88 In the F(II)t!fPi 0/ the Prophet
kinship ties, p ray while people sleep, you shall cnter p aradi se in peace
[bisalatnj.,,13 The two references to peace, at the begimling and at the end
of his address, point to how the Prophet wished his Companions to
illlderstand their settlement in their new city. Caring for the poor and hon-
oring kinship ties appear as reminders of the ethical basis of the Muslim '
presence, which each believer must pledge to permanently respect. Night
prayer-"while people sleep"-makes for the spirirual exile mentioned
above, and thereby provides the heart with the strength and serenity in
faith that make it possible to fulfill th e rcquircmems of respecting ethics
and of spreading peace. This quest for inner peace (alone, but in the
warm light of one's family's love) is the path the believer must follow to
be able [() spread peace in the world and serve the poorest people.
Those teachings were present throughout the Prophet's life, including
at each stage of his settlement in .Medina. On arriving in r,.·Iedina, he
already possessed a symbolic and political power that none of the city's
dignitaries could ignore. Many of Yathrib's inhabitant~ had cOllverted to
Islam and recognized rum as God's iVlessenger; those converts came from
both the Aws and Khazraj clans, which had been at war for ages. The
message of Islam had been powetful enough, as had been the case in
Mecca, to transcend former divisions and unite women and men from d if-
ferent clans, different social classes, and different origins. T his flew pres-
ence could not but be seen as a threat by all those who had enjoyed some
power before the Prophet arrived. Similarly, the Jewish and Christian
tribes, long settled in the area, could only take a wait-and-see attitude, as
they were divided between recognizing the similarity of Islam's monothe-
istic message and wondering about the intentions of the new Prophet,
\"hom they natutally did not recognize as such Uewish leaders had spo-
ken out on this even before he arrived). M uhammad was of course aware
of the complexity of the situation and of the religious, sodal, and politi-
cal stakes his settlement in Medina involved.
He immediately drew up a mutual assistance agreement between th e
Muslims and the Jews who lived in the oasis.^14 The terms of the covenant
were primarily based on the recognition of di verse affiliations and did not
demand any conversion. The principles of justice, equality, and equal dig-
nity for aU the signatories (whether Jewish or Muslim, Medina natives or
immigrants from Mecca, Aws, or Kbazraj) weIe mentioned in it. Referring
to the Jews, the text stipulates: "They have the same rights and the same