سورة الفتح

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): Then Allah explained the reason for the treaty to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and said: هُمُ الَّذِینَ کَفَرُوا وَصَدُّوکُمْ عَنِ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ وَالْهَدْیَ مَعْکُوفاً أَنْ یَبْلُغَ مَحِلَّهُ وَلَوْلَا رِجَالٌ مُؤْمِنُونَ وَنِسَاءٌ مُؤْمِنَاتٌ لَمْ تَعْلَمُوهُمْ أَنْ تَطَؤُوهُمْ فَتُصِیبَکُمْ مِنْهُمْ مَعَرَّةٌ بِغَیْرِ عِلْمٍ [It is they who disbelieved and turned you away from the Sacred Mosque and (turned off) the offering withheld from arriving at its destined place; and were it not for the believing men and the believing women, whom, not having known, you might have trodden down, and thus something hateful might have afflicted you on their account without knowledge]; what is meant by this verse is the presence of believers in Mecca. Allah informs His Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) that the reason for concluding this peace treaty was the presence of believers in Mecca. If the peace treaty had not been signed and war and conflict had broken out between the Muslims and the polytheists, they would have been killed. But with the signing of the peace treaty, they remained safe and openly declared their Islam. It is said: this peace treaty was more blessed for the Muslims than their victory in war over the polytheists.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) — Muawiyah ibn Ammar narrates from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he said: "When the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) set out toward Makkah in the campaign of Hudaybiyyah, it was in the month of Dhul-Qa'dah. At the miqat where pilgrims enter ihram, they put on ihram and carried their weapons. When word reached the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) that the polytheists had dispatched Khalid ibn al-Walid to intercept and turn him back, he said: 'Find me a man who can take us by another route.' The Muslims brought before him a man from the tribe of Muzaynah or Juhaynah. The Prophet questioned him but did not find him suitable, so he said: 'Find me another man.' They brought another man, also from Muzaynah or Juhaynah. When the Prophet spoke with him, he took him along until they reached a mountain pass. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'Whoever climbs this pass, Allah will remove his sins from him, just as Allah removed the sins of the Children of Israel when He said to them: "And enter the gate [of Bayt al-Muqaddas] with humility! If you do so, We will forgive your sins and give even greater reward to the doers of good."' (al-A'raf/161). The Ansar — that is, the Aws and Khazraj — took the lead and climbed up. They were one thousand eight hundred men. When they descended into the valley of Hudaybiyyah, they came upon a woman with her son at the edge of a well. When her son saw the army of Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) he fled. When the woman realised that they were the army of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), she called out after her son: 'These are the Sabi'ah' — the Arabs used to call "Sabi'ah" those who abandoned their religion and adopted another — 'no harm will come to you from them.' The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) came to the woman and asked her to draw a bucket of water. After she drew it up, the Prophet took it and drank from it and washed his face with it, and poured what remained back into the well; and that well, [by the blessing of the water from the hand of the Noble Messenger (peace be upon him and his family),] has remained full of water to this very day. The Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) then moved on toward Makkah. The Quraysh sent Aban ibn Sa'id with the cavalry of Quraysh to him, and he took up a position facing the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). After him they sent al-Hulays. When al-Hulays came and saw the sacrificial camels — how they were eating one another's wool — he did not go on to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) but turned back and said to Abu Sufyan: 'O Abu Sufyan! By Allah, we did not enter into an alliance with you so that you might turn back the sacrificial animals from their place of sacrifice.' Abu Sufyan said to him: 'Be silent, for you are a desert-dwelling Arab.' Al-Hulays said: 'By Allah, either you leave Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) free to come to Makkah and do whatever he wishes, or I will withdraw the Ahabish from cooperating with Quraysh.' Abu Sufyan said: 'Be silent until we take a pledge from Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family).' After this incident, the Quraysh sent Urwah ibn Mas'ud [who was the chief of the tribe of Thaqif and lived in Ta'if] to the Prophet. Urwah had at that time come to the Quraysh to negotiate on behalf of those whom al-Mughirah had killed. The manner of their killing was that al-Mughirah killed those men — who had gone out for trade — on the road, took their wealth, and brought it to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) refused to accept that wealth and said: 'This wealth has been obtained by treachery, and we have no need of it.' They sent envoys to the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and said: 'O Prophet (peace be upon him and his family)! Urwah ibn Mas'ud is coming to you as a representative of Quraysh, and he is a man who honours the sacrificial camels.' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'Line up the sacrificial animals before him.' So they lined them up in front of him. Urwah came to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and said: 'For what purpose have you come to Makkah?' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'I have come to perform tawaf around the Ka'bah and sa'y between Safa and Marwah, and to sacrifice these camels and leave their meat for you.' Urwah said: 'No, by al-Lat and al-Uzza, I do not consider it fitting that someone like you should be turned back from the purpose for which you have come; but your people, the Quraysh, remind you of Allah and of your kinship with them, and adjure you not to enter their city without their permission, not to sever ties of kinship, and not to embolden their enemies against them.' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'I will do nothing except enter Makkah.' Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) says: 'While Urwah ibn Mas'ud was speaking with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), he kept placing his hand on the beard of the Prophet, and al-Mughirah ibn Shu'bah, who was standing at the head of the Prophet, struck his hand.' Urwah said: 'O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! Who is this?' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'This is your brother's son, al-Mughirah.' Urwah turned to al-Mughirah and said: 'O treacherous one! By Allah, I have come to Makkah only to wash away your filthy deed.' Urwah returned to Quraysh and said to Abu Sufyan and his companions: 'No, by Allah, I do not consider it right to turn back a man like Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family) from coming to Makkah and doing what he intends.' The Quraysh sent Suhayl ibn Amr and Huwaytib ibn Abd al-Uzza to the Prophet, and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) ordered that the sacrificial camels be lined up before them. The two came and asked the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): 'For what have you come to Makkah?' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'I have come to perform tawaf of the Ka'bah and sa'y between Safa and Marwah, and to sacrifice these camels and leave their meat for you.' Suhayl ibn Amr and Huwaytib said: 'Your people adjure you by Allah and by kinship with them not to enter their city without permission and not to embolden their enemy against them.' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) would not accept from them anything other than entering Makkah. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) decided to send Umar to them, and Umar replied: 'O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! My clan among the Quraysh is few, and my standing among them is as you know; but I direct you, for this important task, to Uthman ibn Affan.' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) sent for Uthman and said: 'Go to the believers of your people and give them the glad tidings of the conquest of Makkah which Allah has promised me.' When Uthman was on his way to Makkah he met Aban ibn Sa'id, who honoured him, drew back from his saddle, seated Uthman in front of him, and took him to Makkah. Uthman entered Makkah and announced his message to them, and thus a dispute began between the Muslims and the polytheists. Suhayl ibn Amr was sitting with the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), and Uthman was detained in the camp of the polytheists. At that time the Noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) took the pledge of allegiance from the Muslims, and in place of Uthman's pledge, since he was not present, the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) struck one of his hands upon the other. The Muslims said: 'How blessed is Uthman, that he has succeeded in performing tawaf of the Ka'bah and sa'y between Safa and Marwah and coming out of ihram.' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'He would not do such a thing.' When Uthman returned and came to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family), the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) said to him: 'Did you perform tawaf of the Ka'bah?' He said: 'I would not do such a thing, nor would I precede the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) in tawaf,' and he related his own account and told all that had happened. The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) then turned to Ali (peace be upon him) and said: 'Write: بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمنِ الرَّحِیمِ [In the name of Allah, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful].' Suhayl said: 'I do not know who al-Rahman and al-Rahim are, except the one in the city of Yamamah; so write as we write.' Write: 'بِاسْمِکَ اللَّهُمَّ [In Your name, O Allah].' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'Write: this is the treaty which the Messenger of Allah concludes with Suhayl ibn Amr.' Suhayl said: '[If we regarded you as the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)] then why would we fight you?' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'I am the Messenger of Allah, and I am Muhammad ibn Abd Allah.' The Muslims said in one voice: 'You are the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family).' Among the terms of the treaty was this: the polytheists said, 'Whoever of us flees to you, return him to us, and Muhammad shall not force him into his religion; but whoever of you Muslims flees to us, we shall not return him.' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'We have no need of anyone who flees to you.' And it was also among the terms of this treaty that the worship of Allah should be practised openly, not in secret, among the people of Makkah." Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) said here: "Indeed, curtains used to be sent as gifts from Madinah to the Muslims of Makkah, and no clause of the terms of the peace treaty was more blessed for them than this; and it came to such a point that Islam was on the verge of prevailing over all the people of Makkah. Suhayl ibn Amr seized his son Abu Jandal and said: 'This is the first clause on which we have agreed.' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'Have you signed any treaty?' Suhayl said: 'O Muhammad (peace be upon him and his family)! You are not one to break a covenant.' Thus Suhayl took Abu Jandal with him. Abu Jandal turned to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) and said: 'O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Will you hand me over to him?' The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: 'I did not stipulate any condition with him regarding [your freedom],' and then he said: 'O Allah! Provide a way out for Abu Jandal.'"

Imam Hasan (peace be upon him): Do you know that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) cursed Abu Sufyan on seven occasions: First: when the Prophet left Mecca heading toward Medina and Abu Sufyan came from Sham, Abu Sufyan lashed out at the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), abused him, threatened to kill him and resolved to attack him. But the Mighty Allah warded off his evil from His Messenger (peace be upon him and his family). Second: the day Abu Sufyan drove away the caravan to save it from the noble Prophet (peace be upon him and his family). Third: in the Battle of Uhud, when the great Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Allah is our Master, and you have no Master." Abu Sufyan said: "We have the idol al-Uzza and you have no al-Uzza." At this point Allah, the angels, the Messenger and all the believers cursed Abu Sufyan. Fourth: at the Battle of Hunayn, the day Abu Sufyan brought the tribe of Quraysh and Hawazin, and Uyayna brought the tribe of Ghatafan and the Jews. Then the Mighty Allah turned them back while they were enraged and had gained no good. That is, the statement of Allah the Glorious, which in the two Surahs (al-Ahzab and al-Fath) identifies Abu Sufyan and his companions as disbelievers, is this very thing. O Mu'awiya! On that day you were a polytheist in Mecca following your father's opinion. But the Commander [of the Faithful] on that day was on the opinion and religion of the Prophet of Allah (peace be upon him and his family). Fifth: this verse which says: وَ الْهَدْیَ مَعْکُوفاً أَنْ یَبْلُغَ مَحِلَّهُ [and (turned off) the offering withheld from arriving at its destined place]; O Mu'awiya! On that day you, your father, and the polytheists of Quraysh blocked the way of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), and Allah cursed your father with such a curse that it will include him and his descendants until the Day of Resurrection.

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): When they blocked the Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) at Hudaybiyyah, he performed taqsir (shortening the hair), came out of ihram, sacrificed, and returned; halq (shaving the head) was not obligatory upon him unless he completed the rites. But for the one who is prevented from entering the Haram, only taqsir is obligatory.

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Abi Nasr said: I asked Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) about a muhrim (one in ihram) whose leg is broken: "What is the ruling on his ihram?" He said: "He is released (muhill) from everything." I asked: "Even from women, clothing and perfume?" He said: "Yes, everything that is forbidden upon the muhrim becomes lawful for him." And he said: "Have you not heard the saying of Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him)?" He said: "حُلَّنِی حَیْثُ حَبَسْتَنِی لِقَدَرِکَ الَّذِی قَدَّرْتَ عَلَیَّ [Release me wherever You have detained me, by the decree You have ordained upon me]." I asked: "May Allah set your affairs right — what do you say concerning the Hajj?" He said: "He must perform the Hajj the following year." I asked: "Is the ruling of the one who is confined (mahsur) the same as the one whose path is blocked (masdud)?" He said: "No." I said: "Then tell me about the state of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) when the polytheists blocked the path against him — did he make up his umrah?" He said: "No, but he performed an umrah after that."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Muawiya ibn Ammar said: I heard Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) say that the confined person (mahsur) is other than the one whose path is blocked (masdud). The mahsur is the one who is sick, and the masdud is the one whose way to perform the Hajj has been blocked by the polytheists, just as they blocked the way against the Prophet of Islam (peace be upon him and his family) and his companions — and this prevention was not on account of illness. For the masdud, women are lawful, but for the mahsur they are forbidden. At the end of the hadith it comes that I said to him: But the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family), when returning from Hudaybiyyah, did not say that women were lawful for him, and he did not perform tawaf of the House of the Ka'bah. He said: "These two are different from one another and do not have the same ruling, because the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) was masdud, whereas Imam Husayn (peace be upon him) was mahsur."

Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): Fadl ibn Yunus said: I said to Imam Kazim (peace be upon him): "A tyrannical ruler detained a pilgrim on the day of Arafah before noon, sent him to Makkah and imprisoned him. When the day of Eid came, he released the pilgrim from prison. What is the duty of this pilgrim?" Imam Kazim (peace be upon him) said: "He must join the rest of the pilgrims and halt at Muzdalifah, then come to Mina, throw stones at the image of Satan, slaughter his sacrifice, and shave his head. No other duty rests upon him." I said: "If they release him on the twelfth day, which is the day of returning from the rites of Hajj, what duty will he have?" He said: "This pilgrim, by being detained, has lost his ability [to perform Hajj]. If, when he entered Makkah, he had entered with the Umrah of Tamattu', he must circumambulate the House of the Ka'bah seven times, perform sa'y seven times between Safa and Marwah, then shave his head and offer one sacrifice. And if he entered Makkah with the intention of Hajj alone (ifrad), his rites are complete and no other duty rests upon him, neither a sacrifice nor anything else. He only shaves his head and comes out of ihram."

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): One who is halted on the way to Makkah and whose path is blocked offers a sacrifice there and returns home. Since, because of the road being blocked, he has lost his ability [to complete the Hajj] and the duty of Hajj has fallen from him, he may lie with his wife.

The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family): Allah gave them respite because He knew that from their loins would come pure, believing children; لَوْ تَزَیَّلُوا لَعَذَّبْنَا الَّذینَ کَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ عَذاباً أَلیماً [Had they been separated, We would surely have punished those of them who disbelieved with a painful punishment] — if they had been separated, those believing children would have been afflicted with a painful punishment on their account. Only one who fears missing the chance hastens in punishment.

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): Ibrahim al-Karkhi narrated that he said: I said to Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): "Was not Amir al-Mu'minin (peace be upon him) strong and brave in the way of Allah's religion?" The Imam (peace be upon him) said: "Yes." I said: "Then why did a group prevail over him and he did not defend himself against them? What was the cause of this?" The Imam said: "One of the verses of the Quran prevented this." I said: "Which verse?" The Imam said: "Allah has said: لو تَزَیَّلوا لعَذَّبْنَا الذِینَ کَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلیمًا [Had they been separated, We would surely have punished those of them who disbelieved with a painful punishment]. Allah has placed among the offspring of the disbelievers and hypocrites some believers. That Imam did not intend to fight them until those children and descendants came into the world. When they came into the world, that Imam fought those of them who displayed their enmity. Our Qa'im (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) is likewise. He too will only rise when the believers who are to be born from the lineage of the disbelievers have been born. Then that Imam will attack the disbelievers and kill them."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): It is narrated from Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him) that he said concerning the verse: لو تَزَیَّلوا لعَذَّبْنَا الذِینَ کَفَرُوا مِنْهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلیمًا [Had they been separated, We would surely have punished those of them who disbelieved with a painful punishment]: "Whenever Allah brings forth into the world the disbelievers who are [to be born] from the loins of the believers, and the believers who are [to be born] from the loins of the disbelievers, He will punish those who disbelieved."