its burdens, people began to meet in safety and converse together. And no intelligent man
was apprised of Islam who did not enter it. Within two years of the truce as many as
those, as had entered it before, embraced Islam, or even more.” (Ibn Hisham, Vol. II, p.
322)
Ibn Hisham says, “Az-Zuhri’s assertion is demonstrated by the fact that the Prophet (r)
went to Hudaybiyah with 1,400 men according to Jabir b. ‘Abdullah but two years later the
Prophet (r) marched with 10,000 men for the conquest of Makkah.” (Ibn Hisham, Vol. II, p.
322).
Those Muslims who had been left behind in Makkah for one reason or the other, who
were harassed and persecuted by the Quraysh, succeeded, after the conclusion of the trea-
ty, to convert a considerable number of young men to their fold until the Quraysh began to
consider them as a new menace. These young men joined the band of Abu Basir, which
proved to be a new sword-arm of Islam, more dangerous in fact. The Quraysh were forced
to request the Prophet (r) to summon these men to Medinah. To this, the Prophet (r)
agreed, ending the distress of these poor men. All this came to happen as a result of the
treaty of Hudaybiyah. (Zad al-Ma’ad, Vol. I, pp. 388-89).
The attitude of peace and amiability displayed by the Prophet (r) on this occasion which
demonstrated his exemplary patience and moderation, did not fail to impress the tribes
which surrendered their faith to Islam. This led them to hold Islam in high esteem and to
love and revere it, evoking a wholesome atmosphere for its rapid expansion without any
conscious effort on the part of the Prophet (r) or the Muslims themselves.