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The Treaty of Hudaybiyah: Part 3

Hazrat Umar Talks to Abu Bakr

Hazrat could not soothe his feelings in his inner world despite his talk with the Prophet.

This time, he went to Hazrat Abu Bakr and said, “O Abu Bakr! Is he not the true prophet of God?”

Hazrat Abu Bakr said, “Yes, he is the true prophet of God.”

He asked, “Are we, Muslims, on the right way and are the polytheists, our enemies, on the wrong way?”

Hazrat Abu Bakr answered, “Yes, we are on the right way and our enemies are on the wrong way.”

Thereupon, Hazrat Umar said, “Then, why do we allow our religion to be humiliated?”

Hz. Abu Bakr, who was a symbol of loyalty, said, “O Umar! He is the Messenger of God. He did not disobey God when he signed this treaty. Obey his orders.”

Hazrat Umar said, “Did he not tell us in Madinah, ‘We will go to the Kaaba and circumambulate it?’”

Hazrat Abu Bakr said, “Yes, he did.” Then he asked Hazrat Umar, “Did he say, ‘You will go to the Kaaba and circumambulate it this year?”

Hazrat Umar said, “No, he didn’t.”

Thereupon, Hazrat Abu Bakr said, “You will definitely go to the Kaaba and circumambulate it soon.”

The Confession and Regret of Hazrat Umar

Hazrat Umar later stated his mood that day and the regret he felt as follows:

“I had never suffered a misfortune like that day. I talked to the Prophet (pbuh) in a style that I had never done before. If I had found a group that had the same view as me, I would have left those who supported the peace and the treaty and would have acted together with them. Eventually, God made it better for us. The Messenger of God (pbuh) knew that it was going to turn out like that. I fasted, gave sadaqah, performed prayers and freed slaves due to the fear I felt because of the words that I uttered in the presence of the Messenger of God that day hoping that it would turn out to be good.”

Sacrificing Animals and Having Haircuts

After signing the treaty and making peace, the Messenger of God called out to the Companions, “Stand up, sacrifice your animals and have haircuts.”

However, despite the endless respect and love of the Companions toward the Prophet, nobody moved when they heard the order. The Prophet had to repeat his order for the second time: “Stand up, sacrifice your animals and then have haircuts!”

However, the Companions acted as if they had not heard the order; they did not start to sacrifice the animals and have haircuts.

The Messenger of God repeated his order for the third time: “Stand up, sacrifice your animals and then have haircuts!”

The Companions did not move.

When the Messenger of God saw that nobody from the Companions moved though he repeated his order three times, he went to Umm Salama, one of his wives and said,

“O Umm Salama! What is the matter with them? I said to them repeatedly, ‘Sacrifice your animals and have haircuts but they do not fulfill my order!”

Umm Salama, who was exceptionally intelligent and virtuous said, “O Messenger of God! Do you want to do it? Then, go out and do not say even one word to the Companions until you slaughter your animal and your barber gives you a haircut. If you slaughter your animal and have your hair cut, they will do so, too.”

Thereupon, the Prophet went out. He removed his ihram under his right armpit and put it on his left shoulder; he sacrificed his camel and called his barber, Khirash b. Umayya; Umayya cut his hair.

Thereupon, the Companions started to sacrifice their camels and have their hair cut.

Umm Salama narrates,

“They ran toward the animals to be sacrificed so fast that they nearly ran over one another.”

It cannot be said that the Companions did not fulfill the repeated order of the Messenger of God to oppose him. They probably thought the articles of the peace treaty were too harsh and expected that the treaty would be annulled by revelation; they expected that the Messenger of God would annul his order. At least, they thought they would be allowed to enter Makkah so that they would complete their umrah. They waited for it to happen. As a matter of fact, when they saw that no revelation was sent down regarding the issue, that the Messenger of God sacrificed his camel and that he had his hair cut, they started to sacrifice their camels quickly and had their hair cut so as not to oppose the Messenger of God.

We understand from this incidence that Umm Salama had exceptional intelligence and virtue. It was even said, “No woman in the history of Islam showed the sagacity and foresight that Umm Salama showed in Hudaybiyah.

The Prophet Says a Prayer

Some of the Companions were having their hair shaved and others were having their hair trimmed. The Prophet said, “May God show mercy on those who have their hair shaved.”

The Companions who had their hair trimmed hesitated for a moment when they heard this prayer. They asked the Prophet to say the same prayer for them, too. The Prophet said, “May God show mercy on those who have their hair shaved.”

The Companions said, “O Messenger of God! Pray for those who have their hair cut or trimmed, too. The Messenger of God said, “May God show mercy on those who have their hair cut or trimmed!”

The Companions asked, “O Messenger of God! Why did you ask for mercy for those who had their hair shaved but excluded those who had their hair trimmed first?”

The Messenger of God gave the following answer:

“Because those who had their hair shaved fulfilled the order fully; they did not hesitate like the others.”

After the Companions had their hair cut, a wind sent by God blew their hair toward the Kaaba. They regarded it as the acceptance of their umrah and gave the glad tidings to one another.

Leaving Hudaybiyah

After staying in Hudaybiyah for about twenty days with his Companions, the Messenger of God left Hudaybiyah in order to return to Madinah.

The Companions were very sorry because they had to return without visiting the Kaaba.

Meanwhile, when the Messenger of God was in the place called Kurau’l Ghamim, which is between Makkah and Madinah, the chapter of al-Fath, which gave the Muslims the glad tidings that they would attain great conquests: “Verily We have granted thee a manifest Victory”

God Almighty also stated in the chapter He sent down that the Messenger of God and the Muslims would soon go and visit the Kaaba, confirming the dream that the Prophet had seen: