063 - Between the Battle of Khandaq & Hudaybiyya - Part 1

[DOWNLOAD MP3]

We move to one of the most significant and interesting lessons in the seerah of the Prophet PBUH; it is the precursor to the Conquest of Makkah, and Allah calls this incident a 'clear victory' in a verse in Surah al-Fath (سورة الفتح) ("fath" means victory/conquest); the verse came down during this incident, therefore, it is this incident that is the clear victory, and this incident is none other than the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (Sulh al-Hudaybiyyah/صلح الحديبية).

إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا

"Indeed, We have given you, [O Muhammad], a clear victory/conquest" [Quran, 48:1].

Relevance of the Incident of Hudaybiyyah in Our Time

The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah is especially relevant to Muslims living in the West. There is a marked significance for us and we will see why. In a nutshell, the treaty demonstrates that at times, political alliances/agreements that we have with others force us to allow other states/empires to get away with unjust policies, and all that we can do is turn to Allah for help. This treaty shows that sometimes we only have the option to make du'a to Allah against the oppressor. (But when to resort to this is for the scholars of each era, land, and community to decide.) As we will see, clearly injustice happened: the Quraysh did zulm upon the Muslims; but the Prophet PBUH, because of an agreement he had, he could not defend those particular Muslims and had to sacrifice a few for the benefit of the more. (But of course, Allah took care of both the few and the more.)

______________

Was It a Treaty or a Ghazwa?

The first issue: What do we call this incident? Some call it "the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah" and others "the Ghazwa of Hudaybiyyah." Most of the later more modern writers reference it as the former. However, the sahaba referenced it as the latter (e.g., in the hadith of Salamah ibn al-Akwa' [سلمة بن الأكوع]) — and this is interesting because there was no ghazwa; no battle took place. So why is it called ghazwa?

1. Because [the fighting didn't actually take place, but] the Prophet PBUH and the sahaba came a hair's width close to fighting. [After Uthman ibn Affan RA went missing for days] the Muslims had the determination and resolve to fight they might as well have fought.

2. Because this incident is so significant politically that it is more appropriate to call it more than just "the Incident of Hudaybiyyah."

3. Because the Quran called it a "fath (victory/conquest)":

إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا

"Indeed, We have given you, [O Muhammad], a clear victory/conquest" [Quran, 48:1].

______________

What Caused the Prophet PBUH to Leave for Makkah?

What was the reason the Prophet PBUH left Madinah for Makkah?

Sometime during the 6th year of the Hijrah, the Prophet PBUH saw a dream in which he saw himself doing tawaf around the Ka'bah, being in ihram, and shaving his head, i.e., he saw himself doing all of these rites of Umrah; and he interpreted this as Allah SWT commanding him to go to Makkah to do Umrah.

*References* to this dream are found in the Quran and hadith.

1. In the Quran, Allah SWT said:

لَّقَدْ صَدَقَ اللَّهُ رَسُولَهُ الرُّؤْيَا بِالْحَقِّ ۖ لَتَدْخُلُنَّ الْمَسْجِدَ الْحَرَامَ إِن شَاءَ اللَّهُ آمِنِينَ مُحَلِّقِينَ رُءُوسَكُمْ وَمُقَصِّرِينَ لَا تَخَافُونَ ۖ فَعَلِمَ مَا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا فَجَعَلَ مِن دُونِ ذَٰلِكَ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا

"Indeed, Allah will fulfill His Messenger's vision in all truth: Allah-willing, you will surely enter the Sacred Mosque in security—[some with] heads shaved and [others with] hair shortened—without fear. He knew what you did not know, so He first granted you the triumph at hand" [Quran, 48:27].

2. In the hadith of Bukhari, it's reported that Umar RA came up to the Prophet PBUH after the Incident of Hudaybiyyah (as we will discuss in one of the future episodes) and said, "Ya Rasulullah, did you not tell us we would be doing tawaf and shaving our head?"—this is clearly a reference to the dream.

So when the Prophet PBUH saw this dream, he announced his intention to do Umrah to the Muhajirun, to the Ansar, and to the surrounding Muslim tribes around Madinah, that everybody who is able to join should join. When the news reached the sahaba, they immediately prepared. The Muhajirun have not seen Makkah for 6 years, so we can imagine how excited they must have been. As for the Bedouins around Madinah, they refused to participate.

______________

The Bedouins, Exposed

As for the Bedouins around Madinah, they refused to participate. The Quran references this:

سَيَقُولُ لَكَ الْمُخَلَّفُونَ مِنَ الْأَعْرَابِ شَغَلَتْنَا أَمْوَالُنَا وَأَهْلُونَا فَاسْتَغْفِرْ لَنَا ۚ يَقُولُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِهِم مَّا لَيْسَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ ۚ قُلْ فَمَن يَمْلِكُ لَكُم مِّنَ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا إِنْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ ضَرًّا أَوْ أَرَادَ بِكُمْ نَفْعًا ۚ بَلْ كَانَ اللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرًا

بَلْ ظَنَنتُمْ أَن لَّن يَنقَلِبَ الرَّسُولُ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ إِلَىٰ أَهْلِيهِمْ أَبَدًا وَزُيِّنَ ذَٰلِكَ فِي قُلُوبِكُمْ وَظَنَنتُمْ ظَنَّ السَّوْءِ وَكُنتُمْ قَوْمًا بُورًا

"The nomadic (Bedouin) Arabs who stayed behind will say to you [O Prophet], 'We were preoccupied with our wealth and families, so ask for forgiveness for us.' They say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say, 'Who then can stand between you and Allah in any way if He intends harm or benefit for you? In fact, Allah is All-Aware of what you do. The truth is you thought that the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families again. And that was made appealing in your hearts. You harbored evil thoughts [about Allah], and [so] became a doomed people'" [Quran, 48:11-12].

Allah exposed them in the Quran. And in the books of tafsir it's reported that the Bedouins said, "This man wants us to go to the very nation who came here to kill us. Surely this is not going to happen. We will not go marching to our deaths. Let us just tell him an excuse." So, subhan'Allah, their excuse and fear prevented them from upgrading themselves to become of the highest-ranked sahaba. As we know, the sahaba are not one-leveled; they have ranks: The highest is the 10 Promised Jannah, the second-highest are those who participated in the Battle of Badr (Badriyun), and the third-highest are those who participated in the Pledge of Ridwan (which will take place during the Incident of Hudaybiyyah). We see here a causal relationship: Those who were brave and eager to go, Allah blessed them with such an immense blessing that the Prophet PBUH said to them during the Pledge of Ridwan, "No one on earth is more pious and righteous than this group," referring to the sahaba who came with him to Hudaybiyyah. As for the Bedouins, because they were hesitant, they deprived themselves of the blessing of Allah. And this is a well-known principle of Islam: The more tawakkul (توكل - trust) you have in Allah, the more Allah SWT will bless you.

______________

How Many Muslims Left Madinah for Umrah?

In the end, the books of seerah, Sahih Bukhari, and Sahih Muslim mention that 1,400 Muslims left Madinah for Makkah. We see here the Muslim nation is growing steadily. At Badr there were 300+ men, at Uhud there were 700+ men, and at Khandaq we estimated there were 1,000+ men. And —the books of seerah don't fill in all the details, but we can extrapolate from the fact that there were 1,400 men going out for Umrah, this clearly shows that:— now the Muslims are numbering in the thousands.

So, alhamdulillah, the tide is turning even in terms of quantity.

______________

Were the Muslims Armed For Battle?

Here the books of seerah differ: Were the Muslims armed for battle or not? There seem to be both opinions — some say they were armed, some say they were not. One way to reconcile is to say that they were not *wearing* these weapons and armor, rather, they just had them in the caravan in case they needed them. (Note: Obviously, they couldn't be wearing it, because they were in ihram — and you cannot wear these things in the state of ihram.) So Allah knows best, but those who said "they weren't armed," perhaps they mean "they weren't *wearing* the arms"; and those who said "they had arms," they mean "they had them in the caravan"—and this makes sense, because the Prophet PBUH would not just walk in blindly — the whole seerah shows us the meticulous cautions the Prophet PBUH took when he approached anything.

______________

The Sacred Month

Another interesting thing: All of the historians unanimously agree that the Prophet PBUH left Madinah on the 1st of Dhu al-Qa'dah (ذو القعدة) in the 6th year of Hijrah. What is interesting about the 1st of Dhu al-Qa'dah? The Ashhur al-Hurum (أشهر الحرم - the Sacred Months) start from the 1st of Dhu al-Qa'dah. (Side note: The four Sacred Months are Dhu al-Qa'dah, Dhu al-Hijjah, Muharram, and Rajab. And Allah SWT said in the Quran, "Indeed, the number of months ordained by Allah is twelve—in Allah’s Record since the day He created the heavens and the earth—of which four are sacred. That is the Right Way. So do not wrong one another during these months" [see Quran, 9:36].) (Tangent: As we discussed in episode 32, the Quraysh used to swap back and forth the Sacred Months as they pleased. But it just so happened when the Prophet PBUH did Hajj [later in 10 AH], the 12 months were in perfect order, so the Prophet PBUH said, "On this year, the months have reverted to their original order when Allah created the heavens and the earth, so let there be no more swapping around." And so from that year, the months have been set in stone the way Allah SWT intended.)

The Prophet PBUH delayed his departure until the Sacred Month begins, and this is clearly intended: He wants to send the clearest message possible to the Quraysh that, "I have no desire for war. I am going peacefully to Makkah." And technically, the Quraysh are supposed to allow everyone to come to Makkah in the Sacred Months —this is the law they upheld since the time of Ibrahim AS [see episode 4]— but as we will see, when the Muslims come, they would disobey this law and prevent them from coming in. Knowing it's the Sacred Month, still they don't allow the Muslims access to the Ka'bah.

______________

Praying Two Rak'at at the Valley of Dhu al-Hulayfah

When the Prophet PBUH reaches the miqat (ميقات) of Madinah, Dhu al-Hulayfah (ذو الحليفة), he prayed two rak'at and put on his ihram. And it is the sunnah to pray two rak'at there before moving towards Makkah from Madinah. The two rak'at are prayed because of the valley of Dhu al-Hulayfah, not because of the ihram. Some fuqaha have held a position that you should pray two rak'at every time you enter the ihram, but this doesn't seem to be the case. Rather, the Prophet PBUH prayed there because, as he said, it's a sacred valley.

_______________

Consecrating Animals

Then the Prophet PBUH consecrated the animals — this is a practice instituted by Ibrahim AS and it was very common up until recent history. It's a sunnah that's almost entirely lost from the ummah today. In one report, it's said the Prophet PBUH took 70 camels with him. (Tangent: And during the Hajj, later in 10 AH, he took 100. This shows whenever he does something, he wants to do it better.)

What does consecrating the animals mean? It means to decorate the animals with garlands and different types of signs to designate that these animals have been dedicated for the poor people of Makkah, and will be sacrificed for the sake of Allah. And once you have consecrated them, you are not supposed to use them (unless you have to, e.g., if you only have one camel and you have consecrated it, then you are allowed to ride it to Makkah; but otherwise, you are not supposed to). Consecrated animals are of the symbols of Allah SWT. Allah says with regards to them:

وَمَن يُعَظِّمْ شَعَـٰٓئِرَ ٱللَّهِ فَإِنَّهَا مِن تَقْوَى ٱلْقُلُوبِ

"And whoever honors the symbols of Allah, it is certainly out of the piety of the heart" [Quran, 22:32].

So the Prophet PBUH consecrated all 70 camels. (Side note: The Arabs of old, even the pagans, understood that it is a sign of piety to consecrate the animals, and they valued it. So towards the end of this story [in Hudaybiyyah], when the Prophet PBUH showed these animals to some of the emissaries who came from the Quraysh, it softened their hearts and they said, "All of these animals for Allah?! It is not allowed for us to stop these people from going to the Ka'bah.")

So it was at Dhu al-Hulayfah that the Prophet PBUH consecrated the animals. And it was also at Dhu al-Hulayfah that he chose a sahabi by the name of Busr ibn Sufyan al-Khuza'i to go to Makkah and find out what the Quraysh are doing.

______________

Sending Out a Scout to Find Out How the Quraysh Would React

The Prophet PBUH sent a sahabi Busr ibn Sufyan al-Khuza'i (بسر بن سفيان الخزاعي) to go to Makkah and find out what the Quraysh are doing. Again and again we find the caution of the Prophet PBUH. His tawakkul is perfect, but he does everything in his power to make sure the plan is perfect. Tawakkul means you do everything you can and THEN leave the rest to Allah. And who did he send? A sahabi that no one knows; he is neither an Ansari nor Muhajir, so he won't be recognized. He's from the Khuza'a which was a neutral tribe. This is pure wisdom. So the Prophet PBUH told him to find out the reaction of the Quraysh. This also shows us the Prophet PBUH was expecting opposition. And unlike the other expeditions, he didn't try to double-back. Double-backing was his common tactic, but when it came to Hudaybiyyah, he went straight to Makkah to demonstrate that he has nothing to hide and that he doesn't have another agenda except to do Umrah peacefully.

As the Muslims were proceeding, news reached the Prophet PBUH that there is a group of riders in an area called Ghayqah (غيقة), and he thought this might be the Quraysh, so he sent a small group on a mini-expedition to verify who they were. It turns out to be a false alarm, but an incident happened on the way back that the books of hadith always mention, and the books of fiqh always discuss:

______________

Fiqh Tangent: Can Those Not in Ihram Hunt for Those in Ihram?

On the way back from the mini-expedition, the sahaba —and amongst them was Abu Qatada al-Ansari (أبو قتادة الأنصاري) who was put in charge of the sacrificial animals— they saw a herd of zebras (or in another report gazelles). (Side note 1: This shows that in the time of the Prophet PBUH, there were wild animals such as zebras in Arabia. There are no more.) (Side note 2: Even though the Arabic for zebra is himar al-wahshi [حمار الوحشي - lit. 'wild donkey'], the shariah has allowed zebras to be hunted, as opposed to ruling for donkeys — the Prophet PBUH explicitly said this after the Conquest of Makkah [8 AH].) For some reason that the books don't mention, Abu Qatada was not in ihram, while everyone else was. And you are not supposed to hunt in the state of ihram, so when they saw a flock of zebras, none of them moved; they didn't even tell Abu Qatada there are zebras, even though Abu Qatada was not in ihram. Question: What do you do if you are in a group, some in ihram and some not; can those not in ihram hunt for those in ihram? (This is irrelevant for us, but once upon a time, it was a crucial fiqh issue.)

Abu Qatada saw the zebras and he didn't have his bow and arrow with him —it was in the bag— so while on his horse, he told the sahaba who were walking, to hand him his bow and arrow. But the sahaba refused to do so; they said, "We are in the state of ihram." So Abu Qatada jumped off the horse, got his own bow and arrow, jumped back on, and then started galloping towards the zebras, managed to catch one of them, and he slaughtered it. He then comes back with the zebra meat for the sahaba, but they said, "We cannot touch or eat from this." Then they returned back to the camp and asked the Prophet PBUH, "Was this meat allowed for us to eat?" The Prophet PBUH asked them, "Did any of you motion to him (Abu Qatada) where the zebras were?" They said, "No." The Prophet PBUH asked, "Did any of you help him in hunting the zebras?" They said, "No." So he said, "In that case, eat from it. And if you have any extra meat, bring it to me as well."

Thus the fiqh here is very clear: If a non-muhrim (someone not in ihram) amongst people in ihram hunts by himself an animal, and he then gifts the hunted animal to those in ihram, then it's allowed for those in ihram to eat from the meat. As long as those in ihram don't help, it's halal. What actions constitute helping? Scholars say even nudging someone and winking 'there's an animal over there' is not allowed, because this is helping. Even just pointing or handing him a bow and arrow, or a spear, or in our times a hunting gun, is not allowed — this constitutes as helping.

What's interesting about this story is, again and again we find the cautiousness of the sahaba: No doubt they wanted the meat, no doubt it's a delicacy, for sure they haven't eaten meat for a while —they only must have been eating dates and drinking water, and there is this exotic delicious meat— but out of cautiousness and piety, they did nothing to capture it, and even when it is presented to them 'on a table,' still they said no. What Iman is this. And subhan'Allah, how lax some Muslims are in our time, especially about food and drink and income — some don't even think if what they consume is halal or haram. The sahaba, they made sure every morsel of food they consume is halal, because they know the big sin of eating haram: The Prophet PBUH said, "The flesh that is nourished through the haram will not have any chance of entering Jannah," and, "The one who eats haram, his du'a won't be answered." Thus one of the outward signs of Islam is he who eats from what is allowed. In Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim, the Prophet PBUH said, "Whoever prays our prayer, faces our qibla, and eats of our dhabihah (ذبيحة), that is the Muslim who has the protection of Allah and His Messenger." So we find here a remarkable example of piety — the sahaba did not think of eating until they asked the Prophet PBUH.

______________

The Quraysh Wants War

Busr ibn Sufyan al-Khuza'i who went to Makkah and pretends he's a regular pilgrim to find out what the Quraysh are planning, returns to the Prophet PBUH. At this time, the Prophet PBUH had reached a place called Asfan (عسفان) around midway between Makkah and Madinah, closer to Makkah. Busr informs the Prophet PBUH that the Quraysh have armed themselves and have worn their 'leopard skins,' which was a sign of war. They even took their women with them as they did in the Battle of Uhud. And he said they sent Khalid ibn al-Walid to camp near Ghumaym (غميم?), which is a plain right outside Makkah, to block the Muslims and prevent them from entering Makkah. When the Prophet PBUH heard this, he said, "Woe to Quraysh. They have been consumed by war. What would they lose if they let me and the other Arabs? If the other Arabs attack me and win, they (the Quraysh) will get the result they want. If I win over them, the honor will be theirs"—the Prophet PBUH is a Qureshi after all, thus if he wins, automatically the Quraysh will also bask in that victory. He then said, "So what does the Quraysh think will happen [by preventing me]? For by Allah, I shall continue to fight them with what Allah has sent me until Allah either grants me victory or this neck of mine is cut off." Subhan'Allah, we sense here the anguish and pain that, "Why do my own people hate me so much?" This clearly shows us what is in his heart: He did not want to fight his own people. He loves his own people dearly he is basically saying, "Why are they doing this to me? It's a win-win if they leave me be, and it's a lose-lose if they fight me." Indeed, whoever wins out of the Quraysh and the Muslims, it's still a loss since they are killing one another and they are family.

This also shows clearly the Prophet PBUH did not enjoy war. He did not want to fight or shed blood — this is a clear indication against the Islamophobes. Our Prophet PBUH only fought out of necessity.

______________

Shura

When the Prophet PBUH heard the news from Busr, he stopped the caravan, camped in a shaded area, and addressed the entire group. He started by praising Allah and doing the normal khutbat al-hajah, and then he explained that the Quraysh have sent out an expedition, that Khalid ibn al-Walid is camped at such-and-such a place. Then he said, "We should attack the surrounding tribes that have also sent men with the Quraysh"—he first gave his own opinion, then he asked the sahaba, "What do you think we should do?" At this, Abu Bakr RA stood up and said, "Ya Rasulullah, you only left your house intending the House of Allah. You didn't want any war or battle. So let us go where we had initially intended, and we will only fight if they fight us"—this is Abu Bakr's opinion. The Prophet PBUH liked this plan and said, "Let us go forth in the name of Allah SWT."

This shows us again and again the concept of shura in Islam. That the Prophet PBUH never enacted something without consulting the people — and this is the sign of a true leader. If a leader invokes his veto power and says, "Obey me because I am the leader," the people will, even if they obey, do so grudgingly. But when the shura comes involved and everybody agrees to a plan, this creates genuine trust and enthusiasm. And notice here the Prophet PBUH changed his opinion: He had a position but he changed it to Abu Bakr's. Also, as we discussed in previous episodes, this incident clearly shows us the Prophet PBUH sometimes made his own ijtihad [see episodes 38 & 40].

______________

Salat al-Khawf

It's said at Asfan the Prophet PBUH prayed Salat al-Khawf because there was a fear the Quraysh would attack.

Here there is a big controversy: Was this the first time Salat al-Khawf was prayed? One opinion, as we discussed in the previous episode, is it was legislated during the Ghazwa of Banu Lahyan. Another opinion is it was prayed now at Asfan for the first time. In any case, frankly, it's a trivial issue — the difference is only 7-8 months. But we should know that majority of scholars say this was the first time it was prayed on the way to Makkah at Asfan.

______________

Taking an Unusual Road

Since Khalid blocked the path, they had to find an alternative route. So the Prophet PBUH asked, "Who can take us to such-and-such a path?" He knows there is another path, but he didn't know how to get to that path. A sahabi stood up and said, "I know how to get there, ya Rasulullah." So the Prophet PBUH made him the guide. And in order to get to that other 'highway,' they had to pass through an entire valley of thorns and volcanic rock it caused them to bleed and their feet to become sore, so much so that the Prophet PBUH had to encourage them, "This valley [that we are going through now] for you is like the door was for the Bani Israel." What door/gate was that?:

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا ادْخُلُوا هَٰذِهِ الْقَرْيَةَ فَكُلُوا مِنْهَا حَيْثُ شِئْتُمْ رَغَدًا وَادْخُلُوا الْبَابَ سُجَّدًا وَقُولُوا حِطَّةٌ نَّغْفِرْ لَكُمْ خَطَايَاكُمْ ۚ وَسَنَزِيدُ الْمُحْسِنِينَ

"And [remember] when We said, 'Enter this city and eat freely from wherever you please; enter the gate with humility, saying, "Absolve us." We will forgive your sins and multiply the reward for the good-doers'" [Quran, 2:58].

The Prophet PBUH recited the verse and said, "No one shall pass through this valley except that all of his sins will be forgiven"—Allah SWT must have told him of this forgiveness. And this gave the sahaba immense motivation to go through the valley. However, the Prophet PBUH said there is one exception, "Except for the man with the red camel." The sahaba were puzzled and were wondering who this man is. And they found one of their men was announcing at the back, "I've lost a red camel! Has anyone seen it?"—this must be the man. So the sahaba went up to him and asked, "Why don't you come with us? Let us go to the Prophet PBUH. Perhaps he will include you in the forgiveness." But it turns out this man was a Bedouin with nifaq (hypocrisy) in his heart, and his response shows this: He said, "For me to be searching for my [red] camel is more beloved to me than to go to your Companion to have my sins forgiven." This shows that not everyone who was physically with the sahaba was an actual sahabi.

______________

"There Are Munafiqun Around the Prophet PBUH"

This incident shows that not everyone who was physically with the sahaba was an actual sahabi. Allah says in the Quran, "Some of the nomads (Bedouins) around you [believers] are hypocrites, as are some of the people of Madinah. They have mastered hypocrisy" [Quran, 9:101]. (Side note: The non-Sunni group jumps at this verse and says, "Look! Allah is clearly saying there are munafiqun amongst those who are around the Prophet PBUH!"—and they [the non-Sunnis] are referring to Abu Bakr RA, Umar RA, Aisha RA, et al. AstaghfiruLlah. But this is very easy to refute: We don't take a generic verse and use it to negate specific evidences. The Quran and Sunnah have praised the major sahaba specifically —indirectly and directly— e.g., "Abu Bakr is in Jannah, Umar is in Jannah, Uthman is in Jannah, Ali is in Jannah," etc. So we don't take a general verse like [9:101] and use it to trump explicit evidences like this.)

______________

Al-Qaswa' Stops at the Plain of Hudaybiyyah

They spent the entire day walking through this valley, and by the time they exited, the night had just begun to fall. And they reached the plain known as Hudaybiyyah (حديبية). So the valley of thorns was between Asfan and Hudaybiyyah; and Hudaybiyyah leads directly to the road that the Prophet PBUH wanted to get to. The Prophet PBUH went across all the way because he doesn't want war.

The night begins to fall, and as soon as they enter Hudaybiyyah, this is when the Prophet's PBUH camel refuses to move, and in fact, it sits down. And of course, no one was in front of the Prophet PBUH — he was leading the pack; so when the Prophet's PBUH camel sat down, the rest of the sahaba had to stop. And so the sahaba started yelling at the camel, "Hal hal (حل حل)!" meaning, "Giddy-up!" But the camel did not move. So they began getting angry at the camel and said, "Qaswa' (القصواء) has become stubborn!" But the Prophet PBUH said, "Qaswa' has not become stubborn, and neither is that in her nature. Rather, the One who stopped the elephant (Allah SWT) has also stopped her."

______________

Lessons From the Story of al-Qaswa'

From this story we gain some benefits:

1. First and foremost, the fact that we know the name of the camel of the Prophet PBUH: If we know even this, then surely we know far more important things. Some people say the Sunnah has not been preserved very well, but this is not true; the detail with which it has been preserved is amazing.

2. When the sahaba criticized the camel, the Prophet PBUH defended the honor of the camel: "Qaswa' has not become stubborn, and neither is that in her nature." Subhan'Allah. If the honor of a camel deserves to be protected, how about the honor of a fellow Muslim?

3. The beautiful linkage the Prophet PBUH made: "The One who stopped the camel is the One who stopped the elephant." Look at how apt and eloquent that is. In both cases there are animals going to Makkah, and in both cases the Ka'bah is being honored, so the Prophet PBUH is saying: Just like there was a wisdom stopping the elephant, so too there is a wisdom to stop Qaswa, so let us put our trust in Allah SWT.

______________

What is "Hudaybiyyah"?

What is Hudaybiyyah/Hudaybiyah? It seems the name comes from the Arabic term "hadba' (حدباء)" which means "hunchback." Apparently, there was a tree in this plain that was going down like a hunchback, so they named a well next to the tree "Hudaybiyyah" which means "the Little Crooked Tree," and eventually, it became the name of the whole plain. (In our times however, it has changed to al-Shumaysi [الشميسي].)

Hudaybiyyah is located 20 km outside of Makkah on the road from Jeddah. So it's one marhala (مرحلة) from Makkah — one journey away.

______________

Yet Another Miracle of the Prophet PBUH

Where the camel stopped, they set up camp; and they went to the well of Hudaybiyyah, but lo and behold, the water had almost dried out. There was just a little bit left, so they complained to the Prophet PBUH, "We don't have any water. Our animals are thirsty. We have been in the valley the whole day. We need water." So the Prophet PBUH went to the side of the well, sat on it, and told some of the sahaba to go into the well, and he handed them some of his arrows. Then he gargled some water from the well bucket, threw it back into the bucket, and lowered it back into the well. The sahaba said the water then began to gush out, and the ones in the well had to rush out so they don't drown. Subhan'Allah.

So the entire camp of 1,400 people drank, and continued to drink from that well. And their animals drank to their fill. This was yet another miracle of the Prophet PBUH.

______________

The Negotiations Will Begin

Now that the Prophet PBUH realized negotiations will begin, he made an announcement to the sahaba, "I swear by the One in whose Hands is my soul, the Quraysh will not ask of me any condition that the signs of Allah are respected except that I will give them that condition." Notice how keen he is not to fight. Anything they ask, he will agree as long as there is nothing haram in the condition. He announced this as a prelude to mentally prepare the sahaba for some very harsh conditions that the emissaries of Quraysh will put.

Obviously, 1,400 people, when they go places, they cannot go in secret. So the scouts of Quraysh come back and tell Khalid ibn al-Walid of the Muslims' whereabouts, the Quraysh army returned from Ghumaym to Makkah, changed their tactics, and they then began sending a series of emissaries to meet the Muslims in Hudaybiyyah, as we will discuss in the next episode.

[Transcribed by Br. Safwan Khan & Faizan]
safwan-khan@hotmail.com
[Revised by Br. Syed Haq & MAR, July 2021]