Allah revealed Sūrat Barā’ah and commanded him to announce the repudiation of open-ended treaties with the polytheists, allowing them to travel freely through the land for four months. He said:

“Then, when the sacred months have passed, kill the polytheists wherever you find them.” (Sūrat al-Tawbah, 5)

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, then sent Abū Bakr al-Siddīq to lead the pilgrims and instructed him to proclaim that, after that year, no polytheist was to perform Hajj and no one was to circumambulate naked. They would proclaim this loudly during the pilgrimage season, as established in the Sahīh and elsewhere through the hadith of Abū Hurayrah and others. This is among the reports transmitted through numerous independent chains.

The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent ‘Alī ibn Abī Tālib after him, with instructions not to renounce the treaties of those with whom agreements had been made, because their custom was to accept the repudiation and dissolution of a treaty only from the leader himself or a member of his household. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, therefore granted them a delay at that time, in accordance with their custom, so that they would accept this. Abū Bakr was the leader who conducted the people’s pilgrimage rites, led them in prayer, and adjudicated their affairs, while ‘Alī accompanied him to convey the proclamation of repudiation to those bound by treaties.