An Outline of Early Islamic History — Page 58
58 When the Quresh learnt that the Prophet was on his way, they sent an army to meet him. When he reached Usfan, he was told that the Meccan forces were not very far. The Prophet felt deeply grieved for the Meccans. He said, “Wars have ruined them and yet they know not. ” The Prophet wanted to avoid war. He had come for a peaceful purpose. When he saw the Meccan army coming he started on a side - path that led to Mecca. When Meccans saw this, they feared the Prophet was marching to attack Mecca. They turned back so that they could reach Mecca before the Prophet would. They planned to give him battle there. The Bait - ul - Ridhwan The Prophet stopped at Hudaibia. He said he would agree to any terms the Quresh gave, if conducive to peace and public welfare. The Quresh were also very uneasy. They knew that if they lost the battle this time, they would lose Mecca forever. They, therefore, sent agents to the Prophet to talk peace terms. The agents advised the Quresh to let Muslims in. Hulaish told them that his tribe would not stand in the way of Muhammad. Another agent, Urwah, also advised them to change their minds. He said, “I have been to the courts of Iran, Rome and Abyssinia. I saw no king with the majesty of Muhammad. ” The Prophet also sent an agent to Mecca. The Quresh killed his camel and attacked him. At night some Meccan youth stoned