that she has grown distressed. The Prophet—peace and blessings be upon him—replied, “Al-Qaṣwāʾ has not balked, and such conduct is not in her nature; rather, the One who stayed the elephant has stayed her.” He then added, “By Him in whose hand my soul rests, if they ask of me any course that magnifies the sanctities of Allah, I shall grant it to them.” After he had sworn this oath, the Companions prodded the camel; she sprang to her feet, and he turned away from heading straight toward Mecca until he camped at the farthest edge of al-Hudaybiyyah on the side facing Jeddah—all of that to avoid fighting during the sacred month and within the Sacred Precinct, except if compelled by absolute necessity.
- Ibn al-Qayyim said: Another lesson is that when the idolaters, the innovators, the rebels, or the oppressors request something through which they honor one of Allah’s sanctities, they should be answered, granted it, and aided in it. They are to be assisted in upholding what involves Allah’s sanctities, not in their disbelief or wrongdoing.
Therefore, whoever seeks help in accomplishing something beloved to Allah is to be assisted—whoever he may be—provided that such assistance does not give rise to an evil greater than the good intended. This issue is among the most delicate, most difficult, and most trying upon the souls, which is why some Companions found it hard to accept the treaty’s conditions.
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Another ruling: the Muslim leader may himself initiate a proposal of truce with the enemy when he judges that it serves the Muslims’ best interest; he need not wait for the unbelievers to make the first move.
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A further benefit: once a person is identified by his given name and his father’s name, that suffices and there is no need to mention his grandfather or his clan. Thus, in the treaty document the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, was content with the phrases “Muḥammad son of ʿAbd Allāh” and “Suhayl son of ʿAmr.”
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This tremendous episode, that pivotal treaty, and that masterfully drafted document were all arranged by Allah, the All-Knowing, the All-Aware. Outwardly it appeared to be a boon for the polytheists, yet inwardly it contained wisdom, benefit, honor, and empowerment for the Muslims.
Hence Ibn al-Qayyim, may Allah have mercy on him, remarked, “It is too great and too lofty for anyone to encompass except Allah, Who perfected its causes; the outcome thus unfolded exactly as His wisdom decreed.”