Expedition in al-Hudaybiyah

When the Messenger of Allah (saww) set out for the Battle of Hudaybiyyah, he departed in the month of Dhu al-Qa'dah. When he reached the place where he intended to enter the state of ihram, they all entered ihram and donned their weapons. When news reached him that the polytheists had sent Khalid b. al-Walid to turn him back, he said, "Find me a man who can take me on a different route." A man from Muzaynah or Juhaynah was brought to him, but after speaking with him, the Prophet did not find him suitable. He then said, "Find me another man." Another man from Muzaynah or Juhaynah was brought, and after speaking with him, he took him along. When they reached the mountain pass, the Prophet said, "Whoever ascends it, Allah will lighten his burden as He lightened the burden of the Children of Israel, to whom He said: *'Enter the gate bowing humbly... We will forgive your sins.'"* The horsemen of the Ansar, both Aws and Khazraj, hurried to ascend it—they were 1,800 in number. When they descended into Hudaybiyyah, they encountered a woman with her son by a well. The boy ran away in fear, but when the woman realized that it was the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family), she cried out to her son, "These are the Sabians! You have nothing to fear from them." The Messenger of Allah (saww) approached her and instructed her to draw a bucket of water. He took the water, drank from it, and washed his face. She then took the remaining water and poured it back into the well, which remained abundant until that very moment. The Messenger of Allah (saww) proceeded, and the polytheists sent Aban b. Sa'id with cavalry to intercept him. He remained stationed opposite the Prophet. Then they sent al-Hulays, who, upon seeing the sacrificial camels grazing on each other’s fur, returned without meeting the Prophet. He went to Abu Sufyan and said, "O Abu Sufyan, by Allah, this is not why we made a pact with you—to turn back the sacrificial animals from their place of offering." Abu Sufyan said, "Be quiet, for you are just a Bedouin." Al-Hulays replied, "By Allah, you will either let Muhammad proceed with what he came for, or I will withdraw with the Ahabeesh (allied tribes)." Abu Sufyan said, "Stay quiet until we extract a concession from Muhammad." They then sent Urwah b. Mas'ud. He had previously come to Quraysh on behalf of a group of merchants from Ta'if who had been attacked by al-Mughirah b. Shu'bah, who had killed them and brought their wealth to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family). The Prophet refused to accept the wealth, saying, "This is treachery, and we have no need for it." They sent a message to the Prophet (saww) saying, "O Messenger of Allah, Urwah b. Mas'ud has come to you, and he respects the sacrificial animals." The Prophet ordered the camels to be displayed, and they were lined up. Urwah then asked, "O Muhammad, what have you come for?" The Prophet replied, "I have come to perform tawaf around the Kaaba, to run between Safa and Marwah, and to sacrifice these camels, leaving their meat for the people." Urwah said, "By al-Lat and al-Uzza, I have never seen anything like this. Turn back from what you intend, for your people remind you of God and kinship, that you should not enter their land without their permission, severing ties of kinship and bringing war upon them." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) replied, "I will not turn back until I enter it." During this conversation, Urwah repeatedly touched the Prophet’s beard, and al-Mughirah stood behind him. Al-Mughirah struck Urwah's hand away and said, "Who is this, O Muhammad?" The Prophet replied, "This is your nephew, al-Mughirah." Urwah said, "O treacherous one! By Allah, you have only come to wash away your crime." He then returned to Abu Sufyan and his companions and said, "By Allah, I have never seen anything like Muhammad being turned back from what he intends." They then sent Suhayl b. Amr and Huwaytib b. Abd al-Uzza. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) ordered that the sacrificial camels be driven towards them. Suhayl and Huwaytib asked, "What have you come for?" The Prophet replied, "I have come to perform tawaf around the Kaaba, to run between Safa and Marwah, and to sacrifice the camels, leaving their meat for the people." They said, "Your people implore you by God and kinship not to enter their land without their permission, severing ties of kinship, and bringing war upon them." The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) refused their request, insisting on entering Mecca. He intended to send Umar, but Umar said, "O Messenger of Allah, my tribe is small, and I am in a vulnerable position among them. However, I suggest you send Uthman b. Affan instead." The Prophet sent Uthman and instructed him, "Go to your people among the believers and give them the glad tidings of what my Lord has promised me regarding the conquest of Mecca." When Uthman left, he met Aban b. Sa'id, who took him under his protection. Uthman entered Mecca and conveyed the Prophet's message. However, tensions rose, and Suhayl b. Amr sat with the Prophet while Uthman remained in the polytheists' camp. The Prophet then took the pledge from the Muslims, placing one hand over the other in representation of Uthman. The Muslims rejoiced, believing Uthman had performed tawaf and sa'i, but the Prophet said, "He would not have done so without me." When Uthman returned, the Prophet asked, "Did you perform tawaf around the Kaaba?" Uthman replied, "I would not have done so while you had not." Then, the terms of the treaty were written. The Prophet said to Ali, "Write: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful." Suhayl said, "I do not recognize 'the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful,' but only 'In Your Name, O Allah'—write as we write." The Prophet instructed, "Write: This is what the Messenger of Allah has agreed upon with Suhayl b. Amr." Suhayl objected, "If we acknowledged you as the Messenger of Allah, we would not be fighting you." The Prophet replied, "I am the Messenger of Allah, and I am Muhammad b. Abdullah." The people insisted, "You are the Messenger of Allah!" The Prophet instructed, "Write: This is what Muhammad b. Abdullah has agreed upon." Among the terms of the treaty was that if anyone from Quraysh went to the Muslims, they would be returned, while anyone who went to Quraysh from the Muslims would not be returned. The Prophet said, "We have no need for those who return to them." He also stipulated that Allah would be worshiped openly in Mecca. The treaty became a great blessing, as Islam began to spread in Mecca. When Abu Jandal, the son of Suhayl, was brought, Suhayl struck him and said, "This is the first one we will take back under the treaty." The Prophet said, "Did I agree to this?" Suhayl said, "O Muhammad, you are not treacherous." Abu Jandal cried, "O Messenger of Allah! Will you hand me over to them?" The Prophet prayed, "O Allah, grant Abu Jandal a way out."