Hudaybiyya

Hudaybiyya is a locality near Mecca in the Hijaz region that is best known for the Treaty of Hudaybiyya, signed in 628 CE (6 AH) between the Prophet Muhammad and the Quraysh of Mecca. The agreement followed an attempt by a Muslim caravan to perform the Umrah and arose from negotiations during a period of relative quiet between the two sides.

The treaty established a ten-year peace between the Muslims and the Quraysh and included provisions for mutual non-aggression. It also allowed tribes in the Arabian Peninsula to align with either side, thereby shaping regional alliances. A notable practical clause stated that the Muslims would refrain from entering Mecca that year, and that they would be permitted to perform Umrah in the following year under a limited, temporary arrangement.

Reception and legacy of the treaty were mixed at the time. Some followers criticized it as too conciliatory toward Mecca, while others saw it as a pragmatic step toward consolidating the Muslim community and isolating hostile factions. In the two years that followed, the treaty helped to reduce hostilities and enabled the rapid expansion of Islam through diplomacy and alliance-building.

In 630 CE, after tensions with the Quraysh and their allies increased and terms of the agreement were perceived as broken, Muhammad led a largely peaceful conquest of Mecca. The city surrendered with minimal resistance, and Mecca subsequently embraced Islam. Hudaybiyya thus stands as a turning point in early Islamic history, illustrating diplomacy’s role in the growth of the Muslim community.