The Civil Freedom of the Jews in the Government of the Prophet

With the formation of the state in Medina by the Prophet the Jews in Medina represented a serious challenge to his government. Most of the city's economic, social, and cultural structures were under their control, so the Prophet first entered into a treaty with them, establishing the most significant measures of individual freedom and civil rights, to the extent that the provisions of this treaty are considered the first and basic trans- religious and trans-national legal document. Accordingly, this study seeks to answer the question as to what social status the Jews had in the Prophet's government and to what extent their social rights and civil freedom were respected. Using a descriptive-analytical approach, this study expounds this issue and concludes that their political and social rights were respected as long as they adhered to the treaty, and the Prophet, respecting their civil rights, did not force them to change their religion and so they had the freedom to practice their social and religious activities in the Muslims community. But due to the Jews, violation of the treaty, their repeated conspiracies and their arousing and cooperating with the pagans of Mecca, the prophet stood against them.