6. The Treaty of Hudaybia & the Fall of Mecca
Inthesixthyearofthehijra,theProphetdecidedtogoforpilgrimageto
Mecca. The Meccans stopped the Muslims at a place calledHudaybia
anddidnotallowthemtoenterthecity.Thisencounterendedinapeace
agreementbetweenthe Prophet andtheQuraysh ofMecca.Thispeace
agreementcreated arelativelysafe environmentforthe Prophetto em-
bark on extending the call of Islam to the tribesand people far away
from Arabia.
Asaresultoftheactivityof theProphetandtheselflesseffortofthe
muhajirinandansarduringthatperiod,IslamspreadthroughtheArabi-
anpeninsula.Therewerealsoletterswrittentokingsofothercountries
suchasPersia, ByzantineandAbyssiniainviting themtoaccept Islam.
DuringthistimetheProphet lived inpovertyandwasproudof it.He
neverspentamomentofhislifeinvain.Rather,histimewasdividedin-
tothreeparts:onespentforGod,inworshippingandrememberingHim;
apartforhimselfandhishouseholdanddomesticneeds;andapartfor
thepeople.Duringthispartofhistimehewasengagedinspreadingand
teachingIslamanditssciences,administratingtotheneedsoftheIslamic
societyandremovingwhateverevilsexisted,providingfortheneedsof
the Muslims, strengthening domestic and foreign bonds, and similar
matters.
OneoftheconditionsofthepeacetreatywasthattheQurayshwould
notharmtheMuslimsoranyoftheirconfederates.Thisconditionwas,
however, violated by the Quraysh when they helped Bani Bakr tribe
againsttheKhuza’atribe—theformeranallyoftheQurayshandthelat-
teranallyoftheMuslims.TheProphetaskedtheQurayshtorespectthe
treaty,breaktheiralliancewithBaniBakrandcompensatethevictimsof
their aggression. The Quraysh refused to abide by the terms of their
treaty.TheProphet,withawell-equipped andwell-disciplinedforceof
10,000soldiers,marchedtoMeccaintheeighthyearafterthehijrahand
conquered it without much resistance.
Thecitywhichhasrejectedhismessage,plottedagainsthisfollowers
andconspiredtoassassinatehimwasathismercy.ProphetMuhammad
askedtheMeccans:“Whatcanyouexpectatmyhands?”“Mercy!Gener-
ousandNobleSire!”theyreplied.Ifhehadwished,hecouldhavemade
themallhisslaves.ButMuhammad—“mercyfortheuniverse”—said: