There are several different versions of the pact that differ both in their language and stipulations. The pact:
In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. This is a document to the servant of Allah `Umar, the Leader of the faithful, from the Christians of such and such city. When you (Muslims) came to us you requested safety for ourselves, children, property and followers of our religion. You made conditions on ourselves that: • We will neither erect in our areas a
monastery,
church, or a
sanctuary for a
monk, • Nor restore any place of worship that needs restoration, • Nor use any of them for the purpose of enmity against
Muslims. • We will not prevent any Muslim from resting in our churches whether they come by day or night, • And we will open the doors [of our houses of worship] for the
wayfarer and passerby. • Those Muslims who come as guests will enjoy boarding and food for three days. • We will not allow a spy against Muslims into our churches and homes or hide deceit [or betrayal] against Muslims. • We will not teach our children the
Qur'an, • Publicize practices of
Shirk (
polytheism), • Invite anyone to Shirk, • Or prevent any of our fellows from embracing
Islam, if they choose to do so. • We will respect Muslims, (and) • Move from the places in which we sit if they choose to sit in them. • We will not imitate their clothing, caps,
turbans, sandals, hairstyles, speech, nicknames and title names, • Or ride on saddles, • Or hang
swords on the shoulders, collect
weapons of any kind, or carry these weapons. • We will not encrypt our stamps in
Arabic, • Or sell
liquor. • We will have the front of our hair cut, • Wear our customary clothes wherever we are, • Wear belts around our waist, • Refrain from erecting crosses on the outside of our churches, • Or demonstrating them and our books in public in Muslim fairways and markets. • We will not sound the bells in our churches, except discretely, • Or raise our voices while reciting our holy books inside our churches in the presence of Muslims, • Nor raise our voices [with prayer] at our
funerals, • Or light torches in funeral processions in the fairways of Muslims, or in their markets. • We will not bury our dead next to Muslim dead, • Or buy servants who were captured by Muslims. • We will be guides for Muslims and refrain from breaching their privacy in their homes. • We will not beat any Muslim. These are the conditions that we set against ourselves and followers of our religion in return for safety and protection. If we break any of these promises that we set for your benefit against ourselves, then our
Dhimmah (promise of protection) is broken and you are allowed to do with us what you are allowed of people of defiance and rebellion. ==See also==