AL ASHARI SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY

 *Writings in the Prophetic Era*

1. *Letters of Protection [Aman Nama]* — The Prophet (peace be upon him) had letters of protection written and given to many people and families, numbering in the hundreds. For example, he had Amir bin Fuhayrah, the freed slave of Hazrat Abu Bakr, write a letter of protection. Likewise, the Prophet (peace be upon him) granted letters of protection to the Jahina tribe, Banu Zur’ah, and Banu Rabba.

2. *Constitution of the Islamic State* — After arriving in Madinah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) had a written charter drawn up, which was the constitution of the Islamic state he established. It contained several clauses, the details of which are present in books of Seerah.

3. *Census* — Upon reaching Madinah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) had a census of Muslims conducted and kept its written record preserved. One narration mentions that the names of 1,500 Muslims were written, and another narration mentions 500. Therefore, the Muhaddithin think that he had the census conducted twice.

4. *Register of Mujahideen* — Whenever there was an occasion of a battle or jihad, the Prophet (peace be upon him) would have a list of the Mujahideen prepared. Imam Bukhari established a chapter: “Those whose names were written in the army.”

5. *Deeds of Ownership [Milkiyat Nama]* — The Prophet (peace be upon him) granted property to many people and gave them written deeds of ownership. For example, he granted Muslim Udaba bin Farqat a piece of land in Makkah Mukarramah to build a house, and also gave him a document in which the location of the land was also written.

6. *Land Grants [Jagir Nama]* — Some individuals were granted land estates, and written documents acknowledging their ownership were also given. For example, Hazrat Zubair bin Awwam was granted the estate of the Surag area, and a written document was given to him.

7. *Endowment Deeds [Waqf Nama]* — When some companions endowed their property, the Prophet (peace be upon him) had endowment deeds written. For example, a piece of land in Khaybar came into Hazrat Umar’s share, and he endowed it on the advice of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). The endowment deed was written with conditions that this land would not be sold, nor divided as inheritance, nor gifted.

8. *Sale Deeds [Bai Nama]* — When he bought and sold with some companions, he gave a written sale deed. The Prophet (peace be upon him) sold a slave to Ajza bin Khalid, and along with it was a written document in which there was an acknowledgment of that sale and purchase.

9. *Letters of Instruction [Hidayat Nama]* — There is evidence of written instructions being given to army commanders going on military expeditions and to officials appointed to different regions. For example, the Prophet (peace be upon him) gave Abdullah bin Jahsh, the army commander, a written instruction and ordered that it should not be read before reaching the designated place.

10. *Treaties [Mu‘ahada Nama]* — After arriving in Madinah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) made treaties with various tribes so that a conducive environment for the call to religion could be created. Among such treaties, the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, which took place in 6 AH, is very famous. It is mentioned in detail in books of Hadith and Seerah.

11. *Letters * — The Prophet (peace be upon him) sent letters to various kings, in which the call to Islam was given. For example, after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the Prophet (peace be upon him) sent letters to six rulers through envoys.

12. *Documents for New Muslims [Saha’if]* — Sometimes individuals from newly Muslim tribes would come to the Prophet’s court to learn Islamic teachings, and when returning, they would request the Prophet (peace be upon him) to write down rulings and instructions for their tribe, and he would give them in writing.

13. *Dictation * — The Prophet (peace be upon him) dictated many things. That is, he would instruct a scribe: “Write down what I say,” and the scribe would write it word for word. Sometimes he would explain the subject matter, and whoever wrote it in a good manner, he would approve of it.

14. *Sermons * — Arrangements were made to write down the sermons he delivered on various occasions. In fact, the Prophet (peace be upon him) had them written down at the request of the companions.

15. *Letter of Condolence [Ta‘ziyat Nama]* — The son of Hazrat Mu‘adh bin Jabal passed away in Madinah while Hazrat Mu‘adh was in Yemen at the time. He was grieved. On that occasion, the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him) wrote a letter of condolence to Hazrat Mu‘adh.[Maktub][Imla][Khutbat]