Part 1: Understanding Bay'at al-Ridwan

The Qur’an, the Conditions of the Pledge, and the False “Blanket Guarantee” Claim

Many people quote Surah al-Fath 48:18 and say:

“Allah was pleased with those who pledged under the tree, therefore they are all guaranteed Paradise and nobody can ever criticise them.”

But this is not careful Qur’anic reasoning.

First, we must use precise wording.

Bay‘at al-Ridwan was not taken by all companions of the Prophet ﷺ. Many companions were not present, and many people became Muslim later.

The accurate wording is:

“Those who pledged allegiance beneath the tree at Hudaybiyyah in 6 AH, before the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah.”

Now let us examine the evidence.

1. The verse of Bay‘at al-Ridwan is a great virtue

Arabic:

لَقَدْ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ فَعَلِمَ مَا فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ فَأَنْزَلَ السَّكِينَةَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَأَثَابَهُمْ فَتْحًا قَرِيبًا

English:

“Certainly Allah was pleased with the believers when they pledged allegiance to you under the tree. He knew what was in their hearts, so He sent down tranquility upon them and rewarded them with a near victory.”

Reference:

Qur’an, Surah al-Fath 48:18.

Short comment:

This verse is a great virtue. No fair person denies that the sincere believers who pledged beneath the tree had a great merit.

But the verse says:

عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ

“with the believers”

It praises the true believers whose hearts Allah knew.

It does not say:

“Every person physically present there received unconditional immunity forever, regardless of later actions.”

That wording does not exist in the Qur’an.

2. The same Surah says the pledge could be broken

Arabic:

إِنَّ الَّذِينَ يُبَايِعُونَكَ إِنَّمَا يُبَايِعُونَ اللَّهَ يَدُ اللَّهِ فَوْقَ أَيْدِيهِمْ فَمَن نَّكَثَ فَإِنَّمَا يَنكُثُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ وَمَنْ أَوْفَىٰ بِمَا عَاهَدَ عَلَيْهُ اللَّهَ فَسَيُؤْتِيهِ أَجْرًا عَظِيمًا

English:

“Indeed, those who pledge allegiance to you are only pledging allegiance to Allah. The Hand of Allah is above their hands. So whoever breaks his pledge only breaks it against himself, and whoever fulfills what he promised Allah, He will give him a great reward.”

Reference:

Qur’an, Surah al-Fath 48:10.

Short comment:

This verse is the key.

Allah says:

فَمَن نَّكَثَ

“Whoever breaks the pledge…”

And Allah says:

وَمَنْ أَوْفَىٰ

“Whoever fulfills what he promised…”

So the pledge was conditional.

If Bay‘at al-Ridwan was an unconditional guarantee for every individual forever, then why would Allah mention the possibility of breaking the pledge?

And why would Allah connect the great reward to the one who fulfills it?

This was a covenant, not a blank cheque.

3. Sunni books say the Bay‘ah was “not to flee”

Arabic:

لم نبايعه على الموت، ولكن بايعناه على أن لا نفر

English:

“We did not pledge to him upon death; rather, we pledged to him that we would not flee.”

Reference:

Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Imarah, hadith 1856 / 1858, from Jabir and Ma‘qil ibn Yasar in related reports.

Short comment:

This is Sahih Muslim.

The pledge was not merely symbolic. It had a battlefield condition:

على أن لا نفر

“That we would not flee.”

So if anyone later fled from battle, the question becomes serious:

Did he fulfill the Bay‘ah or did he break its condition?

4. Sahih al-Bukhari records the wording “upon death”

Arabic:

فَقُلْتُ لَهُ يَا أَبَا مُسْلِمٍ، عَلَى أَىِّ شَىْءٍ كُنْتُمْ تُبَايِعُونَ يَوْمَئِذٍ؟ قَالَ: عَلَى الْمَوْتِ

English:

“I asked him: O Abu Muslim, upon what were you pledging allegiance that day? He replied: Upon death.”

Reference:

Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Jihad wa al-Siyar, hadith 2960; also related in Kitab al-Maghazi, hadith 4169, from Salamah ibn al-Akwa‘.

Short comment:

Some narrations say:

“not to flee”

And some say:

“upon death”

These are not contradictions.

The meaning is that they pledged to remain firm and not flee, even if death came.

5. Ibn Hajar explains that “upon death” means “not fleeing even if they died”

Arabic:

لا تنافي بين قولهم بايعوه على الموت وعلى عدم الفرار، لأن المراد بالمبايعة على الموت أن لا يفروا ولو ماتوا

English:

“There is no contradiction between saying they pledged to him upon death and saying they pledged not to flee, because what is meant by pledging upon death is that they would not flee, even if they died.”

Reference:

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani, Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Jihad wa al-Siyar, Bab al-Bay‘ah fi al-Harb an la Yafirru.

Short comment:

This is a major Sunni explanation.

According to Ibn Hajar, the meaning of Bay‘ah upon death is:

أن لا يفروا ولو ماتوا

“That they would not flee, even if they died.”

So Bay‘at al-Ridwan was a serious covenant of steadfastness.

6. Al-Tabari says they pledged not to flee or turn their backs

Arabic:

يعني بيعة أصحاب رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم رسولَ الله بالحديبية حين بايعوه على مناجزة قريش الحرب، وعلى أن لا يفرّوا، ولا يولوهم الدبر تحت الشجرة

English:

“It means the pledge of the companions of the Messenger of Allah to the Messenger of Allah at Hudaybiyyah, when they pledged to fight Quraysh in battle, and that they would not flee, nor turn their backs, under the tree.”

Reference:

Al-Tabari, Jami‘ al-Bayan, Tafsir of Surah al-Fath 48:18.

Short comment:

Al-Tabari makes the condition very clear:

لا يفروا

“They would not flee.”

ولا يولوهم الدبر

“They would not turn their backs.”

Therefore, Bay‘at al-Ridwan cannot be used as a slogan while ignoring its condition.

7. Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib himself warned: “You do not know what we did after him”

Arabic:

حَدَّثَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ إِشْكَابٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ فُضَيْلٍ، عَنِ الْعَلاَءِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ لَقِيتُ الْبَرَاءَ بْنَ عَازِبٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ فَقُلْتُ طُوبَى لَكَ صَحِبْتَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَبَايَعْتَهُ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ. فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ أَخِي إِنَّكَ لاَ تَدْرِي مَا أَحْدَثْنَا بَعْدَهُ

English:

Al-Musayyab said: “I met al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib and said to him: Glad tidings to you! You accompanied the Prophet ﷺ and pledged allegiance to him under the tree. He replied: O my nephew, you do not know what we did after him.”

Reference:

Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Maghazi, Bab Ghazwat al-Hudaybiyyah, hadith 4170.

Short comment:

This narration is extremely important.

A man congratulated al-Bara’ for two things:

He accompanied the Prophet ﷺ.

He pledged beneath the tree.

But al-Bara’ did not reply with arrogance. He did not say:

“Yes, I am guaranteed Paradise and no one can question anything.”

Instead, he said:

إِنَّكَ لاَ تَدْرِي مَا أَحْدَثْنَا بَعْدَهُ

“You do not know what we did after him.”

Sunni commentators may soften this by saying it was humility or fear of later trials. But even then, the point remains:

A person connected to the pledge beneath the tree did not treat it as a careless immunity card.

8. The Qur’an proves that group praise is not permanent individual immunity: Bani Israel

Allah praised Bani Israel in the Qur’an.

Arabic:

يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ اذْكُرُوا نِعْمَتِيَ الَّتِي أَنْعَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ وَأَنِّي فَضَّلْتُكُمْ عَلَى الْعَالَمِينَ

English:

“O Children of Israel, remember My favour which I bestowed upon you and that I preferred you over the worlds.”

Reference:

Qur’an, Surah al-Baqarah 2:47; also 2:122.

Short comment:

Allah praised Bani Israel and mentioned His favour upon them.

But did this mean every individual from Bani Israel had permanent salvation?

No.

The same Qur’an says:

Arabic:

وَإِذْ أَخَذْنَا مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَا تَعْبُدُونَ إِلَّا اللَّهَ وَبِالْوَالِدَيْنِ إِحْسَانًا وَذِي الْقُرْبَىٰ وَالْيَتَامَىٰ وَالْمَسَاكِينِ وَقُولُوا لِلنَّاسِ حُسْنًا وَأَقِيمُوا الصَّلَاةَ وَآتُوا الزَّكَاةَ ثُمَّ تَوَلَّيْتُمْ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا مِنْكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ مُعْرِضُونَ

English:

“And when We took a covenant from the Children of Israel: Worship none but Allah; be kind to parents, relatives, orphans and the needy; speak kindly to people; establish prayer and pay zakat. Then you turned away, except a few of you, while you were refusing.”

Reference:

Qur’an, Surah al-Baqarah 2:83.

Short comment:

Here is the Qur’anic pattern:

A group receives a covenant.

A group receives divine favour.

Then many turn away, except a few.

So a covenant is not enough by itself. It must be fulfilled.

9. Bani Israel also had a covenant with conditions

Arabic:

وَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ اللَّهُ مِيثَاقَ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَبَعَثْنَا مِنْهُمُ اثْنَيْ عَشَرَ نَقِيبًا وَقَالَ اللَّهُ إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ لَئِنْ أَقَمْتُمُ الصَّلَاةَ وَآتَيْتُمُ الزَّكَاةَ وَآمَنْتُمْ بِرُسُلِي وَعَزَّرْتُمُوهُمْ وَأَقْرَضْتُمُ اللَّهَ قَرْضًا حَسَنًا لَأُكَفِّرَنَّ عَنْكُمْ سَيِّئَاتِكُمْ وَلَأُدْخِلَنَّكُمْ جَنَّاتٍ تَجْرِي مِنْ تَحْتِهَا الْأَنْهَارُ فَمَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ مِنْكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَاءَ السَّبِيلِ

English:

“Allah made a covenant with the Children of Israel and appointed twelve leaders from among them. Allah said: I am with you. If you establish prayer, pay zakat, believe in My messengers, support them, and lend to Allah a good loan, I will forgive your sins and admit you into Gardens under which rivers flow. But whoever among you disbelieves after that has surely strayed from the right way.”

Reference:

Qur’an, Surah al-Ma’idah 5:12.

Short comment:

Notice the language:

إِنِّي مَعَكُمْ

“I am with you.”

But it is followed by conditions:

If you establish prayer.

If you give zakat.

If you believe in My messengers.

If you support them.

Then Allah says:

فَمَنْ كَفَرَ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ

“Whoever disbelieves after that…”

So even after a divine covenant, later betrayal is possible.

This is exactly why Qur’an 48:10 matters:

فَمَن نَّكَثَ

“Whoever breaks the pledge…”

10. General group address does not automatically prove permanent inner righteousness

The Qur’an gives another important principle.

Arabic:

وَإِذْ قُلْنَا لِلْمَلَائِكَةِ اسْجُدُوا لِآدَمَ فَسَجَدُوا إِلَّا إِبْلِيسَ كَانَ مِنَ الْجِنِّ فَفَسَقَ عَنْ أَمْرِ رَبِّهِ

English:

“And when We said to the angels: Prostrate before Adam, they all prostrated except Iblis. He was from the jinn, and he rebelled against the command of his Lord.”

Reference:

Qur’an, Surah al-Kahf 18:50.

Short comment:

This is not being used as direct tafsir of Bay‘at al-Ridwan. It is an analogy about Qur’anic address.

The command was addressed to the angels, yet Iblis appears in the scene because he was present among them, while his reality was different.

This shows a general address or group scene does not always mean every outwardly included person has the same inner reality.

So when Qur’an 48:18 praises “the believers,” it praises the true believers whose hearts Allah knew.

It does not prove that every outward participant, regardless of sincerity and later conduct, became permanently immune from accountability.

11. Hidden hypocrisy is exposed through later actions

The Qur’an repeatedly shows that people can appear within the Muslim community outwardly while their inner reality is exposed later.

The uploaded research article correctly highlights this principle: Allah may praise the sincere believers of a group while the insincere are exposed later by their actions. This is a Qur’anic pattern, but it must be used carefully.

Important caution:

It is not safe, in strict Sunni-source argument, to claim that Abdullah ibn Ubayy definitely pledged beneath the tree. That specific claim is disputed and weak in Sunni verification.

The stronger point is the general Qur’anic principle:

Outward presence in a group does not automatically equal permanent inner righteousness.

Allah knows what is in the hearts.

Actions later expose sincerity or betrayal.

12. Allah’s pattern does not change

Arabic:

فَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَبْدِيلًا وَلَن تَجِدَ لِسُنَّتِ اللَّهِ تَحْوِيلًا

English:

“You will never find any change in Allah’s way, nor will you find any alteration in Allah’s way.”

Reference:

Qur’an, Surah Fatir 35:43.

Short comment:

Allah’s pattern is clear:

He gives favour.

He takes covenants.

He tests people.

He exposes sincerity through actions.

This happened with previous nations, and the Qur’an does not teach that this pattern suddenly disappears for later Muslims.

13. Hudaybiyyah treaty was not weakness; it was divine wisdom

Some people at Hudaybiyyah struggled to understand the treaty. But the Qur’an itself explains part of its wisdom.

Arabic:

وَلَوْلَا رِجَالٌ مُّؤْمِنُونَ وَنِسَاءٌ مُّؤْمِنَاتٌ لَّمْ تَعْلَمُوهُمْ أَن تَطَئُوهُمْ فَتُصِيبَكُم مِّنْهُم مَّعَرَّةٌ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ

English:

“Had there not been believing men and believing women whom you did not know, whom you might have trampled unknowingly and thus incurred guilt because of them…”

Reference:

Qur’an, Surah al-Fath 48:25.

Short comment:

The treaty of Hudaybiyyah was not weakness.

It protected hidden believing men and women in Makkah.

Some Muslims did not understand the wisdom immediately, but Allah knew what they did not know.

This will be important in Part 2, because Sahih al-Bukhari records that the Prophet’s decision at Hudaybiyyah became a test for some people.

Conclusion of Part 1

Bay‘at al-Ridwan was a great virtue.

But it was not an unconditional guarantee of Paradise for every individual forever.

The Qur’an praises the sincere believers who pledged beneath the tree.

The same Qur’an says:

فَمَن نَّكَثَ فَإِنَّمَا يَنكُثُ عَلَىٰ نَفْسِهِ

“Whoever breaks the pledge only breaks it against himself.”

Sunni books say the pledge was:

على أن لا نفر

“That we would not flee.”

Other Sunni narrations say:

على الموت

“Upon death.”

Ibn Hajar explains that both mean:

They would not flee, even if they died.

Al-Tabari says they pledged not to flee and not to turn their backs.

Al-Bara’ ibn ‘Azib himself warned:

“You do not know what we did after him.”

So the correct question is not merely:

“Was someone beneath the tree?”

The real question is:

“Did he fulfill what he pledged beneath the tree?”

Part 2 will examine what happened after this pledge: Hudaybiyyah as a test, delayed obedience, later battlefield retreat, Khaybar, Hunayn, Imam Ali’s superiority as “not one who flees,” and later political conflict.