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The Treaty
of Hudabaya
A Story by Jamil Momand
In the year 628 A.D. Muhammad decided to make a pilgrimage to the Kaba. At
this time he lived in Medina with many of the Muslims. Most of the Quraish
tribe did not believe in Muhammad's message. They controlled the Kaba in
Mecca and were not on good terms with the Muslims. The Muslims and the
Quraish had just fought three major battles known as Badr, Uhud and the Battle
of the Trench.
Muhammad wanted to
make a peaceful pilgrimage with the Muslims to the holy Kaba. About 1600
Muslims set out for Mecca with seventy camels to be sacrificed and distributed
to the poor. This was to be a dangerous journey because the Quraish may
stop them. The pilgrims, being unarmed except for their sacrificial
swords, would be at the mercy of the Quraish. At the outset of the journey
Muhammad shouted, "Labbaika Allahoma Labaik" which means "Here I
am at your mercy O' God." This gave the Muslims the confidence they
needed to take their first step toward Mecca. When the Quraish heard about
the Muslims marching toward Mecca they sent Khalid ibn Walid with 200 horsemen
to stop them.
Prophet Muhammad,
upon hearing that Khalid was after them, changed his course and went towards the
Red Sea to avoid the Meccans. Khalid did not learn of the Muslims' change
of course until it was almost too late. The Muslims, in their white
pilgrim clothes known as the ihram, stopped to camp for the night at a place
known as Hudabaya just outside of Mecca. Khalid found them there and
reported their location to the Quraish.
After some debate
the Quraish sent Hulays, the chief of the Bani-al-Harith clan, to find out if
the Prophet had come to fight the Meccans. When Hulays saw the way the
Muslims were dressed and their camels to be sacrificed he reported that
Muhammad's intentions were peaceful. Still not convinced, the Quraish sent
Urwa as a scout to the Muslims. As was the custom Urwa held the Prophet's
beard when he talked to Muhammad as a sign of familiarity and equalness.
Mughirah, one of the pilgrims, felt that no one was equal to the Prophet so he
hit Urwa's hand with the flat of his sword. Urwa retracted his hand.
As the conversation continued Urwa again took the Prophet's beard.
Mughirah rapped Urwa's hand again saying, "Take your hand from God's
Messenger's beard while it is still yours to take." When Urwah
returned to Mecca he said, "O' people, I have been sent as an envoy to
kings-to Caeser, Chosroes and the Negus-but I have not seen a king whose men so
honor him as the companions of Muhammad honor Muhammad . . ."
Prophet Muhammad
sent Uthman ibn Affan as an envoy to the Quraish. Uthman had powerful
relatives in Mecca that could protect him from harm in case the Quraish would
try to kill him. Upon reaching Mecca his relatives told Uthman that he
could make the pilgrimage alone but not the rest of the Muslims. Uthman
declined their offer.
While Uthman was in
Mecca the Prophet asked the pilgrims to renew their oath to him. The
Prophet seated himself beneath an acacia tree and one by one the Companions came
and pledged their allegiance to him. They declared "O' Messenger of
God I pledge my allegiance to that which is in your soul." One man, a
hypocrite named Jadd ibn Qays, tried to hide behind a camel while the rest made
their pledge to the Prophet.
The Quraish then
sent Suhayl ibn Amr to conclude a treaty with the Prophet. When Suhayl and
Prophet Muhammad finally reached an agreement the Prophet asked Ali to write the
terms on paper. Ali wrote at the top of the treaty Bismillahi-Rahmani
Rahim, in the Name of God Most Gracious Most Merciful. Suhayl, a non-beliver,
objected and said, "I do not know of a god named Rahman. Just write
Bismik Allahomma, in Your Name O' God, that is much more factual."
Immediately, some of the Prophet's Companions said, "By God, we shall only
write Bismillahi-Rahmani-Rahim." The Prophet ignored his Companions
and told Ali to write Bismik Allahoma. At the conclusion of the treaty,
the Prophet told Ali to write, "These are the terms between Muhammad, the
Messenger of God, and Suhayl, the son of Amr." Again Suhayl
protested, "If we knew you to be the Messenger of God we would not have
stopped you from coming to the Kaba, and we would not have fought you.
Just write Muhammad, the son of Abdullah." Ali, however, had already
written "the Messenger of God." The Prophet told him to strike
out those words. Ali refused to do so because of his strong belief.
The Prophet then told Ali to point out the words with his finger since the
Prophet could not read. When Ali pointed at the words on the treaty
Muhammad, himself, crossed out the words. Then he told Ali to write
"the son of Abdullah" in their place. Reluctantly, Ali complied.
The treaty of
Hudabaya guaranteed that their would be peace between the Muslims and the
Quraish for 10 years. It also stated that those who emigrated to Medina
from Mecca had to be returned to Mecca. However, those that emigrated from
Medina to Mecca would not be returned to the Muslims. Finally, the treaty
stated that this year the Muslims would not be allowed to make their pilgrimage
but that next year and the years after that they could.
The Muslims were
unhappy. They had come very close to Mecca but could not complete the
pilgrimage. Abu Jandal, one of the sons of Suhayl, had accepted Islam but
was imprisoned in Mecca by his own father because of his new faith. Abu
Jandal made an escape from Mecca and found the pilgrims just as the treaty was
being signed. Suhayl stopped his son and angrily struck his face for
trying to escape. Suhayl then told Muhammad that the treaty was signed
before his son came and therefore he had to go back to Mecca. Abu Jandal,
upon hearing his father's statement, turned around and announced to his fellow
Muslims, "O' Muslims are you going to send me back to the idol worshippers
for them to prosecute me because of my religion?" The Muslims felt
uneasy. Prophet Muhammad asked Suhayl to let his son go but he refused.
The Prophet then turned to Suhayl's son and said, "Be patient Abu Jandal,
God will surely give you and the other Muslims in Mecca relief and a way out.
We have agreed on the terms of a truce with these people and have given them a
solemn pledge; we cannot break our word." Slowly, Abu Jandal walked
back to Mecca with his father and the other delegates from Mecca.
Umar could not
stand it any longer. He rose to his feet and said to Muhammad, "Are
you not God's Prophet?" Muhammad answered "Yes."
"Are we not in the right and our enemies in the wrong?" Umar demanded.
The Prophet nodded. "Then why should we give in and discrace the
honor of our religion?" Muhammad simply replied, "I am God's
Messenger and I will not disobey Him. He will give me the victory."
"But didn't you tell us," persisted Umar, "that we should go to
the Kaba and make our rounds about it?" "I did say that, but did
I say this year?" answered the Prophet. Umar realized that the
Prophet did not say this year in particular. Still upset, Umar sought out
Abu Baker and asked him almost the identical questions he posed to the Prophet.
Abu Bakr took the same position as the Prophet and, in the end, told Umar to
agree with Muhammad. Finally, the Prophet, Umar, Ali, Abu Bakr and several
other Muslims signed the treaty of Hudabaya.
After the Meccans
began their journey home the Prophet ordered the pilgrims to sacrifice their
animals and shave their heads. Not one of the Muslims moved even when he
repeated the command two more times. Traditionally, the Muslims knew that
the sacrifice and the shaving of the hair was supposed to be done in Mecca.
The Prophet was dissapointed with the Muslims and went back to his tent.
Inside the tent he told his wife, Umm Salamah, what had happened and she advised
him that he, himself, should do what he asked the others to do. Perhaps
then the pilgrims would follow his example. Alone Muhammad sacrificed one
of the camels saying in a loud voice, "Bismillah Allahu Akbar."
When the pilgrims heard this they immediately sacrificed their animals as well.
When Prophet Muhammad shaved his head the pilgrims followed his example and
shaved their heads or cut their hair.
On the way back to
Medina the Prophet received a revelation from God. He said to Umar,
"There has descended upon me a surah which is dearer to me than all else
beneath the sun." The revelation was ". . . God's good pleasure
was on the believers when they swore allegiance to you under the tree. He
knew what was in their hearts and he sent down the spirit of peace to them; and
He rewarded them with a speedy victory." S48:18.
The treaty of
Hudabaya at first appeared to weaken the Muslims. They could not continue
their pilgrimage that year and they had to give Abu Jandal back to the Meccans.
In the end, however, the treaty proved to be a wise move. It gave the
Muslims time to grow and get strong. When the Meccans broke the treaty a
few years later the Muslims were able to conquer Mecca without a fight.
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