EVENTS

627 CE / A Clear Victory.  6th Year after Hijrah (Migration)

Important events and incidences that took place

Muhammad’s success over Quraysh at the Battle of the Trench was an impressive victory.  Five years earlier, he had arrived in the oasis as a weary, travel-worn migrant who had been hounded by the people of Makkah. Now he had reversed that state of affairs, proving before the whole of Arabia that his resolve, by the help of God, was neither weak nor indecisive. 

One night towards the end of Ramadan the Prophet dreamed that with his head shaved, he entered the Holy Sanctuary of Makkah, unarmed, in a state of peace. As soon as the Muslims were told of this, they praised God and hastened to make preparations and gathered together seventy camels, which had to be sacrificed in the sacred precinct.

The Prophet had his clothes washed, mounted his camel and marched towards Makkah at the head of fifteen hundred Muslims. They carried no weapons with them except sheathed swords because they had no intention of fighting. As they approached Dhul Hulaifah, everybody donned the age-old traditional pilgrim’s dress of two pieces of unstitched cloth, one tied around the waist, and the other draped round the shoulders. The Prophet then uttered the ancient cry of the pilgrims as they approached the Ka’bah, Labbayk Allahumma Labayk! Which means ‘Here I am, O God, at your service!’

Khalid ibn Al Walid was sent with a troop of 200 cavalry to prevent the Muslims from entering the city and when the pilgrims had reached the well of Usfan, their scout brought them news the Khalid was only eight miles away. However, the Prophet after having received this intelligence, re-routed bringing them to the locality of Hudaybiyah; by-passing Khalid and his men. For his part, Khalid returned to Makkah to inform the leaders of the latest developments.

Quraysh sent Budayl ibn Warqa’ together with some tribesmen from Khuza’ah to the Muslim camp to dissuade Muhammad from executing his plan. However, they became convinced that the Prophet did not come to fight but to honour the sanctuary. The delegation returned advising that the Muslims be permitted to fulfil their pilgrimage but Quraysh remained unconvinced. They sent Urwah ibn Mas’ud who also concluded as Budayl did, and with negotiations between the Prophet and  Quraysh lasting a long time, the Muslims were beginning to become agitated.

The Prophet called upon Uthman ibn Affan and sent him to Abu Sufyan and the noblemen of Quraysh. The negotiations were lengthy during which Uthman was forced to stay in Makkah. Soon, the Muslims began to suspect that he had been treacherously killed. With tension rising in the Muslim camp, and everybody reaching for their swords, the Prophet assured them that he would not allow them to return without challenging their enemies. He called his companions to gather under a large acacia tree in the middle of the valley, and there they covenanted with him to fight to the last man. This covenant would later become known as the Bay’ah al Ridwan, the Pledge of Good Pleasure. 

However, before long, news reached the Muslims that Uthman had not been murdered and he would soon be returned safe and sound. Upon his return he conveyed to the Prophet the message of Quraysh in that they believed that the Muslims had come merely for the purpose of pilgrimage, but at the same time, they could not let them enter Makkah as other tribes would conclude that Quraysh had been defeated. Thus they began a new round of negotiations whereby  Quraysh sent Suhayl ibn Amr to reconcile with the Prophet to return for the same purpose the following year wherein the Quraishites would leave Makkah for three days, allowing the Muslims to perform the pilgrimage. 

In the Muslim camp the believers listened in on these negotiations and often became severely angered at the obstinacy with which Suhayl refused to make any concessions, and the leniency with which the Prophet made his. A peace treaty was agreed upon, which was to last for ten years. Any person from Quraysh emigrating to Muhammad’s camp without permission from his guardian would have to be returned to Makkah, whereas any Muslim emigrating from Muhammad’s camp to Makkah would not have to be returned. It also specified that any tribe was free to ally itself to Muhammad without incurring any guilt or censure from  Quraysh, and likewise, any tribe seeking an alliance with Quraysh could do so without let or hindrance from the Muslims. The pact stipulated that Muhammad and his companions would leave the area of Makkah that year without fulfilling their religious function but that they might return the next year. When the believers saw the negotiations for peace and a withdrawal going on and what the Prophet had taken on himself they felt saddened  and defeated. Umar despaired and complained to Abu Bakr, ‘Why should we agree to what is demeaning to our religion?’ Abu Bakr, though shaken himself, told Umar to have faith in Muhammad, for he could see further than anybody else at Hudaybiyah; even though the pilgrimage had not turned out as they expected, it had been an inspiration that had put them on the road to peace.

LESSONS & WISDOMS

627 CE / A Clear Victory

A closer look at the events; in search of deeper meanings and drawing lessons

The arrival of the Prophet along with his disciples at Makkah threw the Qurashites into a huge dilemma. If they, the guardians of the sanctuary, were to hinder the approach of over a thousand Arab pilgrims to the Holy House, they would have committed a most flagrant violation of the laws on which all their own greatness was founded. On the other hand, if they allowed their enemies to enter Makkah in peace and comfort, it would be perceived by others as an immense moral triumph for Muhammad.  

***

The disciples were tested with a whole plethora of emotions and feelings and the journey to Hudaybiyah as well as the peace treaty made there held countless lessons and wisdoms. Some of them are as follows,

1) Muhammad knew perfectly well that he had put the Quraysh in an extremely difficult position. As the guardians of the Mecca, it would have been scandalous if they forbade a thousand Arab pilgrims to enter the city, but it would be an enormous moral triumph for Muhammad if he did enter the holy city in their way and would simply confirm their humiliation at his hands. Though many Meccan notables raged over the idea of Muhammad’s visit Abu Sufyan remained curiously silent. He was a man of intelligence and he probably realized the game was up and that Muhammad could no longer be dealt with by conventional methods. 

2) Once the treaty was agreed, the Prophet told his disciples to exit from the inviolable state of being a pilgrim and prepare themselves for the return home. However, they hesitated and reacted with indifference. The Prophet returned to his tent and sought the advice of his wife, Umm Salamah. She was a wise woman much like Khadijah and understood why the people responded in such a way. She presented to him a solution which the Prophet acted on with success. This incident illustrates to us how the Prophet appreciated sound advice, regardless of whether it was from a man or woman. In this case he accepted it with complete humility. It also shows us that in certain circumstances the best way to lead is by executing ones own command in full view of others. Upon seeing the Prophet slaughter his camel and shave his head to exit from the state of ihram, the companions leapt to their feet and raced to make their sacrifices, falling over each other in their eagerness to obey. Tradition has it that just as they started to leave Hudaybiyah a sudden wind lifted the mound of black hair and carried it into Mecca as a sign that God had accepted their sacrifice.

3) Though many of the disciples were frustrated at the treaty and having to prematurely end their Umrah, they were also instantly elated when they heard the verses of victory that came down to the Prophet on their journey home. They realized that they could not foresee what was in their best interests. This teaches us that regardless of ones perception and foresight, obedience and subservience to a clear command of God or His Prophet should always take precedence. And so revelation was revealed to this effect [see Edicts & Rulings]. It is by implementing the guidance received through revelation that human beings achieve the loftiest goals of benefit and well-being. It is also the sole means of avoiding the greatest harm and evil.

4) The incident only served to increase the level of trust the companions had in the messenger.

5) After the signing of the treaty, the polytheists began to see the Muslims as a superpower of Arabia and they now predicted that they would soon acquire reign over all of Arabia. Hence the Prophet began writing letters to the kings, rulers and dignitaries of his era, inviting them to Islam. This shows us that the Prophetic call was entirely universal; for all ages. 

6) The truce between the Muslims and the Quraysh had a particularly wonderful effect: It paved the way for unrestricted propagation of Islam; for in the two years that followed [628-630], more and more people had the opportunity to learn about the religion. And as a result many new tribes entered into the fold of Islam and became part of a growing vibrant Muslim community. The Prophet had initially gone to Hudaybiyah with 1400 followers but after only two years he would conquer Makkah with over 10,000 followers. Ibn Hisham records in his biography of the Prophet that almost as many people became Muslim in the following two years as had become Muslim in the previous nineteen years since Muhammad began his call. And so it was for this reason that the Companions would later relate the story of HUdaybiyyah to others by saying, “You consider the fath, victory, to be the fath of Makkah, but we consider it to be the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.

7) One of the deeper meanings behind God naming the Treaty of Hudaybiyya the Fath, or victory, was because of the fact that it was the key which opened the door to unrestricted propagation of Islam. The truce, created an environment of security and quashed the air of hostility the Muslims previously faced when preaching Islam, and thereby allowed the Companions to approach neighbouring communities and tribes to discuss and debate with them openly about their religion. It was said that after the truce, no sensible person listened to the Call except that they accepted Islam and became Muslim. With huge numbers of people entering the fold Islam, the subservience and worship of God increased exponentially; essentially saving more people from the punishment of Hellfire and admitting them into the ranks of Paradise. And hereto lies the meaning of Victory, the true success- earning the Pleasure of God, salvation from an eternal punishment and admittance into Paradise.

EDICTS & RULINGS

627 CE / A Clear Victory

Revelation that came down during this year

The messenger of God left Hudaybiyah for Madinah and it was approximately halfway in the journey that the God revealed to him the Quranic chapter ‘The Victory’ (al-Fath) which disclosed the full significance of the event at Hudaybiyah. The chapter begins with luminous assurance that Muhammad had not been defeated, despite appearances to the contrary:

Truly We have granted you a clear victory, so that God may forgive you your earlier errors and any later ones and complete His blessing upon you, and guide you on a Straight Path. And so that God may help you with a mighty help…

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God was not unaware of the feelings in the hearts of the believers as they perceived humiliation. At that moment did He send down peace and tranquility to strengthen their resolve and obedience to the Prophet:

It is He who sent down serenity into the hearts of the believers thereby increasing their faith with more faith- the legions of the heavens and the earth belong to God. God is All-Knowing, All-Wise

***

Though the Quraysh had stipulated in the treaty that if someone from their side came to Madinah to accept Islam they would have to be returned, Qur’anic revelation made it clear that this stipulation would only apply to men and so excluded women. The following verse from the chapter al-Mumtahana was revealed:

You who have faith! When women who have believed come to you as migrants, submit them to a test. God has best knowledge of their faith. If you know they are believers, do not return them to the disbelievers. They are not permissible for the disbelievers nor are the disbelievers permissible for them. Give the disbelievers whatever dowry they paid. And there is nothing wrong in your marrying them provided you pay them their due. Do not hold to any marriage ties with women who are disbelievers. Ask for what you paid and let them ask for what they paid. That is God’s judgement. God will judge between them. God is All-Knowing, All-Wise.

CONTENTIOUS NARRATIVES

627 CE / A Clear Victory

Did Prophet Muhammad “borrow” from other religious sources?

There is a theory that suggests that Qur’ân is not divine in its origin as it contains stories narrated in ancient texts and traditions, as well as similar material found in Judeo-Christian scriptures. The implication is that Muhammad forged the Quran after learning and taking from scholars of other religions.

The Theory of Religious Borrowing

This theory states that if a later text shows similarities to an older or earlier text or is similar to what is known (or thought to be known) before, then the later text has “borrowed” (i.e. plagiarised) the previously known or established text. This is a flawed use of logic as there are a number of reasons why religious texts may be similar to each other. 

Examples of these are:

1)The texts have ultimately come from the same source; in this case God

2) The reason for a later text is to confirm the previous one or to correct corruptions that may have occurred in the former. This would be particularly pertinent in the advent of a new prophet.

3) New scripture may abrogate aspects of previous scripture but still assert common themes of either law or belief

We will thus see that the emphasis shifts to verifying the inherent proofs or evidences of the fresh revelation when older (or traces of the older) revelation still exists. Therefore, similarity between two revelations can even imply that the later revelation is from God.

Religious borrowing on the part of the Prophet (peace be upon him) is also impossible given that he was illiterate and known to be so even by his detractors. This theory creates more questions than it answers as even the most vitriolic critics of the Prophet, both past and present, have never found his “mysterious” teacher who would have taught the Prophet.

The enemies of Muhammad (peace be upon him) also were unable to prove that the revelation he was receiving was purely fabricated. In fact that more common charge against the Prophet was that he was bewitched, insane or possessed by a demon in spite of him not showing any signs of such afflictions. On the contrary, the manners of the Prophet even in the face of open tyranny were exemplary and deliberate.

Muhammad (peace be upon him) was raised among his people and every aspect of his life was exposed to them, especially by the openness that characterises tribal life in the desert. How could the multitudes of his contemporaries, including many of his close relatives who knew him so well, how could they believe in his truthfulness if they had any doubt that he was claiming credit for ideas taught to him by some other teachers without bothering to give them credit?

On the contrary, it was well established that Muhammad had no teachers. This fact is agreed by his apostles and enemies alike.

If Muhammad had a teacher who taught him a coherent and complete religion that changed the face of history, it stands to reason that this teacher or teachers would have wanted to take some credit for this and also make it clear that there was no divine source for the teachings. 

It is also highly unlikely that so many Jews and Christians amongst Muhammad’s contemporaries become Muslims and believe in his truthfulness if they knew he was copying from their scriptures or learning from their priests or rabbis. 

It is known that some of the Qur’ânic revelations to Muhammad were in the presence of his apostles and no “teacher”. The Qur’ân was revealed over the span of twenty-three years and no mysterious teacher ever emerges.

It is therefore reasonable to conclude that Muhammad bin Abdillah was not capable of producing such a sophisticated book like the Quran and was indeed a true prophet of God (peace be upon him).