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(Peace be upon him) went out to Al-Hudaibiyah with only 1,400 men, but when he set out to
liberate Makkah, 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.
Qhad 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 Makkah 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 (Peace be upon him) had reached Madinah, Abu Baseer, who had escaped from Quraish,
came to him as a Muslim; Quraish sent two men demanding his return, so the Prophet (Peace be
upon him) handed him over to them. On the way to Makkah, Abu Baseer managed to kill one of
them, and the other one fled to Madinah with Abu Baseer in pursuit. When he reached the Prophet
(Peace be upon him), he said, “Your obligation is over and Allâh has freed you from it. You duly
handed me over to the men, and Allâh has rescued me from them.” The Prophet (Peace be upon
him) said, “Woe is his mother, he would have kindled a war if there had been others with him.”
When he heard that, he knew that he would be handed back to them, so he fled from Madinah and
went as far as Saif Al-Bahr. 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 forme d 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 (Peace be upon him) 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 Madinah would be safe
from them. So the Prophet (Peace be upon him) 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. ‘Umar, unable to contain himself for
the distress taking full grasp of his heart, went to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) and said: “Aren’t
you the true Messenger of Allâh?” The Prophet (Peace be upon him) replied calmly, “Why not?”
‘Umar again spoke and asked: “Aren’t we on the path of righteousness and our enemies in the
wrong?” Without showing any resentment, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) replied that it was so.
On getting this reply he further urged: “Then we should not suffer any humiliation in the matter of
Faith.” The Prophet (Peace be upon him) was unruffled and with perfect confidence said: “I am the
true Messenger of Allâh, I never disobey Him, He shall help me.” “Did you not tell us,” rejoined
‘Umar, “that we shall perform pilgrimage?” “But I have never told you,” replied the Prophet (Peace
be upon him), “that we shall do so this very year.” ‘Umar was silenced. But his mind was disturbed.
He went to Abu Bakr and expressed his feelings before him. Abu Bakr who had never been in doubt
as regards the Prophet’s truthfulness and veracity confirmed what the Prophet (Peace be upon him)
had told him. In due course the Chapter of Victory (48th) was revealed saying:
·
“Verily, We have given you [O Muhammad (Peace be upon him)] a manifest victory.”
[48:1]
The Messenger of Allâh(Peace be upon him) summoned ‘Umar and imported to him the happy
tidings. ‘Umar was overjoyed, and greatly regretted his former attitude. He used to spend in charity,
observe fasting and prayer and free as many slaves as possible in expiation for that reckless
attitude he had assumed.
The early part of the year 7 A.H. witnessed the Islamization of three prominent men of Makkah,
‘Amr bin Al-‘As, Khalid bin Al-Waleed and ‘Uthman bin Talhah. On their arrival and entrance into the
fold of Islam, the Prophet (Peace be upon him) said, “Quraish has given us its own blood.”
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