The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was a pact signed in the sixth year of the Hijra between the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family) and the polytheists of Quraysh in an area near Mecca called Hudaybiyyah.
The event of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah is considered one of the turning points in Islamic history, having extensive impacts on the expansion of the religion of Islam. In this context, the role of Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) as one of the key figures of this event is noteworthy.
According to authentic historical reports, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him)was assigned by the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) to write the provisions of the peace treaty.
The Objection of the Polytheists During the Writing of the Contract
Imam al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) said in a hadith regarding the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah:
“Hafas bin Ahnaf and Suhayl bin Amr returned to the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) and said: ‘O Muhammad! Quraysh has accepted your condition regarding the freedom of the religion of Islam and not forcing anyone into their religion.'”
The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) asked for a pen and ink and called Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) to write the covenant.
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) wrote:
“In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful” (Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim).
Suhayl bin Amr said: “We do not recognize a god by the name of ‘al-Rahman.’ Write ‘In Your Name, O Allah’ (Bismika Allahumma) as your fathers did.” The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: “Write ‘Bismika Allahumma,’ for this is also one of the names of Allah.”
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) then wrote:
“This is a covenant between Muhammad, the Messenger of God, and the leaders of Quraysh.”
Suhayl bin Amr spoke again:
“If we accepted that you are the Messenger of God, we would not have fought you. Write: ‘This is a covenant between Muhammad bin Abdullah and Quraysh.’ O Muhammad! Are you ashamed of your lineage?” The Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said: “I am the Messenger of God, even if you do not acknowledge it.” Then he said: “O Ali! Erase it and write: ‘Muhammad bin Abdullah’.”
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) replied: “I will never erase your name from Prophethood.” The Messenger of God then erased the word “Rasul-Allah” (Messenger of God) with his own blessed hand.
Then Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) wrote:
“This is a peace treaty between Muhammad bin Abdullah and the leaders of Quraysh and Suhayl bin Amr. They agreed that there shall be no war between them for ten years, they shall not infringe upon each other, they shall not resort to theft or looting, and they shall not harbor intentions of betrayal or violation of the treaty in their hearts. Anyone who wishes to be an ally and co-religionist of Muhammad shall be free to do so, and anyone who wishes to be an ally and co-religionist of Quraysh shall also be free to do so.
If anyone from Quraysh joins the companions of Muhammad without the permission of their guardian, they shall be returned; but if anyone from the companions of Muhammad joins Quraysh, they shall not be returned. Islam shall be manifest and free in Mecca, and individuals shall be free regarding their religion and shall not be harassed or humiliated.
Muhammad and his companions shall refrain from entering Mecca this year and shall return; they shall come to Mecca next year and stay there for three days, and they shall not bring any weapons into Mecca except for the sheathed swords that a traveler carries.”
Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) wrote this peace treaty, and the Muhajirun and Ansar witnessed it.
Then the Messenger of God (peace be upon him and his family) said:
“O Ali! You refused to erase my name from the title of Prophethood. By Him who sent me as a Prophet in truth, you too shall be forced, in a state of pain and necessity, to concede to such a thing before the descendants of this group…”
[Years later] When the Day of Saffain arrived and both parties of the war agreed to arbitration, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) wrote:
“This is an agreement between Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), Ali ibn Abi Talib, and Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan.”
Amr ibn al-Aas said:
“If we accepted that you are Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him), we would not have fought you. So write: ‘This is an agreement between Ali ibn Abi Talib and Muawiyah bin Abi Sufyan’.” At that moment, Amir al-Muminin (peace be upon him) said: “God spoke the truth, and His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family) spoke the truth; the Final Prophet informed me of this matter when I wrote the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.”
Tafsir al-Qummi, Vol. 2, p. 312 / Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah, Vol. 1, p. 317 / Al-Tabaqat al-Kubra, Vol. 2, p. 74
