Deep
Love of the Companions for the Messenger (صلى الله
عليه وآله وسلم):
During his conversation with the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم), Urwah was again and
again stretching his hand up to the beard of the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم). Mughirah (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) bin Shubah (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
(رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) became displeased at
this gesture and by hitting his hand with the handle of his sword, asked him to
behave. When he went back to the Quraish he said, "O people of Quraish! I
have been to the magnificent royal courts of Rome and Persia, but nowhere did I
witness any ruler so dear to his people as Muhammad is to his followers. His
Companions have such a deep love and high regard for him that when he performs
ablution, they struggle to get the water he has used and don't even let it fall
on the ground. If he speaks, everybody listens to him with rapt attention,
nobody even dares to look straight into his eyes. They can't leave Muhammad at
any cost. Accept what Muhammad has explained to you, and strike a peace deal
with him." Following this the Quraish sent Suhail bin Amr with the power
of attorney to make a compromise only on the condition that Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) gives his consent to
return back this year with his men only to come next year to perform Umrah. As
soon as the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
saw Suhail coming, he said, "The matter has now become easy since they
have sent this man, it seems they want peace." Suhail put the terms of the
treaty and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
accepted them as a whole. He (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
then summoned Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
(رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) and asked him to
prepare a draft of the agreement. Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ
عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
wrote Bismillâhir-Rahmânir-Rahim (In the Name of Allâh, the Most Gracious, the
Most Merciful) at the head of the document. Objecting to it Suhail said,
"We do not recognize Rahmân (the Most Gracious), but write Bismika
Allâhumma (In Your Name, O Allâh), as the custom goes." The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, "Well,
let it be." When Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
(رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) wrote the name of
the Prophet, 'Muhammad, the Messenger of Allâh', Suhail again protested and
said, "Had we witnessed that you were the Messenger of Allâh, we would not
have turned you away from the House of Allâh nor fought with you. You should
write 'Muhammad bin Abdullah'." "I am Allâh's Messenger even if you
disbelieve in me," replied the Prophet (صلى الله
عليه وآله وسلم) and asked Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
(رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) to rub out what he
had written. "By Allâh, I cannot do it," replied Ali (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ). The Prophet (صلى
الله عليه وآله وسلم) asked Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
to point out the place to be rubbed out. Ali (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
pointed it out to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
who expunged it.
Conditions:
The following were the conditions of
the Treaty:
The Muslims will perform Umrah next
year instead of this year. While entering Makkah they will carry no arms except
their swords, and that too being sheathed. Moreover, they will not stay in
Makkah for more than three days.
The Treaty will remain valid for a
period of ten years. And nobody from any side would lift their hand against the
other for the duration.
Every tribe or clan of Arabia will
enjoy the right to enter into agreement with any party of its choice; but the
allies will have to observe the terms and conditions of the Treaty in letter
and spirit.
If anyone from the Quraish comes
over to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
without obtaining the permission of his guardian, he will be returned to his
guardian, but if anyone of those with the Prophet (صلى
الله عليه وآله وسلم) escaped to the Quraish, they are not
bound to be returned to him.
Reaction
to the Peace Treaty:
The fourth condition of the Treaty
was terribly displeasing to the Companions. The Treaty was still being written
when Abu Jandal (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ),
the son of Suhail himself, who was put in chains and mercilessly tortured for
professing Islam, came to the Prophet (صلى الله عليه
وآله وسلم) from his captivity. He showed fresh injuries on his person and
expressed his profound desire to be taken to Al-Madinah. Suhail cried in
excitement, "Abu Jandal should be handed over to me as per the
Treaty." The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
tried to drive the point home to Suhail but he would not agree. At last, Suhail
took Abu Jandal (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ)
back to Makkah beating him severely.
Umar (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) witnessed the pitiable sight and lost control over himself. He
then appeared before the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله
وسلم) and said, "O Messenger of Allâh! Are you not a true
Prophet?" "Certainly! I am a true Prophet," the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) replied. "Are
we not believers?" "Certainly! You are believers," the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said in reply.
"Are they not polytheists?"
Umar (رَضِيَ
ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) submitted again. "Certainly! They are polytheists,"
the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
said. "Why are we then accepting such ignominious terms?" Umar (رَضِيَ ٱللَّٰهُ عَنْهُ) inquired. The
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) said, "I am the
Messenger of Allâh and therefore, cannot oppose the Command of Allâh, nor can I
commit any breach of trust. He (Allâh) will never put me to disgrace."
Hearing this Umar's anger subsided and he repented very deeply for his being so
bold with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم)
and kept on seeking forgiveness of Allâh and setting slaves free to atone for
his behavior.
Unique
Victory:
Having concluded the Treaty, the
Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and the Muslims
sacrificed the animals at Hudaibiyah, put off their Ihrâm and shaved their heads.
After this Treaty, the Khuzâ'ah tribe formed an alliance with the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) and the Banu Bakr
tribe formed an alliance with the Quraish of Makkah. The Khuzâ'ah and Banu Bakr
were at odds with one another for quite a long time. Since each of them, formed
an alliance with one party or another, they had to be at peace with each other
according to one of the conditions of the Treaty. When the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم) was returning from
Hudaibiyah to Al-Madinah, Sûrat Al-Fath (The Victory) was revealed on the way.
Now what the Companions took as a setback was, in fact, a unique victory. Very
soon the Companions saw with their naked eyes that the seemingly weak terms
from the Muslim point of view proved very strong and useful. The greatest
victory for the Muslims was the condition of peace which the Muslims secured
through this Treaty, which paved the way for the spread of Islam so quickly
that could not have been possible in a state of fighting and disorder. Islam
means peace and it has so often gone to war to establish peace. Battles in
Islam have always been fought for winning peace. Thus in only two years after
the Truce of Hudaibiyah, enjoying a state of peace, the number of believers
doubled.
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