The Arab tribes had been given the…
November 629 CE
The Arab tribes had been given the option of joining either of the parties, the Muslims or the Quraysh, according to the terms of the treaty of Hudaibiyah.
Should any of these tribes face aggression, the party to which it was allied would have the right to retaliate.
As a consequence, Banu Bakr had joined the Quraysh, and Khuza‘ah had joined Muhammed.
They have thus lived in peace for some time; but ulterior motives stretching back to the pre-Islamic period, ignited by unabated fire of revenge, trigger fresh hostilities.
Banu Bakr, without concern for the provisions of the treaty, attacks Banu Khuza'a in a place called Al-Wateer in Sha‘ban, in 630.
Quraysh helps Banu Bakr with men and arms, taking advantage of the dark night.
Pressed by their enemies, the tribesmen of Khuza‘ah seek the Holy Sanctuary, but here too, their lives are not spared, and, contrary to all accepted traditions, Nawfal, the chief of Banu Bakr, chases them in the sanctified area—where no blood should be shed—and massacres his adversaries.
Khuza’ah at once sends a delegation to Medina to inform Muhammad of this breach of truce and to seek help from Muslims of Medina being their allies.
After the incident, Quraysh sends a delegation to Muhammad, petitioning to maintain the treaty with the Muslims and offering material compensation.
The Muslim forces have meanwhile gathered in sufficient strength to settle accounts with Quraysh and for a final attack and the conquest of Mecca.
Muhammed considered the Banu Bakr attack a breach of the treaty, citing one of the clauses of the treaty: "an attack on an ally of the party, will be considered an attack on the party itself", and offers the Quraysh three alternatives: Dissolve their alliance with the Banu Bakr Compensate by paying money Dissolve the treaty The Quraiysh choose the third alternative, to dissolve the treaty, and Muhammad decides to march on to Mecca with an army of ten thousand.
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