Hilf al-Fudul (حلف الفضول) was a pact concluded in Mecca before the revelation of Islam, in the time of the Jahiliyyah. It was an agreement among various tribes of the Quraysh to assist one another in upholding justice, defending the weak and redressing wrongs.
The occasion of Hilf al-Fudul
The immediate occasion of the pact was an incident that took place shortly after the war of al-Fijar (حرب الفجار), a conflict between the Quraysh and the tribe of Qays ʿAylan. After that war had ended, trade in Mecca slowly returned, and a merchant from Zabid in Yemen came to Mecca to sell his goods.
According to Ibn Ishaq and Ibn Hisham, this man sold his wares to al-ʿAs ibn Wa’il as-Sahmi, a prominent man of the Quraysh. Al-ʿAs took the goods, but refused to pay the agreed price, and when the merchant tried to obtain his right, he was ignored and humiliated because he had no tribe to protect him.¹
The man then climbed the hill of Abu Qubays, looked out over Mecca and cried aloud for justice. His complaint touched several leaders of the Quraysh deeply, and they resolved that this wrong should not go unpunished, even though it concerned a stranger.²
The gathering in the house of ʿAbd Allah ibn Judʿan
The leaders of the Quraysh assembled in the house of ʿAbd Allah ibn Judʿan at-Taymi, one of the elder and respected men of Mecca. There they swore a solemn oath to protect justice, to oppose wrong and to help every oppressed person, regardless of his origin or tribe.³
The tribes that took part in the pact were:
- Banu Hashim
- Banu al-Muttalib
- Banu Zuhrah
- Banu Asad ibn ʿAbd al-ʿUzza
- Banu Taym ibn Murrah
The participation of the Prophet ﷺ
The Prophet ﷺ was then still young (about twenty years of age) and was present at this pact on behalf of his family, Banu Hashim. In the narration of Ibn Ishaq he ﷺ later says:
“I witnessed a pact in the house of ʿAbd Allah ibn Judʿan that is dearer to me than red camels (the most precious of possessions). If I were called to a similar pact in Islam, I would surely respond to it.”⁵
This statement shows that the Prophet ﷺ regarded Hilf al-Fudul as an agreement in accordance with the values of Islam, even though it was concluded before the revelation.
The significance of the pact
Hilf al-Fudul marked a unique moment in the history of Arab society before Islam. It broke through the tribal mentality of Mecca and set forth a universal moral principle: justice, regardless of origin or status.
Ibn Kathir records that this pact was a sign of the honour and the sense of justice that Allah ﷻ had placed in the hearts of certain members of the Quraysh, as a preparation for the coming of His final Messenger ﷺ.⁶
The members of the pact restored the rights of the Yemeni merchant and compelled al-ʿAs ibn Wa’il to pay his debt, thereby translating their vow into deeds.
The legacy of Hilf al-Fudul in Islam
Though Hilf al-Fudul was formed before Islam, it reflects the same values that were later affirmed in Islamic law:
- The safeguarding of justice
- The opposing of wrong
- The uniting of people on the basis of morality, not lineage
Ibn Ishaq, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, chapter on Hilf al-Fudul.
Ibn Hisham, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, volume 1.
Al-Tabari, Tarikh al-Rusul wa al-Muluk, account of the gatherings of the Quraysh.
Ibn Kathir, al-Bidayah wa an-Nihayah, volume 2, chapter on the youth of the Prophet ﷺ.
Musnad Ahmad, Hadith 1655.