1

CONQUEST OF KHAIBAR
1. INTRODUCTION
‫ن‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ض‬
After the Truce of Hudaibiyah, the Prophet (‫ )ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬made peace
with the Makkan polytheists. However, news came that there was a plan being hatched to launch an attack
on Al-Madinah. Being uprooted from Al-Madinah, Banu Nadir and Banu Qainuqa' were staying in Khaibar
and the flames of revenge were burning in their hearts, and very soon the Jews of the region were incited to
rise up against the Muslims. Khaibar became the center of hostility against the Muslims. These hostile
tribes started large-scale military preparations against the believers. They drew Banu Ghatfan to their side
by promising them half the produce of Al-Madinah.
The Jews had the support of the hypocrites of Al-Madinah and even though they were far away
from AI-Madinah, they knew of every move the Muslims ‫ت ن‬ were making. Informed of their military
‫ض‬
preparations, the Prophet (‫ )ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬marched towards Khaibar in
Muharram, 7 AH, at the head of one thousand five hundred Companions leaving Saba bin Arfatah in
Al-Madinah as Administrator. He (‫ )ﷺ‬chase Raji', a region lying between Khaibar and Banu Chalfin, to
serve as his military camp, with the result Banu Ghatfan who kept fearing a Muslim attack at any time,
could not dare help the Jews of Khaibar.
In Khaibar, there were three settlements in which the Jews had a cluster of six big forts. They had
among them fighters like Marhab and Yasir who were wrestlers of repute. They stepped forward and made
a challenge for a duel. Muhammad bin Maslamah and Zubair bin Awwam (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬accepted the
challenge. After a fierce fight, Maslamah (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬killed Marhab and Zubair bin Awwam (‫رضی ہللا‬
‫)تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ slew Yasir. As per some narratives, Ali (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬was the man who had killed Marhab.
Finding it almost impossible to face the Muslims in the open, the Jews stayed in their forts. The
Muslim army launched an attack on the fort called Na’im which belonged to Marhab and captured it.
The next fort to be captured was Sa'b bin Mu'adh, lhen attack was made on the second settlement of
Khaibar. Its forts were also captured. Now came the Qamus, fort of Abu Huqaiq in the third settlement,
it also fell, Safiyyah bint Hua'i was brought to Al-Madinah as a captive and the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬
married her after setting her free.
Watih and Salalim were the two remaining forts that came under siege by the Muslim troops,
which continued for ten days. They obtained peace and safety from the Muslims on giving half of the
produce from their lands and gardens.
During the battle of Khaibar, fifteen Muslims were honored with martyrdom, four from the
Muhajirin and eleven from the Ansdr, while 39 Jews were killed. Zainab bint Al-Harth, ‫ت ن‬ the wife of a
‫ض‬
Jewish chieftain, Salam bin Mishkam served the Prophet (‫ )ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬a
poisonous roasted goat. As he took a piece of it, he spat saying that the bones were giving information
about the poison. Bishr bin Al-Bara' (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬who was sharing the meal, had taken a piece of meat
and swallowed it which led to his immediate death. Zainab was called and she Confessed her crime. She
was handed over to the relatives of Bishr (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬but they held back from killing her as she had
already accepted Islam. According to another narrative, she did not embrace Islam and was killed in
 2

retaliation. Preparations to set out for AI-Madinah were still on when some migrants of Abyssinia appeared
before the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬along with the valuable gifts and a letter from Negus, the King of
Abyssinia. Their caravan included Ja'far bin Abu Tillib, his wife, Asma' bint Umais, his sons Abdullah,
Aun, and Muhammad, Khalid bin Saeed bin Al-As bin Umayyah, his wife, Aminah bint Khalaf, and his
son, Saeed (‫تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬While Umrn Khalid, Amr bin Saeed, Abu Musa Ash'ari, Jahm bin Qais, Harth
bin Khalid, Muhinah bin Ghidar, Ma'mar bin Abdullah, Abu Hatib bin Amr, Malik bin Rabi'ah bin Qais
and Amr bin Umayyah Damri (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬were those who had gone to bring them back. Some of
them went to Al-Madinah and the rest arrived in Khaibar.
On the way back in the eastern side from Khaibar, there lay the flourishing town of Fidak. The Jews
of Fidak sent a message to the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬to take away everything in lieu of their lives. The
request was accepted. Since Fidak came under possession without a fight, the · property was given to state
control as the sole property of Allah and His Messenger. When the Muslim army passed by Wadi-ul-Qura,
the Jews of the area began to shoot arrows at the Muslims. They were also besieged and they earned peace
and safety at the cost of half of their produce. The people of Taima also obtained peace like those of Wadi-
ul-Qura,
2. AFTER THE CONQUEST OF KHAIBAR
‫ن‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ض‬
On way back from Khaibar, one morning the Prophet (‫)ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬
and the entire Muslim army slept past sunrise. It was the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬who got up first and
roused the others from their sleep. At a little distance from there, he (‫ )ﷺ‬and his Companions
offered the Fajr prayer. Thus he (‫ )ﷺ‬showed the Companions the offering of the prayer when
rising late from the sleep.
The Jews were very wealthy and the lands of Khaibar under their possession were also very fertile.
After the conquest of Khaibar, the booty and agricultural lands distributed among the Muslims removed
their poverty and hardship. Now the Muhdjirin became owners of property and became free from the need
for help and support of the Anstlr. From the lands of Khaibar, the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬received the
property of Fidak, which served the purpose of caring for the many visiting delegations and his other
guests, while the land from Banu Nadir sustained his relatives, the orphans and the poor.
A very wealthy man from Makkah, Hajjaj bin !lat Sulami, left Makkah telling ‫ ت ن‬everyone that he was
‫ض‬
going on a journey but he actually went to the Prophet (‫ )ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬and he
became a Muslim in his presence and joined the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬during the expedition of Khaibar.
He said, "The Makkans are still unaware of my conversion to Islam. With your permission, may I go to
Makkah and bring my wealth, which is-in the possession of my wife and collect the money I have given as
loans to the Makkans?" The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬granted him permission. When Hajjaj ( ‫تعالی‬ ٰ ‫رضی ہللا‬
‫ )عنہ‬went to Makkah, he found that the Makkans desperately wanted to know about the outcome of the
Muslims action in Khaibar. Hajjaj (‫تعالی عنہ‬ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬used this event to deceive the disbelievers. He told
them nothing about the consequences of the battle of Khaibar and utilized their support in collecting his
loans, they considered it a support for a fellow enemy of the Muslims. He then set out from Makkah with
his entire wealth after collecting the whole amount that was outstanding, he only informed Abbas bin
Abdul-Muttalib about his accepting Islam and the conquest of Khaibar by the Muslims. The Makkans were
angry and depressed at the success of the Muslim military action in Khaibar and Hajjaj's escape from
Makkah with such a vast amount of wealth.
On his return from Khaibar, the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬sent detachments to all those tribes who
were still making efforts to inflict harm on the Muslims. The purpose behind sending those detachments
was to send terror into their hearts so that any conspiracy would be prevented before it was put into action.
Abu Bakr (‫تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬along with Salamah bin Akwa' (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬and others were sent to the
Fazarah tribe, while Umar (‫تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬was dispatched to the Hawazin at the head of thirty horsemen.
 3

Abdullah bin Rawahah (‫تعالی عنہ‬ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬was sent to arrest Bishr bin Zaram, the Jew who used to incite the
Jews of Khaibar against the Muslims. Bashir bin Sa'd Ansari (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬set out at the head of thirty
horsemen to punish Banu Murrah, while UsAmah bin Zaid (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬went to the clan Huraqah
(Banu Humais) of Juhainah tribe. Ghalib bin Abdullah Laithi (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬was sent to Banu Al-
Mulawwih, and Abu Hadrad Aslami (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬was sent to Rifa'ah bin Qais, the chief of the Jusham
bin Mu'awiyah clan. Abu Qatadah and Muhallim bin JaththAmah (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬were sent to Idam.
All these military detfachments came back with success. UsAmah bin Zaid (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬lifted
his sword to klll a penon who immediately pronounced La ilaha illallah (there is no God to be worshipped
except Allah). despite this, UsAmah (‫تعالی عنہ‬ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬put him to death. When the matter was later reported
to the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬he asked Usarnah (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬to explain his action. He submitted that
he had killed him· because he had pronounced the Shahadah just lo save his life, "Did you split his heart to
see if he had pronounced the Shahadah out of hypocrisy?" The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬angrily expressed
himself. Usamah (‫تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬expressed his utmost regret over his behavior and promised not lo
repeat it again.
In the same way, Abu Qatadah and Muhallim bin Jaththamah (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬were once going
somewhere when they came across Amir bin Adbat, a man from Ashja' clan who was making a journey
with his goods. When Amir bin Ad bat noticed the Muslim detachment, lte said "As- Salamu Alaikum" in
the Islamic manner. But the Muslims doubted his sincerity and Muhallim bin jaththamah (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫)رضی ہللا‬
put him to death. When the expedition returned, the incident was reported to the Prophet (
‫)ﷺ‬.he expressed his displeasure and said to Muhallim (‫" )ﷺ‬Why did you kill him
in a state of his being a believer in Allah?" Then he (‫ )ﷺ‬gave the relatives of Amir, fifty
camels as compensation and they agreed to free Muhallim (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬from retaliation.
3. INVITATION LETTERS TO ISLAM
‫ن‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ض‬
In this same year, the Prophet (‫ )ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬sent letters to the kings of
the Arabs and non-Arabs. His letter to Negus, the King of Abyssinia has already been mentioned. Negus
accepted Islam gracefully. Then the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬sent Dihyah bin Khalifah Al-Kalbi (‫رضی ہللا‬
‫)تعالی عنہ‬,
ٰ Heradius, the king of Rome; Hatib bin Abu Balta'ah (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬to Muqauqis, the king of
Egypt and Alexandria; Ala bin Al-Hadrarni (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬to Mundhir bin Sawa, the king of Bahrain.
Amr bin Al·As (‫تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬was sent to the king of Oman; Salit bin Amiri (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫)رضی ہللا‬
was sent to Haudhah bin Ali, the king of Yamamah; Shuja' bin Wahb (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬to Harith bin Shimr
Ghassani, the king of Damascus, and also to Jabalah bin Aiham. Muhajir bin Abu Umayyah Makhzumi (
‫الی عنہ‬V
ٰ V‫ی ہللا تع‬VV‫ )رض‬was sent to Harith bin Abd KulAI Himyari, the king of Yemen; and Abdullah bin
Hudhaifah Sahmi. (‫تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬to Chosroes, the king of Persia.
 4

THE TRUCE OF HUDAIBIYAH

1. INTRODUCTION
Although the religion of Ibrahim (Abraham) (‫ )علیہ السالم‬was part of the culture all over Arabia, the
people had become immersed in polytheism and idol-worship, they all still held the Ka’bah in high esteem
and performed the Hajj most regularly. They also stopped fighting during the days of Hajj. In the month of
Shawwal, 6 AH, the Prophet ( ‫وعلی ٓالہ واصحبہ وسلم‬
ٰ ‫ )حضرت محمد رسول ہللا خاتم النبین صلی ہللا علیہ‬had a dream that
he was entering the Ka’bah along with his Companions. The Muslims had a great desire to visit Ka’bah and
the dream deepened this urge. The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬decided to visit the Ka’bah to perform Umrah
(the lesser pilgrimage) and he left Al-Madinah for Makkah in Dhul-Qa’dah, 6 AH, with one thousand four
hundred companions and seventy sacrificial camels. They were all in Ihram. Coming as pilgrims
symbolized their peaceful intentions and the Makkans also had no right to prevent the Muslims from
visiting the Ka’bah. ‫ت ن‬ ‫ض‬
Having arrived at Dhul-Hulaifah, the Prophet (‫ )ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬sent as a
precaution a man from the Khuza’ah tribe to check the situation. He came back and informed the Prophet (
‫ )ﷺ‬that the QUraish had collected a large number of people to stop the ‫ ت‬Muslims ‫ض‬ from reaching the
Ka’bah. The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬consulted the Companions. Abu Bakr (‫عالی عن ہ‬ ٰ ‫ہللا‬ ‫ی‬ ‫ر‬) said, “We have come
here for performing Umrah and not for fighting. But, if someone stands between the House of Allah and us,
then we must fight against them.”Having heard this, the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬ordered the Muslims to proceeed
on. The Quraish had already sent Khaliid bin Walid with a squad of cavaliers to Kura’ Al-Ghanim to stop
the movements of the Muslims towards the Ka’bah. The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬took a route towards the right
evading the main route and all of a sudden, they passed galloped off on his horse to Makkah to update them
of the imminent danger at hand. The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬on the other hand, reached the hilly range below which
starts the surrounding areas of the city of Makkah. His dromedary sat down there. The people around
remarked: “Thereupon the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬retorted, “The dromedary has not played foul, but she is
prevented by the One who has prevented elephants to enter the city.”
2. POSITION OF HUDAIBIYAH
‫ن‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ض‬
The Prophet (‫ )ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬did not think it proper to launch an attack
on Makkah and the House of Allah for those were the areas where fighting was prohibited by Allah. He (
‫ )ﷺ‬then chided the dromedary and it got up and moved on. The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬halted at the well of
Hudaibiyah. The well was deficient in water which ran short in no time. When the people were on the brink ‫ض‬
of facing ‫ت‬ trouble, the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬took out an arrow from his quiver and gave it to Bara’ bin Azib (‫ر ی‬
‫عالی عن ہ‬
ٰ ‫ )ہللا‬to drop it in the well. With the dropping of the arrow, water in the well flowed in such a great
quantity that the Muslim army no longer had a scarcity. When the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬got set at Hudaibiyah,
Budail bin Warqa’ Khuza’I came with a number of men and asked the purpose behind the arrival of the
Muslims. He (‫ )ﷺ‬said, “Don’t you see the rows of sacrificial camels ahead of the caravan and notice us
in Ihram?” Hearing this he went away and said to the Quraish, “You are unnecessarily raising an alaram
 5

about Muhammad. He has come here with the sole intention of visiting the House of Allah, not for fighting
with you.” The mischievous among the Quraish said, “We will not allow them to come here even as
pilgrims.” But the wiser section began to think in silence.
Then they sent Hulais bin Alqamah Kinani, the chief of Ahabish tribes (tribes around Makkah) as
their envoy. But he returned only‫ ن‬after ‫ ت‬witnessing ‫ ض‬the sacrificial camels without even approaching the
Prophet (‫ )ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬and said to the Quraish, “The Muslims have come
here not for fighting but to perform Umrah, and none has the right to prevent them from doing this..”
Hearing this the Quraish remarked, “You wild man, you know nothing, we shall never allow the Muslims
to enter Makkah, otherwise we will be disgraced.” Hulais fell in anger and said, “If you keep the Muslims
away from performing Umrah, we will fight against you with all our men.” In response to these activities,
the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬sen Khirash bin Umayyah Khuza’I with the message that they had come not for fighting
but to perform Umrah and to sacrifice their animals. The Quraish slaughtered the camel of Khirash and
attempted to kill him as well. But Hulais and his men saved him and returned him safely. Following this a
group of headstrong youngsters came out of Makkah with a plan to launch a sudden attack on the Muslims.
They were all caught but were released ‫ت ن‬
later on by the order of the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬
‫س‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ص‬ ‫ل‬ ‫خ‬ ‫ض‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ض‬
He (‫ہللا ا م ا ی ن لی ہللا علی ہ و ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ و لم‬
‫ب‬ ‫ )ح رت دمحم رسول‬then wanted to send Umar Faruq (‫ )ر ی ہللا ع ٰالی عن ہ‬to the
‫ت‬ ‫ض‬
Makkans. Thereupon Umar (‫عالی عن ہ‬ ٰ ‫ )ر ی ہللا‬submitted, “I have no objection in going there but none of my
tribe Banu Adi bin Ka’b is in Makkah ‫ض‬
to take me under their protection. My visit may land me in trouble,
‫ت‬
Uthman bin Affan (‫عالی عن ہ‬ ٰ ‫ہللا‬ ‫ی‬ ‫)ر‬ is a better person to do the job, for a large number of powerful and
influential people of his tribe Banu Umayyah are still in Makkah.” ‫ض‬
This suggestion was appreciated by the
‫ت‬
Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬and he sent Uthman bin Affan (‫ )ر ی ہللا ع ٰالی عن ہ‬to Abu Sufyan as his envoy. He came across
Aban bin Saeed bin Al-As as he entered Makkah, Aban took him under his protection without loss of time ‫ض‬
‫ت‬
and took him to Abu Sufyan and the other chieftains of the Quraish. Having heard from Uthman (‫ر ی ہللا ع ٰالی‬
‫ )عن ہ‬the message of Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬they said, “We give you permission to go around Ka’bah.” Thereupon
‫ت‬ ‫ض‬
Uthman (‫عالی عن ہ‬
ٰ ‫ )ر ی ہللا‬said, “I can’t circumambulate alone without the Prophet (‫)ﷺ‬. Hearing this the
Quraish grew angry and held him back in Makkah.
3. THE PLEDGE OF RIDWAN
‫ت‬ ‫ض‬
When the return of Uthman (‫عالی عن ہ‬ ٰ ‫ )ر ی ہللا‬was delayed, a rumor spread
‫ن‬ ‫ ت‬among the Muslims that he
‫ض‬
was martyred. Hearing this the Prophet (‫ )ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬said ‫ض‬
with
‫ت‬
determination,‫“ض‬We shall not leave this place without avenging the murder of Uthman (‫)ر ی ہللا ع ٰالی عن ہ‬.” Thus
‫ت‬
he (‫عالی عن ہ‬
ٰ ‫ )ر ی ہللا‬sat down under a tree and took oath from all his Companions on sacrificing their lives for
this cause. The Noble Qur’an says referring to this event:
“When the believers took the oath at your hand (O Messenger) Allah the Almighty grew happy with
them.” (48:18)
‫ت‬ ‫ض‬
But Uthman (‫عالی عن ہ‬ ٰ ‫ )ر ی ہللا‬came back from Makkah after a short while. Although the sober and saner
section of the Quraish disliked fighting, the majority opinion persisted in favour of fighting and killing. But
finding the Muslims ready to do battle, their belligerent attitude also softened. Thus‫ ن‬the ‫ ت‬Makkans sent ‫ض‬
Urwah bin Mas’ud, the chief of Banu Thaqif to the Prophet (‫)ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬.
He came and said, “O Muhammad! All the clans of the Quraish are determined to give you battle. The
people who are now lending you their support, will scurry off leaving you alone for they are unable to stand
the onslaught of the Quraish.”
‫ت‬ ‫ض‬ ‫ض‬
Abu Bakr (‫عالی عن ہ‬ ٰ ‫ خ)ر ت ی نہللا‬answered him back so violently that he kept silent. The Prophet (‫ح رت دمحم رسول‬
‫س‬ ‫ع‬ ‫ص‬ ‫ل‬
‫ )ہللا ا م ا ی ن لی ہللا علی ہ و ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ و لم‬said to Urwah, “We have not come here with the intention of fighting but
‫ب‬
with a desire to perform Umrah. But, if the Makkans are bent upon fighting, I shall fight with them to fulfil
the duties of my Prophethood till my head is separated from body or Allah the Almighty Himself decides
the matter. If the Makkans so desire, I am ready to finalize a truce with them provided they let us do our
 6

preaching work, or accept Islam to do away with the fighting for ever.”
‫ت ن‬ ‫ض‬
4. DEEP LOVE OF THE COMPANIONS FOR THE MESSENGER (‫ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ‬
‫)وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬
‫ن‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ض‬
During his conversation with the Prophet (‫ )ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬Urwah was
again and again stretching his hand up to the beard of the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬Mughirah bin Shu 'bah (
‫تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬became 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 (‫ )ﷺ‬gives his consent to return back this
year with his men only to come next year to perform Umrah. As soon as the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬saw
Suhail coming, he said, “They 1e matter has now become easy since they have sent this man, it seems they
accepted them as a whole. He (‫ )ﷺ‬then summoned Ali. (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫)رضی ہللا‬and asked him to
prepare a draft of the agreement. Ali (‫تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬wrote Bismillahir- Rahmanir Rahim (In the Name of
Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful) at the head of the document.Objecting to it Suhail said, "We
do not recognize Rahman (the Most Gracious), but write Bismika Alldhumma (In Your Name, O Allah), as
the custom goes." The Prophet ilfi said, "Well, let it be." When Ali (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬wrote the .name of the
Prophet, 'Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah', 5uhail again protested and said, "Had we witnessed that
you were the Messenger of Allah, we would not have turned you away from the House of Allah nor fought
with you. You should wnte 'Muhammad bin Abdullah'." '1 am Allah's Messenger even if you disbelieve in
me," replied the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬and asked Ali (‫الی عنہ‬V ٰ V‫ی ہللا تع‬VV‫ )رض‬to rub out what he had
written."By Allah. I cannot do it," replied Ali (‫تعالی عنہ‬ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬asked Ali. (
‫تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬to point out the place to be rubbed out. Ali (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬pointed it out to the Prophet (
‫ )ﷺ‬who expunged it.
5. CONDITIONS
The following were the conditions of the Treaty:
i. 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
Maklcah for more than three days.
ii. 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,
iii. Every tribe or clan of Arabia will enjoy the right to enter info 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.
iv. If anyone from the Quraish comes over to the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬without obtaining the
permission of his guardian, he will be returned to his guardian, but if anyone of those with the
Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬escaped to the Quraish, they are not bound to be returned to him.
6. 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 (‫تعالی عنہ‬ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬the son of Suhail himself, who was‫ ن‬put‫ ت‬in chains and
‫ض‬
mercilessly tortured for professing Islam, came to the Prophet (‫)ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬
 7

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 Janda I should be handed over to me as per the Treaty." The
Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬tried to drive the point home to Suhail but he would not agree. At last, Suhail took
Abu Jandal (‫تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬back to Makkah beating him severely.
Umar (‫تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬witnessed the ‫ ن‬pitiable ‫ت‬ sight and lost control over himself. He then appeared
‫ض‬
before the Prophet (‫ )ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬and said, "O Messenger of Allah! Are you
not a true Prophet?" "Certainly! I am a true Prophet." the Prophet fl replied. "Are we not believers?"
"Certainly! You are believers," the Prophet ‫ )ﷺ(ن‬said in reply."Are they not polytheists?"
‫ت‬ ‫ض‬
Umar (‫ )ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬submitted again. "Certainly! They are
polytheists," the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬a said. "Why are we then accepting such ignominious terms?"
Umar ( ‫تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬inquired. The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬said, "I am the Meisenger of Alllh and
therefore, cannot oppose the Command of Alllh, nor can I commit any breach of trust. He (Allah) 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 a and kepi on seeking forgiveness of Allah and setting slaves free to atone for his
behavior.
7. UNIQUE VICTORY
‫ن‬ ‫ت‬ ‫ض‬
Having concluded the Treaty, the Prophet (‫ )ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬and the
Muslims sacrificed the animals at Hudaibiyah, put off their lhrdm and shaved their heads. After this Treaty,
the Khuza'ah tribe f_ormed an alliance with the Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬and the Banu Bakr tribe formed
an alliance with the Quraish of Makkah. The Khuza'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 (‫ )ﷺ‬was
returning from Hudaibiyah to AI-Madinah, Surat 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.
8. CONSEQUENCES OF THE TRUCE OF HUDAIBIYAH
The fourth condition of the Treaty was as an irritant of the highest degree. This ‫ ت ن‬condition was
‫ض‬
repulsive to the Muslims, however: the Quraish eventually requested the Prophet (‫ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی‬
‫س‬ ‫ع‬
‫ )ہللا علی ہ و ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ و لم‬to cancel this condition which seemingly was in their favor. The following events will
explain what caused this surprising change. A few days after the return of the Muslims to AI-Madinah, Abu
Basir, who had already confessed Islam in Makkah, broke away and took shelter in AI-Madinah. The
Quraish sent two of their men to bring Abu Basir. (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫)رضی ہللا‬back to Makkah according to the
recently signed Treaty. The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬sent him back. At Dbul-Hulaifah, he, according to a
plan, said to one of his guards, '"Your sword appears to be of the highest quality." Hearing this, another
guard unsheathed the sword of his fellow and began to admire it. Abu Basir (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬said, "Let me
see the sword." He gave itto Abu Basir (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬without the least care.
Abu Basir (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬struck him with the sword so hard that his head came off and fell down.
The other guard took to his heels towards Al-Madinah and entered ‫ ن‬into
‫ت‬ the Prophet's Mosque frightened,
‫ض‬
and narrated the incident to the Prophet (‫ )ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬He was still reporting
the event when Abu Basir (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬came in following him with the unsheathed sword. When he
 8

was sure he wouldn't get any protection in Al-Madinah, Abu Basir (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬said to the Prophet (
‫" )ﷺ‬You have already fulfilled your duty by handing me over to the polytheists, but Allah the
Almighty caused me to restore my liberty. I will now go away because you will, in fulfillment of your
agreement, give me to the polytheists again." Saying this he left the place. The man from the Quraish
returned to Makkah and related the incident to them.
Abu Basir (‫تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬fled to the seacoast and settled at Eis. When Abu Jandal bin Suhail (‫رضی‬
‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫ )ہللا‬came to know of this, he also escaped from Makkah and joined Abu Basir (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫)رضی ہللا‬
Now, whoever embraced Islam in Makkah fled from there to join the band of Abu Basir (‫تعالی عنہ‬ ٰ ‫)رضی ہللا‬
The band grew so strong that it began to intercept the trade ‫ت ن‬ caravans of Makkah. Things got so bad that the
‫ض‬
Quraish wrote to the Prophet (‫ )ح رت دمحم رسول ہللا خ ا م ال ب ی ن صلی ہللا علی ہ وع ٰلی ٓالہ واصحب ہ وسلم‬to abrogate the fourth condition
of the Treaty, and they would no longer demand the return of those who escaped and went to him in future.
The Prophet (‫ )ﷺ‬accepted the request of the Quraish and sent a message to Abu Basir (
‫تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ ‫ )رضی ہللا‬to come to AI-Madinah along with his band of men. This order reached Abu Basir (‫رضی‬
‫تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ ‫ )ہللا‬at a lime when he was seriously ill and confined to bed. However, he called Abu Jandal (‫رضی ہللا‬
‫تعالی عنہ‬
ٰ ) and instructed him to carry out the command without loss of tirne·