This study concerns the history of a document (Sahifat al-Madinah) that was often cited in Islamic works during the early and middle periods. Modern and contemporary writers, Muslims and non-Muslims alike, refer to it as the Constitution of Medina. The drafting of this text is believed to have begun after the Hijra of Prophet Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 A.D. Muslim writers in the Early Islamic and Middle Islamic periods vary in the extent to which they include details on the text

more »

... ; but it has undoubtedly taken on great importance in the modern era. The analysis presented in this paper focuses on the evolving history of how Muslims received the text over 14 centuries, and attempts to explain that evolution with reference to changing historical contexts, intellectual trends, forces and developing interests. That is, the paper investigates not just the way the text was read, but also the way it was "manufactured" into a founding historical document for modern and contemporary literature.