Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE The Treaty of Hudaybiya h The Treaty of Hudaybiya is an important event in the early history of Islam. When this treaty was signed, a Quranic verse was revealed which called it a ‘clear victory’ (48:1). The Prophet began his mission in 610 AH. His mission was that of tawhid, the oneness of God. At that time, there were many polytheists in Arabia. They did not like the Prophet’s mission. They bitterly opposed him, so much so that they unleashed war against him. This climate of war prevailed for many years. Because of this, it was not possible to carry on, in a balanced manner, the work of dawah, or inviting people to tread God’s path, and other constructive activities. In order to end this unfavourable environment, the Prophet began reconciliatory talks with his opponents at a place called Hudaybiya. His opponents kept insisting on very severe conditions. After two weeks of talks, the Prophet unilaterally accepted their conditions and entered into a peace treaty with them. In this way, he put an end to the existing state of war and established peace with his opponents. As a result of this treaty, the followers of Islam gained the opportunity of engaging in dawah and other constructive work. And so, because of this, within just two years, Islam became so firmly established that very soon, without shedding blood, it became dominant all across Arabia. The Treaty of Hudaybiya was not an isolated event. Rather, it was a manifestation of a general principle of nature. It can be