Hilf al-Fudul Revisited: The Importance of Interfaith Alliances
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بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم
In the Name of Allah, the Most Gracious the Most Merciful
The world is lacking justice. The farce of the Western international order has been exposed. Gone are the laws which claimed to protect human rights and dignity, opening the doors to countries massacring their populations. We’re witnessing a genocide unfolding with no global intervention. This has created a moral dilemma in the international community - split between corruption and conscience.
For Muslims, we must play an integral role in bringing out a new value based order. There is a dire need for a global movement amongst people of conscience to revive values such as justice, human rights and equality. It’s our duty to initiate political alliances across the West, and move from being an oppressed minority to active facilitators of change.
This shift cannot only be done by Muslims themselves, but must involve non-Muslims who wish to be united under a virtue based alliance. This is to unite humanity in a time of mass corruption through a prophetic model.
This article studies the similar movement of Hilf al-Fudul (Alliance of Virtue), before the advent of Islam and what it teaches us about interfaith alliances.
An Age of Corruption
Before the arrival of Prophet Muhammad ﷺ, pre Islamic Arabia was known as Jahiliyyah, or the Age of Ignorance. Society had forgotten the teachings of Monotheism sent by previous prophets. The Ka’aba, built by Prophet Ibrahim عَلَيْهِ ٱلسَّلَامُ was now filled with idols, allowing Quriash to gain prominence as the custodians of the Ka’aba. Unjust killing was rife. Infant daughters buried alive, tribes slaughtered each other in a competition for wealth and status. Rich tribal chiefs oppressed the poor, robberies were common on trade routes, and orphans and slaves were exploited and looked down upon.
It was in this climate a Yemeni merchant from the Zubayd tribe went to do business in Makkah, his merchandise was taken by Al-As ibn Wa'il a powerful chief and father of Amr ibn As. Al-As refused to pay for the goods, despite being in possession of them. This was because the merchant was not associated with a notable tribe, making him easy to exploit. The merchant retaliated by standing up for his rights. He went to Mount Abū Qubays, and called the people to support him.
It was then when Al-Zubayr ibn ʿAbd al-Muṭṭalib, the Prophet’s ﷺ uncle, called for the alliance. In response, a few individuals assembled in the house of Abdullah bin Ja’dan. This was symbolic because Abdullah was a man who was generous, kind to others and would stand up for what was right. The meeting took place at his home in order to honour him.
They pledged to fight oppression and protect the rights of people. Everyone who agreed had the word Fadl attached to their names. The Prophet ﷺ was part of the pact known as Hilf al-Fudul, or the Alliance of Virtue. The pact was written and placed inside the Ka’aba to entrench their vows.
Distinguished tribes and chieftains joined the organisation from Banu Hashim, Abdul Mutallib, Banu Assad, Banu Zuhrah and Banu Tamim.
The specific policies they adopted were described by Ibn Hisham who said:
“They promised and pledged that they would not find any wronged person among their people, or anyone else who entered Mecca, but that they would support him. They would stand against whoever oppressed them until the rights of the oppressed were restored.”
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said about the pact:
“Certainly, I had witnessed a pact of justice in the house of Abdullah ibn Jud’an that was more beloved to me than a herd of red camels. If I were called to it now in the time of Islam, I would respond.”
As a result of the social pressure caused by the alliance, the Yemeni merchant had his goods returned to him.
Recognising Good in Others: Characteristics of the Companions
Pre Islamic Arabia had cultivated an environment of depravity, ignorance and deviation. The people in Jahiliyyah were in a dire state. However, they also had some good qualities which Islam enhanced.
Generosity, hospitality, pride and denial of shame. The Arabs lived a pure and simple life, took pledges seriously and admired justice. This was important for their role in spreading Islam to other nations and lands.
As a result, the Sahabah were successful in spreading the religion. They didn’t care for power and would train people in leadership. They lived simply, practised frugality and were committed to the cause. This is what earned the respect of non-believing populations.
This shows there is inherent good in all of us. When noble characteristics come together for a virtuous common cause, it creates the best calibre of people who promote justice and fairness.
Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil
The importance of Hilf al-Fudul cannot be understated.
Though it occurred pre-Islam, the Prophet ﷺ joined forces with Qurayshi leaders on the principle of humanitarianism, helping the oppressed and needy - even if it was founded by non-believers.
Its overall goal was to protect the oppressed, which became a common cause. It shows that alliances with non-believers when enjoining good is possible. Muslims should side with what is right. To defend human rights, protect the needy, poor and downtrodden, no matter what their religious background or ethnicity. We defend what is right.
In Islam, our divine duty is to enjoin good and forbid evil, and respond to opportunities which embody this. Allah سبحانه و تعالى describes this in Surah Imran:
Let there be a group among you who call ˹others˺ to goodness, encourage what is good, and forbid what is evil—it is they who will be successful.
Cooperate with one another in goodness and righteousness, and do not cooperate in sin and transgression.
(5:2)
Islam calls for interfaith cooperation on the basis of benefiting humanity. Therefore joining charities, NGO’s, businesses, conferences and groups focused on acts of good is encouraged. The aim should be to promote fairness, equality, social justice and fight against corruption. Muslims must be at the forefront of these opportunities and bring these values to all people.
Islamic ethics teaches that Islam is compatible with one’s human conscience. It means that universal principles of justice pre-Islam are in line with Islamic teachings after the advent of Prophethood.
For non-Muslims, they are drawn to these universal values because it appeals to the fitrah (human nature) of all people. In the case of Hilf al-Fudul, Makkan chiefs cooperated in the pact, despite being in a position of power which allows for the exploitation of the weak.
Mahdi Rizq-Allah Ahmad commented on this by saying:
“If people of Jahiliyyah have resisted oppression based on their natural instinct, Muslims are then more expected to resist it with their beliefs because Islam encourages justice.’
Sheikh Muhammad Al Ghazali said:
This pact shows that no matter how dark life becomes and oppressive dictators become, noble characteristics will still remain in certain people who stand up for justice and Birr – righteousness.
(Al-‘Awlaqī, 2019, 132).
Islam recognises goodness in others. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ showed openness and objectivity toward others even in his dealings with the Persians and Byzantines who expressed hostility to Islam’s rising influence. It was the characteristics of the Prophet ﷺ which allowed the Companions to acknowledge good in other cultures. Therefore cooperating with non-Muslims for a noble cause is in line with the Islamic ethos.
Promoting Universal Justice In Today’s Age
The decline of contemporary Western civilisation is an opportunity for a global alliance based on justice. A new generation can rise from it who will create ideological alternatives to the current international order.
The responsibility for today’s Muslims in the West is to embrace value based alliances that reinforce and promote human rights. The Pro-Palestinian movement represents this opportunity, where ordinary people want to distance themselves from the genocide. It has brought many diverse groups in the Western world, from all races, beliefs and ideologies - whether liberals, socialists, progressives, conservatives and more who have great empathy to the cause. Westerners are seeing what is happening and are opposing oppression.
This nature of Europeans is described by Amr ibn al-‘As who said about the Byzantines:
“There are four good qualities in them: they are the most forbearing of people in tribulation, they are the quickest to recover after a calamity, they are the most eager to return after a retreat, and they are good to the poor, the orphan, and the vulnerable. Their fifth quality is good and beautiful: they are the best at stopping the oppression of their kings.”
The mention of these European cultural traits is notable as they are compatible with Islamic beliefs and desirable human qualities.
Currently we are stuck in a narrow, ritualistic discourse that has turned us into a closed community, unable to turn our struggles into a vast global interest. The political left are most sympathetic towards Muslims, and we should seek opportunities for partnership with those who champion human rights.
However, it’s important for Muslims to pursue leadership positions within these interfaith alliances. This allows us to enter into collaborations which protect our Islamic values, which should never be limited, suppressed or changed to align with mainstream ideas. Our main goal is to protect the welfare of Islam and Muslims in the present and the future. This was the spirit of the Prophet ﷺ who expressed willingness to join the pact again after Islam and been established.
May Allah bring forward leaders from this ummah who fight for truth, justice and equality and help create a world built on Islamic values which support and protect the oppressed.
Research Resources
JazakAllahu khair for reading. Please benefit the ummah by sharing this knowledge. Feel free to download this article for offline reading or consult the bibliography below.
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Al-‘Awlaqī, A. (2019) The Life of Muhammad ﷺ. Self-published, Ramadān 1440 AH/June 2019
Dawah Institute (n.d.) The Prophet Joined and Endorsed a Civil Society Organization. Available at:https://dawahinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/The-Prophet-joined-and-endorsed-a-civil-society-organization.pdf (Accessed: 14 September 2025).
Elias, A.A. (2013) ‘Romans: Five Good Traits’, Daily Hadith Online, 12 June. Available at:https://www.abuaminaelias.com/dailyhadithonline/2013/06/12/romans-five-good-traits/ (Accessed: 14 September 2025).
Siasat Daily, 2019. Cooperation with all humanity for justice in Hilf al-Fudul. The Siasat Daily – Archive. 15 November. Available at:https://archive.siasat.com/news/cooperation-all-humanity-justice-hilf-al-fudul-1728804/ (Accessed: 14 September 2025).
PBUH.org (n.d.) Hilf al-Fudul. Available at:https://www.pbuh.org/hilf-al-fudul/ (Accessed: 14 September 2025).
Pishva’i, M. (n.d.) History of Islam up to the Demise of the Prophet (S): Section 1 – Introductory Themes. Al-Islam.org. Available at:https://al-islam.org/bn/history-islam-demise-prophet-s-mahdi-pishvai/section-1-introductory-themes (Accessed: 14 September 2025).
The Golden Age was the peak of intellectual creativity. It produced famous figures like Ibn Sina, Al-Khwarizmi and Ibn al-Haytham. But the most important question is not what they achieved, but how Muslim societies could produce so many innovators in the first place. Creativity rarely emerges from isolated geniuses. We all have the capacity to learn, create and innovate, but the conditions must be right. This is through society establishing institutions, incentives and a shared value system which produces talented people. This article looks at religiously driven knowledge production in the Abbasid Golden Age, and how it fuelled creativity.