In 6 AH (628 CE), the Prophet ﷺ set out from Madinah to perform Umrah with about 1,400 companions. They expected to enter Makkah in peace. Instead, they agreed to a treaty that many of them found hard to accept. The Quran later called the outcome a clear victory (48:1). This article explains what happened and why it mattered.
إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًۭا مُّبِينًۭا ١
Indeed, We have given you, [O Muhammad], a clear conquest
Surah Al-Fath (48:1)
The trip to Hudaybiyyah
The Prophet ﷺ had seen a dream. In it, he and his companions entered the Sacred Mosque with their heads shaved. He told his companions, and they took it as a sign. The Quran later confirmed the vision, and said that the entry would happen in safety (48:27).
لَّقَدْ صَدَقَ ٱللَّهُ رَسُولَهُ ٱلرُّءْيَا بِٱلْحَقِّ ۖ لَتَدْخُلُنَّ ٱلْمَسْجِدَ ٱلْحَرَامَ إِن شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ءَامِنِينَ مُحَلِّقِينَ رُءُوسَكُمْ وَمُقَصِّرِينَ لَا تَخَافُونَ ۖ فَعَلِمَ مَا لَمْ تَعْلَمُوا۟ فَجَعَلَ مِن دُونِ ذَٰلِكَ فَتْحًۭا قَرِيبًا ٢٧
Certainly has Allah showed to His Messenger the vision in truth. You will surely enter al-Masjid al-Haram, if Allah wills, in safety, with your heads shaved and [hair] shortened, not fearing [anyone]. He knew what you did not know and has arranged before that a conquest near [at hand].
Surah Al-Fath (48:27)
The group wore ihram, the state of pilgrim dress. They brought seventy camels for sacrifice. They carried swords in their sheaths, as travelers did, and they had no plan for war. The Prophet ﷺ wanted to show that Muslims came in peace.
Quraysh heard about the group and prepared to stop them. They did not want Muslims to perform Umrah in Makkah, because a peaceful visit would strengthen the Muslim position. The Muslims stopped at Hudaybiyyah, a place near the edge of the sacred area of Makkah.
The pledge under the tree
Negotiations began. Quraysh sent several envoys. The Prophet ﷺ told them that he had come for Umrah, not for war. He sent Uthman ibn Affan to Makkah to speak for the Muslims. Word then spread that Uthman had been killed. The report was false. Whatever the cause, the Prophet ﷺ called the companions to make a pledge. They promised to stand firm, and many of them promised not to flee even if it meant death. Scholars call this the Pledge of Good Pleasure, Bay'at al-Ridwan.
Allah described that pledge in the Quran. He said He was pleased with the believers who made it under the tree (48:18).
۞ لَّقَدْ رَضِىَ ٱللَّهُ عَنِ ٱلْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ ٱلشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِى قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَنزَلَ ٱلسَّكِينَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَثَـٰبَهُمْ فَتْحًۭا قَرِيبًۭا ١٨
Certainly was Allah pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you, [O Muhammad], under the tree, and He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquillity upon them and rewarded them with an imminent conquest
Surah Al-Fath (48:18)
The treaty and its terms
Suhayl ibn Amr came to negotiate for Quraysh. The discussion was long and tense. Several points in the written text upset the companions. The main terms were these:
- The Muslims would return to Madinah that year without performing Umrah. They could come back the next year and stay three days.
- Both sides would stop fighting for ten years.
- Anyone from Makkah who went to Madinah without permission from his guardian would be sent back.
- Anyone from Madinah who went to Makkah would not be sent back.
- Other tribes could join either side.
Suhayl also objected to the wording at the top of the document. He did not accept the phrase the Muslims used to begin it, and he did not accept the title Messenger of Allah being written after the Prophet's name. The Prophet ﷺ agreed to these changes, and the text named him Muhammad, son of Abdullah (Sahih al-Bukhari).
Abu Jandal
While the terms were being written, Abu Jandal ibn Suhayl came into the camp. He had been held in Makkah for his faith, and he arrived in chains. He begged the Muslims to protect him. His father, Suhayl, demanded that he be returned under the agreement. The Prophet ﷺ agreed, because the terms were already settled. He asked Abu Jandal to endure, and he told him that Allah would soon make a way out for him and for others (early accounts in the biography of Ibn Ishaq).
The scene was painful for the companions. Many felt humiliated. Some asked why they should accept such terms at all.
Umar's question
Umar ibn al-Khattab went to the Prophet ﷺ and asked whether they were not on the truth. The Prophet ﷺ said yes. Umar then asked why they should accept such humiliation. The Prophet ﷺ answered that he was Allah's servant and messenger, that he would not disobey his Lord, and that Allah would not let him down. Umar then asked Abu Bakr the same questions, and Abu Bakr gave a similar answer (Sahih al-Bukhari).
Umar later regretted how he had spoken that day. He said he did many good deeds afterwards in the hope that they would make up for it (Sahih al-Bukhari).
Surah Al-Fath
On the way back, the Quran was revealed. Surah Al-Fath, the Victory, begins by describing a clear conquest (48:1). The Prophet ﷺ said that this surah meant more to him than everything the sun shines upon (Sahih al-Bukhari).
The surah also reminds the believers that Allah protected them. He held back the hands of both sides in the valley of Makkah, after the believers had been given the upper hand (48:24).
وَهُوَ ٱلَّذِى كَفَّ أَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنكُمْ وَأَيْدِيَكُمْ عَنْهُم بِبَطْنِ مَكَّةَ مِنۢ بَعْدِ أَنْ أَظْفَرَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُونَ بَصِيرًا ٢٤
And it is He who withheld their hands from you and your hands from them within [the area of] Makkah after He caused you to overcome them. And ever is Allah of what you do, Seeing.
Surah Al-Fath (48:24)
Why it became a turning point
Many companions saw the treaty as a loss at the time. Within a short period, several things changed.
The truce gave Muslims safety to travel, teach and talk with others. Early historians report that the number of new Muslims grew sharply in the two years after the treaty. The sources do not give exact figures, so treat any number with care.
The truce did not last. Banu Bakr, who were allied with Quraysh, attacked Khuza'ah, who were allied with the Muslims. Quraysh supported the attack, which broke the agreement. In 7 AH, the year after the treaty, the Muslims performed the Umrah they had missed, known as Umrah al-Qada, as the treaty allowed. In 8 AH (630 CE), the Prophet ﷺ marched on Makkah with about 10,000 companions. The city surrendered with little fighting.
Lessons from the treaty
- A good result may not look good at first. Many companions could not see the benefit until later.
- The Quran encourages peace when the other side leans toward it (8:61). Making peace is not a sign of weakness.
- Leaders may have to accept terms they dislike, when the wider benefit is clear and their word is kept.
- Strong feelings need patience. Abu Jandal's pain and Umar's doubt were both real, and both were answered with patience and trust.
۞ وَإِن جَنَحُوا۟ لِلسَّلْمِ فَٱجْنَحْ لَهَا وَتَوَكَّلْ عَلَى ٱللَّهِ ۚ إِنَّهُۥ هُوَ ٱلسَّمِيعُ ٱلْعَلِيمُ ٦١
And if they incline to peace, then incline to it [also] and rely upon Allah. Indeed, it is He who is the Hearing, the Knowing.
Surah Al-Anfaal (8:61)