When the hostilities start, the same people who are around you will run away!

When the hostilities start, the same people who are around you will run away!” At this point Abū-Bakr chided him rather impolitely and said that they shall never abandon the Prophet (a.s). `Urwah asked who this person was. He was told that it was Abū-Bakr. He said, “O Abū-Bakr! I remember one good turn you did to me! Otherwise I would have properly replied to your impoliteness!” `Urwah’s patience and forbearance nipped the little tiff in the bud.

It was possible that he might have left the talk incomplete and gone away and misguided the Quraysh to go for fighting. The Prophet (a.s) realized about his balanced and fair thinking and asked him, “Is it fair to prevent us from performing the `Umrah and not allowing our sacrificial camels reaching near the Ka`bah?

We have neither come with an intention of war nor shall we unnecessarily start hostilities” `Urwah was very much impressed with the attitude of the Prophet (a.s) and returned to the Quraysh. He told them that he had gone in the past to the presence of kings like Caesar, Khusrow and Najashi, but meeting the Prophet (a.s) was an entirely different experience for him. He did not find the aura of respectability and dignity anywhere else as in his company.

He recommended that the party must be allowed to perform the `Umrah and go back peacefully. But the Quraysh did not heed his advice and were adamant in their stand. When Halis ibn `Alqamah saw that the matter was not getting resolved, he asked to be permitted to make his efforts for resolution. He proceeded to Hudaybiyah. When he saw the sacrificial camels restless with hunger, and he heard the call of “labbayka!

allahumma labbayka!” from the men in the caravan, he returned without entering the camp. He told the Quraysh that preventing the group from performing the `Umrah will be sheer cruelty and there is no reason stopping any pilgrims from entering the Ka`bah. Quraysh however were still adamant. Seeing this attitude Halis said: “O People of Quraysh! Maybe we have a pact with you!

But we have not made any understanding with you that you prevent, whosoever it might me, from performing the rites of pilgrimage in Makkah!”[1] When these representations failed, the Prophet (a.s) sent Kharrash ibn Umayyah al-Khuza`i on his personal camel to the Quraysh to assure them that he did not mean to fight and had come there only for `Umrah.