Islamiyat · Oct / Nov 2023 · Paper 11 · Question 3

The Prophet (pbuh) stopped at Hudaybiyya on his way to Makka. Give an account of the events that took place here.

Mark according to the marking grid for AO1 – Knowledge on page 4. Answers may include some of the following ideas, but all valid material must be credited.

The Prophet (pbuh) had a dream where he entered Makka and did tawaf around the Ka’ba. In 628, he and a group of 1,400 Muslims marched peacefully towards Makka, in an attempt to perform umrah.

The Muslims had left Madina in a state of ihram, so were prohibited from fighting. When the Meccans got the news, they thought the Muslims were coming to attack and sent a force to stop them. To avoid the armed conflict, the Prophet (pbuh) took a different route to Makkah and camped at the place of Hudaybiyya.

The Prophet (pbuh) tried to negotiate entry to the Ka’ba with the Quraysh, through intermediaries. The Quraysh were unwilling to let the Prophet (pbuh) enter. ‘Uthman was sent to negotiate but was not allowed to return. Bait al-Ridwan influenced the Quraysh into negotiating a treaty. They sent Suhayl ibn ‘Amr to make this peace treaty with the Muslims, whereby the Muslims would go back to Makka and not return for the pilgrimage until the next year.

The treaty was for ten years; each party was to be secure from the other; if a person from the Quraysh was to migrate to Madina he would be sent back to Makka; however, if a person from the Prophet’s side went to the Quraysh they did not have to hand him back; the Muslims were to go back to Madina without performing umrah and return the next year for three days.

‘Umar and some other Muslims were discontent with the terms of the treaty. Once the document was completed, the Prophet (pbuh) asked the Muslims to sacrifice their animals and shave their heads.

The Prophet (pbuh) said that Muslims had been victorious and was supported in this by a new revelation: “Verily we have granted thee a manifest victory” (48:1).

In your opinion, what is the most important lesson that Muslims might learn from the events at Hudaybiyya? Give reasons to support your answer.

Mark according to the marking grid for AO2 – Understanding on

page 5.

Answers may include some of the following ideas, but all valid material must be credited.

Compromising does not mean you will be disobeying God, but sometimes it can be an act that has long term benefits.

Sometimes you cannot understand the wisdom of what is happening at the time but you have to trust that God is doing the best for you/Muslims. Compromising can help create peace and harmony between two parties. Doing things that are difficult can be challenging to accept but trying to see a different perspective can bring long term benefits.