An Example of Noble Character

MERCY TO THE WORLDS against retreat. This event occurred during the Prophet’s journey to Hudaybiyyah. When he departed from Madinah, he explicitly declared that the purpose of the journey was to perform Umrah, not to wage war. Even after reaching Hudaybiyyah, he repeatedly clarified that the objective was to perform the peaceful pilgrimage. Under such circumstances, the idea of taking a pledge for war simply does not arise. To understand the true nature of Bay’at al-Ridwan, a brief historical context is necessary. Bay’at al-Ridwan (6 AH) is a well-documented event in Islamic history that took place during the Prophet’s journey to Hudaybiyyah. The purpose of this journey was solely to perform Umrah. However, when the Prophet reached Hudaybiyyah, the Quraysh of Makkah blocked his entry, and negotiations began. To convey the Muslims’ peaceful intentions, the Prophet sent Uthman ibn Affan, who later became the third Caliph of Islam, as his envoy to Makkah. The Quraysh detained Uthman. When his return was delayed, a rumour spread that he had been killed. This led the Prophet to gather his 1,400 companions and take a pledge of solidarity—this was Bay’at al-Ridwan. What was this pledge about? Some accounts suggest that the Prophet took a pledge of death. However, Jabir ibn Abdullah, who personally took part in the pledge, refuted this and clarified: “The Messenger of God did not take a pledge from us to die. He took a pledge that we would not flee.” (Al-Bidayah wa al-Nihayah, Vol. 4, p. 380)