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the Muslims and the Quraysh had agreed to curtail hostilities for
ten years. The Quraysh would no longer be able to take reprisals
against people becoming Muslims. There was nothing now to
stop people from accepting Islam. It was as if a large crowd had
gathered at its gates. With the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, those gates
were thrown open and the crowds flocked in.
As Ibn Shahab al-Zahri and others have pointed out, the
Muslims gained more from the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah than from
any of their campaigns. The Prophet returned to Makkah two
years later with 10,000 men, whereas, previously, the Muslims had
numbered no more than 3,000. This was the direct outcome of
the greatest obstacle to the acceptance of Islam—the anger and
hostility of the Quraysh which would result from such conversions.
Bara’a was one of theMuslims present at Hudaybiyyah. Bukhari
relates how he used to say to latter-day people, who considered
the Conquest of Makkah to be the great victory of Islam, that the
Companions of the Prophet considered theTreaty of Hudaybiyyah
as the victory.
The economic blockade of Makkah was now lifted. Caravans
from that city were now permitted to pass freely through Makkah.
But Abu Jandal, Abu Baseer, and others who had accepted Islam,
had to be returned to the Quraysh under the terms of the treaty.
Before long, however, they escaped and took refuge in Zul-Marwa.
So many Muslim converts assembled in that place that it became
a new, flourishing centre of Islam. From there they used to play
havoc with the Quraysh’s trading caravans. Finally the Quraysh
were forced to give up insisting that anyone deserting the Quraysh
for the Muslim camp would have to be returned to them.
The great lesson of Hudaybiyyah is that one should avoid
impatience and should not judge solely by appearances. The
outwardly unfavourable Treaty of Hudaybiyyah held great
opportunities for the Muslims, which only people of insight could
perceive. Abu Bakr commenting on the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah,
observed: “It was the greatest Islamic victory, though on that
day people were too shortsighted to realize the divine wisdom
