Justice, peace, and unity in multicultural societies: The example of the "Medina Document"

The historical document named the Constitution/Document of Medina, drew up under the leadership of Muhammad (peace be upon him), was come into force in the early days of the Medina period (aka "Asr-ı Saadet"), which provided a fertile environment for the spreading of Islam. The document in question, which reconciled the differences of Medina and was drawn up on the basis of consensus, became both the guarantee and insurance of social peace. Besides, this document reconciled the differences in the multi-layered social structure of Medina, ensured that the people of Medina lived in peace and harmony, and resolved some legal issues that are considered within the scope of human rights today with its constructive suggestions. Additionally, the relevant document is positioned in a privileged place in the history of democracy or human rights, since it was prepared through some of its suggestions in the context of social equality and consultation. Therefore, the Medina Document is an exceptional example in terms of both humanity and the history of peace. The document in question has an important role as a guide both for the period when it was put into force historically and for later periods. For this reason, the relevant text should not be considered as having completely lost its essence of addressing current issues; because this text also has a structure that addresses the problems of the contemporary period and is not limited to historicity. The main purpose of this study is to identify the essence of the Medina Document that goes beyond the time, to reveal how it addresses today, and to benefit from its guidance. The Document is an important model today, and for this reason, the text's suggestions on the methods of living together and peace and its cohesive essence are open to reinterpretations. In this study, the historical context of the Document will be clarified and the technical features of the document will be scrutinized, with the guidance of the early important discussions and studies. Afterwards, the legal character and regulatory function of the relevant text will be discussed. Finally, the main problem of the study, especially how the Medina Document addresses today and how it can be reinterpreted to solve today's problems will be focused on.