~shortly after Hudaybiyyah, 6 AH · 6 AH
After the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, Ummi Kulthum bint Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt converted to Islam and fled persecution in Makkah, reaching Madinah as an Emigrant. The treaty's return clause read, in Suhayl ibn Amr's own words, that no MAN who came to the Muslims would be kept without being handed back; it did not literally name women. The Prophet ﷺ was uncertain what to do, since returning a woman to be handed back to the disbelievers was far more painful a prospect than returning a man, and Allah revealed [Quran, 60:10], which permitted believing women migrants to be examined and, if found sincere, to remain, settling that the clause did not apply to them.
This is the first recorded test of the treaty's letter-versus-spirit regarding women, and it established a lasting ruling: women were not covered by any agreement to return male defectors unless expressly named. Following the revelation, Ummi Kulthum RA was married to Zayd ibn Harithah RA, the freed slave the Prophet ﷺ had raised as his own son.
Other events recorded in 6 AH. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
Fled persecution in Makkah and emigrated to Madinah after Hudaybiyyah, becoming the first woman whose case tested the treaty's return clause.
Was allowed to remain in Madinah after Allah revealed [Quran, 60:10], settling that the treaty's return clause did not cover women; she was then married to Zayd ibn Harithah RA.
يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِذَا جَاءَكُمُ الْمُؤْمِنَاتُ مُهَاجِرَاتٍ فَامْتَحِنُوهُنَّ ۖ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ بِإِيمَانِهِنَّ ۖ فَإِنْ عَلِمْتُمُوهُنَّ مُؤْمِنَاتٍ فَلَا تَرْجِعُوهُنَّ إِلَى الْكُفَّارِ ۖ لَا هُنَّ حِلٌّ لَّهُمْ وَلَا هُمْ يَحِلُّونَ لَهُنَّ ۖ وَآتُوهُم مَّا أَنفَقُوا ۚ وَلَا جُنَاحَ عَلَيْكُمْ أَن تَنكِحُوهُنَّ إِذَا آتَيْتُمُوهُنَّ أُجُورَهُنَّ ۚ وَلَا تُمْسِكُوا بِعِصَمِ الْكَوَافِرِ وَاسْأَلُوا مَا أَنفَقْتُمْ وَلْيَسْأَلُوا مَا أَنفَقُوا ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ حُكْمُ اللَّهِ ۖ يَحْكُمُ بَيْنَكُمْ ۚ وَاللَّهُ عَلِيمٌ حَكِيمٌ
“O believers! When the believing women come to you as Emigrants, test their intentions —their faith is best known to Allah— and if you find them to be believers, then do not send them back to the disbelievers. These [women] are not lawful [wives] for the disbelievers, nor are the disbelievers lawful [husbands] for them. [But] repay the disbelievers whatever [dowries] they had paid. And there is no blame on you if you marry these [women] as long as you pay them their dowries. And do not hold on to marriage with polytheistic women. [But] demand [repayment of] whatever [dowries] you had paid, and let the disbelievers do the same. That is the judgment of Allah — He judges between you. And Allah is All-Knowing, All-Wise.”
Revealed settling that the Hudaybiyyah return clause did not apply to believing women migrants.