Bai‘at-e-Ridwan — Seal of the Prophets Vol. 3
Introduction
In this discourse from The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 3), Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) details the historical events and scholarly insights surrounding Bai‘at-e-Ridwan.
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 3)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra)
Section: IV – The Treaty of Hudaibiyyah & its Magnificent Outcomes
Pages: Book pp. 133–136 (PDF pp. 151–154)
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: [Hadrat ‘Uthman (ra) as an Ambassador of the Muslims] | Next: [Deliberations of the Treaty] »
Historical Account
When this news reached Ḥudaibiyyah, the Muslims were infuriated, because Ḥaḍrat ‘Uthmānra was the son-in-law of the Holy Prophetsa and was among the most venerable of companions. He had gone to Makkah as an Islāmic ambassador. Furthermore, those days were also of the sacred months and then Makkah itself was a sanctuary. The Holy Prophetsa immediately made an announcement and gathered his companions beneath an Acacia tree. When the companions had assembled, the Holy Prophetsa mentioned this news and said, “If this news is true, then by God, we shall not move from this place until we seek revenge for ‘Uthmān.” Then the Holy Prophetsa said to the companions, “Come and place your hand on my hand (which is the Islāmic way of Bai‘at) and take oath that none of you shall show his back, and will sacrifice his life if need be, but shall not retreat from this place.” Upon this announcement, the companions lunged forward in such a manner as if toppling over one
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another.1 Every single person2 from among these 1400 to 1500 people (who were the entire lot of the Muslims at the time), sold themselves once again in loyalty at the hand of their beloved master.3 When the Bai‘at was taking place, the Holy Prophetsa placed his left hand upon his right and said, “This is the hand of ‘Uthmān,4 for if he were here, he would not have been left behind in this holy covenant. But at this time, he is engaged in the work of Allāh and His Messenger.”5 As such, this radiant scene came to its conclusion.
In Islāmic history, this Bai‘at is known as the Bai‘at-e-Riḍwān, i.e., that Bai‘at wherein the Muslims acquired the reward of God’s complete pleasure. The Holy Qur’ān has also especially mentioned this Bai‘at. It states:
َلَّقَدْ رَ ضِ يَ اهللُ عَ نِ الْمُؤْ مِنِينَ اِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَ ةِ فَعَ لِمَ مَ ا ف ِي قُلُوبِهِمْ فَاَنزَل
السَّكِينَةَ عَ لَيْهِمْ وَ اَثَابَهُمْ فَتْ حًا قَرِيبًا
“O Messenger, Allāh the Exalted was well-pleased with the Muslims when they were taking Bai‘at under the tree. For through this Bai‘at the sincerity that was hidden in their hearts, was brought to the discernible knowledge of God. So God
1 This Bai‘at did not take place all at once, rather, it took place in three portions one after the other
*Tārīkhur-Rusuli Wal-Mulūk (Tārīkhuṭ-Ṭabarī), By Abū Ja‘far Muḥammad bin Jarīr Aṭ-Ṭabarī, Volume 3, p. 130, Dhikrul-Aḥdāthillati Kānat Fī Sanati Sittim-Minal-Hijrah/Dhikrul-Khabari ‘An ‘Umratin-Nabiyyisa Allati Ṣaddahul-Mushrikūna Fīhā ‘Anil-Bait, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2002) 2 Excluding perhaps one individual named Jadd bin Qais, about whom there is a narration that he
was a hypocrite and during the Bai‘at, he hid behind his camel
*As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Mālik bin Hishām, p. 686, Amrul- Ḥudaibiyyati Fī Ākhiri Sanati Sittin/Man Takhallafa ‘Anil-Bai‘at, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001)
Usdul-Ghābah Fī Ma‘rifatiṣ-Ṣaḥābah, By ‘Izzuddīn Ibnul-Athīr Abul-Ḥasan ‘Alī bin Muḥammad, Volume 1, pp. 373-374, Jadd-ubnu Qaisin, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon (2003) 3 Tārīkhur-Rusuli Wal-Mulūk (Tārīkhuṭ-Ṭabarī), By Abū Ja‘far Muḥammad bin Jarīr Aṭ-Ṭabarī, Volume 3, p. 130, Dhikrul-Aḥdāthillati Kānat Fī Sanati Sittim-Minal-Hijrah/Dhikrul-Khabari ‘An ‘Umratin-Nabiyyisa Allati Ṣaddahul-Mushrikūna Fīhā ‘Anil-Bait, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon, Second Edition (2002)
*As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Mālik bin Hishām, p. 686, Amrul- Ḥudaibiyyati Fī Ākhiri Sanati Sittin/Man Takhallafa ‘Anil-Bai‘at, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001)
*Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 2, p. 299, Ghazwatu Rasūlillāhisa Al- Ḥudaibiyyata, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) 4 Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Faḍā’ili Aṣḥābin-Nabiyyisa, Bābu Manāqibi ‘Uthmān-abna ‘Affāna…, Ḥadīth No. 3698 5 Aṭ-Ṭabaqātul-Kubrā, By Muḥammad bin Sa‘d, Volume 2, p. 298, Ghazwatu Rasūlillāhisa Al- Ḥudaibiyyata, Dāru Iḥyā’it-Turāthil-‘Arabī, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)
revealed tranquility upon their hearts, and rewarded them with a near victory at hand.”
[Al-Fatḥ (48:19)]
The companions would also refer to this Bai‘at with great pride and love and many of them would often tell those who came later that, “You consider the Conquest of Makkah to be the victory, but we consider the Bai‘ate-Riḍwān to be the actual victory. There is no doubt that along with its details, this Bai‘at was a magnificently great victory, not only because it opened the door to future victories but also because the spirit of sacrifice in Islām, which was the central point of the religion of Muḥammadsa, was manifested in a most magnificent manner. Furthermore, these devotees of Islām showed by their actions that they were prepared to bargain with life and death in every field for the sake of their messenger and the truth he had brought. This is why, whilst referring to the Bai‘at-e-Riḍwān, the honourable companions would say, “This Bai‘at was an oath to death. In other words, it was a Bai‘at of the oath that every Muslim would sacrifice his life for the sake of Islām and its glory, but would not retreat.” Moreover, another salient feature of this Bai‘at was that this oath and agreement was not merely a verbal declaration in a state of temporary emotion. Quite the contrary, it was the voice from the depths of hearts, behind which the full power of the Muslims was united upon a single focus.
[Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Maghāzī, Bābu Ghazwatil-Hudaibiyyah, Ḥadīth No. 4172]
[Ṣaḥīḥul-Bukhārī, Kitābul-Maghāzī, Bābu Ghazwatil-Hudaibiyyah, Ḥadīth No. 4169]
When the Quraish received news of this Bai‘at, they became fearful and not only did they release Ḥaḍrat ‘Uthmānra and his companions, but also informed their messengers to settle an agreement with the Muslims, however possible. However, one condition was to be secured, that instead of this year, the Muslims should perform ‘Umrah the following year. Either way, they should be made to return home immediately. On the other hand, the Holy Prophetsa had already pledged that he would not do anything to disgrace the honour of
[Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 3, pp. 225-226, Amrul-Ḥudaibiyyah, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996)]
the Sacred Mosque and the House of Allāh. Moreover, since Allāh had already given him the glad tidings that the negotiations to take place with the Quraish at this time were about to become the basis of future success, for this reason with respect to the two parties, this environment was most befitting for negotiations. It was in this very environment that Suhail bin ‘Amr reached the Holy Prophetsa and upon seeing him he said, “Now it appears the matter shall become easier.” It is not clear from the narrations at which stage exactly Suhail came to the Holy Prophetsa, and whether his arrival was before or after Ḥaḍrat ‘Uthmānra went to Makkah. Furthermore, there exists somewhat of a dissent and variation in the narrations on this issue. However, it is confirmed that the clauses of the treaty under discussion, was brought to completion through Suhail bin ‘Amr. Moreover, it is a matter of wonder that all the ambassadors of the Quraish which came to the Holy Prophetsa one after another, later on accepted Islām and entered into the company of the Holy Prophetsa, except Mikraz bin Ḥafṣ about whom the Holy Prophetsa said upon seeing him, “From this man comes the stench of immorality and treachery.”
[Usdul-Ghābah Fī Ma‘rifatiṣ-Ṣaḥābah, By ‘Izzuddīn Ibnul-Athīr Abul-Ḥasan ‘Alī bin Muḥammad, Volume 1, p. 236, Budail-ubnu Warqā‘a, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon (2003) Usdul-Ghābah Fī Ma‘rifatiṣ-Ṣaḥābah, By ‘Izzuddīn Ibnul-Athīr Abul-Ḥasan ‘Alī bin Muḥammad, Volume 3, p. 528, ‘Urwat-ubnu Mas‘ūdin, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon (2003) Usdul-Ghābah Fī Ma‘rifatiṣ-Ṣaḥābah, By ‘Izzuddīn Ibnul-Athīr Abul-Ḥasan ‘Alī bin Muḥammad, Volume 2, pp. 346-348, Suhail-ubnu ‘Amrin Al-Qurashiyyu, Dārul-Fikr, Beirut, Lebanon (2003)]
[Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘Alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Allāmah Shihābuddīn Al-Qusṭalānī, Volume 3, pp. 195-196, Amrul-Ḥudaibiyyah, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) *As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Mālik bin Hishām, p. 683, Amrul- Ḥudaibiyyati Fī Ākhiri Sanati Sittin/Majī’u Mikraz-ibni Ḥafṣin Ilan-Nabiyyisa, Dārul-Kutubil- ‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001)]
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 3)
Section: IV – The Treaty of Hudaibiyyah & its Magnificent Outcomes | Navigation: « Previous: [Hadrat ‘Uthman (ra) as an Ambassador of the Muslims] | Next: [Deliberations of the Treaty] »