Emigration—From Makkah to Madinah

As Ibn Shahab al-Zahri and others have pointed out, the Muslims gained more from the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah than from any of their campaigns. The Prophet returned to Makkah two years later with 10,000 men, whereas previously, the Muslims had numbered no more than 3,000. This directly resulted from removing the greatest obstacle to Islam acceptance—the Quraysh’s anger and irritation, which would result from such a move. Bara’ was one of the Muslims present at Hudaybiyyah. Bukhari has related how he used to say to later-day people, those who considered the Conquest of Makkah to be the great victory of Islam, that the Companions of the Prophet used to think of the Peace Treaty of Hudaybiyyah as an outstanding victory. The economic blockade of Madinah was now lifted. Caravans from that city were now permitted to pass freely through Makkah. But Abu Jandal, Abu Basir, and others who had accepted Islam had to be returned to the Quraysh under the treaty’s terms. Before long, however, they escaped and took refuge in Dhu’l-Marwah. So many Muslim converts assembled in that place that it became Islam’s new, flourishing centre. From there, they used to play havoc with the Quraysh’s trading caravans. Finally, the Quraysh were forced to abandon their insistence that anyone deserting the Quraysh for the Muslim camp would have to be returned to the Quraysh. The great lesson of Hudaybiyyah is that one should avoid impatience and not judge matters by appearances alone. The outwardly unfavourable Treaty of Hudaybiyyah held