 18th and 19th centuries. It was readily available in excessive fines along with cruel and being free from all tribute, and a confirmation of
onyms, in bills, since it implied “a restriction of Arabic, Latin, French, German, and English. The unusual punishments. They create a his Chatisherif of this and their other privileges.
the liberty defined in the Bill to those professing Covenant of the Prophet that was first published by Selim’s Charter as translated out of Arabic into
his religion only” (Spellberg 119-120). He specifi- Sionita was reproduced in dozens of other books, Union, establish justice, tranquility, Turkish I read at Adrianople, and remember it to
cally stated that the Virginia Statute for Religious titles that were easily accessible in both Europe general welfare, and the blessings be as follows:
Freedom (1786) was written “to comprehend, and the United States. In fact, the Covenant of the of liberty. They provide for political “Since the monks of Mount Saini are come
within the mantle of its protection, the Jew and the Prophet had been a best-seller since the 17th cen- representation and democratic to our sublime Divan, and have humbly repre-
Gentile, the Christian and the Muslim, the Hindu, tury. Consequently, I set off to search the nearly sented, that Muhammed el-Mustapha, God’s Holy
and infidel of every denomination.” Speaking of seven thousand titles in Thomas Jefferson’s library consultation. These rights, freedoms, Prophet, (on whom be peace and health) being
the Constitution of 1780, Massachusetts governor, catalog in search of traces of the Covenants of the and political principles are all found heretofore by their monastery hospitably received
Chief Justice Theophilus Parsons, affirmed that it Prophet. And what did I find? I found that Thomas in the Qur’an, the Constitution of in his travails, and according to their slender abili-
afforded “the most ample liberty of conscience… Jefferson had a copy of the Qur’an, the translation Medina, and the Covenants of the ties adored with all kinds of honor and reverence,
to Deists, Muslims, Jews, and Christians.” completed by George Sale (1697-1736). In other graciously exempted this community of Nazarean
Quoting John Locke (1632-1704), Thomas words, this Founding Father would have been fa- Prophet Muhammad monks from their annual tribute, and in confirma-
Jefferson asserted that “Neither Pagan nor Muslim miliar with the multiple passages in the Qur’an in tion of it was pleased to give a holy writing signed
nor Jew ought to be excluded from the civil rights which God promotes tolerance, pluralism, peace, ligion, nor turned you out of your dwellings, God with his own hand, after his example, we also out
of the Commonwealth because of his religion.” His justice, and coexistence, including: forbideth you not to deal kindly with them, and to of our great clemency do ordain that the afore-
ally, Richard Henry Lee, even passed a motion in Let there be no violence in religion. (2:256) behave justly towards them; for God loveth those mentioned monks be free from the yearly tribute
Congress on June 7, 1776, in which he asserted Surely those who believe, all those who Ju- who act justly. (60:7-8) paid by the rest, and be suffered without molesta-
that “True freedom embraces the Muslim and the daize, and Christians, and Sabians, whoever be- Say, O ye who have received the scripture, tion to enjoy their churches and rites according to
Hindu as well as the Christian religion.” lieveth in God, and the last day, and doth that come to a just determination between us and you; their obsolete law. To this end, we have graciously
The University of Virginia, founded by which is right, they shall have their reward with that we worship not any except God, and associate ordered them an authentic copy of the Instrument
Thomas Jefferson, includes a visual tribute to his their Lord; there shall come no fear on them, nei- no creature with him; and that the one of us take of God’s Holy Prophet, confirmed by our inscrip-
commitment to religious pluralism. It features the ther shall they be grieved. (2:63) not the other for lords, beside God. But if they turn tion. We therefore enjoin every person exercising
statue of an angel carrying a tablet inscribed with We have also sent down unto thee the book back, say, bear witness that we are true believers. dominion or jurisdiction throughout our whole
the words “Religious Freedom, 1786” and which of the Koran with truth, confirming that scripture (3:64) kingdom, not to burden the said monks of the
includes the names God, Allah, Jehovah, and which was revealed before it; and preserving the Say: O unbelievers, I will not worship that tribe of Jesus with tribute or other political con-
Brahma. same safe from corruption. Judge therefore be- which ye worship; nor will ye worship that which I tributions. And whoever shall act contrary to our
Although some Americans believe that Is- tween them according to that which God hath re- worship. Neither do I worship that which ye wor- Chatisherif and Mandate, know that he shall cer-
lam has always been fundamentally at war with vealed; and follow not their desires, by swerving ship; neither do ye worship that which I worship. tainly be punished and chastised. Given at Cairo,
the West, the fact of the matter is that the Otto- from the truth which hath come unto thee. Unto Ye have your religion, and I my religion. (109: 1–6) etc.” (1734: 168-169; 1743: 181)
man Empire, the most powerful Muslim political every one of you have we given a law, and an open Thomas Jefferson’s Qur’an also contains notes Demetrius Cantemir, a Moldavian soldier,
entity of the period, concluded a treaty with the path; and if God had pleased, he had surely made from its translator. In his commentary, George statesman, and man of letters, once served as the
United States that was inspired by the Covenant you one people; but he hath thought fit to give you Sale mentions the Treaty of Najran made between legal adviser to the Ecumenical Patriarchate of
of the Prophet. The Treaty of Peace and Friendship different laws, that he might try you in that which the Prophet and leaders of the Christian Najran Constantinople. When some Muslims tried to
between the United States of America and the Otto- he hath given you respectively. Therefore, strive to community: al-‘Aqib, Sayyid al-Najrani, and Abu confiscate a church at the end of the 17th century,
www.PakistanLink.com