PATENT OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH)

PATENT OF PROPHET MUHAMMAD (PBUH)

 (John Davenport. An apology for Mohammed and the Koran. 1869. Pages 147-151. The book is available on Archive.org)

Intro: Richard Pococke (19 November 1704 – 25 September 1765)[1] was an English prelate and anthropologist. He was Protestant Bishop of Ossory (1756–65) and Meath (1765), both dioceses of the Church of Ireland. However, he is best known for his travel writings and diaries.

He was also distantly related to Edward Pococke, the English Orientalist and biblical scholar.

 

By the grace of Allah I have found the complete record of the Covenant in Christian sources, in the above mentioned book of a noble writer, John Davenport:

“In proof of the correctness of the view thus taken by the historian of the tolerant character of Mohammed, the following public document is here inserted, being extracted from a work entitled ‘A Description of the East and other Countries,’ by Richard Pococke, Bishop of Meath, and published in 1743, vol. i. p. 268. The high character of its author for piety, integrity and learning is a sufficient voucher for the authenticity of the document which is as follows :—

 

The Patent of Muhammed(pbuh), which he granted to the Monks of Mount Sinai, and to Christians in general.

“As God is great and governeth, from whom all the prophets are come, for there remaineth no record of injustice against God; through the gifts that are given unto men, Mohammed, the son of Abdallah, the Apostle of God, and careful guardian of the whole world, has written the present instrument, to all those that are his national people, and of his religion, as a secure and positive promise to be accomplished to the Christian nation and relations of the Nazareen, whosoever they may be, whether they be the noble or the vulgar, the honourable or otherwise, saying thus:

 

I. Whosoever of my nation shall presume to break my promise and oath which is contained in this present agreement, destroys the promise of God, acts contrary to the oath and will be a resister of the faith (which God forbid!) for he becometh worthy of the curse, whether he be the king himself or a poor man, or what person soever he may be.

 

II. That whenever any of the monks in his travels shall happen to settle on any mountain, hill, village, or in any other habitable place, on the sea or in deserts, or in any convent, church, or house of prayer, I shall be in the midst of them, as the preserver and protector of them, their goods and effects, with my soul, aid and protection, jointly with all my national people, because they are a part of my own people, and an honour to me.

 

III. Moreover, I command all officers not to require any poll tax of them or any other tribute, because they shall not be forced or compelled to anything of this kind.

 

IV. None shall presume to change their judges or governors, but they shall remain in their office without being deposed.

 

V. No one shall molest them when they are travelling on the road.

 

VI. Whatever churches they are possessed of, no one is to deprive them of them.

 

VII. Whosoever shall annul any of these my decrees, let him know positively that he annuls the ordinance of God.

 

VIII. Moreover, neither their judges, governors, monks, servants, disciples, or any others depending on them, shall pay any poll tax or be molested on that account, because I am their protector, wheresoever they shall be, either by land or sea, east or west, north or south; because both they and all that belong to them are included in this my promissory oath and patent.

 

IX. And of those that live quietly and solitary upon the mountains, they shall exact neither poll tax nor tithes from their incomes, neither shall any Mussulman partake of what they have, for they labour only to maintain themselves.

 

X. Whenever the crop of the earth shall be plentiful in its due time, the inhabitants shall be obliged, out of every bushel, to give them a certain measure.

 

XI. Neither in time of war shall they take them out of their habitation, nor compel them to go to the wars, nor even then shall they require of them any poll-tax.

 

In these eleven chapters is to be found whatever relates to the monks; as to the remaining seven chapters they direct what relates to every Christian.

 

XII. Those Christians who are inhabitants, and with their riches and traffic are able to pay the poll-tax, shall pay no more than 12 drachmas.

 

XIII. Excepting this, nothing more shall be required of them, according to the express word of God, that says: ‘Do not molest those that have a veneration for the Books that are sent from God, but rather, in a kind manner, give of your good things to them, and converse with them, and hinder every one from molesting them.’

 

XIV. If a Christian woman shall happen to marry a Mussulman, the Mussulman shall not cross the inclination of his wife to keep her from her chapel and prayers and the practice of her religion.*

 

XV. That no person hinder them from repairing their churches.

 

XVI. Whosoever acts contrary to this my grant, or gives credit to anything contrary to it, becomes truly an apostate from God and his divine Apostle, because this protection I have granted to them according to this promise.

 

XVII. No one shall bear arms against them, but, on the contrary, the Mussulmans shall wage war for them.

 

XVIII. And by this I ordain that none of my nation shall presume to do or act contrary to this promise until the end of the world.

 

Witnesses:

Ali the son of Abu Thaleb.

Homar, the son of Hattavi.

Ziphir, the son of Abuan.

Saith, the son of Maat.

Thavitt, the son of Nesis.

Amphachin, the son of Hassan.

Muathem, the son of Kasvi.

Azur, the son of Jassin.

Abombaker, the son of Ambi Kaphe.

Ottoman, the son of Gafas.

Ambtelack, the son of Messutt.

Phazer, the son of Abbas.

Talat, the son of Amptolack.

Saat the son of Abbatt.

Kasmer the son of Abid.

Ambtullack the son of Omar.

 

This present was written by the leader, the successor of Ali, the son of Abu Thaleb; the prophet marking it with his own hand at the mosque of the Prophet (on whom be peace!) in the second year of Hegira, the third day of the month of Machorem(Muharram).

* Turkish lawyers give as an example of this point, that the Mussulman son of a Christian mother is bound to convey her, when old or infirm, to the church door, upon a beast (horse or a mule etc.); and should he be poor and possess no beast, he is bound to carry her on his shoulders.”[1]

(John Davenport. An apology for Mohammed and the Koran. 1869. Pages 147-151. The book is available on Archive.org)