During the Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ secret preparations for the Conquest of Makkah, every effort was made to keep the plan concealed to maintain a strategic advantage over Quraysh. However, Jibreel descended with urgent news: there was a breach of secrecy. A Sahabi, Hatib ibn Abi Balta’a, had sent a letter to Quraysh.
A Mission from the Prophet ﷺ
The Prophet ﷺ called upon three of his trusted Sahaba: Ali, Zubair, and Miqdad رضي الله عنهم. The mission was urgent. He said, “Go to the garden of Khakh. There, you will find a woman carrying a letter. Bring that letter to me.” Following Jibreel’s directions, they caught up with the messenger—hidden deep on the road to Makkah.
The Woman and the Hidden Letter
When they reached the garden of Khakh, they found the woman described by the Prophet ﷺ. Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه approached her and commanded, “Give us the letter.”
The woman feigned ignorance, saying, “I don’t have any letter.”
Ali رضي الله عنه confronted the woman:
“By Allah, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ never lies, and neither do we. You will hand over that letter, or we will search you thoroughly!”
The woman realized she could not outsmart them. Reluctantly, she turned away, loosened her hair, and pulled out the hidden letter. Ali رضي الله عنه took it back to the Prophet ﷺ, who now had clear proof of the treachery.
SubhanAllah: [Nor does he speak from [his own] inclination, Surah Najm].
A Betrayal Uncovered
The letter revealed something shocking—it was from Hatib ibn Abi Balta’ah رضي الله عنه, a close Sahabi of the Prophet ﷺ, a man who made Jihad for the sake of Allah in Badr and Khaybar. The letter was sent to the leaders of Quraysh. In it, Hatib informed them of the Prophet’s ﷺ plans, a dangerous act that could have compromised the safety of the Muslims!
When Hatib رضي الله عنه was brought before the Prophet ﷺ, the situation was tense. The Sahaba looked on in disbelief. Umar ibn Al-Khattab رضي الله عنه, filled with anger, said, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, let me strike the neck of this hypocrite!”
Why Did Hatib ibn Abi Balta’a Do It?
Hatib رضي الله عنه, although feeling guilty of a grave act, spoke in his defence. He said humbly, “O Messenger of Allah ﷺ, I did not do this out of disbelief or treachery. I am not from Quraysh, but I have no family there to protect my relatives in Makkah and I thought this letter would earn me favour with Quraysh, so they would protect my family. I acted out of concern for them, but not betrayal of Islam.”
The Prophet ﷺ listened to Hatib’s explanation and turned to his Sahaba. With mercy, he said, “Hatib has spoken the truth. He fought in the Battle of Badr. And how do you know, Umar, perhaps Allah has looked upon the people of Badr and said, ‘Do as you wish, for I have forgiven you!‘”
Jibreel returns to reveal the message from Allah
Following the incident, Quranic verse from Surah Al-Mumtahanah (60:1) was revealed:
يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوا۟ لَا تَتَّخِذُوا۟ عَدُوِّى وَعَدُوَّكُمْ أَوْلِيَآءَ تُلْقُونَ إِلَيْهِم بِٱلْمَوَدَّةِ وَقَدْ كَفَرُوا۟ بِمَا جَآءَكُم مِّنَ ٱلْحَقِّ يُخْرِجُونَ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَإِيَّاكُمْ ۙ أَن تُؤْمِنُوا۟ بِٱللَّهِ رَبِّكُمْ إِن كُنتُمْ خَرَجْتُمْ جِهَـٰدًۭا فِى سَبِيلِى وَٱبْتِغَآءَ مَرْضَاتِى ۚ تُسِرُّونَ إِلَيْهِم بِٱلْمَوَدَّةِ وَأَنَا۠ أَعْلَمُ بِمَآ أَخْفَيْتُمْ وَمَآ أَعْلَنتُمْ ۚ وَمَن يَفْعَلْهُ مِنكُمْ فَقَدْ ضَلَّ سَوَآءَ ٱلسَّبِيلِ ١
“O believers! Do not take My enemies and yours as trusted allies, showing them affection even though they deny what has come to you of the truth. They drove the Messenger and yourselves out ˹of Mecca˺, simply for your belief in Allah, your Lord. If you ˹truly˺ emigrated1 to struggle in My cause and seek My pleasure, ˹then do not take them as allies,˺ disclosing secrets ˹of the believers˺ to the pagans out of affection for them, when I know best whatever you conceal and whatever you reveal. And whoever of you does this has truly strayed from the Right Way.”
The Lesson of Mercy
Despite how grave the mistake was, The Prophet ﷺ did not condemn Hatib رضي الله عنه. Instead, he forgave him because of his sincerity and his past sacrifices. From this moment, the Sahaba learned an important lesson: Mercy and understanding are powerful tools of leadership!
Allah is the most Forgiving and the most Merciful. Even those who make mistakes can seek forgiveness and tawba. The story of Hatib ibn Abi Balta’a رضي الله عنه reminds us that mercy, especially from a leader, can heal hearts and strengthen Eman.
Understand the Revelation That Corrected a Sahabi
This entire story was resolved by the immediate revelation of the Quran. Imagine being able to read those decisive words from Surah Al-Mumtahanah and understand their meaning directly, just as the Sahaba did.
Our 28-Day Quranic Arabic Course is designed to help you build this connection, so you can access the wisdom and guidance of the Quran in its original, powerful language.