Treaty of Hudaibiyah & Bai’at-e-Rizwan (Hazrat Musleh Mau’d’s (ra) Narration)

Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) has related this incident in his own words in the following manner:

“Some of the local tribes of Mecca urged upon the Meccan leaders to let the Muslims perform the tawaf and that they should not be stopped from this. But the Meccans remained adamant. Thereupon the tribal leaders of the local tribes said that from this, it seemed that the Meccans did not want peace and wanted to cause mischief, therefore they threatened to disassociate themselves from them.”

Here Hazrat Musleh-e-Maud (ra) has included an additional detail in that the Quraish were also pressured by the local tribes.

“Out of fear, the Meccans were persuaded to try to reach a settlement with the Muslims. As soon as the Holy Prophet (sa) got to know of this, he sent Hazrat Uthman (ra), who later became the Third Khalifa of Islam, to the Meccans. Hazrat Uthman (ra) had many relatives in Mecca. They came out and surrounded him and offered to let him perform the tawaf, but declared that they would not let the Holy Prophet (sa) do so until the following year.

“‘But,’ said Hazrat Uthman (ra), ‘I will not perform the tawaf unless it is in the company of my Master.’ Hazrat Uthman’s (ra) talks with the chiefs of Mecca became prolonged. A rumour was mischievously spread that he had been murdered and this news also reached the Holy Prophet (sa). Upon this, the Holy Prophet (sa) assembled the Companions (ra) and said, ‘The life of an envoy is held sacred among all nations. I have heard that the Meccans have murdered Uthman. If this is true, we have to enter Mecca, whatever the consequences.’ The Holy Prophet’s (sa) earlier intention to enter Mecca peacefully had to be changed, under the changed circumstances.

“The Holy Prophet (sa) further stated, ‘Those who promise solemnly that if they have to go further, they will either return as victors or be martyred one after the other in the battlefield, should come forward and take the oath on my hand.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) had hardly finished speaking, when all the 1,500 Companions (ra) stood up and instantly became soldiers and leapt over one another to hold the Holy Prophet’s (sa) hand and take the oath. This oath possesses a special importance in the history of Islam. It is called the ‘Pledge of the Tree’. This is because when the oath was taken, the Holy Prophet (sa) was sitting under a tree. Every one of those who took the oath remained proud of it to the end of his days.

“Of the 1,500 present on the occasion, not one held back. They all promised that if the Muslim envoy had been murdered, they would not go back. Either they would take Mecca before dusk, or they would all die fighting. The taking of the oath was not over when Hazrat Uthman (ra) returned. He reported that the Meccans did not agree to let the Muslims perform the tawaf until the following year. They had appointed their delegates to sign a settlement with the Muslims. Soon after, Suhail, a chief of Mecca, came to the Holy Prophet (sa). A settlement was reached and recorded.”

(Dibachah Tafsir al-Quran, Anwar al-Ulum, Vol. 20, pp. 307-308)