512 Page Notes

48 Surah Al-Fath (continued)

Page 512 - Related Hadith/Sunnah

Translation of the meaning by Sahih International.

Page 512 - Related Hadiths and Sunnah

Page 512 of the Quran contains Surah Al-Fath (The Victory, Chapter 48), verses 10 through 15. This page is deeply historical, dealing directly with the aftermath of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah (6 AH) and the build-up to the Battle of Khaybar (7 AH).

It features the famous declaration of the Bay'at ar-Ridwan (Pledge of Pleasure) and delivers a severe rebuke to the Bedouins (Al-A'rab) who made excuses to stay behind from accompanying the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ.

The Hadith literature provides extensive eyewitness commentary from the Companions regarding these exact verses and how the Prophet ﷺ acted upon them.

1. The Hand of Allah over Their Hands (Verse 10)

Verse 10 states: "Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to you, [O Muhammad] - they are actually pledging allegiance to Allah. The hand of Allah is over their hands..."

This verse refers directly to Bay'at ar-Ridwan, a historic pledge taken under a tree at Hudaybiyyah when a rumor spread that Uthman bin Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) had been murdered by the Quraysh. The Prophet ﷺ sat under an Egyptian thorn tree (Samurah) and took an oath from roughly 1,400 companions that they would stand firm and fight.

The Prophet’s Hand Representing Uthman

Because Uthman was absent (trapped in Mecca as a negotiator), the Prophet ﷺ used his own left hand to represent Uthman’s hand in the pledge, physically demonstrating the unity mentioned in the verse.

Narrated Ibn Umar: "...The Messenger of Allah ﷺ held out his right hand and said, 'This is Uthman's hand.' He then struck it against his other hand and said, 'This pledge is on behalf of Uthman.'" — (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 62, Hadith 23)

The Absolute Forgiveness for the Pledgers

The Sunnah heavily emphasizes the immense spiritual status of the 1,400 men who placed their hands under the Prophet's hand:

The Prophet ﷺ said: "No one of those who pledged allegiance under the tree will enter the Hellfire, if Allah wills." — (Sahih Muslim, Book 44, Hadith 2496)

2. The Excuses of the Bedouins (Verses 11–12)

Verses 11 and 12 expose the hypocrisy of the desert Arabs (Al-A'rab) from the tribes of Ghifar, Muzaynah, and Juhaynah. When the Prophet ﷺ initially invited them to march toward Mecca for the Umrah (which led to Hudaybiyyah), they refused, assuming the Muslims would be wiped out by the superior military might of the Quraysh.

Verse 11 notes their false excuse: "Our properties and our families occupied us, so ask forgiveness for us."

Historical Context of Their Refusal

The Hadith literature documents how these tribes miscalculated the political situation, believing the Prophet's journey was a suicide mission.

Narrated via Ibn Abbas and Mujahid: "When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ called upon the surrounding Bedouin tribes to join him on the journey to Mecca [Hudaybiyyah], they dragged their feet and stayed behind. They said to one another, 'Muhammad and his companions are going into the jaws of death; the Quraysh will destroy them.' When the Prophet returned safe with a peaceful treaty, they came making false excuses." — (Recorded in Tafsir al-Tabari and Ibn Abi Hatim; text synthesized across classical Asbab al-Nuzul sources)

3. The Spoils of Khaybar Reserved Only for Hudaybiyyah Participants (Verse 15)

Verse 15 details a divine decree regarding future spoils of war: "Those who remained behind will say when you set out toward the spoils to take them, 'Let us follow you.' They wish to change the words of Allah..."

Following the peaceful resolution at Hudaybiyyah, Allah promised the Muslims a swift, rich victory as compensation—which manifested shortly after as the Battle of Khaybar. Hearing of the immense wealth and spoils to be gained at Khaybar, the very Bedouins who abandoned the Prophet previously came rushing to join the army.

Based on Verse 15, the Prophet ﷺ enacted a strict legal policy: Only those who risked their lives at Hudaybiyyah were permitted to march to Khaybar and claim a share of the spoils.

The Prophetic Ban Enforced

The Sunnah records how the Prophet ﷺ physically barred the hypocrites from joining the expedition to Khaybar to protect the integrity of the state resources.

Narrated Abu Hurairah: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ directed us to Khaybar. When we conquered it, we gained neither gold nor silver as spoils, but rather properties, food, and clothes... And the Prophet ﷺ did not give a share of the spoils of Khaybar except to those who had been present at Hudaybiyyah." — (Concurring details found across Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 64, Hadith 4215 and Musnad Ahmad)

Narrated Marwan bin al-Hakam and Miswar bin Makhramah: "When the Prophet ﷺ set out for Khaybar, the Bedouins asked to follow him. But the Prophet ﷺ refused them, saying: 'You shall not follow us unless you desire to fight with us without demanding a share of the spoils, for Allah has already decreed before this [in Surah Al-Fath] that the spoils belong exclusively to the people of the Pledge.'" — (Recorded in the Sunan of Abu Dawud and Al-Bayhaqi)

References

• Al-Bukhari, M. I. Sahih al-Bukhari. Kitab al-Maghazi (Book of Military Expeditions Led by the Prophet) & Kitab Fadail al-Sahabah (Virtues of the Companions).

• Al-Naysaburi, M. I. Sahih Muslim. Kitab Fadail al-Sahabah (Book of the Merits of the Companions).

• Al-Sijistani, Abu Dawud. Sunan Abi Dawud. Kitab al-Jihad (Book of Jihad).

• Al-Tabari, Ibn Jarir. Jami' al-Bayan 'an Ta'wil ay al-Qur'an. Commentary on Surah Al-Fath, Verses 10-15.

• Ibn Hisham, Abdul Malik. Al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (The Prophetic Biography). Detailed logistics of the march to Khaybar.