Allah said to His Prophet, peace be upon him,
[وَإِنْ أَحَدٌ مِّنَ
الْمُشْرِكِينَ]
(And if anyone of the Mushrikin), whom you were commanded to fight and We
allowed you their blood and property,'
[اسْتَجَارَكَ]
(seeks your protection), asked you for safe passage, then accept his request
until he hears the Words of Allah, the Qur'an. Recite the Qur'an to him and
mention a good part of the religion with which you establish Allah's proof
against him,
[ثُمَّ أَبْلِغْهُ
مَأْمَنَهُ]
(and then escort him to where he can be secure) and safe, until he goes back
to his land, his home, and area of safety,
[ذَلِكَ بِأَنَّهُمْ
قَوْمٌ لاَّ يَعْلَمُونَ]
(that is because they are men who know not.) The Ayah says, `We legislated
giving such people safe passage so that they may learn about the religion of
Allah, so that Allah's call will spread among His servants. Ibn Abi Najih
narrated that Mujahid said that this Ayah, "Refers to someone who comes to you
to hear what you say and what was revealed to you (O Muhammad). Therefore, he is
safe until he comes to you, hears Allah's Words and then proceeds to the safe
area where he came from.'' The Messenger of Allah used to thereafter grant safe
passage to those who came to him for guidance or to deliver a message. On the
day of Hudaybiyyah, several emissaries from Quraysh came to him, such as `Urwah
bin Mas`ud, Mikraz bin Hafs, Suhayl bin `Amr and several others. They came
mediating between him and the Quraysh pagans. They witnessed the great respect
the Muslims had for the Prophet , which astonished them, for they never before
saw such respect for anyone, kings nor czars. They went back to their people and
conveyed this news to them; this, among other reasons, was one reason that most
of them accepted the guidance. When Musaylimah the Liar sent an emissary to the
Messenger of Allah, he asked him, "Do you testify that Musaylimah is a messenger
from Allah'' He said, "Yes.'' The Messenger of Allah said,
«لَوْلَا أَنَّ
الرُّسُلَ لَا تُقْتَلُ لَضَرَبْتُ عُنُقَك»
(I would have cut off your head, if it was not that emissaries are not
killed.) That man, Ibn An-Nawwahah, was later beheaded when `Abdullah bin Mas`ud
was the governor of Al-Kufah. When it became known that he still testified that
Musaylimah was a messenger from Allah, Ibn Mas`ud summoned him and said to him,
"You are not delivering a message now!'' He commanded that Ibn An-Nawwahah be
decapitated, may Allah curse him and deprive him of His mercy. In summary, those
who come from a land at war with Muslims to the area of Islam, delivering a
message, for business transactions, to negotiate a peace treaty, to pay the
Jizyah, to offer an end to hostilities, and so forth, and request safe passage
from Muslim leaders or their deputies, should be granted safe passage, as long
as they remain in Muslim areas, until they go back to their land and sanctuary.
[كَيْفَ يَكُونُ
لِلْمُشْرِكِينَ عَهْدٌ عِندَ اللَّهِ وَعِندَ رَسُولِهِ إِلاَّ الَّذِينَ
عَـهَدْتُمْ عِندَ الْمَسْجِدِ الْحَرَامِ فَمَا اسْتَقَـمُواْ لَكُمْ
فَاسْتَقِيمُواْ لَهُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ يُحِبُّ الْمُتَّقِينَ ]
(7. How can there be a covenant with Allah and with His Messenger for the
Mushrikin except those with whom you made a covenant near Al-Masjid Al-Haram (at
Makkah) So long as they are true to you, stand you true to them. Verily, Allah
loves those who have Taqwa.)