Al-Miswar ibn Makhramah and Marwaan (whose narrations attest each other) narrated that Allah's Messengerﷺ set out on a journey, at the time of Al-Hudaybiyah (treaty), and when they proceeded for a distance, he ﷺ said, "Khaalid ibn Al-Waleed leading the cavalry of Quraysh constituting the front of the army, is at a place called Al-Ghameem, so take the way on the right." By Allah, Khaalid did not perceive the arrival of the Muslims till the dust arising from the march of the Muslim army reached him, and then he turned back hurriedly to inform Quraysh. The Prophet ﷺwent on advancing till he reached the Thaniyah (i.e., a mountainous pathway) through which one would go to them (i.e., the people of Quraysh). The she-camel of the Prophet ﷺ sat down. People tried their best to urge the she-camel to get up but in vain, so they said, "Al-Qaswaa’ (i.e., the she-camel's name) has become stubborn! Al-Qaswaa’ has become stubborn!" The Prophet ﷺ said, "Al-Qaswaa’ has not become stubborn, for stubbornness is not her habit, but she was stopped by Him Who stopped the elephant." Then he ﷺ said, "By the Name of Him in Whose Hands my soul is, if they (i.e., the polytheists of Quraysh) ask me anything which will involve horning the sanctity of Allah’s ordinances, I will grant it to them." The Prophet ﷺ then rebuked the she-camel and she got up. He ﷺchanged his way till he dismounted at the farthest end of Al-Hudaybiyah at a pit (i.e., well) containing a little water which people used in small amounts, and in a short while they used up all its water and complained to Allah's Messengerﷺ of thirst. The Prophet ﷺ took an arrow out of his arrow-case and ordered them to put the arrow in that pit. By Allah, the water started and continued sprouting out till all people quenched their thirst and returned with satisfaction. While they were still in that state, Budayl ibn Warqaa’ Al-Khuzaa‘ee came with some people from his tribe Khuzaa‘ah, and they were the advisers of Allah's Messengerﷺ who would keep no secret from him and were from the people of Tihaamah. Budayl said, "I left Ka‘b ibn Luayy and ‘Aamir ibn Luayy camping at the profuse water (i.e., well) of Al-Hudaybiyah and they had milch camels (or their women and children) with them, and will wage war against you, and will prevent you from visiting the Ka‘bah." Allah's Messengerﷺ said, "We have not come to fight anyone, but to perform ‘Umrah. No doubt, the war has weakened Quraysh 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 people (i.e., the Arab disbelievers from other tribes), and if I have victory over those disbelievers, Quraysh will have the option to embrace Islam as the others, 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 them defending my cause till I get killed, but (I am sure) Allah, Exalted is He, will definitely make His Cause victorious." Budayl said, "I will inform them of what you have said." So, he set off till he reached Quraysh and said, "We have come from that man (i.e., Muhammadﷺ) whom we heard saying something which we will disclose to you if you should like." Some fools among Quraysh shouted that they were not in need of such information, but the wiser ones among them said, "Relate what you heard him saying." Budayl said, "I heard him saying such-and-such," relating what the Prophet ﷺ had told him. ‘Urwah ibn Mas‘ood got up and said, "O people! Are not you the sons? They said, "Yes." He added, "Am I not the father?" They said, "Yes." He said, "Do you mistrust me?" They said, "No." He said, "Do not you know that I invited the people of ‘Ukaadh for your help, and when they refused, I brought my relatives and children and those who obeyed me (to help you)?" They said, "Yes." He said, "Well, this man (i.e., the Prophet ﷺ) has offered you a reasonable proposal, you should better accept it and allow me to meet him." They said, "You may meet him." So, he went to the Prophet ﷺand started talking to him. The Prophet ﷺ told him almost the same as he had told Budayl. Then ‘Urwah said, "O Muhammad! Will not you feel any scruple in extirpating your own people? Have you ever heard of anyone amongst the Arabs extirpating his relatives before you? On the other hand, if the reayah should happen, (nobody will aid you, for) by Allah, I do not see (with you) dignified people, but only people from various tribes who would run away leaving you alone." Hearing that, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) verbally abused him and said, "Do you say that we would run and leave the Prophet ﷺ alone?" ‘Urwah said, "Who is that man?" People said, "He is Aboo Bakr." ‘Urwah said to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), "By Him in Whose Hands my life is, were it not for the favor which you did to me and for which I did not compensate you, I would have retorted on you!" ‘Urwah kept on talking to the Prophet ﷺ and seizing his beard as he was talking while Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) was standing near the head of the Prophet ﷺ, holding a sword and wearing a helmet. Whenever ‘Urwah stretched his hand towards the Prophet’s beard, Al-Mugheerah (may Allah be pleased with him) would hit his hand with the handle of the sword and say (to ‘Urwah), “Remove your hand from the beard of Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” ‘Urwah raised his head and asked, "Who is that?" People said, "He is Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah." ‘Urwah said, "O treacherous! Am I not doing my best to prevent evil consequences of your treachery?" Before embracing Islam, Al-Mugheerah was in the company of some people. He killed them and took their property and came (to Al-Madeenah) to embrace Islam. The Prophet ﷺ said (to him, "As regards to your Islam, I accept it, but as for the property I do not take anything of it. (As it was treacherously taken). ‘Urwah then started looking at the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ. By Allah, whenever Allah's Messengerﷺ spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them (i.e., the Companions) who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ﷺordered them, they (may Allah be pleased with them)would carry his orders immediately; if he ﷺperformed ablution, they (may Allah be pleased with them)would struggle to take (a share of) the leftover water (from one another); and when they spoke to him, they would lower their voices and would not look at his face constantly out of reverence. ‘Urwah returned to his people and said, "O people! By Allah, I have been to the kings and to Caesar, Khosrau and Al-Najaashee, yet I have never seen any of them respected by his courtiers as much as Muhammad is respected by his companions. By Allah, if he spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of them (i.e., the Companions) who would rub it on his face and skin; if he ordered them, they would carry out his order immediately; if he performed ablution, they would struggle to take (a share of) the leftover water (from one another); and when they spoke, they would lower their voices and would not look at his face constantly out of reverence." ‘Urwah added, "No doubt, he has presented to you a good reasonable offer, so please accept it." A man from the tribe of Banee Kinaanah said, "Allow me to go to him," and they allowed him, and when he approached the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), he ﷺ said, "He is so-and-so who belongs to the tribe that highly respects the Budn (i.e., camels offered as animal sacrifices). So, bring the Budn in front of him." The Budn were brought before him and people (Muslims) received him while they were reciting Talbiyah (i.e., a devotional prayer recited by pilgrims). When he saw that scene, he said, "Glorified be Allah! It is not fair to prevent these people from visiting the Ka‘bah." When he returned to his people, he said, 'I saw the Budn garlanded (with colored knotted ropes) and marked (with stabs on their backs). I do not think it is advisable to prevent them from visiting the Ka‘bah." Another person called Mikraz ibn Hafs got up and sought their permission to go to Muhammad ﷺ, and they allowed him, too. When he approached Muslims, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Here is Mikraz and he is a vicious man." Mikraz started talking to the Prophet ﷺ and as he was talking, Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came. When Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Now the matter has become easy." Suhayl said to the Prophet ﷺ, "Please conclude a peace treaty with us." So, the Prophet ﷺ called a scribe and said to him, "Write down: By the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful." Suhayl said, "As for the ‘Entirely Merciful,' by Allah, I do not know what it means. So, write instead: ‘By Your Name, O Allah,’ as you used to write previously." Muslims said, "By Allah, we will not write except: ‘By the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful.’" The Prophet ﷺsaid, "Write instead: ‘By Your Name, O Allah.’" Then he ﷺ dictated, "This is the peace treaty which Muhammad, Allah's Messengerﷺ has concluded." Suhayl said, "By Allah, if we knew that you are Allah's Messenger, we would prevent you from visiting the Ka‘bah, and would not fight you. So, write instead: "Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah." The Prophet ﷺsaid, "By Allah! I am the Messenger of Allah even if you, people, do not believe me. Write instead: ‘Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah.’" (Al-Zuhree said, "The Prophet ﷺ accepted all those things, as he ﷺhad already said that he would accept everything they would demand if it involves honoring the sanctity of Allah’s Ordinances (i.e., by letting him and his Companions perform ‘Umrah and abstain from fighting.)" The Prophet ﷺ said to Suhayl, "On the condition that you allow us to visit the House (i.e., Ka‘bah) so that we may perform Tawaaf (i.e., circumambulation) around it." Suhayl said, "By Allah, we will not (allow you this year), so as not to give a chance to the Arabs to say that we have yielded to you, but we will allow you next year." So, the Prophet ﷺ got that written down. Then Suhayl said, "We also stipulate that you should return to us whoever comes to you from our people, even if he had embraced your religion." Muslims said, "Glorified be Allah! How will such person be returned to the pagans after he has become a Muslim? While they were in this state Aboo Jandal ibn Suhayl ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) came from the valley of Makkah staggering with his fetters and fell down amongst the Muslims. Suhayl said, "O Muhammad! This is the very first term with which we make peace with you (i.e., you shall return Aboo Jandal to me)." The Prophet ﷺ said, "The peace treaty has not been written yet." Suhayl said, "I will never allow you to keep him." The Prophet ﷺ said, "Yes, you will." He said, "I will not!” Mikraz said, "We allow you (to keep him)." Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "O Muslims! Will I be returned to the pagans though I have come as a Muslim? Do not you see how much I have suffered?" Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) had been tortured severely for the Cause of Allah (at the hands of the polytheists of Quraysh). ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him)said, "I went to the Prophet ﷺ and said, 'Are not you truly the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Yes, indeed.' I said, 'Is not our cause just and the cause of the enemy unjust?' He ﷺ said, 'Yes.' I said, 'Then why should we compromise our religion?' He ﷺ said, 'I am Allah's Messenger and I do not disobey Him, and He will make me victorious.' I said, 'Did not you tell us that we would go to the Ka‘bah and perform Tawaaf around it?' He ﷺ said, 'Yes, but did I tell you that we would visit the Ka‘bah this year?' I said, 'No.' He ﷺ said, 'So you will visit it and perform Tawaaf around it.' ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) further said, "I went to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) and said, 'O Aboo Bakr! Is not he truly Allah's Prophet?' He replied, 'Yes.' I said, 'Then why should we compromise our religion?' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Indeed, he is Allah's Messengerﷺ and he does not disobey his Lord, and He will make him victorious. Adhere to his commands, by Allah, he is on the right (path).' I said, 'Was he ﷺ not telling us that we would go to the Ka‘bah and perform Tawaaf around it?' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Yes, but did he ﷺ tell you that you would go to the Ka‘bah this year?' I said, 'No.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "You will go to Ka‘bah and perform Tawaaf around it." (Al-Zuhree said, "In this regard, ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him)said, 'I performed many good deeds as expiation for the improper questions I asked them.'") When the writing of the peace treaty was concluded, Allah's Messengerﷺ said to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), "Get up, slaughter your sacrifices, and get your head shaved." By Allah, none of them got up, and the Prophet ﷺ repeated his order thrice. When none of them got up, he ﷺ left them and went to Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) and told her of people's attitudes towards him. Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Do you want your order to be carried out? Go out and do not say a word to anybody till you have slaughtered your sacrifice and call for your barber to shave your head." So, the Prophet ﷺ went out and did not talk to anyone of them till he did that, i.e., slaughtered the animal sacrifice and called for his barber who shaved his head. Seeing that, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)got up, slaughtered their animal sacrifices, and started shaving the heads of one another, and there was so much rush that there was a danger of killing each other (out of distress). Then some believing women came (to the Prophet ﷺ, and Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayah (which means): {O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. Allah is most knowing as to their faith. And if you know them to be believers, then do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them. But give the disbelievers what they have spent. And there is no blame upon you if you marry them when you have given them their due compensation. And hold not to marriage bonds with disbelieving women …} [Quran 60:10] ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) then divorced two wives of his as they were disbelievers. Later on, Mu‘aawiyah ibn Abee Sufyaan married one of them, and Safwaan ibn Umayyah married the other. When the Prophet ﷺreturned to Al-Madeenah, Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him), a new Muslim convert from Quraysh came to him. The disbelievers sent in his pursuit two men who said (to the Prophet ﷺ, ‘Abide by the promise you gave us." So, the Prophet ﷺ handed him over to them. They took him out (of Al-Madeenah) till they reached Dhul-Hulayfah where they dismounted to eat some dates they had with them. Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) said to one of them, "By Allah, O so-and-so, I see you have a fine sword." The other drew it out (of the scabbard) and said, "By Allah, it is very fine and I have tried it many times." Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Let me have a look at it." When the other gave it to him, he hit him with it till he died, and his companion ran away till he came to Al-Madeenah and entered the Mosque running. When Allah's Messengerﷺ saw him, he said, "This man appears to have been frightened." When he reached the Prophet ﷺ, he said, "My companion has been murdered and I would be next." Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) came and said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, by Allah, He has made you fulfill your obligation towards them as you returned me to them (i.e., the disbelievers of Quraysh), but Allah, Exalted is He, has saved me from them." The Prophet ﷺsaid, "Woe to his mother! What an excellent war kindler he would be, should he only have supporters!" When Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) heard that he understood that the Prophet ﷺ would return him to them again, so he set off till he reached the seashore. Aboo Jandal ibn Suhayl got himself released from them (i.e., the disbelievers) and
oined Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with them). So, whenever a man from Quraysh embraced Islam, he would follow Aboo Baseer till they formed a strong group. By Allah, whenever they heard of a caravan of Quraysh heading towards Shaam, they stopped it, attacked and killed them (i.e., the disbelievers) and took their properties. The people of Quraysh sent a message to the Prophet ﷺrequesting him, for the Sake of Allah and their kith and kin, to send for (i.e., Aboo Baseer and his companions) promising that whoever (amongst them) came to the Prophet ﷺwould be secure. So, the Prophet ﷺ sent for them and Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayaat (which mean): {And it is He who withheld their hands from you and your hands from them within [the area of] Makkah after He caused you to overcome them. And ever is Allah of what you do, Seeing … When those who disbelieved had put into their hearts chauvinism - the chauvinism of the time of ignorance…} [Quran 48:24-26] Their prejudice and haughtiness were the reason they did not acknowledge (i.e., write in the treaty) that he (i.e., Muhammad ﷺ) was the Prophet of Allah and refused to write: "In the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful,” and prevented them (i.e., Muslims) from visiting the House (the Ka‘bah)..
Commentary :
The Treaty of Al-Hudaybiyah was described as a conquest by Allah, Exalted is He, because it had very fruitful outcomes for Islam and Muslims, and many Laws of Islam provisions were prescribed during that period, fostering ease and facilitation for Muslims.
In this hadeeth, Al-Miswar ibn Makhramah (may Allah be pleased with him) and the Taabi’ee (a Muslim who saw at least one of the Companions) Marwaan ibn Al-Hakam narrated that Allah's Messengerﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) set out on a journey, at the time of Al-Hudaybiyah (treaty) in 6 A.H. When they had proceeded for a distance, he ﷺ said, "Khaalid ibn Al-Waleed,” who was then a disbeliever, “leading the cavalry of Quraysh constituting the front of the army, is at a place called Al-Ghameem,” a valley near Hijaaz between Makkah and Al-Madeenah, about (60 km) from Makkah, “so take the way on the right." Khaalid was leading the vanguard of Quraysh’s army to investigate the situation of their enemy (i.e., Muslims). The Prophet ﷺ commanded the Muslims to take the way on the right to distance themselves from the way taken by Khaalid and his soldiers. Khaalid did not perceive the arrival of the Muslims till the dust arising from the march of the Muslim army reached him, and then he turned back hurriedly to warn Quraysh that the Prophet ﷺ was approaching Makkah. The Prophet ﷺwent on advancing till he reached the Thaniyah (i.e., a mountainous pathway) through which one would reach the people of Quraysh. It was said that the Thaniyah was an area located between Makkah and Al-Madeenah on the way of Al-Hudaybiyah and it was the customarily chosen path to reach Makkah. The she-camel of the Prophet ﷺ sat down. People tried their best to urge the she-camel to get up and continue walking, but in vain. They said, "Al-Qaswaa’ (i.e., the she-camel's name) has become stubborn! Al-Qaswaa’ has become stubborn!" Meaning that the she-camel stubbornly refrained from walking. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Al-Qaswaa’ has not become stubborn, for stubbornness is not her habit, but she was stopped by Him Who stopped the elephant." The Prophet ﷺ was referring to the elephant of Abrahah Al-Habashee when he came to demolish the Ka‘bah and Allah, Exalted is He, prevented him access to Makkah by causing his elephant to stop moving, and this was exactly what happened to the she-camel.
Afterward, he ﷺ swore by Allah, Exalted is He, that he ﷺ would agree to whatever the disbelievers of Quraysh should ask for to avoid fighting them out of reverence for Makkah and the Ka‘bah, considering the sacredness of the land and gravity of violating Allah’s Ordinances. The Prophet ﷺ then rebuked the she-camel and she got up. He ﷺchanged his way (i.e., instead of marching towards Makkah, and turned) till he dismounted at the farthest end of Al-Hudaybiyah at a pit (i.e., well) containing a small quantity of water which the people used in small amounts.In a short while people used up all its water and then complained to Allah's Messengerﷺ of thirst. The Prophet ﷺ took an arrow out of his arrow-case and ordered them to put the arrow in that pit. By Allah, the water started and continued flowing out till all the people quenched their thirst and returned with satisfaction. This was one of the miracles performed by the Prophet ﷺ and the signs of his prophethood.
While people were in such a state, Budayl ibn Warqaa’ Al-Khuzaa‘ee came with some people from his tribe, Khuzaa‘ah, and they were the advisers of Allah's Messengerﷺ who would keep no secret from him.They also belonged to the people of Tihaamah, which referred to Makkah and the surrounding towns and cities. Budayl said, "I left Ka‘b ibn Luayy and ‘Aamir ibn Luayy camping at the profuse water (i.e., well) of Al-Hudaybiyah and they had milch camels (or their women and children) with them, and will wage war against you, and will prevent you from visiting the Ka‘bah." Budayl made mention of these two names as reference to the disbelievers of Quraysh in general, because all the disbelievers of Quraysh in Makkah could be traced back to these two men. He meant that they camped near the well of Al-Hudaybiyah where there was a large quantity of water. He stated that the disbelievers of Quraysh brought along their milch she-camels or their women and children, indicating their readiness to deny the Prophet ﷺ access to Makkah even if they had to fight the Muslims. Allah's Messengerﷺ clarified to him that they had merely come to perform ‘Umrah and had no intention of fighting them, and urged Quraysh to get out of their way, especially since the war had weakened them and they had suffered great losses. He ﷺ proposed that Quraysh should conclude a truce with the Muslims, during which they should refrain from interfering between the Prophet ﷺ and the Arab disbelievers from other tribes. He ﷺ said, “If I have victory over those disbelievers, Quraysh will have the option to embrace Islam as the others, if they wish;” meaning that if the Prophet ﷺ triumphed over the rest of the Arab disbelievers, Quraysh would be given the chance to follow him and embrace Islam like the others, or retain their peace treaty and truce with him, and in both cases, they would at least sparethemselves fighting and taste some relief. He ﷺ then swore by Allah, Exalted is He, that if they did not accept the truce, he ﷺ would fight them defending his cause till he ﷺ would be killed, and added, “… but (I am sure) Allah, Exalted is He, will definitely make His Cause victorious,” and inevitably grant him triumph.
Budayl ibn Warqaa’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said that he would inform Quraysh of what he ﷺ said and his offer. He set off till he reached Quraysh and informed them that he had a message from the Prophet ﷺ. He told them of the offer, but some fools among Quraysh shouted that they did not need to hear such an offer. However, the wise people among them asked him to relate what he had heard the Prophet ﷺ saying and he did. Thereupon, ‘Urwah ibn Mas‘ood got up and said, "O people! Are not you the sons? They said, "Yes." He added, "Am I not the father?" They said, "Yes." He meant to highlight his care and compassion for them, and the sincerity of his advice for them, comparing it to that of a father’s advice for his own child.
He added, "Do you mistrust me?" They said, "No." He said, "Do not you know that I invited the people of ‘Ukaadh,” a marketplace near Makkah, “for your help,” meaning to fight in support of Quraysh, “and when they refused, I brought my relatives and children and those who obeyed me (to help you)?” He was trying to urge them to accept his request to meet with the Prophet ﷺ after he liked his (reasonable) proposal related by Budayl. They allowed him to meet the Prophet ﷺ and he started talking to him. The Prophet ﷺ told him almost the same as he had told Budayl. Thereupon, ‘Urwah said, "O Muhammad! Will not you feel any scruple in extirpating your own people?” He was referring to the people of Quraysh. He added, “Have you ever heard of anyone amongst the Arabs extirpating his relatives before you? On the other hand, if the reayah should happen, (nobody will aid you, for) by Allah, I do not see (with you) dignified people, but only people from various tribes who would run away leaving you alone." He meant that were Quraysh to defeat the Muslims, they would inevitably flee and leave the Prophet ﷺ alone since they belonged to various tribes. Hearing that, Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) verbally abused him, in response to his offensive claim that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) should flee and leave the Prophet ﷺ. He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Do you say we would flee and leave the Prophet ﷺ alone?" ‘Urwah said, "Who is that man?" People said, "He is Aboo Bakr." ‘Urwah recalled a favor that Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) had done for him, which he had not yet reciprocated. Therefore, he refrained from retorting and abusing him back. He said to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), "Were it not for the favor which you did to me and for which I did not compensate you, I would have retorted to you." ‘Urwah kept on talking to the Prophet ﷺ and seizing the Prophet's beard as he was talking, and this was customarily acceptable by Arabs as a non-verbal gesture indicative of endearment. Meanwhile, Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah (may Allah be pleased with him) was standing near the head of the Prophet ﷺ, holding a sword and wearing a helmet. Whenever ‘Urwah stretched his hand towards the Prophet’s beard, Al-Mugheerah (may Allah be pleased with him) would hit his hand with the handle of the sword and say (to ‘Urwah, who could not recognize him), "Remove your hand from the beard of Allah's Messenger ﷺ.” ‘Urwah raised his head and asked, "Who is that?" People said, "He is Al-Mugheerah ibn Shu‘bah." On that, ‘Urwah recalled his treacherous act, and said "O treacherous! Am I not doing my best to prevent evil consequences of your treachery?" ‘Urwah was his paternal uncle, and Al-Mugheerah, before embracing Islam, was once in the company of some people. He killed them and took their property and went (to Al-Madeenah) to embrace Islam. His uncle continued to pay the compensation of his treacherous act to their people. The Prophet ﷺ said about Al-Mugheerah’s act, "As regards your Islam, I accept it, but as for the property I do not take anything of it. (As it was treacherously taken).” He ﷺ meant that he accepted his Islam, but rejected such usurped property that was insidiously seized by him.
‘Urwah then started looking at the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ and observed how they treated him. He listed some of his observations about the relationship between the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). For instance, whenever Allah's Messengerﷺ spat, the spittle would fall in the hand of one of the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), who would rub it on his face and skin. Whenever he ﷺ ordered them, they (may Allah be pleased with them) would comply immediately and fulfill his needs. If he ﷺ performed ablution, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) would vie with one another to take the leftover water. Whenever they spoke to the Prophet ﷺ, they would lower their voices and, out of reverence, would not stare at his face constantly.
‘Urwah returned to his people and reported to them his encounter with the Prophet ﷺ and their discussions. He started his talk by expressing his deep admiration and amazement at the relationship between the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them). He even stated that the Companions’ reverence to the Prophet ﷺ was much greater that the reverence shown to the kings, Caesar, Khosrau, and Al-Najaashee that he had witnessed firsthand. He then underlined the difference he observed saying, “… yet I have never seen any of them respected by his courtiers as much as Muhammad is respected by his companions.” Afterward, he related to them some of his observations, emphasized that his proposal was reasonable, and urged Quraysh to accept it. After hearing ‘Urwah out, a man from the tribe of Banee Kinaanah said, "Allow me to go to him," and they allowed him, and when he approached the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), he ﷺ said, "He is so-and-so who belongs to the tribe that highly respects the Budn (i.e., camels offered as animal sacrifices). So, bring the Budn in front of him." The Prophet ﷺ recognized the man and knew his tribe. It was said that this man was named Al-Hulays ibn ‘Alqamah Al-Haarithee. These people highly respected the sacrificial camels and cows and believed that it was unlawful to eat from their meat because they were offerings and gifts to the Sacred House. The Prophet ﷺ wanted to send these camels before them to prove to him that he ﷺ really intended to perform ‘Umrah and did not have any intention to fight. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) drove the Budn before him and the Muslims received him while reciting Talbiyah (i.e., a devotional prayer recited by pilgrims). When he saw that scene, he said, "Glorified be Allah! It is not fair to prevent these people from visiting the Ka‘bah," meaning that no one should deny the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) access to the Ka‘bah to perform ‘Umrah. When he returned to his people, he said, 'I saw the Budn garlanded (with colored knotted ropes) and marked (with stabs on their backs). This was customarily done to distinguish the camels offered as animal sacrifices from others.
Afterward, Mikraz ibn Hafs also sought their permission to go to Muhammad ﷺ, and they allowed him, too. When he approached the Muslims, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Here is Mikraz and he is a vicious man." Mikraz started talking to the Prophet ﷺ and as he was talking, Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came. When Suhayl ibn ‘Amr came, the Prophet ﷺsaid, "Now the matter has become easy." Suhayl asked the Prophet ﷺ to conclude a peace treaty and truce with Quraysh. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ called for his scribe, ‘Alee ibn Abee Taalib (may Allah be pleased with him), and said to him, "Write down: ‘By the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful.’" Suhayl objected, saying, "As for the ‘Entirely Merciful,' by Allah, I do not know what it means. So, write instead: ‘By Your Name, O Allah,’ as you used to write previously." The Prophet ﷺ used to open his agreements with that phrase in the early days of Islam. The Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) objected, but the Prophet ﷺ approved it and asked his scribe to write down instead, “By Your Name, O Allah.’ Then he ﷺ dictated, "This is the peace treaty which Muhammad, Allah's Messengerﷺ has concluded." Suhayl objected again and said, "By Allah, if we knew that you are Allah's Messenger, we would not prevent you from visiting the Ka‘bah, and would not fight you. So, write instead: ‘Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah.’” The Prophet ﷺsaid, "By Allah! I am the Messenger of Allah even if you people, do not believe me. Write instead: ‘Muhammad ibn ‘Abdullah.’" In fact, the Prophet ﷺ accepted all those things, as he ﷺ had already said that he would accept everything they would demand if it meant revering the sanctity of Allah’s Ordinances (i.e., by avoiding fighting in the sanctuary). The Prophet ﷺ said to Suhayl, "On the condition that you allow us to visit the House (i.e., Ka‘bah) so that we may perform Tawaaf (i.e., circumambulation) around it." Suhayl agreed, but stipulated that they should return to Al-Madeenah and come back the following year so as not to give a chance to the Arabs to say that Quraysh had yielded to the Prophet ﷺ and were forced into it, and the Prophet ﷺ agreed. They also stipulated that the Prophet ﷺ should return to them whoever came to him from Quraysh to embrace Islam. The Muslims objected and said, “Glorified be Allah! How will such a person be returned to the pagans after he has become a Muslim?” While they were in this state, Aboo Jandal ibn Suhayl ibn ‘Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) came from the valley of Makkah staggering with his fetters and fell down amongst the Muslims. Upon seeing him, Suhayl said, "O Muhammad! This is the very first term with which we make peace with you (i.e., you shall return Aboo Jandal to me)." The Prophet ﷺ said, "The peace treaty has not been written yet." Suhayl said, "I will never allow you to keep him." The Prophet ﷺ eventually accepted that term provided that they should exclude Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) and asked Suhayl to exclude him, but he refused. They negotiated it and Mikraz, who attended the meeting, interfered and said, "We allow you (to keep him)." However, the following statement made by Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) indicated that Suhayl refused and that the Prophet ﷺ returned him. Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him)exclaimed, "O Muslims! Will I be returned to the pagans though I have come as a Muslim? Do not you see how much I have suffered?" Aboo Jandal (may Allah be pleased with him) had been tortured severely for the Cause of Allah (at the hands of the polytheists of Quraysh).
‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab (may Allah be pleased with him) exclaimed at the Prophet’s stance and such unfair terms that seemed against the interests of Muslims. He (may Allah be pleased with him) went to the Prophet ﷺ and said, “Are not you truly the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'Yes, indeed.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Is not our cause just and the cause of the enemy unjust?' He ﷺ said, 'Yes.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Then why should we compromise our religion?' The Prophet ﷺ said, 'I am Allah's Messenger and I do not disobey Him, and He will make me victorious.' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'Did not you tell us that we would go to the Ka‘bah and perform Tawaaf around it?' He ﷺ said, 'Yes, but did I tell you that we would visit the Ka‘bah this year?' He (may Allah be pleased with him) said, 'No.' He ﷺ said, 'So you will visit it and perform Tawaaf around it.' ‘Umar went to Aboo Bakr (may Allah be pleased with them) and said to him the same, and he replied, ‘Indeed, he is Allah's Messengerﷺ and he does not disobey his Lord, and He will make him victorious. Adhere to his commands, by Allah, he is on the right (path).’ He (may Allah be pleased with him) urged ‘Umar to comply with the Prophet’s command, for he ﷺ was acting incompliance with the divine revelation, and was aided by Allah, Exalted is He. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “I performed many good deeds as expiation for the improper questions I asked them,” meaning to atone for his inappropriate attitude towards the Prophet ﷺ in that incident.
When the writing of the peace treaty was concluded, Allah's Messengerﷺ said to his Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), "Get up, slaughter your sacrifices, and get your head shaved." However, none of them complied, and the Prophet ﷺ repeated his order thrice. It seems that they delayed their compliance with the command, hoping that the divine revelation should come to annul this peace treaty so that they could perform the ‘Umrah.
When none of them got up, he ﷺ went to Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) and complained to her of the Companions’ attitude towards him and their refusal to comply. Umm Salamah (may Allah be pleased with her) advised the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to go out without saying a word to anybody till he had slaughtered the animal sacrifice and called for the barber to shave his head. He ﷺ approved her opinion and acted upon her advice. Seeing that, the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)followed his example,got up, slaughtered their animal sacrifices, and started shaving the heads of one another, and there was so much rush that there was a danger of killing each other (out of distress). They (may Allah be pleased with them) were very distressed that they were denied access to the Sacred House and prevented from performing ‘Umrah, and also because seeing the Prophet ﷺ doing so meant that the command was final, and that no divine revelation was revealed to annul the peace treaty and its unfair terms.Also, they had delayed their compliance with the Prophet’s command to slaughter their animal sacrifices and shave their heads earlier.
Afterward, some believing women came (to the Prophet ﷺ, after the conclusion of the peace treaty. Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayah (which means): {O you who have believed, when the believing women come to you as emigrants, examine them. Allah is most knowing as to their faith. And if you know them to be believers, then do not return them to the disbelievers; they are not lawful [wives] for them, nor are they lawful [husbands] for them. But give the disbelievers what they have spent. And there is no blame upon you if you marry them when you have given them their due compensation. And hold not to marriage bonds with disbelieving women …} [Quran 60:10]. The ayah meant that Allah, Exalted is He, commanded the Prophet ﷺ to accept the women who should come to him (to embrace Islam) after testing them to ensure their sincere intentions, and that he ﷺ must not return the believing women to the disbelievers.The believers were also enjoined to divorce their disbelieving wives. ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) divorced two wives of his, for they were disbelievers. Mu‘aawiyah ibn Abee Sufyaan married one of them, and Safwaan ibn Umayyah married the other.
When the Prophet ﷺreturned to Al-Madeenah, Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him), a new Muslim convert from Quraysh came to him. The disbelievers sent in his pursuit two men who reminded the Prophet ﷺ of the agreement they had to return whoever went to join the Prophet ﷺ from Quraysh. So, the Prophet ﷺ handed him over to them. They took him out (of Al-Madeenah) till they reached Dhul-Hulayfah, where they dismounted to eat some dates they had with them. Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) seized the opportunity and deceived them by saying to one of them, "By Allah, O so-and-so, I see you have a fine sword." The other drew it out (of the scabbard) and started praising it. Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) said, "Let me have a look at it." When the other gave it to him, he hit him with it till he died, and his companion ran away till he came to Al-Madeenah and entered the Mosque running. When Allah's Messengerﷺ saw him, he said, "This man appears to have been frightened." When he reached the Prophet ﷺ, he said, "My companion has been murdered and I would be next." Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) came and said, "O Allah's Messengerﷺ, by Allah, He has made you fulfill your obligation towards them as you returned me to them (i.e., the disbelievers of Quraysh), but Allah, Exalted is He, has saved me from them." Aboo Naseer (may Allah be pleased with him) said so thinking that the Prophet ﷺ would approve his act and allow him to stay, but he ﷺsaid, "Woe to his mother! What an excellent war kindler he would be, should he only have supporters!" He ﷺ exclaimed at his action and described him as a stirrer of war. When Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with him) heard that he understood that the Prophet ﷺ would return him to them again, so he set off till he reached the seashore, on the route to Shaam. Aboo Jandal ibn Suhayl got himself released from them (i.e., the disbelievers) and joined Aboo Baseer (may Allah be pleased with them). So, whenever a man from Quraysh embraced Islam, he would follow Aboo Baseer till they formed a strong group, which comprised more than forty men. Whenever they heard of a caravan of Quraysh heading towards Shaam, they stopped it, attacked and killed them (i.e., the disbelievers) and took their properties. The people of Quraysh incurred serious losses because of them, so much that they sent a message to the Prophet ﷺrequesting him, for the Sake of Allah and their kith and kin, to send for Aboo Baseer and his group, commanding them to stop what they were doing, and promising security to whoever (amongst them) should come to him. So, the Prophet ﷺ sent for them and Allah, Exalted is He, revealed the following ayaat (which mean): {And it is He who withheld their hands from you and your hands from them within [the area of] Makkah after He caused you to overcome them. And ever is Allah of what you do, Seeing. * They are the ones who disbelieved and obstructed you from al-Masjid al-Haram while the offering was prevented from reaching its place of sacrifice. And if not for believing men and believing women whom you did not know - that you might trample them and there would befall you because of them dishonor without [your] knowledge - [you would have been permitted to enter Makkah]. [This was so] that Allah might admit to His mercy whom He willed. If they had been apart [from them], We would have punished those who disbelieved among them with painful punishment. * When those who disbelieved had put into their hearts chauvinism - the chauvinism of the time of ignorance…} [Quran 48:24-26]. The ayah referred to the ‘chauvinism’ of Quraysh, meaning their prejudice and haughtiness reflected in the fact that they did not acknowledge (i.e., write in the treaty) that he (i.e., Muhammad ﷺ) was the Prophet of Allah, refused to write: ‘In the Name of Allah, The Entirely Merciful, The Especially Merciful,’ and prevented Muslims from visiting the House (the Ka‘bah).
It is deduced from the hadeeth that Allah, Exalted is He, supports His religion and grants Muslims victory in ways that may seem indicative of defeat (at first glance) and that patience begets relief.
It is inferred from the hadeeth that obedience to Allah, Exalted is He, and His Messenger is obligatory regardless of knowing or investigating the wisdom behind the command or the prohibition.
It is also deduced therefrom that some (clear) matters may be missed by those endowed with intelligence and insight.
It is also inferred that Islam is founded on absolute submission to the commands of Allah, Exalted is He, and obedience to His Messenger ﷺ..