﴿ هُمُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ وَصَدُّوكُمْ عَنِ ٱلْمَسْجِدِ ٱلْحَرَامِ وَٱلْهَدْىَ مَعْكُوفًا أَن يَبْلُغَ مَحِلَّهُۥ ۚ وَلَوْلَا رِجَالٌۭ مُّؤْمِنُونَ وَنِسَآءٌۭ مُّؤْمِنَٰتٌۭ لَّمْ تَعْلَمُوهُمْ أَن تَطَـُٔوهُمْ فَتُصِيبَكُم مِّنْهُم مَّعَرَّةٌۢ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍۢ ۖ لِّيُدْخِلَ ٱللَّهُ فِى رَحْمَتِهِۦ مَن يَشَآءُ ۚ لَوْ تَزَيَّلُوا۟ لَعَذَّبْنَا ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِنْهُمْ عَذَابًا أَلِيمًا ﴾

“[It was not for your enemies sake that He stayed your hands from them: for] it was they who were bent on denying the truth, and who debarred you from the Inviolable House of Worship and prevented your offering from reaching its destina­tion. And had it not been for the believing men and believing women [in Mecca], whom you might have unwittingly trampled underfoot, and on whose account you might have become guilty, without knowing it, of a grievous wrong-: [had it not been for this, you would have been allowed to fight your way into the city: but you were forbidden to fight] so that [in time] God might admit to His grace whomever He wills. Had they [who deserve Our mercy and they whom We have condemned] been clearly discernible [to you], We would indeed have imposed grievous suffering [at your hands] on such of them as were bent on denying the truth.”

The chieftains of the Quraysh had made themselves liable to be punished and engaged in battle. But in view of a greater and more important consideration, they were not fought against and instead of that a truce was reached with them. At that time there were among the Quraysh people who had in their heart of hearts given up polytheism and had faith in the oneness of God, or there were people who, because of their piety and righteousness, were likely to embrace Islam as soon as conditions normalised. If Almighty God did not cause a battle to be fought between the two sides, it was so that the aforesaid people might become believers and play their Islamic role in the world and receive God’s rewards in the Hereafter. In the eyes of God, the importance of dawah work is greater than any other consideration.