Many Western news agencies are reporting that Hamas leader Khaled Ma’shal and other Hamas spokesmen have offered a long-term “cease-fire” in return for certain Israeli actions. In fact, what was referred to is a "hudna" rather than a cease-fire as Westerners would understand it. In order to clarify and provide context, we turn to The Media Line Archives* to explain:
Hudna: The meaning of the word is “calm” or “peace” and its general meaning in Islam is abstention of the relevant parties from hostilities against each other.
According to the Encyclopedia of Islam, hudna is equivalent to “international treaty” in modern terminology. The holy book of the Muslims, the Quran, states that Muslims are obligated to observe the terms of agreement of a hudna to the end of its specified period. The imam, a Muslim spiritual leader, had the power to make the treaty, but this power could be given to commanders who were empowered to negotiate with the enemy, providing the enemy was prepared to come to terms with Islam. Yet the imam had the right to repudiate the agreement if he felt it contradicted the interests of Muslims, provided he gave prior notice to the enemy.
One of the better-known peace hudnas in Islamic history is Hudaybiyya, a treaty that prophet Muhammad made with the unbelievers of
In general, there are certain characteristics of peace treaties that can be summed up as follows: the treaties are brief, with no details as to their application; they are temporary agreements and in most of them the duration is specified, sometimes with an option of renewal.
*The Media Line Archive and Facts in Context are areas available to Elite Members. See toolbar on the home page for information.