Victory through the Treaty of Hudeybiyah

[N. Truth Seeker]

 


The Treaty of Hudeybiyah is on of the most remarkable events in Islamic History and world history. 

Surah Al-Fath (Victory) takes its title from the word "Fath" which occurs several times in this Surah.  It does not refer to the conquest of Mecca, but to the truce of al-Hudaybiyah which though at the time seemed a set-back to the Muslims, proved the greatest victory for Al-Islam. 

In the account given by Muhammad Marmaduke Pickthall, I quote:

In the 6th year of the Hijra, the Prophet set out with some 1400 Muslims from Medina and the country round, in the garb of pilgrims, not for war but to visit the Kaaba.  When they drew near Mecca, they were warned that Qureysh had gathered their allies against them, and that their cavalry under Khalid bin Waleed was on the road before them.  Making a detour through gullies of the hills, they escaped the cavalry and coming into the valley of Mecca, encamped at Hudeybiyah below the city.  The Prophet resolutely refused to give battle and persisted in attempts to parley with Qureysh who had sworn not to let him reach the Kaaba.  The Muslims were all the while in a position of some danger. 

Finally Usman bin Affan ws sent into the city, as the man most likely to be well received on account of his relationships.  Usman was detained by the Meccans and the news that he had been murdered reached the Muslims at their camp.  It was then that the Prophet, sitting under a tree, took from his comrades the oath that they would hold together and fight to the death.

"Allah was well pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance unto thee beneath the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, and He sent down peace of reassurance on them, and hath rewarded them with a near victory;"  (48:18) Al-Fath

Then it became known that the rumour of Usman's death was false, and the Qureysh at length agreed to a truce of which the terms were favourable to them.  The Prophet and his multitude were to give up the project of visiting the sanctuary for that year but were to make the pilgrimage the following year when the idolaters undertook to evacuate Mecca for 3 days to allow them to do so.  Fugitives from Qureysh to the Muslims were to be returned, but not fugitives from the Muslims to Qureysh.  And there was to be no hostility between the parties for 10 years. 

"And there was never a victory greater than this victory"  says Ibn Khalidun.  As Az-Zuhri says, "When it was war the people did not meet, but when truce came and war laid down its burdens and people felt safe one with another, then they met and indulged in conversation and discussion.  And no one spoke of Al-Islam to another but the latter espoused it, so that there entered Al-Islam in those 2 years (i.e. between Al-Hudeybiyah and the breaking of the truce by Qureysh) as many as all those who had entered it before, or more."

[Zainab_M]

Second to the conquest of Mekkah, this historical incident is the one I admire most in world history.  It's an unique example of the Prophet's (pbuh) tolerance and sacrifice for the sake of peace that helped the spread of Islam tremendously.  It's a rare display of tolerance in the 21st century.  One can imagine how unusual it must have been in the 7th century.  Alhamdulilah.  Thank you for posting this very interesting event br. PT.

Salaam Alaikum to you.