Islamic Values

Peace at any price When the treaty of Hudaybiyah was being drawn up, the Prophet told Ali, to whom he was dictating the terms of the treaty, to write: “In the Name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful.” The representative of the Quraysh, Suhayl ibn Amr said that he had no idea what the word “Rahman” – the Beneficentmeant. “Write, ‘In Your Name, O God’ as we are accustomed to.” The Muslims were loath to accede to Suhayl’s demand, but the Prophet commanded Ali to write as Suhayl wished, then continued to dictate the terms of the treaty to him. “This is the accord entered into by Muhammad, the Messenger of God.” Again Suhayl objected. “If we had considered you to be the Messenger of God, we would not have barred you from the House of God, neither would we have fought against you; write instead ‘Muhammad, son of Abdullah’.” Ali had already written ‘The Messenger of God.’ The Prophet told him to strike out these words, but he said he could not. So the Prophet himself struck them out, then he told Ali to write in their place, ‘the son of Abdullah,’ which he did. The Prophet continued: “The Quraysh will not prevent us from visiting the House of God.” Again Suhayl objected: “No, this year you must return; next year, you may come and visit God’s House.” The Prophet accepted this demand of the Quraysh also. Next, Suhayl laid down that the Muslims would return any of the Quraysh who had joined them in Madinah, but that the Quraysh would not have to return any of the Muslims who happened to have come to them. Much as it infuriated the Muslims, the Prophet acceded to this demand too. He accepted all the demands of the Quraysh, thus securing a ten-year truce with them. (AL-BUKHARI, MUSLIM)