This surah belongs to the Madman period, revealed as it was shortly after the signing of the peace treaty at al-Hudaybiyah in year 6 of the Islamic calendar. It comments on the events leading to the momentous signing of this treaty as also describes the situation in which the Muslim community found itself at that time. Between the revelation of this surah and Surah 47, Muhammad, which precedes it in the Qur’anic order, there was a lapse of three years which witnessed developments that had far-reaching effects on the life of the Muslim community in Madlnah.

These involved changes in the attitudes of both the Muslim community and its opponents, and even greater changes in the Muslim community’s psychological and mental framework. In this respect, it became far more mature in its understanding and implementing of faith.

Before we discuss the surah and its message, however, we need to review the major event that was the signing of the peace treaty so as to understand the circumstances then prevailing as the Muslim community received this new revelation.

The Prophet saw himself in a dream entering the Sacred Mosque in Makkah together with his Companions, some of them having shaven their heads and some with their hair cut short. The unbelievers in Makkah had prevented them entry into Makkah since their migration to Madlnah. They did not even allow them entry during the four sacred months that all Arabs honoured in the pre-Islamic period, laying down their arms and regarding fighting during these times as a great enormity.

Entry into Makkah during these four months was free for all, in perfect safety. Even people involved in vengeance killings would meet in peace at this time. A man would come across the killer of his father or brother without raising a finger against him, or trying to prevent his entry into the Sacred Mosque. Nevertheless, the idolaters in Makkah violated their well-established traditions, preventing the Prophet and the Muslims from entering Makkah throughout the six years that followed their migration to Madlnah. In year 6, the Prophet had this dream and reported it to his Companions who were delighted with it, realizing that a dream by a prophet would certainly come true.

For further information about these events we will mainly rely on the report given by Ibn Hisham as this is more detailed than most and also provides a fuller picture. It is also generally in agreement with reports in the two Hadlth anthologies of Imam al-Bukharl and Imam Ahmad, as well as the summary given by Ibn Hazm in his book Jawdmi( al-Sirah, and with reports by other scholars.1

The Prophet announced to his Companions and to the Arabian tribes around Madlnah that he intended to visit Makkah to honour the Ka'bah and to worship there. He invited them all to join him.

Most of the Arabian tribes which had not yet accepted Islam were highly reluctant to join this peaceful expedition because they feared that the Quraysh were bound to resist the Muslims and prevent them from entering Makkah. If the Quraysh were determined to stop the Muslims, an armed conflict might erupt. Hence, those Arabian tribes wanted to stay out of it. The Muslims, however, were very glad to join the Prophet, who marched at the head of some 1,400 of his followers.2

The Prophet, however, marched on until he arrived at a place called Ghadir al-Ashtat where Bishr ibn Sufyan gave him his report that the Quraysh were mobilizing and seeking the help of others to fight him and prevent him from entering Makkah.3

The Prophet was distressed at this report. He said: “How ill-advised is the Quraysh! What would they lose if they were to leave me alone addressing my message to the rest of Arabia? If those Arabs were to kill me, the Quraysh would have what they wish. If I am to be the victorious, they must either accept Islam without having suffered any losses, or fight me with their forces intact. What do they think? By God, I will continue to strive for the message God has given me until it is triumphant or I die.” Reflecting on the new situation after he had learnt that the Quraysh were preparing for armed conflict, the Prophet decided to try to avoid such an eventuality. Hence, he asked whether anyone in his camp was able to lead them through a route which took them away from the Quraysh, so that they could avoid an armed conflict with their advance force. A man from the tribe of Aslam came forward and led them through a very rough route which was very hard for the Muslims. Eventually, they found themselves in an open area which was easy to cross. The Prophet commanded them to take the right-hand route until they finally arrived at the plain of al-Hudaybiyah, to the south of Makkah, which was only a days walk from the Holy City.

Suddenly, the Prophets she-camel sat down. People shouted at her to make her rise again, but she would not move. Some people suggested that she refused to go forward. The Prophet told them that such a refusal was not in her nature. He said: “She is held back for the same reason which held back the elephant.” This was a reference to an incident which took place nearly 60 years earlier when Abrahah, the ruler of the Yemen, was riding an elephant at the head of a large force, whose aim was to destroy the Ka'bah.

Shortly before arriving in Makkah, the elephant sat still and would not move forward; it was ready to go back. Shortly afterwards, Abrahah’s army was attacked by birds which threw stones at the army and destroyed it. The story is mentioned in a short surah of the Qur’an entitled, The Elephant, and which may be translated as follows: “In the name of God, the Beneficent, the Merciful. Are you not aware how your Lord dealt with people of the Elephant? Did He not utterly confound their treacherous plan, and send against them flocks of birds, which pelted them with stones of sand and clay? Thus He made them like stalks of devoured leaves.” (105: 1-5)

The Prophet then declared: “By Him Who holds my soul in His hand, I shall respond favourably to any proposal the Quraysh puts to me today which helps establish good relations and guarantees respect to God’s sanctuaries.” He then ordered his Companions to encamp.

The place was almost dry, with only one well with very little water. The Companions of the Prophet economized on water as much as they could, but the well soon dried up. When they were very thirsty, they complained to the Prophet. He came to the well, sat next to it and asked for a pail to be brought to him with whatever quantity of water they could find. He took some water in his hand, rinsed his mouth and prayed to God. He then asked his Companions to pour the water back into the well and told them to leave the well for a while. Some reports also suggest that the Prophet took an arrow from his bag and asked his Companions to throw it into the well. Soon the well was full of water and provided all the water the Muslims needed to drink, perform ablutions and give to their camels and other animals. They suffered no shortage of water until they departed.

When the Quraysh realized that the Prophet had managed to evade their advance forces and that he was encamped at al-Hudaybiyah, they decided to send a messenger to him. They were also aware that should they succeed in stopping Muhammad from entering Makkah, when he had come with no purpose other than to visit the Sacred Mosque, their action would not go unquestioned by the other Arabs. Their prestige was derived from the fact that they were custodians of the Sacred House and that they prevented no one from worshipping there. The first emissary they sent was Budayl ibn Waraqa' of the tribe of Khuza'ah, who went with a group of his fellow tribesmen. The tribe of Khuza(ah was always sympathetic towards the Prophet. Some of its men had embraced Islam, but even those who had not were far from hostile to the message of Islam.

Budayl spoke to the Prophet and told him that the Quraysh were determined to prevent him from entering Makkah. The Prophet assured him that he had no intention of fighting anyone. He wanted only to visit the Ka(bah and to demonstrate the Muslims’ recognition of its sanctity. The Prophets comment on the Quraysh s attitude was given in these words: “The Quraysh are now in such a state that they can think only of war. I am prepared to agree a truce with them, if they so desire. I ask them only to leave me alone to speak to people. If I am successful and other people follow me, then the choice is theirs to do likewise. If they refuse, they will have preserved their strength. If they are determined to stop me, I swear by God that I will fight them over this cause of mine until I die, and even then they cannot prevent what God wills.” Budayl went back to the Quraysh and said to them: “We have come to you after seeing this man and hearing what he says. Would you like to hear what he told us?” Some of them shouted: “We do not wish to hear anything he says.” Some wiser people requested him to report what he had heard. When he finished his report, he pleaded with them, saying that they were rash in their attitude because Muhammad did not intend to fight them. He wanted only to visit the Ka(bah.

The Quraysh leaders were not persuaded to moderate their attitude. They said: “Even if he does not want to fight, he will never be allowed to enter Makkah against our will. No one shall say that we allowed that to happen.” The Quraysh then sent Mikraz ibn Hafs to speak to the Prophet, and he came back with the same message as Budayl. The third envoy the Quraysh sent was al-Hulays ibn 'Alqamah, the leader of the Habshi tribe. When the Prophet saw him coming from a distance, he said to his Companions: “This is a man who belongs to a religious community. Drive the sacrificial animals towards him so that he may see them.” When al-Hulays saw the sacrificial animals, he returned to the Quraysh without speaking to the Prophet, because he realized that there should have been no cause for contention. He advised the Quraysh to leave Muhammad alone and allow him to worship at the Ka'bah. They spoke harshly to him and told him to leave them alone. Al-Hulays was angered by the Qurayshs attitude, but they were not to be persuaded by any argument.

Having rejected the advice of all three envoys to allow Muhammad to enter Makkah and worship at the Ka 'bah, the Quraysh decided to send a fourth emissary. None of the existing reports throws any light on the reasons which made the Quraysh feel that sending another envoy to speak to the Prophet would bring about any change in the situation. It is not known what the Quraysh hoped to achieve by sending these envoys when it was not prepared to listen to their advice. Perhaps it was all a mark of the Qurayshs confusion. On the other hand, it may have been an exercise in self-justification.

The Quraysh might have wanted to be able to say that they tried all they could to reach accommodation with Muhammad. Be that as it may, the man the Quraysh chose this time was 'Urwah ibn Mas'ud, a leader of the tribe ofThaqif, which lived in the town of Ta’if. 'Urwah, however, wanted first to make sure that on his return he would not receive the same harsh treatment as the other envoys the Quraysh sent, should he come back with advice the Quraysh might not like. He, therefore, addressed the people of the Quraysh:

“I have noted what sort of abuse you have poured on the heads of those you have sent to Muhammad. You know that to me you are parents and that I am your son. When I heard of your trouble, I gathered those of my people who obeyed my orders and have come to give you support.” The Quraysh answered: “This is certainly true, and we have no doubts about you.” When he sat down to speak to the Prophet, he said:

Muhammad, I have left your people mobilizing their forces.

They are swearing that they will never let you reach the Sacred House until you have overwhelmed them. Should there be a fight between you and them, you are faced with one of two eventualities: either you conquer your own people - and we have never heard of any man who has conquered his own people or your soldiers will let you down. Have you gathered this mob to smash your own people? It is the Quraysh you are fighting, and the Quraysh have mobilized even their women and children, and are now in a very determined mood, pledging to God that you will never enter their city. My feeling is that you will be in a very difficult situation tomorrow, when this mob let you down. I certainly recognize no one among them and cannot see that any one of them comes from a respectable background.

At this moment Abu Bakr interrupted him and told him to be more respectful.

As he talked to the Prophet, ‘Urwah kept trying to hold the Prophets beard, following the Arabian habit which indicated a sincere desire to maintain good relations. Al-Mughlrah ibn Shu ‘bah, a Muslim nephew of ‘Urwah, was standing behind the Prophet, holding his sword in his hand and wearing his shield. Every time ‘Urwah raised his hand to touch the Prophets beard, al-Mughirah hit him with the bottom of his sword on his hand and said: “Keep your hand off the Prophets face before it is chopped off.” TJrwah did not recognize him, but when he persisted, ‘Urwah said: “Confound you — how ill-mannered you are.” The Prophet smiled at this demonstration of his Companions love and respect for him.

Considering the situation and the fact that he had received four emissaries from the Quraysh without any sign that the Quraysh were mellowing their opposition to the Muslims’ entry to Makkah, the Prophet thought it might be useful to bring some pressure to bear on the Quraysh. He therefore decided to send them an envoy to assure them that his objective was only to worship at the Ka ‘bah, not to pick a fight with anyone. The envoy was Kharrash ibn Umayyah of the tribe of Khuza‘ah. As soon as Kharrash arrived in Makkah, however, his camel was wounded by the Quraysh people, who also wanted to kill him. He was saved by the Habshl tribe, whose chief al-Hulays was one of the Quraysh’s envoys to the Prophet.

The treatment Kharrash received was against the age-honoured traditions of diplomacy, which gave immunity to messengers and envoys. The Prophet, however, did not wish to allow this incident to be an obstacle in his attempt to reach a peaceful solution to the problem. He therefore overlooked the matter and concentrated on maintaining contact with the Quraysh. He thought that sending a more prominent figure from among his Companions might be more useful.

The Prophet first thought of ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab as a suitable messenger. ‘Umar, however, pointed out that his own clan, Bani (Adly, no longer had any influence in Makkah. No one would protect him should he come to any harm. He suggested that 'Uthman ibn ‘Affan of the Umayyad branch of the Quraysh was better placed to act as the Prophet’s ambassador.

Despite the fact that (Uthmans clan was very influential in Makkah, he had to go under the protection of his own cousin, Aban ibn Sa'id ibn al-(As. Enjoying that protection, he was able to deliver his message, speak to the Quraysh elders and explain to them that the Muslims had come for the purpose of worship only and had no other intention. It was better for the Quraysh, ‘Uthman argued, that they should be seen by the Arabs as faithful to their charge as custodians of the Sacred House. The Quraysh, however, were adamant in their hard-line attitude. The only concession ‘Uthman could get from the Quraysh was that they allowed him to do the should he so desire. He made it clear to them that under the circumstances, he would not do so until the Prophet had done his own tawaf.

‘Uthman s discussions with the Quraysh leaders were prolonged and he was in Makkah for three days. Moreover, he was apparently able to contact some people from among the Quraysh who had adopted Islam and remained in Makkah, keeping the fact of their conversion to Islam a secret. Apparently there were quite a few of these people, who yearned for the day when they would be able to declare their stand and enjoy freedom of faith. (Uthman carried a message from the Prophet to them telling them that victory would be coming soon. They were greatly encouraged by that message and requested ‘Uthman to give the Prophet their respects and to tell him, on their behalf, that they believed that God, Who had enabled him to encamp at al-Hudaybiyah, was able to open the gates of Makkah for him.

Deeply hurt and very sad, the Prophet felt that by killing (Uthman, his Companion and envoy, the Quraysh had closed the door on all efforts which aimed at reaching a peaceful settlement.

The other alternative was the one which he had tried hard to avoid:

namely, war. He called on his Companions to give him a pledge to fight the Quraysh to the bitter end. He was standing underneath a tree when he requested that pledge, and his Companions rushed to give him what he asked of them. Every one of them pledged that he would fight and never flee from battle even if that meant his own death. The Prophet was pleased with his Companions’ responses.

He also made a pledge on behalf of ‘Uthman: ‘“Uthman is on a mission given him by God and His Messenger. I, therefore, make a pledge on his behalf.” He clasped his hands together and said:

“This is for ‘Uthman.” In comment on this pledge, the Qur’an says: “ God was indeed well pleased with the believers when they pledged their allegiance to you under the tree. He knew what was in their hearts and so He sent down tranquillity upon them, and rewarded them with a speedy victory and with many war gains for them to take. God is Almighty, Wise.” (48: 18-19)

That pledge is known in Islamic history books as Baycat al- Ridwan, or ‘the pledge earning God’s pleasure’, in view of the clear statement that God was pleased with those who took part in it. Indeed, the pledge warmed the Prophet’s heart, since it was yet another demonstration that his Companions were always prepared to render whatever sacrifice they were called upon to make in defence of the cause of Islam. Those Companions of the Prophet realized that numerically the Quraysh were far superior to them.

Besides, when they started their journey, they did not bring their war equipment with them. War was completely absent from their minds. None of them wore body armour or carried it with him.

They carried only the minimum armament which was absolutely necessary for travelling in the desert of Arabia: their swords in their sheaths. Their pledge meant, in effect, that they were determined to face the far superior strength of the Quraysh, on the Quraysh’s own ground with swords only, leaving no room for withdrawal or escape.

They were fully aware of what they had pledged to do. When they were subsequently asked about the terms of their pledge and what it entailed, their answer was: ‘Death’. Such a pledge, readily given and sincerely meant, would definitely earn Gods pleasure, as those people had definitely earned it. Jabir ibn ‘Abdullah, a Companion of the Prophet who took part in that pledge, said: “The Prophet (peace be upon him) told us on the day of al-Hudaybiyah: You are the best people on earth.” We should stress here a small but significant point about that tree beneath which the pledge was given. The tree was subsequently cut down and the place where it used to stand was forgotten. This is certainly good for Islam. Had it survived, people who are quick to give exaggerated significance to places and to things associated with historical events might have raised a monument in its place or built a mosque or some other building on that site and made it a shrine to visit. Islam does not recognize the sanctity of any such place or object. Had it been allowed to survive, the tree might have acquired, with the passage of time, more significance than the event which took place beneath it. The tree, however, is immaterial, while the pledge itself remains a lesson for every Muslim.

Some wiser men among the Quraysh must have suggested that achieving a peaceful settlement might preserve the Quraysh’s dignity better than war, even if the war ended in its favour. The views of its earlier envoys - particularly those of al-Hulays of the Habshi tribe and ‘Urwah ibn Mas'ud of the Thaqlf - began to appear highly valid. Moreover, should the Quraysh push matters to the point of flare-up, their action might mean a fight near the Sacred House and in the sacred month. This would, in effect, be setting a precedent which was certain to do more harm than good to the Quraysh. Hence the arguments for moderation suddenly began to appear much weightier. A delegation headed by Suhayl ibn (Amr was, therefore, dispatched to negotiate the terms of a peace settlement with the Prophet.

The Prophet received Suhayl ibn ‘Amr and his delegation well.

He instructed his Companions to show their sacrificial animals and to raise their voices with phrases expressing the fact that they had come only in response to Gods call to honour the Sacred House.

The talks between the two sides were not easy. Despite the fact that the Prophet was keen to achieve a peace settlement, the negotiations had to deal with several issues of substance. The topics included: the Prophets visit to the Sacred House; the Qurayshs determination not to seem to have given in to force; the possibility of agreeing a long term truce between the two sides, putting an end to their frequent military clashes; the sort of relations which should exist between the two sides; and the freedom of each side to make political moves on the wider horizon of the whole of Arabia.

There was, however, no reason to prolong the discussions. The Prophet accepted all the Qurayshs conditions readily. It was Suhayl ibn (Amr who took a long time in his presentation of each of those conditions and what each of them entailed. Indeed, the Quraysh side were surprised that all their conditions were accepted by the Prophet without too much trouble. It was necessary, however, to write the agreement down and to have it signed by representatives of both sides.

The Prophets attitude caused a stir in the Muslim camp. They were not used to seeing the Prophet taking such a very soft attitude.

It was also surprising for the Quraysh negotiators themselves. Not only did the Prophet accept all the terms the Quraysh stipulated, he did not consult his Companions in the matter, contrary to his normal practice. Moreover, the terms of the peace agreement were extremely surprising to the Muslims, because they tended to cast the Muslim side as much weaker than the Quraysh. To the Muslims, accepting such terms was neither useful nor necessary. Some of them could not hide their dissatisfaction. This is epitomized by the attitude of 'Umar ibn al-Khattab. When the terms of the peace agreement were finalized and were about to be written down, 'Umar came to Abu Bakr and said: “Abu Bakr, is he not God’s Messenger?” Abu Bakr answered in the affirmative. 'Umar again asked: “Are we not the Muslims?” When Abu Bakr gave the same answer, 'Umar went on: “Are they not the idolaters?” Abu Bakr again answered: “Yes.” 'Umar then asked him: “Why then should we accept humiliation in matters of our faith?” Abu Bakr answered with a piece of advice, saying to his questioner: “Follow him whatever he does, ‘Umar. I believe that he is Gods Messenger.” But ‘Umar was still perturbed and said: “And I too believe that he is Gods Messenger.” ‘Umars argument was that since what separated the two sides was really a single issue - right against wrong, faith against lack of faith - those who were on the side of right and truth must not give in to those who championed the cause of wrong and falsehood. The believers must never accept any sort of humiliation when it came to matters relating to faith. Indeed, they should always show pride in their religion. Hence, ‘Umar was not to be deterred. He went to the Prophet and put to him the same questions: “Are you not Gods Messenger? Are we not the Muslims? Are they not the idolaters?” To all these questions, the Prophet answered in the affirmative. The final question ‘Umar put was again the same: “Why, then, should we accept humiliation in matters of our faith?” The Prophets answer provided the clue to his attitude: “I am Gods servant and Messenger. I shall not disobey Him and He will never abandon me.” The Prophet was indeed following Divine orders which he must have received at that time.

The Prophet then called in ‘All ibn AbiTalib to write down the peace agreement so that it might be signed by both sides. Again, Suhayl ibn ‘Amr showed maximum rigidity, while the Prophet showed complete flexibility.

The Prophet told ‘All to write: “In the name of God, the Merciful, the Beneficent.” Suhayl interrupted: “I do not know this. Write down: ‘In your name, Our Lord’.” The Prophet told ‘All to write the phrase Suhayl proposed. He continued with his dictation: “These are the terms of the peace agreement negotiated between Muhammad, Gods Messenger, and Suhayl ibn ‘Amr.” Again, Suhayl interrupted: “Had I accepted that you are Gods Messenger, I would not have fought you. You have to write down your name and your fathers name.” The Prophet accepted Suhayl’s point and revised his dictation, telling ‘All to write:

These were the terms of the peace agreement. When they were written down, witnesses from both sides were asked to sign the document. At that moment, something happened to test the patience of the believers and to give them another opportunity to prove the strength of their faith. A man from Makkah arrived in handcuffs and with his legs in chains. He was being kept prisoner there because he was a Muslim. This man was none other than Suhayl’s own son, Abu Jandal. It was his father who imprisoned him and fastened his shackles. Nevertheless, he had been able to escape and to take an unfamiliar route through the mountains surrounding Makkah until he arrived at al-Hudaybiyah. When the Muslims saw him, they were very glad that he had escaped and gave him a fine reception.

While the peace agreement was being written down, Suhayl was too busy to notice anything. When it was finished, Suhayl looked up and saw his son among the Muslims. He went up to him, hit him in the face and took him by the collar. Abu Jandal cried aloud:

“My fellow Muslims, am I to be returned to the unbelievers to try to turn me away from my faith?” Those words were very painful to the Muslims, some of whom started to cry.

Suhayl ibn ‘Amr, however, was unmoved. He said to Gods Messenger: “This is the first person whose case I take up. You must return him to me.” The Prophet referred to the fact that Abu Jandal arrived before the agreement was completed: “We have not finished drawing up the document yet.” Suhayl said: “Then I have not agreed any terms with you whatsoever.” The Prophet pleaded:

“Then allow me him.” Suhayl said that he would not. Mikraz, another member of the Quraysh delegation, said that they should allow Muhammad to have Abu Jandal. The father was adamant and refused all appeals to let his son join the Muslims. He went even further and began to hit his son with a thorny branch of a tree. The Prophet again pleaded with him to let his son go, or at least not to torture him. But Suhayl would accept nothing. Some of Suhayl’s friends, however, extended their protection to Abu Jandal and his father stopped hitting him. The Prophet explained to Abu Jandal his inability to help him, speaking to him in a loud voice so that he could hear:

“Abu Jandal, be patient and endure your situation for Gods sake.

He will certainly provide for you and those who are suffering with you a way out of your hardship. We have made a peace agreement with those people, giving them a pledge by God that we will be faithful to the terms of our agreement. We shall not violate our pledges.”

Umar ibn al-Khattab was again outraged by the situation.

He could not understand why the Muslims should accept such humiliating terms or stand idle when a brother of theirs was subjected to harsh treatment for no reason other than the fact that he believed in God and His Messenger. As Abu Jandal was being led away, ‘Umar went up to him and walked by his side. He spoke to him: “Be patient, Abu Jandal. These people are unbelievers. They are worthless. The blood of anyone of them is no more precious than the blood of a dog.” As he was walking by Abu Jandals side and talking to him, he continued to move the handle of his sword towards Abu Jandal, hoping that Abu Jandal would take ‘Umars sword and kill his father. Abu Jandal either did not wish to kill his father or did not understand or notice ‘Umars gesture. He submitted to his fortune until God would help him get his release. He was led away in his shackles and chains. As the Muslims looked at him, their hearts were full of agony because they were unable to help him.

When the document detailing the peace terms was written down, the Prophet asked a number of his Companions to witness the agreement, in addition to witnesses from the Quraysh side.

The Muslim witnesses were Abu Bakr, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, ‘All ibn Abi Talib, ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Awf, Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, Mahmud ibn Maslamah and ‘Abdullah ibn Suhayl, another son of the chief Quraysh negotiator himself. Mikraz ibn Hafs and Huwaytib ibn ‘Abd al- ‘Uzza were the Quraysh witnesses. When the witnessing was finally done, the Quraysh delegation went home.

This peace was supposed to last for ten years. Very few Muslims were able to bring themselves to accept it without experiencing a feeling of unease. What added to their bitterness was the fact that the terms of the agreement meant that they had to go back home without being able to fulfil their purpose of worshipping at the Ka‘bah. It should be remembered that the Prophet and his Companions were in ihram, the state of consecration, having left Madinah in order to perform the ‘Umrah. They were first prevented from entering Makkah by the declared intention of the Quraysh to use force to stop them. Now they were prevented by the terms of the agreement which they signed with the Quraysh. They were, in effect, in the position of a muhsar, a person who sets out from home to do his pilgrimage or (Umrah but is unable to reach his destination owing to some reason beyond his control. God declares in the Quran that such a person can release himself from ihrdm by slaughtering a sheep or some other sacrificial animal at the point where he cannot continue his journey.

The Prophet said to his Companions: “Slaughter your animals and shave and release yourselves from ihram.” No one showed any sign of willingness to comply with this order. The Prophet repeated his command three times and still no one was willing to do as he was told. The Prophet was very angry indeed. He went into his tent where Umm Salamah, his wife who accompanied him on this expedition, was waiting. She immediately noticed how angry he was. She asked him the reason why and he answered: “The Muslims are ruining themselves. I have given them a command and they have not obeyed.” He explained to her how his Companions received his orders with indifference and how not one of them was willing to obey. She tried to pacify him: “Messenger of God, do not blame them. They have been under great pressure because of all the trouble you have taken to achieve this peace settlement and because they now realize that they have to take the long way home without achieving their purpose.” She then gave him a very sound piece of advice: she told him to go out and slaughter his own sacrificial animals and shave, without speaking to any one of them. The Prophet acted on his wife’s advice and went out and slaughtered his camels. He then called someone to shave his head.

When his Companions witnessed what he did, they rushed to do likewise. Some of them helped others to shave and they were extremely unhappy with themselves for not responding to the Prophet’s orders in the first place.

Not all of the Muslims at al-Hudaybiyah shaved their heads:

some of them just cut their hair. The Prophet said: “May God have mercy on those who have shaved.” Some of his Companions said:

“Messenger of God, what about those who have cut their hair?” He answered by repeating the same prayer: “May God have mercy on those who have shaved.” The same question about those who had cut their hair was put to him, but he answered by repeating the same prayer a third time. Once more, he was asked about the other group and the Prophet included them in his prayers, saying:

“And those who have cut their hair.” When he was asked the reason for repeating his prayers for mercy to the shavers three times before he included the other group, he answered: “They have entertained no doubt.”4

Al-Zuhri reports: “The Prophet then began his journey home. On the way back to Madinah, the Prophet received new revelations - the surah entitled al-Fath, or Victory. Imam Ahmad reports on the authority of Mujammi* ibn Harithah, an Ansari who had learnt the Qur’an: “We were with the Prophet at al-Hudaybiyah. When we were on the way back, we noticed that people were agitating their camels. People began to ask what was going on. They learnt that the Prophet received a new revelation. We approached him feeling very apprehensive. We saw the Prophet on his camel at Kira* al-Ghamlm. When people assembled, he read to them the Surah aI-Fath, starting with, ‘ We have granted you a glorious victory! One of his Companions asked him: ‘Is it a victory, Messenger of God?’ He replied: ‘Yes indeed. By Him who holds my soul in His hand, it is a grand victory.’” Imam AJimad relates a report by ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab: “We were with God’s Messenger on an expedition. I asked him about something three times, but he did not reply to me. I thought that I had done badly.

Such was the atmosphere in the Muslim community prior to the revelation of this surah. The Prophet was certain of what God had inspired him. Therefore, he allowed himself no say in the drift of events other than what such divine inspiration pointed to. He referred to this inspiration at every point and before taking any step. Neither the unbelievers nor pressure by his Companions, who were infuriated by the unbelievers hostility, would make him change his course. Eventually, God put tranquillity in the Muslims’ hearts and they were reassured, accepting without hesitation what the Prophet told them, just like their brethren who never entertained any doubt in the first place. The prime example of these was Abu Bakr whose reassurance was never in doubt, not even for a brief moment.

Hence the opening of the surah gives the Prophet happy news that greatly delights his heart: “ We have granted you a glorious victory, so that God may forgive you all your faults, past and future, bestow upon you the full measure of His blessings and guide you on a straight way God will certainly grant you His mighty support(Verses 1-3) The opening also refers to the tranquillity granted to the believers, acknowledging that they were true believers and promising them forgiveness of sins, reward and support from on high: "It is He who sent down tranquillity into the hearts of the believers, so that they may grow more firm in their faith. To God belongs all the forces of the heavens and the earth; He is indeed All Knowing, Wise. He will admit the believers, both men and women, into gardens through which running waters flow, there to abide, and He will forgive them their bad deeds. That is, in God's sight, a great triumph.” (Verses 4-5) By contrast, their enemies, hypocrites and idolaters alike, incur Gods displeasure and suffering in the life to come: "God will also inflict suffering on the hypocrites and the polytheists, men and women, who harbour evil thoughts about God. Evil encompasses them from all sides, and they incur God's anger. He has rejected them and has prepared for them heli an evil destination.” (Verse 6)

The surah also notes the pledge the believers gave to the Prophet, considering it a pledge to God. Thus, it establishes a direct relation between the believers and their Lord, the Eternal: “ We have sent you [Muhammad] as a witness, a bearer of good news and a warner so that you [people] may believe in God and His Messenger, support Him, honour Him and extol His limitless glory morning and evening. Those who pledge their allegiance to you are actually pledging their allegiance to God: God's hand is over their hands. He who breaks his pledge does so to his own detriment, but to the one who fulfils his pledge to Him, God will grant a rich reward." (Verses 8-10)

Before completing the discussion of the believers’ attitude at al- Hudaybiyah, the surah refers, within the context of unkept pledges, to the desert Arabs who stayed behind and did not join the Prophet on this expedition. It shows their excuses to be unfounded and exposes their ill thoughts about God and their expectation that the Prophet and his Companions would encounter disaster. It directs the Prophet as to the attitude he should adopt towards them in future. The style here emphasizes the believers’ strength and the weakness of those who stayed behind. It makes it clear that the Muslims would soon be able to make rich war gains, all of which would be coveted by those who were too slow to join the Prophet on this expedition: " The desert Arabs who stayed behind will say to you, 'Our property and our families kept us busy; do then ask God to forgive us. ’ Thus they say with their tongues what is not in their hearts. Say: 'Who, then, can avert from you anything that God might have willed, whether it be His will to harm you or to confer a benefit on you? No! God is fully aware of what you do. * No! You thought that the Messenger and the believers would never return to their families and this thought seemed pleasing to your hearts. You entertained such evil thoughts because you have always been devoid of goodness. As for those who will not believe in God and His Messenger, We have prepared a blazing fire for the unbelievers. To God belongs the dominion over the heavens and the earth. He forgives whoever He will and punishes whoever He will. God is much-forgiving, ever merciful. When you set forth on a course that promises war gains, those who previously stayed behind will say: "Let us come with you.” They thus seek to alter God's words. Say: “You shall not come with us.

Looking at the surah as a whole and comparing it to the one that precedes it in the Quranic order reveals the profound change in the general attitude of the Muslim community over the three years we believe to have separated the revelation of these two surahs. We realize the effects the Qur’an had on that community and how it benefited by the careful education the Prophet imparted to it, enabling it to assume its unique position and play its unparalleled role in human history.

It is clear from the general ambience of this surah and the feelings it generates that the Muslim community had attained maturity, achieved a coherently high standard of faith, become reassured about its duties and no longer needed strong incentives in order to discharge such duties that required sacrificing life and property. It now needed a restraining influence so that it could look at things calmly and accept the decision of the Highest Leadership of the Islamic message to observe a temporary truce in its confrontation with the enemy.

No longer does the Muslim community need a directive of the type:

“ Therefore, do not lose heart or sue for peace. It is you who have the upper hand, and God is with you. He will never let your deeds go to waste." (47:35)

or an admonition like: “ You are called upon to give in God's cause, but some among you will turn out to be niggardly Whoever is niggardly [in God's cause] is niggardly towards himself. God is the source of all wealth, whereas you are the ones in need. If you turn away, He will substitute other people for you, and they will not be like you." (47: 38) Nor was there any more need to provide incentives to fight for God’s cause by speaking about the nobility of martyrdom and the great honour God grants to martyrs. We do not have here any exposition of the purpose of putting the Muslim community to the test by imposing a duty to fight for God’s cause, as we have in the preceding surah, Muhammad: “Had God so willed, He could have punished them Himself, but it is His will that He tests you all by means of one another. And as for those who are slain in God's cause, never will He let their deeds go to waste. He will grant them guidance, and bring them to a happy state, and will admit them to the Garden He has already made known to them." (47: 4-6)

By contrast, the discourse in the present surah highlights the tranquillity God placed in the believers’ hearts, or bestowed on them, to restrain them from being over zealous. It also reassures them that what took place was by God’s command, referring to the Prophet’s wisdom as he opted for a lenient and conciliatory approach. It speaks of God’s pleasure with those who offered their pledges to the Prophet under the tree, and paints at the end a bright picture of the Muslim community under the Prophet’s leadership.

The surah certainly speaks of the need to fulfil the pledges given to the Prophet and threatens those who go back on their pledges: “ Those who pledge their allegiance to you are actually pledging their allegiance to God: God's hand is over their hands. He who breaks his pledge does so to his own detriment; but to the one who fulfils his pledge to Him, God will grant a rich reward." (Verse 10) Clearly the reference here is one of honour to those giving their pledges to the Prophet, emphasizing the seriousness of the pledge. Reference to breaking such pledges occurs in respect of the desert Arabs who stayed behind. The same consideration applies to the hypocrites, men and women. This reference in the surah is made in passing, indicating the weakness of this group as compared with the entire Muslim community which had purged its ranks and attained maturity. This reference is very quick, unlike what we have in the preceding surah, Muhammad, where the discussion of the hypocrites and their Jewish allies occupies a large part of it. This is yet another development in the external attitude of the Muslim community, one that is in harmony with the developments taking place within it.