Because the Prophet (peace be upon him) killed the men of Banu Qurayza, took their offspring captive, and seized their wealth when they broke his covenant (6). When he made a truce with Quraysh and they broke his covenant, it became lawful for him to treat them in the manner that was previously forbidden for him (8). Furthermore, a truce is a time-bound covenant that ends with the expiration of its duration (9), so it lapses upon its breach and dissolution, similar to a leasing contract, unlike the contract of Dhimma.

Section: The meaning of a truce (Hudna) is that a contract is made with the people of war to cease fighting for a specific period, whether in exchange for compensation or without it. It is also called Muhadana, Muwada'a, or Mu'ahada, and this is permissible based on the words of Allah the Exalted: "[This is a declaration of] disassociation, from Allah and His Messenger, to those with whom you had made a treaty among the polytheists" (10). Allah, Glory be to Him, also said: "And if they incline to peace, then incline to it [also]" (11). Marwan and Miswar ibn Makhrama reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) made a peace treaty with Suhayl ibn Amr at al-Hudaybiyya to cease fighting for ten years (12). This is because the Muslims might be weak, so he makes a truce with them until the Muslims become strong. This is not permissible unless it serves the interests of the Muslims, either because they are too weak to fight them, or because there is hope for their conversion to Islam through the truce, or because they might pay the Jizya and commit to the laws of the religion, or for other such benefits. Once this is established, a truce may not be contracted absolutely without stipulating a period, because this leads to the abandonment of Jihad entirely. It is also not permitted to stipulate that either party may break it at will, for this leads to the opposite of its intended purpose. If the Imam stipulates this for himself to the exclusion of them, it is likewise not permitted; Abu Bakr mentioned this because it contradicts the requirements of the contract, so it is invalid, just as if one were to stipulate this in a sale or marriage. The Qadi and al-Shafi'i said: