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Strategic Victory Behind an Apparently Unfavorable Treaty
When the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was first signed, many companions struggled to accept it. Its terms seemed to place the Muslims in a weak position. Yet the Qur’an revealed Allah’s judgment about this event in the opening of Surah Al Fath, not after a major military victory, but after this treaty:
إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا
“Indeed, We have granted you a clear victory.”
(Surah Al Fath 48:1)
This verse shows that Hudaybiyyah was, in reality, a decisive conquest, even though no city was captured and no enemy was defeated by force. The long-term wisdom of this treaty appears when we look at what followed in the years after, and how it transformed the situation of Islam in Arabia.
Hudaybiyyah was described by Allah as a “clear victory” because it opened the doors for peaceful spread of Islam, internal strengthening of the Muslim community, and the eventual conquest of Makkah.
From Confrontation to Opportunity
Before Hudaybiyyah, relations between Quraysh and the Muslims were defined by years of hostility, persecution, and open war. The treaty changed this. By formally recognizing an agreement with the Muslims, Quraysh were in effect acknowledging the Prophet ﷺ and his community as a real political power in Arabia.
This recognition gave the Muslims space to breathe. For the first time since Hijrah, there was a formal peace, even if limited by time. The Prophet ﷺ understood that a pause in fighting would serve Islam more than continued conflict. With safety from Quraysh’s military aggression, the Muslim community in Madinah could now focus on education, da‘wah, building alliances, and consolidating internal unity.
The apparent humiliation of turning back without ‘Umrah in that year hid a deeper blessing. The companions who once resisted the terms lived to see how this new phase of relative calm allowed Islam to reach hearts that war had kept closed.
Opening the Door for Da‘wah
The Muslims had spent years defending themselves and their new state. With the signing of Hudaybiyyah, the atmosphere in Arabia changed. Travel became safer, tribes could meet Muslims without fearing Quraysh’s anger, and the Prophet ﷺ could redirect his efforts toward conveying the message beyond the battlefield.
Soon after the treaty, the Prophet ﷺ began sending letters and messengers to kings and rulers outside Arabia. This global outreach, covered in a later chapter, was made possible because the main enemy, Quraysh, had committed to peace for a set period. The Prophet ﷺ was no longer constantly interrupted by fear of a large Meccan attack and could think beyond local survival.
In addition, tribes across Arabia could now observe the Muslims more closely. They saw a stable community in Madinah, a leader who acted with principle and mercy, and a religion that brought order and justice. Previously, Quraysh’s propaganda portrayed Islam as a threat to tribal life and sacred customs. Peace made it easier for people to judge Islam by its fruits and realities, not by rumors.
Rapid Spread of Islam After the Treaty
One of the clearest signs of Hudaybiyyah’s wisdom was the surge in people embracing Islam after the treaty. Muslim scholars, when comparing numbers before and after Hudaybiyyah, note how many more accepted Islam during the period of peace than in all the previous years of war.
At the time of Hudaybiyyah, the Muslims who came from Madinah numbered around 1,400. Only two years later, when the Prophet ﷺ marched to Makkah at the time of its conquest, there were 10,000 Muslims in his army. The multiplication of numbers in such a short time was not due to battles, but to the opening of hearts in conditions of safety and contact.
This confirms that the real power of Islam is in its message, its justice, and its moral beauty, not in fighting itself. War may protect the community, but peace allows the message to reach people clearly. Hudaybiyyah created the conditions in which whole tribes could enter Islam, often after watching events unfold from a distance, comparing the character of the Prophet ﷺ to the behavior of Quraysh.
Testing Loyalties and Revealing Hearts
Another hidden wisdom in the treaty appeared through the seemingly harsh condition about returning those who came from Makkah to Madinah without the permission of their guardians. Many companions found this especially painful. Yet even this clause became a means to separate sincere faith from weak interest, and to expose Quraysh’s injustice.
Some who embraced Islam in Makkah were indeed returned, as the treaty required, and this was deeply difficult. But the Prophet ﷺ did not give up on them. Some of these Muslims later formed independent groups in neutral territory, intercepting Quraysh’s caravans until Quraysh themselves urged the Prophet ﷺ to cancel that clause, recognizing that it harmed them more than anyone else.
The Muslims who suffered in this way displayed remarkable sacrifice. Their perseverance became a powerful proof to others that faith in Islam was real, strong, and not motivated by material gain. The treaty, instead of weakening Islam, highlighted how genuine and committed the believers were, and how unjust Quraysh could be in trying to force them away from their religion.
Moral and Political Superiority of the Prophet ﷺ
Hudaybiyyah also demonstrated the Prophet’s high character in the political arena. He honored every condition of the treaty, even when it appeared to disadvantage the Muslims in the short term. His respect for agreements and refusal to betray trust showed not only personal integrity, but also the ethical base of the Islamic state.
His patience in accepting what Allah had decreed, his calm leadership in the face of emotional disappointment, and his steady confidence in the promise of his Lord all contributed to a powerful impression on both friends and enemies. Over time, many people realized that it was the Muslims, not Quraysh, who acted with restraint and justice.
The Qur’an alludes to this moral elevation through Hudaybiyyah when it promises:
لِّيُدْخِلَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَالْمُؤْمِنَاتِ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِن تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ خَالِدِينَ فِيهَا وَيُكَفِّرَ عَنْهُمْ سَيِّئَاتِهِمْ ۚ وَكَانَ ذَٰلِكَ عِندَ اللَّهِ فَوْزًا عَظِيمًا
“That He may admit the believing men and believing women to Gardens beneath which rivers flow, to abide therein forever, and that He may remove from them their misdeeds. And that is, in the sight of Allah, a great achievement.”
(Surah Al Fath 48:5)
The treaty was not simply a political maneuver. It was also a spiritual turning point in which Allah elevated the believers, forgave them, and prepared them for greater responsibilities.
Preparing the Way for the Conquest of Makkah
The most visible outcome of Hudaybiyyah’s long-term wisdom was the peaceful conquest of Makkah itself. The treaty included a term that allowed any tribe to align with either Quraysh or the Muslims. When one of Quraysh’s allies violated the pact by attacking a Muslim-allied tribe, Quraysh had, in effect, broken the treaty.
Because the Prophet ﷺ had a clear written agreement, and because Quraysh were the ones to violate it, he was morally and politically justified in marching on Makkah. Many neutral tribes understood that it was Quraysh who had failed their word, not the Muslims. This changed the balance of public opinion in Arabia.
The conquest that followed was not an act of revenge or uncontrolled violence. It was, largely, a peaceful entry. Many people in Makkah had already changed internally, partly due to the years of contact permitted by Hudaybiyyah. When the Muslims entered with 10,000 strong, the city fell with minimal resistance, and the Prophet ﷺ granted a general amnesty. The path to that moment started with the “clear victory” of the treaty.
Growth of the Companions’ Understanding
Hudaybiyyah also served as a lesson for the companions in how to understand events through revelation rather than raw emotion. At the time of the treaty, some felt intense pain, confusion, even frustration. But when Surah Al Fath was revealed, praising those who gave the pledge under the tree and calling the treaty a victory, the believers learned to trust Allah’s wisdom beyond what their immediate senses told them.
The treaty became an example in Islamic history of how something that looks like loss may, with time, be recognized as success. Later generations would look back at Hudaybiyyah as a model for strategic patience, restraint, and long-term thinking.
One of the key lessons of Hudaybiyyah is that obedience to Allah and His Messenger ﷺ, even when a command seems outwardly difficult, brings outcomes that are better than anything people could plan by themselves.
A Model of Strategic Patience for the Ummah
In the Seerah, Hudaybiyyah stands as a guide for the Muslim community in times of pressure and apparent disadvantage. It shows that strength is not always shown in immediate victory, but often in discipline, control of emotion, and steady adherence to principles.
Through this treaty, Allah taught the believers that the path of Islam is long, that change happens step by step, and that sometimes accepting a short-term hardship leads to a long-term opening. The Muslims who returned from Hudaybiyyah without completing ‘Umrah may have felt that they came back empty-handed. In reality, they had laid the ground for a transformation of Arabia and a historic expansion of Islam.
In this way, the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was not a pause in the story of the Prophet ﷺ, but a turning point. Its long-term wisdom continues to offer guidance to Muslims about patience, strategy, and reliance on Allah’s promise in every age.