The Treaty of Hudaibiyah

To understand the recent nuclear arms agreement with Iran, we must understand that the Iranian mullahs follow rules based on the life and example of Muhammad. And one of the most important tactical victories in Muhammad’s career is what is known as the Treaty of Hudaibiyah.

Muhammad made this treaty with the pagan Quraysh tribe of Mecca, which was the most powerful tribe in the region at the time. The Qurayshis entered into a 10-year peace pact with Muhammad and lived to regret it. It appeared at first to be a lopsided treaty in favor of the Qurayshis, but once free from any military threat from the most powerful tribe in the region, Muhammad suddenly “received a revelation” from Allah, which can be found in Surah 48 of the Quran. It begins, “Surely We (Allah) have given to you a clear victory.”

With the Quravshis sidelined, Muhammad began attacking several large Jewish tribes in Arabia. Any men who joined the Muslims in war would receive a significant share of the plunder, booty, slaves, and female prisoners. Within two years the wealth of the Jews became that of the Muslims, who went from about 1,200 men to more than 10,000. Muhammad then launched a surprise attack on the Qurayshis and defeated them, leaving the Muslims standing alone as the most powerful group on the Arabian Peninsula.

The takeaway is that Muslims today look to the example of Muhammad and the Treaty of Hudaibiyah as one of the primary go-to strategies to defeat their enemies. Enter into a treaty for the purpose of gaining strength so that you can eventually defeat your enemy. “Hudaibiya” is now a code-word meaning “kiss the hand of your enemy until you have the opportunity to cut it off.” This strategy is ingrained in Islamic legal teaching.

In addition, Islamic law forbids a Muslim leader or society from signing a treaty for longer than 10 years, a principle based on Muhammad’s strategy that you only enter into a deal like this when you’re in a position of weakness. Iran has been under harsh economic sanctions for decades, and oil prices have fallen to the lowest level in a decade. Iran is economically weak. Interestingly, the deal Obama has negotiated with Iran expires after 10 years.

All classical Islamic jurists accept Hudaibiya as a binding principle. In fact, in December 2013, Iranian leaders talked about the negotiations and openly referred to Hudaibiyah. They all understand that Muslim rulers can only make temporary truces with unbelievers, which can be broken at their discretion if it will further the cause of Islam.

This is Islamic law. Muhammad is cited as the precedent for it, but it is embedded in their law. Leaders only engage in any kind of negotiation or treaty when they are in a position of weakness; otherwise, they just keep waging jihad. Peace with one’s enemies is never the end-game for those who follow Islamic law, but apparently the Obama administration is either ignorant of this principle or willfully cooperating with it.