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Shiavault - a Vault of Shia Islamic Books The Message Chapter 45: The Lapsed `Umrah When the Peace Pact of Hudaybiyah was signed, the Muslims were entitled to visit Makkah after a year from the date of the conclusion of the pact and were to leave Makkah after staying there for three days and performing 'Umrah.[^1] During these days they could not carry with them any weapon other than the weapon of a traveller (viz. a sword).

A year passed from the date of the conclusion of the pact and the time thus arrived when the Muslims could avail of the facility provided for in the pact, and the Muslim migrants who had abandoned their homes seven years ago for the sake of Islam and had chosen their abode in a foreign land could proceed to Makkah once again to visit pilgrimage of the Ka'bah and also to see their kith and kin.

As such, when the Prophet declared that those persons, who had been deprived of visiting the Ka'bah a year earlier, should get ready for proceeding to Makkah, an unprecedented enthusiasm appeared amongst them and tears of delight trickled down their cheeks. If a year earlier the Prophet had travelled along with 1300 persons the number of those, who accompanied him a year later reached two thousand.

Great personalities from amongst the migrants and the Ansar could be seen among those who got ready to proceed on the journey. They followed the Prophet at all places and took along with them eighty camels which bore marks of sacrifice round their necks. The Prophet put on ehram in the mosque and others also followed him. Thus two thousand persons clad in ehram and with the word Labbayk (here am I) on their lips proceeded to Makkah.

This caravan possessed so much grandeur and dignity, and was so attractive for the Muslims as well as for the idolaters, that it made many idolaters inclined towards the spirituality and reality of Islam. If we say that this journey was a missionary journey and these persons were in fact an army of Islam we shall not be exaggerating.

The spiritual results of this journey appeared soon and the sworn enemies of Islam like Khalid bin Walid, the hero of the Battle of Uhud, and Amr bin As, the politician of Arabia, became inclined towards Islam on observing this grandeur, and soon afterwards embraced this religion. The Prophet had no confidence in Quraysh on account of their deceit and jealousy.