Surah Al-Fath (48) — Ayah 24

(Ayah 24) ➊ {وَ هُوَ الَّذِيْ كَفَّ اَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنْكُمْ وَ اَيْدِيَكُمْ عَنْهُمْ … :} When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and the noble Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) were at Hudaybiyyah, during the negotiations for the treaty and even after the treaty was concluded, the polytheists made efforts so that somehow fighting would break out and the treaty would not be possible. Several of their groups secretly came to act against the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and the Companions, but they could not cause any harm; rather, every time they were captured by the Muslims. They could have been killed, but the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) let them go, because if punishment was given, war would have become inevitable, whereas the benefit for the Muslims was in peace. Allah Almighty has reminded of His favor in this verse. Here, three incidents of the disbelievers’ attempts are mentioned:
(1) Salamah bin Akwa’ (may Allah be pleased with him) says, I used to stay with Talhah bin Ubaydullah (may Allah be pleased with him), give water to his horse, massage it, serve him, and eat at his place, and I had left my family and wealth while migrating to Allah and His Messenger. Then, when peace was established between us and the people of Makkah and we started meeting each other, I cleared thorns from under a tree and lay down in its shade. Four polytheists from the people of Makkah came to me and started speaking ill of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). Out of aversion to them, I went under another tree, and they hung their weapons on the tree and lay down. Meanwhile, someone called out from the bottom of the valley: “O Muhajirun! Ibn Zunaim has been killed.” I took my sword and attacked those four; they were asleep. I gathered their weapons in my fist and said to them: “By the One who has honored the face of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him)! Whoever among you raises his head, I will strike off his head in which his eyes are.” Anyway, I drove them to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and my uncle ‘Amir brought a polytheist named Mikraz from the Abalat. Until we brought them, along with seventy (70) polytheists, before the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) looked at them and said: [ دَعُوْهُمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ بَدْءُ الْفُجُوْرِ وَ ثِنَاهُ ] “Let them go, so that the beginning and repetition of breaking the covenant remains upon them.” Thus, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forgave them, and Allah Almighty revealed this verse: « وَ هُوَ الَّذِيْ كَفَّ اَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنْكُمْ وَ اَيْدِيَكُمْ عَنْهُمْ بِبَطْنِ مَكَّةَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ اَنْ اَظْفَرَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ» [ الفتح : ۲۴ ] “And He is the One who withheld their hands from you and your hands from them in the valley of Makkah after He had given you victory over them.” [ مسلم، الجہاد، باب غزوۃ ذي قرد وغیرھا : ۱۸۰۷ ]
(2) Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that eighty (80) armed men from the people of Makkah descended from Mount Tan‘eem. They wanted to take advantage of the heedlessness of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions, but he captured them alive and let them live, so Allah the Exalted revealed this verse: «وَ هُوَ الَّذِيْ كَفَّ اَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنْكُمْ وَ اَيْدِيَكُمْ عَنْهُمْ بِبَطْنِ مَكَّةَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ اَنْ اَظْفَرَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ » [ الفتح:۲۴] “And He is the One who withheld their hands from you and your hands from them in the valley of Makkah after He had given you victory over them.” [ مسلم، الجہاد، باب قول اللّٰہ تعالٰی : «وھو الذی کف أیدیہم عنکم» : ۱۸۰۸ ]
(3) ‘Abdullah bin Mughaffal Muzani (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that we were with the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) at Hudaybiyyah under that tree which Allah Almighty mentioned in the Qur’an. Its branches were touching the back of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and ‘Ali bin Abi Talib (may Allah be pleased with him) and Suhail bin ‘Amr were in front of him. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said to ‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): “Write, In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.” Suhail grabbed his hand and said: “We do not know what ‘the Most Gracious’ is; write what is known among us regarding our matter.” He said: “Write: {’’ بِسْمِكَ اللّٰهُمَّ۔‘‘}” Then they wrote: “This is what Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), has agreed upon with the people of Makkah.” So Suhail bin ‘Amr grabbed his hand and said: “By Allah! If you are Allah’s Messenger, then we have wronged you; write what is known among us regarding our matter.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Write, this is what Muhammad bin ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abd al-Muttalib has agreed upon, and I am also Allah’s Messenger.” While this was happening, thirty armed youths came out before us and became agitated in front of us. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) supplicated against them, so Allah Almighty blinded them, and we went forward and captured them. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked them: “Did you come under anyone’s covenant, or has anyone given you protection?” They said: “No!” So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) released them, and upon this Allah the Exalted revealed this verse: « وَ هُوَ الَّذِيْ كَفَّ اَيْدِيَهُمْ عَنْكُمْ وَ اَيْدِيَكُمْ عَنْهُمْ بِبَطْنِ مَكَّةَ مِنْۢ بَعْدِ اَنْ اَظْفَرَكُمْ عَلَيْهِمْ» [ الفتح : ۲۴ ] “And He is the One who withheld their hands from you and your hands from them in the valley of Makkah after He had given you victory over them.” [ مسند أحمد:۴ /۸۶،۸۷،ح:۱۶۸۰۵ ] The researchers of Musnad Ahmad have declared it justified.
➋ Here, the name of the city of the House of Allah is mentioned as “Makkah,” whereas in Surah Al ‘Imran (96) its name is given as “Bakkah.” It is thus known that this city has both names.
➌ { وَ كَانَ اللّٰهُ بِمَا تَعْمَلُوْنَ بَصِيْرًا:} That is, Allah Almighty was well aware of the utter injustice of the disbelievers and your patience and obedience, yet for many wise reasons He withheld their hands from you and your hands from them.

24. 1. When the Noble Prophet ﷺ and the Companions were at Hudaybiyyah, the disbelievers sent 80 men, armed, with the intention that if they got the chance, they would deceitfully act against the Prophet ﷺ and the Companions. Thus, this armed group came to Hudaybiyyah from the direction of Mount Tagheem, which the Muslims also became aware of, and they bravely captured all the men and presented them before the Messenger. Their crime was severe, and whatever punishment was given to them would have been justified. But the danger in this was that war would then become inevitable, whereas the Prophet ﷺ at that time preferred peace over war because it was in the interest of the Muslims. Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ forgave all of them and set them free (justified Muslim).

He is the One who withheld their hands from you and your hands from them in the valley of Makkah [34], after He had made you victorious over them. And Allah is All-Seeing of what you do.

[34] For further details on the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, refer to the following hadith:

1. Sayyiduna Anas ؓ narrates that near the time of the morning prayer, the Prophet ﷺ and the Companions descended from the mountain of Taneem. The disbelievers wanted to kill the Prophet ﷺ, but all of them were captured. Then the Prophet ﷺ set them all free. At that time, Allah revealed this verse: [ترمذي۔ ابواب التفسير]

2.
The Miracle at Hudaybiyyah and the Solution to the Water Shortage:

Muswar bin Makhramah and Marwan both narrate that on the occasion of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the Prophet ﷺ set out from Makkah. While still on the way, the Prophet ﷺ said: "Khalid bin Walid has reached Ghameem with a vanguard of two hundred horsemen. Therefore, take the path to the right." Khalid learned of the Muslims' arrival when he saw the dust raised by the riders, so he rushed to alarm the Quraysh. When the Prophet ﷺ reached the pass from where one descends to Makkah, his she-camel Qaswa stopped. The Prophet ﷺ said: "Qaswa has been stopped by the same Allah who stopped the people of the elephant. By the One in whose hand is my soul, if the people of Makkah ask me for anything that honors the sanctity of Allah's sanctuary, I will grant it." So the Prophet ﷺ turned from there and camped at the far side of Hudaybiyyah. There was a well there with very little water. The people complained of thirst to the Prophet ﷺ. He took an arrow from his quiver and told the Companions to plant it in the well. As soon as the arrow was planted, water began to gush forth. After that, until the Prophet ﷺ left from there, no one complained of a shortage of water.

Details of the Treaty:

During this time, Budayl bin Waraqa Khuza'i arrived there with several men. He was a well-wisher and confidant of the Prophet ﷺ among the people of Tihamah. He said: "Ka'b bin Lu'ayy and 'Amir bin Lu'ayy have reached Hudaybiyyah and camped at the springs with the most water, and they want to fight you and prevent you from entering Makkah." The Prophet ﷺ said: "We have not come to fight, only with the intention of 'Umrah. The Quraysh are also tired of fighting. If they wish, I am ready to make a truce with them for a fixed period, provided they do not interfere in the affairs of others. If others prevail over me, then their wish is fulfilled. And if I prevail, then if they wish, they may accept Islam; otherwise, by Allah, in whose hand is my soul, I will fight them over the matter of religion until my life is taken, and Allah will surely complete His religion." Budayl said: "I will convey your message to the Quraysh."

Budayl bin Waraqa Delivers Your ﷺ Message and Their Response:

So Budayl went to the Quraysh and said: "Muhammad ﷺ has said something." As soon as he said this, some hasty fools said: "We do not need to hear anything." But those with sense said: "Tell us, what does he say?" So Budayl conveyed everything he had heard from the Prophet ﷺ.

The Report of the First Envoy of Quraysh, 'Urwah bin Mas'ud:

Upon hearing this, 'Urwah bin Mas'ud al-Thaqafi said to the Quraysh: "If you trust me, let me go to Muhammad ﷺ." The Quraysh said: "Fine, go." When 'Urwah came, the Prophet ﷺ told him the same thing he had told Budayl. 'Urwah said: "Muhammad ﷺ, if you destroy your own people, that would not be good, and if the Quraysh prevail, your companions will abandon you." At this, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq ؓ became angry and said to 'Urwah: "Go suck the private parts of al-Lat! Would we ever abandon the Prophet ﷺ?" 'Urwah asked: "Who is this?" The people said: "Abu Bakr al-Siddiq ؓ." 'Urwah said: "If I did not owe you a favor, I would have replied to you." Then, as 'Urwah spoke, he would grab the Prophet's ﷺ beard, and Mughirah bin Shu'bah would push his hand away with the hilt of his sword. Then 'Urwah began to observe the Companions closely. When he returned to his people, he said: "I have visited kings, the kings of Rome, Persia, and Abyssinia. By Allah, I have never seen a king whose people honor him as Muhammad's ﷺ Companions honor him. If he spits, someone catches it in his hand and rubs it on his face and body. If he commands, they rush to fulfill his command. When he performs ablution, they almost fight to get the water. When he speaks, they lower their voices, and out of respect, they do not even look at him directly. Therefore, what Muhammad ﷺ has proposed is in your best interest. Accept it."

The Report of the Second Envoy:

Now a man from Banu Kinana said: "Let me go to them." The people said: "Fine, go." When he approached the Prophet ﷺ, the Prophet ﷺ said: "The one who is coming now is among those who honor the sacrificial animals of the House of Allah. So present the sacrificial animals before him." Accordingly, the animals were brought before him, and the Companions received him with cries of "Labbayk." Seeing this, he exclaimed: "SubhanAllah! It is not appropriate to prevent such people from the Ka'bah." He returned and said: "I saw garlands on the necks of the camels and their humps marked. I do not consider it right to prevent them from the House of Allah."

The Third Envoy Suhayl bin 'Amr, His Objections, and the Terms of the Treaty:

After this, Suhayl bin 'Amr came as an envoy from the Quraysh. When the Prophet ﷺ saw him, he said: "Now your matter has become easy." Suhayl said: "Come, let us write a treaty between us and you." The Prophet ﷺ called the scribe (Sayyiduna 'Ali ؓ) and said: "Write ﴿بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم﴾." Suhayl said: "According to the custom of the Arabs, write ﴿باسمك اللّٰهم﴾." The Prophet ﷺ told the scribe: "Fine, write ﴿باسمك اللّٰهم﴾." Then the Prophet ﷺ dictated: "Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah." Suhayl immediately objected and said: "Write Muhammad bin 'Abdullah." The Prophet ﷺ said: "Fine, write Muhammad bin 'Abdullah. And write: Muhammad bin 'Abdullah has made peace on the condition that you will allow them to go to the House of Allah and we will perform tawaf there." Suhayl said: "If we let you go now, it will be spread throughout Arabia that we have been subdued. Therefore, come next year." (The second condition) Suhayl dictated: "If any of our people, even if he has become Muslim, comes to you (in Madinah), you will return him to us." The Companions said: "SubhanAllah! How can it be that someone comes as a Muslim and is handed over to the polytheists?"

The Story of Abu Jandal:

While these matters were being discussed, Suhayl bin 'Amr's own son, Abu Jandal (who had become Muslim), escaped from Makkah in chains and reached the Muslims. Suhayl said: "Muhammad ﷺ, this is the first person who must be returned according to the condition." The Prophet ﷺ said: "But the treaty has not yet been fully written." Suhayl said: "Then I will not make the treaty." The Prophet ﷺ said: "At least make an exception for Abu Jandal." Suhayl said: "I will never do so." At last, Abu Jandal said: "I have come as a Muslim and am being handed over to the disbelievers. See what hardships I have endured."

The Religious Zeal of Sayyiduna 'Umar:

Sayyiduna 'Umar ؓ says: Seeing this situation, I came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: "Are you not the true Messenger of Allah?" The Prophet ﷺ said: "Why not?" I said: "Are we not upon the truth and the enemy upon falsehood?" The Prophet ﷺ said: "Why not?" I said: "Then why should we disgrace our religion?" The Prophet ﷺ said: "I am Allah's Messenger and I do not disobey Him; He will help me." I said: "Did you not say that we would reach the Ka'bah and perform tawaf?" The Prophet ﷺ said: "But did I say it would be this year?" After that, I went to Abu Bakr al-Siddiq ؓ and asked him the same questions I had asked the Prophet ﷺ, and he gave exactly the same answers as the Prophet ﷺ. On this occasion, because of the disrespectful words I had spoken, I performed many good deeds to atone for this sin. The Companions were in a state of despair and reluctant to offer sacrifice. When the treaty was completed, the Prophet ﷺ said to the Companions: "Get up, sacrifice your camels, and shave your heads." The Prophet ﷺ said these words three times, but the Companions (were so downhearted that no one acted upon it). Seeing this, the Prophet ﷺ went to Umm Salamah رضی اللہ عنہا and explained the whole situation. She said: "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Do not say anything to anyone. Rather, sacrifice your own camel and have your head shaved." So the Prophet ﷺ did so, and when the Companions saw him, they also sacrificed their camels and began shaving each other's heads.

The Story of Abu Basir and Abu Jandal:
When you returned to Madinah, a man from Makkah, Abu Basir, became Muslim and came to the Prophet ﷺ. The Quraysh sent two men to Madinah to bring him back, saying: "According to the treaty, return Abu Basir to us." The Prophet ﷺ handed Abu Basir over to them. On the way, Abu Basir killed one of the men, and the other fled and reached Madinah, saying: "By Allah, my companion has been killed, and I will not survive either." At that moment, Abu Basir also arrived and said: "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! You fulfilled your promise by returning me, and now Allah has delivered me from them." The Prophet ﷺ said: "May your mother be bereaved of you! If you had anyone to support you, you would stir up war." Hearing this, Abu Basir understood that the Prophet ﷺ would return him again, so he went straight to the seashore, and Abu Jandal bin Suhayl also escaped from Makkah and joined Abu Basir. Now, whenever a man from the Quraysh became Muslim and left Makkah, he would join Abu Basir, until they formed a group, and whenever a Quraysh caravan went to Syria, they would stop it and plunder it. Eventually, the Quraysh became distressed and sent word to the Prophet ﷺ, swearing by Allah and the ties of kinship, asking him to call Abu Basir to himself and not to return any Muslim who came to him in the future. So the Prophet ﷺ called Abu Basir to himself. [بخاري۔ كتاب الشروط۔ باب الشروط فى الجهاد والمصالحة]