In the 6th year of
Hijrah, the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) along with his companions left
for Mecca to per-form Umrah. The Qureysh heard of the news and decided to
resist his entry into Mecca even as a pilgrim, and so he had to encamp at
Hudeybiah. The devoted Sahabah, 1400 in number, were however determined to
enter, even if it involved an open fight; but the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe
wasallam) viewed the matter differently and in spite of the Sahabah's eagerness
to fight, entered into a treaty with the Qureysh, accepting their conditions in
full.
This one-sided and
seemingly ungraceful truce was a very bitter pill for the Sahabah to swallow,
but their devo-tion to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) would not allow
them to demur, and even the most valiant man like Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho
anho) could not but submit to his decision. According to one of the articles of
the treaty, converts to Islam during the period of the truce were to be
returned, but not so the deserters from Muslims to Qureysh.
Hadhrat Abu Jandal
(Radhiyallaho anho) a Muslim in Mecca, was suffering great persecution at the
hands of Qureysh. They kept him constantly in chains. On hearing about the
arrival of the PrOphet (Sallallaho alaihe wasal-lam) in Hudeybiah, he escaped
somehow and managed to reach the Muslim camp at a time when the truce was about
to be signed. His father, Suhail (till then a non-Muslim) was the envoy of
Qureysh in the negotiations for the truce. He smote Hadhrat Abu Jandal
(Radhiyallaho anho) on his face and insisted on taking him back to Mecca. The
Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) represented that, since the truce had not
till then been written, its application in Abu Jandal's case was premature.
Suhail, however, would not listen to any argument and was not inclined to leave
his son with the Muslims even at the personal request of the Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), and would have for gone the truce even. Abu
Jandal - (Radhiyallaho anho) counting his hardships remonstrated at the top of
his voice but, much to the grief of the Sahabah, the Prophet (Sallalla-ho
alaihe wasallam) agreed to his return. He however enjoined patience on him
saying:
"Do not be
distressed, Hadhrat Abu Jandal (Radhiyalla-ho anho), Allah will shortly open a
way for you."
After the truce was
signed and the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) had returned to Madinah,
another Meccan Muslim Hadhrat Abu Basir (Radhiyallaho anho) escaped to Madinah
and besought the Prophet's (Sallallaho alaihe wa-sallam) protection. The
Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasal-lam) refused to accept his implorations and,
in deference to the truce condition, handed him over to the two persons who had
been deputed by the Qureysh to claim him. He, however, advised him as he had
advised Hadhrat Abu Jan-dal (Radhiallaho anho) to be patient and to hope for
the help of Allah. When Hadhrat Abu Basir (Radhiyallaho anho) and his escort
were on their way back to Mecca, Hadhrat Abu Basir (Radhiyallaho anho) said to
one of them:
"Friend, your
sword is extremely fine."
The man was flattered
and took it out from the sheath and said:
"Yes it is really
very fine, and I have tried it on so many persons. You can have a look at
it."
Most foolishly he made
over the sword to Abu Basir (Rad-hiyallaho anho). who immediately 'tried' it on
its owner and killed him. The other man took to his heels and reach-ed Madinah
to report to the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wa-sallam). In the meantime Abu
Basir (Radhiyallaho anho) also arrived. He said to the Prophet. (Sallallaho
alaihe wa-sallam):
"O, Prophet of
Allah. you once returned me and absolved yourself of the truce obligations. I
had no obligations to fulfil and I managed my escape from them by this trick,
as I was afraid of their forcing me to forsake my faith."
The Prophet (Sallallaho
alaihe wasallam) remarked:
"You are a
war-monger. I wish you could be helped."
Hadhrat Abu Basir
(Radhiyallaho anho) came to under-stand from this that he would be returned to
Qureysh again when they demanded him. He therefore left Madinah and fled to a
place in the desert on the sea shore. Abu Jandal (Radhiyallaho anho) also
managed his escape and joined him there. More Muslims of Mecca followed, and in
a few days quite a small group of such fugitives gathered in the wilderness.
They had to undergo untold sufferings in the desert, where there Was neither
habitation nor vegetation. They, however, being bound by no treaty proved a great
nuisance for the Qureysh by dealing blows after blows on their caravans
passin.a that .way. This compelled the Qu-reysh to approach the Prophet
(Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) and beseech him to intervene and call the
fugitives to Mad-inah, so that they might be bound by the terms of the treaty
like other Muslims, and the caravans might pass in safety. It is said that
Hadhrat Abu Basir (Radhiyallaho anho) was on his death bed when the letter sent
by the Prophet (Sal-lallaho alaihe wasallam) permitting his return to Madinah
reached him. He died while holding the Prophet's (Sallalla-ho alaihe wasallam)
letter in his hand.
No power on the earth
can make a person forsake his faith, provided it is a true faith. Moreover,
Allah has given an assurance to help those who are genuine Muslims
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