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In the name
of Allah, the Compassionate, the Merciful |
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SECTION: 1
O Prophet, Surely We have granted you a manifest victory
in the shape of a Treaty concluded at Hudeybiyah,[1] so
that Allah may forgive your past as well as your future sins,
and may perfect His blessings upon you, and keep you on the
Right Way,[2] and that Allah may bestow on you His mighty
help.[3] It was He who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of
the believers, so that they may add more faith to their Faith.
To Allah belong the forces of the heavens and the earth. Allah
is All-Knowledgeable, All-Wise.[4] He has caused you to do as
you have done, so that He may admit the believing men and
believing women into the gardens beneath which rivers flow, to
live therein forever and remove their ills from them; and that
is the highest achievement for men in the sight of Allah.[5] And
that He may punish the hypocritical men and the hypocritical
women and the mushrik men and the mushrik women, who entertained
an evil thought about Allah. A turn of evil shall befall them,
for Allah's wrath is upon them. He has laid His curse on them
and prepared for them the fire of hell, which is a very evil
abode.[6] To Allah belong the forces of the heavens and the
earth; and Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.[7] O Prophet,
We have sent you as a witness, as a bearer of good news, and as
a Warner.[8] So that you, O people, may believe in Allah
and His Rasool, and that you may help him and honor him and
glorify Allah morning and evening.[9] Surely those who swore
allegiance to you O Prophet, indeed swore allegiance to
Allah Himself. The Hand of Allah was above their hands. Now, the
one who will break his pledge, will break it at his own peril,
and the one who will keep his pledge that he has made with
Allah, shall soon be given a great reward by Him.[10]
48:[1-10] |
Allah granted the Muslims a manifest victory through the treaty
of Hudeybiyah
Swearing allegiance to the Prophet is considered swearing
allegiance to Allah |
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SECTION: 2
The beduin Arabs who stayed behind will soon say to you: “Our
goods and families kept us occupied, so please ask forgiveness
for us.” They say with their tongues what is not in their
hearts. Tell them: “Who can intervene on your behalf with Allah
if it be His will to do you harm or He pleases to do you good?
Allah is well aware of your actions.[11] Rather you thought that
the Rasool and the believers would never return to their
families; this fancy seemed pleasing to your hearts. You
conceived evil thoughts and thus incurred damnation."[12] He who
does not believe in Allah and His Rasool, We have prepared a
blazing fire for such unbelievers.[13] To Allah belongs the
kingdom of the heavens and the earth: He forgives whom He
pleases and He punishes whom He wills. Allah is All-Forgiving,
Most Merciful.[14] When you set forth to take the spoils of war,
those who stayed behind will say: “Let us come with you." They
wish to change Allah’s decree. Tell them plainly: “You shall not
come with us. Allah has already said this before." Then they
will say: “Nay! But you are jealous of us.” Whereas there is
no question of jealousy, but little do they understand
such things.[15] Tell the beduin Arabs who stayed behind:
“You shall soon be called upon to fight against a mighty people
then either you will fight or they will embrace Islam. Then if
you obey, Allah will grant you a good reward, but if you turn
away as you have done before, He will inflict on you a painful
penalty."[16] There is no blame on the blind, the lame, and the
sick if they stay behind. He that obeys Allah and His
Rasool shall be admitted to gardens beneath which the rivers
flow, and he that turns away shall be punished with a painful
punishment.[17]
48:[11-17] |
Beduin Arabs who did not go with the Prophet for war between
Islam and
Kufr are condemned for lagging behind
Only the blind, lame and sick are exempt from war |
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SECTION: 3
Allah was well pleased with the believers when they swore
allegiance to you under the tree. He knew what was in their
hearts, so He sent down tranquillity upon them and He rewarded
them with a speedy victory,[18] and many spoils which they will
soon acquire. Allah is All-Mighty, All-Wise.[19] Allah has
promised you many spoils which you shall acquire, and has given
you these spoils of Khayber with all promptness. He has
restrained the hands of enemies from you, so that it may serve
as a sign to the believers and that He may guide you to the
Right Way.[20] Besides, He promises you other spoils as
well, which are not yet within your reach but Allah has surely
encompassed them. Allah has power over everything.[21] Even if
the unbelievers had fought with you, they would have been put to
flight, and would not have found any protector or helper.[22]
Such has been the practice of Allah in the past; and you shall
find no change in the practice of Allah.[23] It is He Who has
restrained their hands from you and your hands from them in the
valley of Makkah, through the Peace Treaty of Hudeybiyah,
after that He had given you victory over them, and Allah was
watching all your actions.[24] They are the ones who disbelieved
and obstructed you from the Masjid-al-Harăm (Sacred Mosque -
Ka'bah) and prevented your offerings from reaching their
destination. Had there not been believing men and believing
women in the city of Makkah, whom you did not know, and
their possibility of being trampled under your feet and thus
incurring unwitting guilt on their account, Allah would have
allowed you to fight, but He held back your hands, so that He
may admit to His mercy whom He will. Had the believers stood
apart from them, We would certainly have punished the
disbelievers among them with painful punishment.[25] While the
unbelievers set up in their hearts the arrogance - the arrogance
of the time of ignorance - Allah sent down His tranquillity upon
His Rasool and the believers and made the believers to adhere to
the word of piety; for they were most worthy and deserving of
it. Allah has full knowledge of everything.[26]
48:[18-26] |
Allah was well pleased with those who swore allegiance to the
Prophet before the treaty of Hudeybiyah
Had there not been believers in Makkah, Allah would have allowed
the Muslims to fight against Qureysh |
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SECTION: 4
Indeed Allah has in all truth shown the vision to His Rasool,
that, Allah willing, you shall enter the Masjid-al-Harăm (Ka'bah)
fearless and secure to perform Umrah or Hajj and some
having their heads shaved and others having their hair cut, for
He knows what you do not know. So, He granted you a near victory
before the fulfillment of that vision.[27] It is He who has
sent His Rasool with Guidance and the religion of truth, so that
He may exalt this religion over all other religions: and
sufficient is Allah as a witness.[28] Muhammad, the Rasool of
Allah, and those with him are strong against the unbelievers and
compassionate to each other among themselves. When you
see them, you will find them making Raküh (bowing down)
and Sajüd (prostrate in prayers), and craving for the
blessings from Allah and His good pleasure. They have the marks
of Sajüd (prostration) on their foreheads, the traces of
their prostration. This is their similitude in the Taurăt
(Torah); and their similitude in the Injeel (Gospel):
they are like the seed which puts forth its sprout, then
strengthens it, then becomes thick and stands firmly on its
stem, delighting the sowers of the seed, so that through
them He may enrage the unbelievers. Yet to those of them who
will believe and do good deeds, Allah has promised forgiveness
and a great reward.[29]
48:[27-29]
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Vision to conquer Makkah is shown to the Prophet
Characteristics of Muhammad (pbuh) and his followers
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Major Issues, Divine
Law and Guidance:
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* Allah granted the Muslims a manifest
victory through the treaty of Hudeybiyah.
* Swearing allegiance to the Prophet was considered swearing
allegiance to Allah and Allah was well pleased with their
actions.
* Those who do not participate in a war between Islam and Kufr
are condemned by Allah.
* Only the blind, lame and sick are exempt from war between
Islam and Kufr.
* A vision to conquer Makkah was shown to the Prophet.
* Characteristics of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his
followers.
This Sürah should be read keeping in mind
the following historical background. In A.H. 6, the Prophet saw
a dream that he went to Makkah with his Companions and had
performed Umrah. Obviously, the Prophet’s dream could not be a
mere dream and fiction for it is a kind of Divine inspiration as
Allah Himself has confirmed in verse 27, where He said that He
Himself had shown that dream to His Rasool. It was not merely a
dream but a Divine inspiration which the Prophet had to obey and
follow. Therefore, the Prophet informed his Companions of his
dream and began to make preparations for the journey. Among the
tribes living in the suburbs he had the public announcement made
that he was proceeding for Umrah and the people could join him.
About 1,400 of the Companions joined him on this highly
dangerous journey.
They set off from Madinah in the beginning of Dhil Q‘adah, A. H.
6. At Dhul Hulaifah they put on pilgrims robes with the
intention of performing Umrah, took 70 camels with collars round
their necks indicating that they were sacrificial animals; and
kept only a sword each in sheaths, which the pilgrims to the
Ka'bah were allowed to carry according to the recognized custom
of Arabia. They carried no other weapons. Thus, the caravan set
out for the Ka’bah, the House of Allah, in Makkah, chanting the
prescribed slogan of "Labbaik, Allahumma labbaik."
The Holy Prophet despatched a man of the Bani Ka‘b as a secret
agent so that he may keep him informed of the intentions and
movements of the Qureysh. When the Prophet reached Usfăn, he
brought the news that the Qureysh had reached Dhi Tuwa with full
preparations and they had sent Khălid bin Walďd with two hundred
cavalry towards Kura’al-Ghamim to intercept him. The Qureysh
wanted somehow to provoke the Prophet’s companions to fight so
that they could tell the Arabs that the Muslims had actually
come to fight and had put on the pilgrim garments only to
deceive others. Upon receiving this information, the Prophet
immediately changed his route and following a very rugged, rocky
track, reached Hudeybiyah, which was situated right on the
boundary of the sacred Makkan territory. Here, he was visited by
Budail bin Warqa, the chief of the Bani Khuza‘ah along with some
men of his tribe. They asked what he had come for. The Prophet
replied that he and his companions had come only for pilgrimage
to the House of Allah. The men of Khuza’ah went and told this to
the Qureysh chiefs and counselled them not to interfere with the
pilgrims.
The Qureysh sent Urwah bin Mas’ud Thaqafi who held lengthy
negotiations with the Prophet and persuaded him to give up his
intention to enter Makkah. But the Prophet gave him the same
reply that he had given to the chief of the Khuza’ah. Urwah went
back and said to the Qureysh: “I have been to the courts of the
Caesar, the Khosroes and the Negus but, by God, never have I
seen any people so devoted to a king as are the companions of
Muhammad. If Muhammad makes his ablutions they would not let the
water fall thereof on the ground but would rub it on their
bodies and clothes. Now you may decide as to what you should
do.”
The Prophet sent Sayyidună Uthmăn (may Allah be pleased with
him) as his envoy to Makkah with the message that they had come
only for pilgrimage and had brought their sacrificial camels
along, and that they would go back after performing the rite of
pilgrimage and offering sacrifice. But the Qureysh did not agree
and withheld Sayyidună Uthmăn in the city. In the meantime a
rumor spread that Sayyidună Uthmăn had been killed. Since he did
not return in time, the Muslims took the rumor to be true. Now
they could show no more forbearance because their ambassador was
put to death. The Muslims had no alternative but to prepare for
war. Therefore, the Prophet summoned all his companions and took
a solemn pledge from them that they would fight to death. It was
not an ordinary undertaking. The Muslims were only 1400 and had
come without any weapons. They were camping at the boundary of
Makkah, which was 250 miles away from their own city. The enemy
could attack them in full strength and could surround them with
its allies from the adjoining tribes as well. In spite of this,
none from the caravan except one man, failed to give his pledge
to fight to death, and there could be no greater proof of their
dedication and sincerity to the cause of Allah. This pledge is
well known in the history of Islam and is called the Bait-e-Ridwăn.
Later on they came to know that the news about Sayyidună Uthmăn
was false. He returned with a deputation under the leadership of
Suhail bin ‘Amr from the Qureysh to negotiate peace with the
Prophet. The Qureysh insisted no more in disallowing the Prophet
and his companions to enter Makkah. However, in order to save
face, they insisted only that they should return that year and
come back the following year to perform Umrah. After lengthy
negotiations, peace was concluded on the following terms:
- War would be suspended for ten years, and no party would
engage in any hostility, open or secret, against the other.
- If anyone during that period from among the Qureysh
defected to Muhammad's camp, without his guardian’s
permission, he would be returned back to Makkah. But, if a
companion of Muhammad were to defect to the Qureysh, there
will be no requirement for his return.
- Every Arab tribe would have the option to join either side
as its ally and enter the treaty.
- Muhammad and his men would go back that year and could
come the following year for Umrah and stay in Makkah for three
days, provided that they brought only one sheathed sword each,
and no other weapon of war. In those three days, the Makkans
would vacate the city for them (so that there was no chance of
conflict), but they would not be allowed to take along any
Makkan on return.
The disbelieving Qureysh looked at this treaty as a victory
and the Muslims were upset considering this as a humiliation in
accepting these conditions. When the document was finished, the
Prophet asked his companions to slaughter their sacrificial
animals at that very place, shave their heads and put off the
pilgrim garments, but no one moved. The Prophet repeated the
order thrice but the companions were so much in shock,
depression and dejection that they did not comply. During his
entire period of Risălat (Prophethood) on no occasion had it
ever happened that he (Prophet Muhammad) commanded his
companions to do something and they did not hasten to comply.
This caused him a great shock. Returning to his tent he
expressed his grief to his wife, Sayyidah Umme Salamah. She
said, “You shall quietly go and slaughter your own camel and
call the barber to have your head shaved. After that, the people
will automatically do what you did and will understand that
whatever decision you have taken will not be changed.” That
suggestion worked and that is precisely what happened. The
people slaughtered their animals, shaved their heads or cut
their hair short and put off the pilgrim garb. Nevertheless
their hearts were still afflicted with grief.
Later, when this caravan was returning to Madinah, this Sürah
was revealed, telling the Muslims that the treaty that they were
regarding as their defeat was in fact a great victory. The Holy
Prophet summoned the Muslims together and said: “Today such a
thing has been sent down to me which is more valuable to me than
the world and what it contains.” Then he recited this Sürah. The
believers became satisfied when they heard this Divine
Revelation. The advantages of this treaty began to appear one
after the other which proved that this peace treaty indeed was a
great victory. Salient features of this treaty were as follows:
- This treaty acknowledged the existence of the Islamic
State in Arabia. Prior to this, the Arabs considered the
Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) and his Companions as rebels and
outlaws. By concluding this agree- ment, the Qureysh
themselves recognized the Prophet's sovereignty over the
territories of the Islamic State and opened the way for the
Arab tribes to enter into treaties of alliance with either one
of the powers.
- The Qureysh acknowledged the Muslim's right of pilgrimage
to the House of Allah. They admitted that Islam was not an
antireligious creed, and like the other Arabs, its followers
also had the right to perform the rites of Hajj and Umrah.
This diminished the hatred in the Arab's hearts caused by the
propaganda made by the Qureysh against Islam and its
followers.
- The no-war pact for ten years provided full peace to the
Muslims, and they were able to preach Islam in such a way that
within two years after Hudeybiyah, the number of the people
who embraced Islam far exceeded those of the past 19 years. It
was due to this treaty that two years later, when in
consequence of the Qureysh’s violating the treaty, the Prophet
invaded Makkah. He was accompanied by an army of 10,000 ,
whereas on the occasion of Hudeybiyah, only 1,400 men had
joined him in the march.
- The suspension of hostilities provided the Prophet an
opportunity to establish and strengthen Islamic rule and turn
the Islamic society into a full-fledged civilization and way
of life through practicing the Islamic law. This is that great
blessing about which Allah says in verse 3 of Sürah Al-Mă’idah:
“Today I have perfected your Religion for you and completed My
blessing on you and approved Islam as the Way of Life for
you.”
- The balance of power in Arabia changed within two years
after this treaty was signed and the strength of the Qureysh
and other pagan tribes diminished and the domination of Islam
became certain. One provision of this treaty which had
disturbed the Muslims most was the condition about the
fugitives from Makkah and Madinah, that the former would be
returned and the latter would not be returned. But not much
longer afterwards this condition also proved to be
disadvantageous for the Qureysh. Experience revealed what
far-reaching consequences the Prophet had foreseen and why he
accepted it. A few days after the treaty a Muslim of Makkah,
Abu Basir, escaped from the Qureysh and reached Madinah. The
Qureysh demanded him back and the Prophet returned him to
their men who had been sent from Makkah to arrest him. But
while on the way to Makkah, he again fled and sat on the road
by the Red Sea shore, which the trade caravans of the Qureysh
took to Syria. After that, every Muslim who succeeded in
escaping from the Qureysh would go and join Abu Basir instead
of going to Madinah, until 70 men gathered there. They would
attack any Qureysh caravan that passed that way cutting it to
pieces. At last, the Qureysh themselves begged the Prophet to
call those men to Madinah, and the condition relating to the
return of the fugitives itself became null and void.
- Being assured of peace from the south, the Muslims
overpowered all the opposing forces in the north and central
Arabia easily. Just three months after Hudeybiyah, Khayber,
the major stronghold of the Jews, was conquered and after it
the Jewish settlements of Fadak, Wad-il- Qura, Taima and Tabük
also fell to the Muslims one after the other. Then, all other
tribes of central Arabia which were bound in alliance with the
Jews and Qureysh, came under the sway of Islam.
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