Qortobi...

Qortobi, a famous commentator admitted that there were many differences regarding these verses. Mujahid, another commentator said the preceding sins mentioned in the verse, referred to the sins of the Holy Prophet PBUH before Prophethood. Wahidi, another scholar said it denoted small sins. Atta khorasani said that the previous sins referred to the sins of Adam and the following sins referred to the sins of followers.

Another assumption was, that the previous sins were the sins of the battle of Badr, which was fought in the second year after the migration of the Holy prophet PBUH to the city of Medina; while the rest of the sins were the sins of the Battle of Honain, which was fought after the conquest of Mecca in 8, Hijra, two years after the peace of Hodaibiyah.( See Qortobi and Thalabi) In my opinion, all these explanations are irrelevant, as you can easily prove, in the light of Quran and Sunna, that your Holy Prophet PBUH was sinless.

And if you accepted any of the above given explanations then how can you prove the relationship between the sins that were forgiven and the peace of Hodaibiyah? And if you say that the sins, referred in the verse, were the sins of the Holy prophet PBUH before Prophethood then it would never be true as the Holy prophet PBUH was always the man of character, even before His prophecy. The people would regard him a true and faithful person.

And even the people of that time always found honesty and truth in Him. Imam Ali has stated in one of his sermons in Nahj al-Balagha: Allah made an arrangement when he (Prophet Mohammed PBUH) was about two years old that one angel of great value and position was with him all the time and he would teach Him all the manners and take him on the way of virtues and pure deeds.

(Nahj-al-Balagha, Sermon No: 190, Qasea) Hence, it was proved that the Prophet Mohammed did not commit any mistake and was never seen corrupt in anyway, even before he was officially announced as a Prophet at the age of forty. Sheikh Toosi, a prominent Shia scholar, was aware of this problem that all of the prophets were sinless and he could solve it by saying that the sins were of the Prophet’s followers.

So, this problem would be solved, however, another one that how can you relate the issue of forgiveness to the peace pact, remains unsolved. However, Allamah Tabatabi, gave a good explanation in this regard.