Uthman’s mission and the pledge of Ridwan

Uthman’s mission and the pledge of Ridwan(100)

The emissaries had come and gone, questioning the Muslims’
motives. How was the Prophet ﷺ to convince the Quraysh that his only reason to enter Makkah was spiritual?

He decided to send his own emissary; Uthman bin Affan, to state that he had come only to perform Umrah. Uthman was to invite the Quraysh to Islam and to cheer the believing men and women still in Makkah with the tidings that Allah was about to make their religion victorious.

The time was at hand when they would no longer be required to conceal their faith. Uthman entered Makkah under the protection of Abban
bin Sayeed Umwi and conveyed the message. The Quraysh offered him the opportunity to circumambulate the Ka’bah, but he refused to do so while the Prophet himself was prevented from performing this act of worship.

The Quraysh decided to keep Uthman with them for a
while, perhaps to send him back after they had something concrete to offer the Muslims. But with the delay rumours had spread that he had been slain. Since the assassination of a messenger is a declaration of war, the Prophet ﷺ had to prepare for war.

Standing under a tree, the Prophet ﷺ exhorted his followers to take an oath. They came up swearing to remain on the battlefield and to fight unto death. Placing one hand on the other, the Prophet ﷺ said,

“This is the pledge on behalf of Uthman.” Just then, Uthman himself came up, and the believers were spared from going into battle, but they had proved their sincerity with their pledge. Allah revealed a verse referring to the sanctity of the covenant:

“Allah was pleased with the believers when they swore allegiance unto you beneath the tree.” (48: 18)
And from that day on, the pledge under the tree came to be
called, “Bay’a Al-Ridwan,” or the pledge of those who had earned Allah’s pleasure.

A treaty is concluded

When the Quraysh came to know of this oath of allegiance,they decided not to court war and sent Suhayl bin Amr to make peace. At the end of the prolonged talks, the following were agreed upon:

 Firstly, the Prophet ﷺ would go back that year with the
Muslims without making Umrah. He was to come to Makkah the next year, stay for three days, and he and his followers were not to carry any weapons except swords in their sheaths.

Secondly, a truce was to be in effect for ten years. Also,
whoever wished to enter a bond with the Prophet ﷺ would be permitted to do so and, likewise, anybody could come to a similar agreement with the Quraysh.

Lastly, anyone from the Quraysh who escaped to Madinah had to be returned to Makkah, but the Quraysh were not required to extradite any of the Prophet’s followers who returned to Makkah.

The Prophet ﷺ then sent for Ali and bade him write:

In the name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. Suhayl protested, “I do not recognise the Most Gracious you name.”
The Prophet ﷺ then asked Ali to write:

In Your name, O Allah. He then dictated to Ali, “This is what the Prophet Muhammad has decided.” Once Suhayl objected, “If we believed that you were God’s messenger, we would not have turned you away from the House of God, not fought with you.”

“I am Allah’s Messenger even if you disbelieve me,” replied
the Prophet ﷺ . He asked Ali to erase what he had written earlier and write “Muhammad bin Abdullah” in place of “the Prophet Muhammad.”
“By Allah, I cannot do it,” replied Ali . The Prophet ﷺ however, asked Ali to point out the words to be rubbed out. Ali pointed them out and the Prophet ﷺ expunged them. Thereafter two copies of the document were written – one for the Quraysh and another for the Muslims.

The peace treaty was still in the process of being drafted
when Abu Jandal, the Muslim son of Suhayl bin Amr, came on the scene, struggling in fetters, for his father had demanded he be returned to Makkah. The Prophet ﷺ protested, “But the treaty is still being drafted. It has not been finalised.”
Suhayl said, “If it is so, then I am not prepared to make any
agreement with you.”

The Prophet ﷺ said again, “Leave him for my sake.” But
Suhayl arrogantly said, “I will not leave him even for your sake,” and beat his son mercilessly. Abu Jandal cried out, “Muslims! Shall I be sent back to the pagans so that I am put to trial regarding my faith once again?”

The Prophet ﷺ said to him, “Be patient and take your
extradition as a source of immense reward. Allah will bestow His blessings on you and on other oppressed Muslims.” Umar bin Khattab was so incensed at the proceedings that he urged Abu Jandal to kill his father, but Abu Jandal held himself back and submitted to the terms of the treaty.

Read from first part https://islamicreminder.org/the-history-life-of-prophet-muhammad-pbuh/

TO BE CONTINUED IN SHA ALLAH…