7 A.H. (629 CE): PILGRIMAGE: In Dhul Qada of this year, the Prophet's (PBUH) vision was fulfilled, he made pilgrimage to Makkah as contained in the Truce of Hudaybiyya. The idolaters watched the Muslims perform the religious rites and reciting the shahadah in the valley of Makkah from the surrounding height, for they had evacuated Makkah in order to give room for the Muslims as spelt out in the treaty. At the end of the stipulated three days, the Quraysh chief sent a reminder to the Prophet (PBUH), that his time was up, he then withdrew his people and the idolaters re-occupied the city.
8 A.H. (630 CE): THE MU'TAH EXPEDITION: On hearing that the Byzantines were gathering a force in Syria against the Muslims, an army of three thousand men were sent to Syria against a hundred thousand army (some say two hundred thousand) under the commands of Zayd b Harith, Jafar b. Abu Talib and Abdullah b. Rawaha. The battle was unsuccessful, and all the three commanders died as martyrs one after the other, paving way for the then recent convert- Khalid b. Walid (sword of AIIa,h) to take over. He then by his strategy and courage managed to return the troop to Madinah neither victorious nor vanquished after the Byzantine army had withdrawn, stupefied by the Muslims' gallantry.
8 A.H. (630 CE): VIOLATION OF TRUCE: Later in the eight year after hijrah, the Banu Baku who had joined forces with the Quraysh attacked the Banu Khuzaah (who had formed alliance with the Muslims) to continue their old unsettled blood feuds and thus breaking the truce of Hudaybiyya. On realising what they've done, the Quraysh started to entertain fear and then sent Abu Sufyan on a fruitless salvage mission to the Prophet (PBUB), to negotiate for the renewal and prolonging of the existing treaty, which met a stout rebuff.
This article was culled from the publications of Deen Communication Limited