The ninth year of the Hijra and the revelation of Sūrat al-Barāʾa.
After narrating the arrival of the delegation from Ṭāʾif to Medina during the month of Ramadan, Ibn Isḥāq states: "The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) spent the remainder of Ramadan, as well as the months of Shawwāl and Dhū al-Qaʿda, in Medina. Then, in the ninth year of the Hijra, he sent Abū Bakr as the commander of the pilgrimage (ḥajj amīr) to lead the Muslims in performing the ḥajj. Meanwhile, the polytheists (mushrikūn) were still performing their pilgrimage as before; they had not yet been barred from the Kaʿba. Those who had received a guarantee of safety (amān) from the Messenger of God retained this right for a specified period.
Abū Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) set out from Medina with the Muslims accompanying him. While on the road, Allah Most High revealed the following verses of Sūrat al-Barāʾa:
"[This is] a declaration of disassociation, from Allah and His Messenger, to those with whom you had made a treaty among the polytheists. So travel freely, [O disbelievers], throughout the land [during] four months but know that you cannot cause failure to Allah and that Allah will disgrace the disbelievers. And [it is] an announcement from Allah and His Messenger to the people on the day of the greater pilgrimage that Allah is disassociated from the polytheists, and [so is] His Messenger." (al-Tawba 9:1–3)
In summary, what we wish to state is that after Abū Bakr, the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) also sent ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him) to accompany him. ʿAlī, being his cousin and one of his Companions (ṣaḥāba), personally undertook the task of conveying the declaration of disassociation (barāʾa) to the polytheists on behalf of the Messenger of God.
Ibn Isḥāq, through the chain of Ḥākim b. Ḥākim b. ʿAbbād b. Ḥunayf, narrates from Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad b. ʿAlī as follows:
"When Sūrat al-Barāʾa was revealed, the Prophet sent Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq to lead the people in the ḥajj. At that time, it was said to him:
- O Messenger of God, would that you had sent the sūrah with Abū Bakr? He replied:
- None shall fulfill this except a man from my family (Ahl al-Bayt). Then he called ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (may Allah be pleased with him) and said to him:
- Take this account from the beginning of Sūrat al-Barāʾa and proclaim it among the people on the Day of Sacrifice (ʿĪd al-Aḍḥā), when they are gathered at Minā: No disbeliever shall enter Paradise, and after this year, no polytheist shall perform the ḥajj, nor shall anyone circumambulate the House (Kaʿba) naked. Whoever has a treaty with the Messenger of God, his treaty remains valid until its term."
Upon this, ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib mounted the she-camel of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), named al-ʿAdbāʾ, and set out. On the road, he met Abū Bakr, who asked:
- Are you the commander or a subordinate?
- No, rather I am a subordinate.
They proceeded together. Abū Bakr led the people in performing the rites of ḥajj. That year, the Arabs performed the ḥajj according to the customs of the Age of Ignorance (Jāhiliyya). When the Day of Sacrifice arrived, ʿAlī b. Abī Ṭālib (may Allah be pleased with him) stood and proclaimed among the people the verses the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) had commanded him to announce, saying:
- O people! Know that no disbeliever shall enter Paradise. After this year, no polytheist shall perform the ḥajj. No one shall circumambulate the House naked. Whoever has a treaty with the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), his treaty remains valid until its term.
From the day the declaration was made, the people were granted a four-month reprieve so that each tribe could return safely to their places or lands. Thereafter, except for those with a specified treaty, there would be no pact or treaty with any polytheist. After that year, no polytheist performed the ḥajj, nor did anyone circumambulate the Kaʿba naked.
Afterwards, Abū Bakr and ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with them) returned to the Messenger of God.
Al-Bukhārī, under the heading "The Ḥajj of Abū Bakr in the Ninth Year of the Hijra," narrates:
"Sulaimān b. Dāwūd Abū al-Rabīʿ, through Fulayḥ and al-Zuhrī, narrates from Abū Hurayra: 'The sending of Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq (may Allah be pleased with him) as commander by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for the ḥajj was before the Farewell Pilgrimage. In that ḥajj, Abū Bakr went to Mecca with a group and announced to the people: "After this year, no polytheist shall perform the ḥajj, and the House shall not be circumambulated naked!"'
Elsewhere, al-Bukhārī, through ʿAbdullāh b. Yūsuf, narrates from Abū Hurayra: 'In that ḥajj, Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq sent me with the announcers to proclaim to the people. On the Day of Sacrifice at Minā, the announcers proclaimed:
"After this year, no polytheist shall perform the ḥajj, nor shall anyone circumambulate the House naked."'
Ḥumayd said: 'Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent ʿAlī after them and commanded him to proclaim the ultimatum to the polytheists.'
Abū Hurayra said: 'On the Day of Sacrifice at Minā, ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him) proclaimed the ultimatum with us, announcing that after that year, no polytheist would perform the ḥajj, nor would anyone circumambulate the House naked.'
In the Kitāb al-Jihād, al-Bukhārī, through Abū al-Yamān, narrates from Abū Hurayra: 'Abū Bakr al-Ṣiddīq sent me with the announcers to Minā on the Day of Sacrifice to proclaim: "After this year, no polytheist shall perform the ḥajj, nor shall anyone circumambulate the House naked."'
That day was the Ḥajj al-Akbar, i.e., the Day of Sacrifice. People called the lesser pilgrimage (ʿumra) the Ḥajj al-Aṣghar, so this pilgrimage was called the Ḥajj al-Akbar.
Abū Bakr made this proclamation to the people that year. In the year of the Farewell Pilgrimage, when the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) performed the ḥajj, no polytheist performed the ḥajj.
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, through Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar, narrates from Abū Hurayra:
'When I was sent by the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) for the ḥajj, I was with ʿAlī, son of Abū Ṭālib. ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him) asked:
- What proclamation are you making? We replied:
- We proclaim: No one but a believer shall enter Paradise, and no one shall circumambulate the House naked. Whoever has a pact or treaty with the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him), his pact or treaty is valid for up to four months. After four months, let it be known that Allah and His Messenger are disassociated from the polytheists. And after this year, no polytheist shall perform the ḥajj!'
I proclaimed this announcement until my voice became hoarse.'
Some have held such a view. But the correct opinion is that whoever had a pact or treaty with the Messenger of God, his pact or treaty would remain valid for its specified term, even if it exceeded four months. However, those without a specified term were granted a four-month period.
There remains a third group: those whose pacts or treaties had less than four months remaining from the day of the proclamation. For them, the term could last until the end of their pact or treaty, even if it was less than four months, or it could be extended to four months. This is because they were more deserving of the four-month reprieve than those without any specified term. Allah knows best.
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, through ʿAffān, narrates from Anas b. Mālik:
'The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) sent the declaration (ultimatum to the polytheists) with Abū Bakr. When Abū Bakr reached Dhū al-Ḥulayfa, the Messenger of God said:
- None should convey this ultimatum except myself or a man from my family (Ahl al-Bayt).
Thereupon, he sent the ultimatum with ʿAlī, son of Abū Ṭālib, to Mecca.'
ʿAbdullāh b. Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, through Luwayn, narrates from ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him):
'The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) sent me after Abū Bakr, and I received the letter at Juhfa. Abū Bakr returned to Medina and asked:
- O Messenger of God, has a verse been revealed concerning me?
- No, but Gabriel came to me and said: "This ultimatum must be conveyed either by you or a man from your family."'
This narration has weakness in its chain and some strangeness in its text. Allah knows best.
Imām Aḥmad b. Ḥanbal, through Sufyān, narrates from Zayd b. Asyā of Hamadhān:
'We asked ʿAlī (may Allah be pleased with him): On the day the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) sent you with Abū Bakr for the ḥajj, what did he command you to proclaim?'
- He commanded me to proclaim four things:
1. No one but a believer shall enter Paradise.
2. The Kaʿba shall not be circumambulated naked.
3. Whoever has a pact or treaty with the Messenger of God, his pact or treaty remains valid until its term.
4. After this year, the polytheists shall not perform the ḥajj.'
Ibn Jarīr al-Ṭabarī, through Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh, narrates from Abū al-Ṣaḥbāʾ al-Bakrī:
'I asked ʿAlī, son of Abū Ṭālib, about the Day of the Greater Pilgrimage (Ḥajj al-Akbar). He replied:
- The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Abū Bakr, son of Abū Quḥāfa, to Mecca to lead the people in the rites of ḥajj. He sent me with forty verses from Sūrat al-Barāʾa. When Abū Bakr reached ʿArafa, he delivered a sermon to the people on the Day of ʿArafa. After finishing his sermon, he returned to his tent and said:
- O ʿAlī, rise and convey the message of the Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him).
I rose and recited forty verses from Sūrat al-Barāʾa to them. Then we returned from ʿArafa and came to Minā. I stoned the pillars, sacrificed the animal, and shaved my head. I realized that not all the people of Friday (i.e., those present for the Friday prayer) had attended Abū Bakr’s sermon on the Day of ʿArafa. So I went around the tents, seeking them out and reciting the mentioned verses to them one by one. For this reason, I thought that the Day of the Greater Pilgrimage was the day when the Day of Sacrifice coincided with Friday. But know that the Day of the Greater Pilgrimage is the day when the Day of ʿArafa falls on a Friday.'
We have explained this matter sufficiently in our tafsir (Qur’anic exegesis) and have also transmitted the relevant hadith and reports. Praise and gratitude belong to Allah.
Al-Wāqidī said: "Three hundred Companions (ṣaḥāba) set out from Medina with Abū Bakr. Among them was ʿAbd al-Raḥmān b. ʿAwf. Abū Bakr brought five sacrificial camels with him. The Messenger of God (peace and blessings be upon him) sent twenty sacrificial camels with him. He then sent ʿAlī after him, who caught up with him in the valley of Arc near Ṭāʾif. In the presence of the pilgrims, ʿAlī proclaimed the declaration (barāʾa)."