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In the month Dhul-Qa‘dah or in Dhul-Hijjah of
the very year (the ninth of Al-Hijra), the Messenger of Allâh [pbuh] dispatched Abu Bakr
[R], the truthful, as a deputy prince of Al-Hajj (pilgrimage), so that he would
lead the Muslims in performing of the pilgrimage rituals.
Soon after the departure of the Muslims, there came
a Revelation from Allâh: the opening passages of the Chapter 9 entitled
‘Repentance’ (Surah Tauba or Bara’a) in which ‘freedom
from obligation’ is proclaimed from Allâh in regard to those idolatrous tribes who
had shown no respect for the treaties which they had entered into with the Prophet
[pbuh].
Communication of this news went in line with the Arabian traditions of making public any
change relating to declining conventions of blood and fortunes.
‘Ali bin Abi Talib was deputed to make this
declaration. He overtook Abu Bakr at Al-‘Arj or Dajnan. Abu Bakr inquired whether the
Prophet [pbuh] had put him in command or he had just been commissioned to make the
announcement. "I have been deputed to make the proclamation only" replied
‘Ali. The two Companions then proceeded with the pilgrimage process. Towards the
close of the rituals, on the day of the ritual sacrifice, ‘Ali stood at Al-Jamrah (a
spot at which stones are pelted) and read aloud to the multitudes that thronged around him
and declared quittance from covenants with idolaters and giving them four months’
respite to reconsider their position. As for the other idolaters with whom the believers
had a treaty and had abated nothing of the Muslims’ rights nor had supported anyone
against them, then the terms of the treaty would run valid until the duration of which
expired.
Abu Bakr then sent some Muslims to declare publicly
that no disbeliever would after that year perform pilgrimage, nor would anyone be allowed
to make the Tawaf (going round) of the Sacred House unclothed.
That proclamation in fact vetoed all aspects of
paganism out of Arabia and stated quite unequivocally that those pre-Islam practices were
no longer in operation.[Sahih
Al-Bukhari 1/220, 415, 2/626,671; Za'd Al-Ma'ad 3/25,26; Ibn Hisham 2/543-546]
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