OBSERVATION

This is a compulsory question poorly answered by most of the candidates due to the fact that it is a straight forward one asking them only to discuss the causes of the treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah in Islamic history. Many candidates wrote on the context of the Treaty without taking up its causes. The question demanded the candidates to explain the causes of Treaty of al-Hudaybiyyah as follows:

The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (Ṣuluḥ Al-Ḥudaybiyyah) came up a year after the battle of ditch as a pivotal treaty between Muhammad (S.A.W.) representing the Muslims of Madinah, and the Qurayshi tribe of Makkah in January 628 C.E. or 6 A. H. (Introduction)

1. Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) had a premonition that he entered Makkah and did ṭawāf around the Ka'bah.
2. His companions in Madinah were delighted when he told them about the premonition.
3. They all revered Makkah and the Ka’bah and they desired to do ṭawāf there
4. In 628 C.E., Prophet Muhammad (S.A.W.) and a group of about 1,400 Muslims marched peacefully without arms towards Makkah, in an attempt to perform the ‘Umrah (lesser pilgrimage) after six years of their exile at Madinah.
5. They selected a sacred month in which fighting and war were prohibited according to the convention of the Arabs.
6. They were dressed as pilgrims, and brought sacrificial animals, hoping that the Quraysh would honour the Arabian custom of allowing pilgrims to enter the city.
7. The Muslims had left Madinah in a state of Iḥram, a premeditated spiritual and physical state which restricted their freedom of action and fighting.
8. Contrary to their expectation, the Makkan enemies marched forward to prevent the entry of Muslims.
9. The Makkans armed themselves and took up a defensive position on their way under the leadership of Khalid b. al-Walid.
10. The Prophet learnt that the Quraysh had laid siege on the Muslims’ way.
11. The prophet then ordered the Muslims to swing to the right towards the south of Makkah.
12. The Prophet’s camel knelt down at Hudaybiyyah and refused to advance further.
13. The Muslims believed that she was neither stubborn nor tired.
14. Furthermore the Prophet said: “The same power that once stopped the elephant from entering Makkah is stopping us”.
15.  Finally, the Muslims halted at Hudaybiyyah which is a short distance North of  Makkah
16. He then ordered them to camp, which they did, hoping that they would set out towards the ka’bah the following day.
17. The Quraysh was aware of the  Muslims’ intention to enter Makkah and perform Umrah'
18. But the Quraysh’s reaction was to disallow Muslims from entering Makkah.
19. The Prophet (S.A.W.) sent ‘Uthmān b. ‘Affān to intimate the Makkans with the Muslims intention to perform ‘Umrah.
20. Muhammad (S.A.W.) met with Makkan emissaries who wished to prevent the pilgrims' entry into Makkah.
21. The prophet (S.A.W.) reminded them not to breach the convention of no war and violence in the sacred territory.
22. The emissaries thought over this and consulted each other.
23. They later realised that not only that the facts proposed by the Prophet were true, and also that the Muslims were increasingly becoming popular and strong.
24. Then they agreed for a “peaceful pact” as hinted by the Prophet (S.A.W.) after negotiations.
25. The two parties finally decided to resolve the matter through diplomacy rather than warfare, and a treaty was drawn up, which is known as the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.