Australia: Dr Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri delivers a lecture on the Constitution of Medina

Dr. Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri, Chairman of the Supreme Council of Minhaj-ul-Quran International, delivered a lecture on the Constitution of Medina and the concept of a welfare state at the University of Melbourne, Australia, on a special invitation from the National Centre for Islamic Studies.

The lecture was attended by students of law from various countries and religions. Members of the University of Melbourne's law faculty also attended the lecture and praised Dr. Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri's scholarly discussion on the comparative analysis of the Constitution of Medina.

In his lecture, Dr. Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri stated that the Constitution of Medina is the oldest and first written constitution in the world. Through the Constitution of Medina, Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) established a state comprising tribes of different religions living in Medina, granting every citizen religious freedom according to their beliefs, along with justice and protection. He declared this multi-religious state as a single community (Ummah). He emphasized that Islam believes in joint efforts for the promotion of international peace and brotherhood, as evidenced by the state of Medina.

Presenting a scholarly comparison of the Constitution of Medina with the American, British, and European constitutions, Dr. Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri mentioned that the Constitution of Medina is the first constitution in world history which introduced the concept of a welfare state. He said that the Magna Carta, considered the foundation of modern democracy, was established in Britain in 1215, whereas the Constitution of Medina was written 593 years earlier. The Magna Carta was written unilaterally, whereas the Constitution of Medina was agreed upon by representatives of various nations and religions.

Chairman Supreme Council further stated that the unwritten constitution of Britain was passed in 1911, and the American constitution was made in 1776, while the Constitution of Medina was written centuries earlier in 622 AD under the supervision of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

“The word Ummah in the Constitution of Medina was used as a political term to promote tolerance among a multi-religious and multi-cultural society,” he said.

The management of the University of Melbourne thanked Dr. Hassan Mohi-ud-Din Qadri for his scholarly discourse on such a useful and historical document.