Treaty Of Hudaibiyah - Significance & Importance in Islam

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In the sixth year after his migration to Medina (March 628), Messenger Muhammad peace be upon him decided to perform the Umrah (other than Hajj). Fourteen hundred of the companions joined the Messenger for Mecca . He ordered them not to carry any weapons of war, but allowed a sword which was customary for the travelers to carry for protection against caravan raids. The Quraish (Pagans) intent upon not allowing the prophet to enter Mecca closed all access to the city. The Prophet then reached a place called Hudaibiya, on the precincts of the sacred territory of Mecca , and halted there.The Quraysh tried to provoke the Messenger's companions to fighting. Upon finding the pilgrims in their Ihram (pilgrim's garb) and their intention not to fight, the fears and anxieties of the Quraysh were abated; and they were forced to think of the consequences if the pilgrims were turned back without performing the rites. The Quraysh sent Urwah bin Mas'ud to the Prophet as their spokesman. The Prophet's delegation and that of the Quraysh negotiated back and forth. In these deliberations, the Quraysh made some unpleasant remarks about the Prophet and his companions. At this Urwah, the Meccan representative, felt that he was led to be misguided and protested to Quraysh that he had not made a pact with them for such a behavior and stated: “I have been sent as envoy to the courts of Kesra (Chosroes), Qaisar (Caeser), and the Negus but I have not seen a king whose men so honor him as the companions of Muhammad peace be upon him honor him If he commands anything they almost outstrip his words in fulfilling it....When he speaks, their voices are hushed in his presence and they lower their eyes in reverence for him. He has made you a good offer, therefore accept it from him.” The Quraysh realizing their mistake and the risk of losing important allies, came to an agreement with the Prophet. The terms of the treaty were written down and is known as the Treaty of Hudaibiyah, It included: “In your name, O Allah. These are the terms of the truce between Muhammad, the son of Abdullah and Suhayl, the son of Amr (of Mecca).Both parties have agreed to lay down the burden of war for ten years. During this time, each party shall be safe, and neither shall injure the other; no secret damage shall be inflicted, but uprightness and honor shall prevail between them. » The Muslims shall return this year without performing Umrah (the pilgrimage).In the coming year, you may enter it with your companions, staying therein for three days, bearing no arms except the arms of the traveler, with swords remaining in their sheaths. » If a Quraysh person comes to Muhammad (i.e., after accepting Islam) without the permission of his guardian, Muhammad shall return him to them, but if one of the Muhammad's people come to the Quraysh, he shall not be returned. » Whoever wishes to enter into covenant with Muhammad can do so, and » Whoever wishes to enter into covenant with the Quraysh can do so.” Many of the Muslims were not satisfied with the terms of the treaty and they regarded it to be humiliating to themselves, considering the behavior of the Quraish against the Prophet during the negotiations. The Prophet declared the treaty a victory and they accepted it on the conviction that Allah and His messenger know best.On their way back to Medina, Allah Almighty (The One God) revealed to the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him a chapter of the Quran known as Al-Fath (The Victory, Chapter 48). The chapter begins with: “Verily we have given thee a victory, a very clear victory.
Al-Hudaibiyah Treaty: Socio-political Impact :
A series of events confirmed the profound wisdom and splendid results of the peace treaty which Allâh called "a manifest victory". How could it be otherwise when Quraish had recognized the Muslims existence on the scene of political life in Arabia , and began to deal with the believers on equal terms. Quraish in the light of the articles of the treaty, had indirectly relinquished its claim to religious leadership, and admitted that they were no longer interested in people other than Quraish, and washed their hands of any sort of intervention in the religious future of the Arabian Peninsula. The Muslims did not have in mind to seize people's property or kill them through bloody wars, nor did they ever think of pursuing any coercive approaches in their endeavours to propagate Islam, on the contrary, their sole target was to provide an atmosphere of freedom as regards ideology or religion: » O Rasool! proclaim to the entire mankind "The truth has come from your Rabb, whosoever chooses may accept it and whosoever chooses may reject it, knowing, however, that Allah Almighty has kept ready for the Z'alimeen the fire of Jahannam which will engulf them. The gold and silver which had emboldened them to oppose the Divine Order will be melted and poured down their throats to quench their thirst for which they will cry forth. How wretched the drink and what an unhappy place to lie in! (9/34-35) - Quran Chapter 18 verse 29 The Muslims, on the other hand, had the opportunity to spread Islam over areas not then explored. When there was armistice, war was abolished, and men met and consulted together, none talked about Islam intelligently without entering it; within the two years following the conclusion of the treaty double as many entered Islam as ever before. This is supported by the fact that the Prophet Muhammad peace be upon him went out to Al-Hudaibiyah with only 1,400 men, but when he set out to liberate Mecca, two years later, he had 10,000 men with him. The article of the treaty pertaining to cessation of hostilities for ten years points directly to the utter failure of political haughtiness exercised by Quraish and its allies, and functions as evidence of the collapse and impotence of the war instigator. Quraish had been obliged to lose those advantages in return for one seemingly in its favour but does not actually bear any harm against the Muslims, i.e., the article that speaks of handing over believing men who seek refuge with the Muslims without their guardians' consent to Quraish. At first glance, it was a most distressing clause and was considered objectionable in the Muslim camp. However, in the course of events, it proved to be a great blessing. The Muslims sent back to Mecca were not likely to renounce the blessings of Islam; contrariwise, those very Muslims turned out to be centres of influence for Islam. It was impossible to think that they would become apostates or renegades. The wisdom behind this truce assumed its full dimensions in some subsequent events. After the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam had reached Medina, Abu Baseer, who had escaped from Quraish, came to him as a Muslim; Quraish sent two men demanding his return, so the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam handed him over to them. On the way to Mecca, Abu Baseer managed to kill one of them, and the other one fled to Medina with Abu Baseer in pursuit. When he reached the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam, he said, Your obligation is over and Allah Almighty has freed you from it. You duly handed me over to the men, and Allah Almighty has rescued me from them. The other Muslims who were oppressed in Makkah began to escape to Abu Baseer. He was joined by Abu Jandal and others until a fair-sized colony was formed and soon sought revenge on Quraish and started to intercept their caravans. The pagans of Makkah finding themselves unable to control those exiled colonists, begged the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam to do away with the clause which governed the extradition. They implored him by Allâh and by their ties of kinship to send for the group, saying that whoever joined the Muslims in Medina would be safe from them. So the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam sent for the group and they responded, as expected, positively. These are the realities of the clauses of the truce treaty and as it seems they all function in favour of the nascent Islamic state. However, two points in the treaty made it distasteful to some Muslims, namely they were not given access to the Holy Sanctuary that year, and the seemingly humiliating attitude as regards reconciliation with the pagans of Quraish. In due course the Chapter of Victory (48th) was revealed saying: We (O Rasool) have laid open for you the visible path for success and victory; and a decisive revolution is about to take place. [48:1] The early part of the year 7 A.H. witnessed the Islamization of three prominent men of Mecca, ‘Amr bin Al-‘As, Khalid bin Al-Waleed and ‘Uthman bin Talhah. On their arrival and entrance into the fold of Islam, the Prophet Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam said, "Quraish has given us its own blood."