Treaty of Hudaybiyyah
Encyclopedia
The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (Arabic: صلح الحديبية) is the treaty that took place between the state of Medina
and the Quraishi tribe of Mecca
in March 628
CE (corresponding to Dhu al-Qi'dah
, 6 AH).
). The group was prepared with animals of sacrifice
, as they hoped that the Quraish made them honor the Arabian custom of allowing converts to enter the city. According to Lewis, Muhammad felt strong enough to attempt an attack on Mecca; but on the way, it became clear that the attempt was premature and the expedition was converted into a peaceful pilgrimage. Andrae disagrees, writing that the Muslim state of ihram (which restricted their freedom of action) and the paucity of arms carried indicated that the pilgrimage was always intended to be pacific. The Quraish intercepted the Muslim party well outside Mecca. By this time, all of Arabia was aware of the military strength of the Muslims. Muhammad wanted to avoid bloodshed in or near the holiest city of worship
. He said: (Bukhari B3V50H891)
The two parties decided to resolve the matter through diplomacy
rather than warfare and a treaty was drawn up.
The Muslims objected over a clause of the treaty that said that any citizen from Mecca entering Medina is eligible to be returned to Mecca (if they want), while any Muslim from Medina entering Mecca is not eligible to be returned to the Muslims, even if Muhammad requested.
After the signing of the treaty, there was still great fury among the Muslims because they did not like the stipulations of the treaty. Muhammad, binding onto the Islamic ethic "fulfill every promise" ordered that Muslims do exactly as the treaty says. Many Muslims thereafter objected, when Muhammad told them (thrice) to perform their rites there and then.
Muhammad insisted that Muslims had been victorious and was supported in this by new revelation: "Verily we have granted thee a manifest victory" (Qur'an 48:1). He promised much spoils in the near future: "...and He sent down peace of reassurance on them, and hath rewarded them with a near victory, and much booty that they will capture". (Qur'an 48:18-19)
The treaty's stipulations on the movement of persons gave rise to later controversy, when the Quraysh woman Um Cultum went to Medina and joined the Muslims, and her brothers demanded her return from Muhammad, as they interpreted the treaty to mean. Muslim commentator Abdullah Yusuf Ali
considers that the treaty had already been violated, probably by an attack by the Quraysh-allied tribe of Banu Bakr upon the Muslim tribe of Banu Khuza'a. Thus he believed that divine instruction was needed on what was to be done with migrants from Mecca. Other Muslim sources state that the treaty's restrictions only applied to free men, and not to slaves or women. Ultimately, Muhammad refused on the basis of revelation from God: "When there come to you believing women refugees, examine and test them... if ye ascertain they are believers, send them not to the unbelievers" (Qur'an 60:10). If the woman married a Muslim, the Muslims would pay the Meccan refugee's ex-husband a sum equal to the dower he had paid upon marriage to her". (Qur'an 6:10)
. The next year, the Banu Bakr, allied with the Quraish, attacked the Bedouin Khuza'a, allied with Mohammed in response to a pre-treaty attack by the Khuza'a. Mohammed considered the Banu Bakr attack a breach of the treaty, citing one of the clauses of the treaty: "an attack on an ally of the party, will be considered an attack on the party itself". Mohammed offered the Quraish three alternatives:
The Quraish chose the third alternative. Muhammad decided to march on to Mecca. With the 10,000 men of his army, he marched on to Mecca where he ordered his troops not to harm women, children, old people, those who surrender, those who are sick, those who are weak, not to destroy houses, and not to destroy trees or gardens.
Medina
Medina , or ; also transliterated as Madinah, or madinat al-nabi "the city of the prophet") is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia, and serves as the capital of the Al Madinah Province. It is the second holiest city in Islam, and the burial place of the Islamic Prophet Muhammad, and...
and the Quraishi tribe of Mecca
Mecca
Mecca is a city in the Hijaz and the capital of Makkah province in Saudi Arabia. The city is located inland from Jeddah in a narrow valley at a height of above sea level...
in March 628
628
Year 628 was a leap year starting on Friday of the Julian calendar. The denomination 628 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar era became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.- Asia :* January – Third Perso-Turkic War: Emperor...
CE (corresponding to Dhu al-Qi'dah
Dhu al-Qi'dah
Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu'l-Qadah, or Dhu al-Qi'dah is the eleventh month in the Islamic calendar. It is one of the four sacred months in Islam during which warfare is prohibited, hence the name ‘Master of Truce’.- Timing :...
, 6 AH).
Background
In 628 AD, a group of 1,400 Muslims marched towards Mecca, in an attempt to perform Umrah (pilgrimage). They were not allowed to perform this ritual (small pilgrimageHajj
The Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca, Saudi Arabia. It is one of the largest pilgrimages in the world, and is the fifth pillar of Islam, a religious duty that must be carried out at least once in their lifetime by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so...
). The group was prepared with animals of sacrifice
Sacrifice
Sacrifice is the offering of food, objects or the lives of animals or people to God or the gods as an act of propitiation or worship.While sacrifice often implies ritual killing, the term offering can be used for bloodless sacrifices of cereal food or artifacts...
, as they hoped that the Quraish made them honor the Arabian custom of allowing converts to enter the city. According to Lewis, Muhammad felt strong enough to attempt an attack on Mecca; but on the way, it became clear that the attempt was premature and the expedition was converted into a peaceful pilgrimage. Andrae disagrees, writing that the Muslim state of ihram (which restricted their freedom of action) and the paucity of arms carried indicated that the pilgrimage was always intended to be pacific. The Quraish intercepted the Muslim party well outside Mecca. By this time, all of Arabia was aware of the military strength of the Muslims. Muhammad wanted to avoid bloodshed in or near the holiest city of worship
Worship
Worship is an act of religious devotion usually directed towards a deity. The word is derived from the Old English worthscipe, meaning worthiness or worth-ship — to give, at its simplest, worth to something, for example, Christian worship.Evelyn Underhill defines worship thus: "The absolute...
. He said: (Bukhari B3V50H891)
- We have not come to fight anyone, but to perform the 'Umra. No doubt, the war has weakened Quraish and they have suffered great losses, so if they wish, I will conclude a truce with them, during which they should refrain from interfering between me and the people, and if I have victory over those infidels, Quraish will have the option to embrace Islam as the other people do, if they wish; they will at least get strong enough to fight. But if they do not accept the truce, by Allah in Whose Hands my life is, I will fight with them defending my Cause till I get killed, but (I am sure) Allah will definitely make His Cause victorious.
The two parties decided to resolve the matter through diplomacy
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
rather than warfare and a treaty was drawn up.
Treaty
The outline of the treaty was as follows:In the name of almighty Allah. These are the conditions of PeacePeacePeace is a state of harmony characterized by the lack of violent conflict. Commonly understood as the absence of hostility, peace also suggests the existence of healthy or newly healed interpersonal or international relationships, prosperity in matters of social or economic welfare, the...
between Muhammad, son of Abdullah and Suhayl ibn AmrSuhayl ibn AmrSuhayl ibn Amr was a prominent leader among the Quraysh, being known as the Khatib or orator of the tribe. Clever and articulate, Suhayl's personal opinion carried great weight among his tribe.-Biography:...
the envoy of Mecca. There will be no fighting for ten years. Anyone who wishes to join Muhammad and to enter into any agreement with him is free to do so. Anyone who wishes to join the Quraish and to enter into any agreement with them is free to do so. A young man, or one whose father is alive, if he goes to Muhammad (saw) without permission from his father or guardian, will be returned to his father or guardian. But if anyone goes to the Quraish, he will not be returned. This year the muslims will go back without entering Mecca. But next year Muhammed (saw) and his followers can enter Mecca, spend three days, perform the tawaaf. During these three days the Quraish will withdraw to the surrounding hills. When Muhammad (saw) and his followers enter into Mecca, they will be unarmed except for sheathed swords.
Controversy
The treaty was quite controversial for many reasons. Originally, the treaty referred to Muhammad as the Messenger of God which was unacceptable to the Quraish ambassador Suhayl ibn Amr. Muhammad told Ali to strike it out, but Ali refused, after which Muhammad himself rubbed out the words. .The Muslims objected over a clause of the treaty that said that any citizen from Mecca entering Medina is eligible to be returned to Mecca (if they want), while any Muslim from Medina entering Mecca is not eligible to be returned to the Muslims, even if Muhammad requested.
After the signing of the treaty, there was still great fury among the Muslims because they did not like the stipulations of the treaty. Muhammad, binding onto the Islamic ethic "fulfill every promise" ordered that Muslims do exactly as the treaty says. Many Muslims thereafter objected, when Muhammad told them (thrice) to perform their rites there and then.
Muhammad insisted that Muslims had been victorious and was supported in this by new revelation: "Verily we have granted thee a manifest victory" (Qur'an 48:1). He promised much spoils in the near future: "...and He sent down peace of reassurance on them, and hath rewarded them with a near victory, and much booty that they will capture". (Qur'an 48:18-19)
The treaty's stipulations on the movement of persons gave rise to later controversy, when the Quraysh woman Um Cultum went to Medina and joined the Muslims, and her brothers demanded her return from Muhammad, as they interpreted the treaty to mean. Muslim commentator Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Abdullah Yusuf Ali
Hafiz Abdullah Yusuf Ali, CBE, FRSL was an Indian Islamic scholar who translated the Qur'an into English. His translation of the Qur'an is one of the most widely-known and used in the English-speaking world....
considers that the treaty had already been violated, probably by an attack by the Quraysh-allied tribe of Banu Bakr upon the Muslim tribe of Banu Khuza'a. Thus he believed that divine instruction was needed on what was to be done with migrants from Mecca. Other Muslim sources state that the treaty's restrictions only applied to free men, and not to slaves or women. Ultimately, Muhammad refused on the basis of revelation from God: "When there come to you believing women refugees, examine and test them... if ye ascertain they are believers, send them not to the unbelievers" (Qur'an 60:10). If the woman married a Muslim, the Muslims would pay the Meccan refugee's ex-husband a sum equal to the dower he had paid upon marriage to her". (Qur'an 6:10)
Aftermath
In 629 AD, the Muslims made The first pilgrimageThe first pilgrimage
The first pilgrimage or Umrah Dhu'l-Qada was the first pilgrimage that the Muslims made after the Migration to Medina. It happened in on the morning of the fourth day of Dhu al-Qi'dah 7 AH , after the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah 6 AH...
. The next year, the Banu Bakr, allied with the Quraish, attacked the Bedouin Khuza'a, allied with Mohammed in response to a pre-treaty attack by the Khuza'a. Mohammed considered the Banu Bakr attack a breach of the treaty, citing one of the clauses of the treaty: "an attack on an ally of the party, will be considered an attack on the party itself". Mohammed offered the Quraish three alternatives:
- Dissolve their alliance with the Banu Bakr
- Compensate by paying money
- Dissolve the treaty
The Quraish chose the third alternative. Muhammad decided to march on to Mecca. With the 10,000 men of his army, he marched on to Mecca where he ordered his troops not to harm women, children, old people, those who surrender, those who are sick, those who are weak, not to destroy houses, and not to destroy trees or gardens.