In 2022, the HRC’s Works that Shaped the World public lecture series focuses on religion.

The historic documents known as the Covenants of Prophet Muhammad refer to pledges he made to Christian, Jewish and other communities of his time to protect their lives and property, including places of worship. Copies of these documents have mainly been found in the possession of Christian, Jewish and other non-Muslim communities and we find only indirect references to them in Islamic sources. Today, there is renewed scholarly examination of these Covenants, shedding new light on early Islam, particularly interreligious relations.

In this public lecture, Associate Professor Halim Rane will discuss the findings of current research on the authenticity of these documents, their relationship to the Qur’an, how they may have been replaced over time through normative practice of treaty renewal, and how a cultural milieu of inter-religious rivalry may have contributed to their lack of reference in Islamic sources, particularly the sira and hadith literature (prophetic biographies and reports). The contemporary relevance of the Covenants will also be discussed in relation to the Pakistan Supreme Court’s acquittal of Asia Bibi for blasphemy.

Associate Professor Halim Rane researches and teaches in the fields of Islamic and Muslim studies at Griffith University. His main areas of interest include Islam-West relations, contemporary Islamic thought, religious and ideological extremism, and Muslim communities in Australia and the West. He has authored over 60 publications on Islamic and Muslim issues including six books. He is a founding member and previous president of the Australian Association of Islamic and Muslim Studies.