The Hudaybiya Peace Treaty

The Prophet of Islam provides a very clear historical example in his method of negotiating of the Hudaybiya peace treaty. On this occasion he brought matters to a successful conclusion by unilaterally accepting the conditions of his opponents. In this peace treaty, the Prophet had not apparently received justice or his rights. What was in effect a 10-year no-war pact, gave the Prophet an opportunity to work uninterruptedly on a constructive programme which would otherwise have been impossible. By means of this peaceful non-political programme the Prophet and his companions were able to consolidate themselves so thoroughly that they had no need to wage war: their opponents were left with no option but to surrender.

This Hudaybiya peace treaty of the Prophet of Islam was like a peace ‘bomb’, in the sense that its positive effects spread far and wide. The result of this treaty shows that the peace ‘bomb’ is mightier than the violent bomb. A peace ‘bomb’ means life, and a violent bomb means death. A peace ‘bomb’ leads to construction, while a violent bomb leads to destruction. Likewise, a peace ‘bomb’ brings progress, while a violent bomb brings annihilation. Peace enhances creativity, whereas violence does the very opposite. The power of a peace ‘bomb’ is based on love, while that of a violent bomb is based on hatred. The capacity of a peace ‘bomb’ is unlimited, while that of a violent bomb is limited.