Chapter 27
CONQUEST OF MAKKAH
 |
| (For Illustration Only - Muslim Army approaching Kaabah.) |
Fathul Makkah - The Conquest Of Makkah.
(630
A.C)
(Quran
28:85)
“Have We not raised thy reputation for thee? Verily with hardship goeth ease; with hardship goeth ease,”
(Quran
104: 4-6)
Truce of Hudaybiyah had been enforced for two years. It gave Rasulullah ﷺ the right to go to Makkah on a pilgrimage which was called the visit of fulfillment. Quraish departed, leaving the town almost deserted while the unarmed Muslims perform their devotions. Rasulullah ﷺ without dismounting from his camel, made the seven rounds of Tawaf, round the Kaabah, each time touching the Black Stone ( Hajrul Aswad), with his staff. The Muslims made the Tawaf on foot. When three days had expired, the Quraish begged them to leave. The peace and quietness of those two years had been a great help to Islam, which had marvelously increased in strength.
According
to the terms of the Truce, the Khuza’a tribe was on friendly relations with the
Muslims, while, on the other hand, their enemies, the Banu Bakr, had entered
into an alliance with the Quraish. Towards the end of the eight years of the
flight (630 A.C), the Quraish had grown more infuriated than ever at the
ever-increasing popularity of the Muslims. One night the Banu Bakr, with the
help of the Quraish attacked the Khuza’a tribe, who, taken unawares, were
forced to shelter within the precincts of Kaabah. According to the tradition,
bloodshed was forbidden within the Kaabah, but tradition notwithstanding many
of them were put to death. Upon this, the Khuza’a sent a deputation to Madinah
beseeching Rasulullah ﷺ to take action in their defense. Rasulullah ﷺ after
consulting the Companion, dispatch a message to the Quraish, with three
conditions, bidding them to accept one of the three. The conditions were:
1.
That for those slain among
the Khuza’a tribe, the Quraish were to pay blood money.
2.
That they should have
nothing further to do with Banu Bakr;
3.
That they should declare
the truce of Hudaybiyah null and void. The Quraish refused to accept the first
two and agreed to the last.
But soon after, Abu Sufyan,
realizing the danger of having broken the pact, came by himself to Madinah to
beg Rasulullah ﷺ to renew it. Rasulullah ﷺ refuse his request.
For over twenty years the Quraish had been a constant source of trouble and misery to the Muslims. Three times had they attacked Madinah with the hope of entirety crushing Islam, and three times they had failed. It was but natural; therefore, the Muslims should think it was high time to punish those who had done their best during all those three years to bring about the downfall. So the Muslims, calling together all the tribes that were in alliance with them, prepared to attack Makkah.
The Quraish
were quite unaware of this, until Hatib, a Muslim, who had kinfolk at Makkah
sent a messenger to them in secret informing them of what the Muslims intended.
If the letter had reached the Quraish they would, of course, have prepared for
battle, and probably a lot of unnecessary bloodshed would have been caused. But, Allah Rabbul Jalalluh, will it otherwise,
and by some means or other, Rasulullah ﷺ was informed about the letters sent by
Hatib. He immediately sent out men who overtook the messenger and brought back
the letter. The Muslims were enraged at the treachery of Hatib and wished to
punish him severely. But as he was sincerely penitent for what he had done Rasulullah
ﷺ forgave him.
On the tenth of Ramadhan, 8 A.H (630 A.C), Rasulullah ﷺ set out at the head of ten thousand followers. They did not encamp until they reached Marru’s Zahran, a place only a few hours' journeys from Makkah. Rasulullah ﷺ ordered huge fires to be lighted in every camp, which gave the Quraish the impression that the strength of Muslims was considerably greater than it’s really was, and they surrendered without any resistance. The first to be carried before Rasulullah ﷺ was the hard-hearted leader of the Quraish who for twenty-one long years had done his best to eradicate Islam – The Religion of Peace.
He was brought to
Rasulullah ﷺ, and, much to his own surprise, free pardoned. Rasulullah ﷺ also
guaranteed the safety of all those who entered his house, or the Kaabah. For some
months previously, ever since the time when the Emperor Heraclius had testified
to the character of Rasulullah ﷺ, Abu Sufyan had been infected. Now, seeing
Islam triumphant in spite of all, and observing the generous treatment of their
foes by Rasulullah ﷺ and his followers, his heart melted and he immediately
embraced Islam.
Returning to Makkah, he told the people of the safety guaranteed by Rasulullah ﷺ and also informed them of the great strength of the Muslim Army, and that there would be no point in attempting to resist it, for all resistance would be futile. The Muslims then advanced on the city of Makkah and entered from many sides simultaneously. One detachment, under the leadership of Sayidina Khalid Al Walid Ra, entered the town at the quarter where the bitterest enemies of the Muslims lived.
They were
greeted with a shower of arrows and stones. Sayidina Khalid ra was, therefore,
forced, contrary to the orders of Rasulullah ﷺ, to attack them. In this
skirmish two Muslims were killed, and about twenty-eight of the enemy. But Rasulullah
ﷺ when he heard was grieved and shocked to see that blood had been shed in
spite of the orders. On hearing Sayidina Khalid ra explanation’s, he realized
it was necessary in self-defense. Rasulullah
ﷺ then purified Kaabah. Touching each idol he recited the Quranic verse;
(Quran 17:81)
After offering his prayers there, Rasulullah
ﷺ returned the key of the House of Kaabah to the key bearer, “Usman bin Talha”,
and told him that in the future the office of key-bearer would remain with him and
his descendants.
Holy Rasulullah ﷺ then delivered a
sermon, and addressed a special gathering of the Quraish, at the ends of which
there were to know what punishment they were to receive. But the Quraish were
all aware of the kind and noble maturity of Rasulullah ﷺ. They knew they had
harshly treated Rasulullah ﷺ; they had the dark record to their credit. And Rasulullah
ﷺ asked them what punishment they expected him to give them, and they replied: “Thou
art a noble Brother, and the son of a noble brother.” And Rasulullah ﷺ said;
“This day there is no reproof against you.”
On hearing his words the Quraish were dumbfounded; for in their wildest dream, they had never expected such generous treatment. They were to be let off free, without any sort of punishment for all cruel and terrible crimes they had planned, and in some cases carried out, against Islam and the Muslims. Even ‘Ikrimah’, who only a short time before had been at the head of those who attacked Sayidina Khalid ra and his detachment, was forgiven. Hindun the most vicious and devilish woman of the Kafir Quraish who had chewed the liver of syahid Sayidina Hamzah ra, an uncle of Holy Rasulullah ﷺ, and Washi, the paid slave of Hindun who committed the murder under the instruction of her, were pardoned.
So with Habbar, who had
been the cause of death of Rasulullah ﷺ’s own daughter (once going from Makkah to
Madinah she was stoned by Habbar and was badly hurt, dying later of the
injuries received), was freely forgiven. In all history, there is no example of
generous forgiveness like that of Holy Rasulullah ﷺ. No wonder, then, that he
has been given titles he well deserves;
v “The
Perfect Man,”
v “The
Best of Humanity”
v “The
Ideal Prophet,”
v “The
Mercy to all Nations”
v “The
Al-Amin” – “The Most trustworthy,”
v “The
Lover of the Orphans,”
v “The
most exemplary Man of Charity”
v “The
Most Loving father and grandfather’”
v “The
Prophet of Prophets,”
v “The
Messenger of Allah,”
v “The
Most beloved,”
v “The
Chosen One,”
v “The
Appointed One,”
v “The
Most Honest,’
v “The
Most Faithful’”
v “The
Most Righteous”
v “The
Most Truthful”
v “The
Most Kindest,”
v “The
Most Compassionate,”
v “The
Most Affectionate,”
v “The
Model of Excellent,”
v “The
Model of Best Conduct,”
v “The
Model of Virtue,”
v "The
Perfect, Complete and Absolute"
v "The
Man of All Men in Absoluteness, Completion, Perfection"
v "The
Best of Mankind"
v "The
Seal of the Prophets"
v “The
Merciful and Compassionate to the Universe (of All Creation)"
v "The
Model of Excellent Conduct, Merit and Virtue"
v “The
"Merciful and Compassionate to all Mankind, jinn and All Creation"
" The
Bearer of Good Tidings"
Thus Makkah was conquered, and at last in the hands of the Muslims. The generous treatment allotted to the fallen foe had produced an effect greater even than that of the conquest itself. It won all hearts – even the hearts of those who had been the bitterest enemies of Islam. This last scene of Islamic magnanimity disarmed all opposition. In short, all opposition just vanished. The wonder and truth of Islam impressed men and went deep down into their hearts. They turned to Right Path and embraced Islam.
The Holy Rasulullah ﷺ selected a place on Mount Safa to receive them. One after another they came, and soon there were many hundreds who had entered the Muslim Brotherhood. Further emphasize the fact that, of all these hundreds of conversions, not one was a conversion by force. Everyone who embraced Islam did so of his own free will. There were some who did not wish to become Muslims. They were not asked to do so; they were not molested in any way but were treated with extreme kindness by the Muslims. Although they kept to their idolatrous creed, they were friendly with the Muslims and fought shoulder to shoulder at the battle of Hunayn (630 A.C).
The triumphant entry of Rasulullah ﷺ into Makkah was a unique occurrence; for only thirteen years before he had been compelled to leave it as a fugitive. While he was there the Quraish had done all they could to kill him and stamp out Islam. The city where he was born, the city where he first received and preached the word of Allahﷻ, the city whence, in the end, he was driven with a heavy heart, now lay open to him. It was as great a personal triumph as it was religious, and by it, the Quranic prophecy of the successful entry of the holy Rasulullah ﷺ was fulfilled.
A more details story of the Conquest of Makkah.Fath Makkah The Conquest of
Makkah
” The conquest of Makkah,
according to the scholars of Sirah, took place in Ramadan in the 8th year of
Hijra.”
 |
| (For Illustration Only) |
[Surah: Al-Hadid, 10]
1): ‘’A When comes the Help of Allah, and victory, 2): And thou dost see the people enter Allah’s Religion in crowds, 3): Celebrate the Praises of thy Lord, and pray for }{is forgiveness: for He is Oft-Returning (in forgiveness).’’
[Surah: An-Nasr, 1-3]
The Occasion of the Conquest
of Makkah
Despite the improved relations
between Makkah and Madinah after the signing of the Treaty of Al- Hudaybiyah,
the ten-year peace was to be broken by Quraish who, with their allies, the
tribe of Bakr, attacked the tribe of Khuza’ah. Now Khuza’ah were allies of the
Muslims and when Rasulullahﷺ heard of the attack, he immediately ordered his
men to prepare for war.
Later, Rasulullah ﷺ informed the men that he was going to
Makkah and ordered them to make careful preparations. He said,
“O Allah, take the eyes and
ears from Quraish so that we may take them by surprise in their land.”
Consequently, the men got themselves ready.
The Affair of Hatib Ibn Abi
Balta’ah
In his Sahih, Al-Bukhari
narrated on the authority of ‘Ubaid Allah Ibn Abi Rafi’ that the later said, “I
heard ‘Sayidina Ali Ibn Abu Talib ra (may Allah be pleased with him) say, ‘Allah’s Messenger (Rasulullahﷺ)
sent me, Abu Marthad and Az-Zubair, and all of us were riding horses, and said,
‘Go until you reach Raudat-Khakh where there is a pagan woman carrying a letter
from Hatib Ibn Abi Balta’ah to the pagans of Makkah.
’So we found her riding her
camel at the place which Rasulullahﷺ had mentioned. We said (to her), ‘(Give
us) the letter.’ She said, ‘I have no letter.’ Then we made her camel kneel
down and we searched her, but we found no letter. Then we said, ‘Rasulullah ﷺ had not told us a lie,
certainly.
Take out the letter, otherwise, we will strip you naked.’ When she saw that we were determined, she put her
hand below her waist belt, for she had tied her cloak round her waist, and she
took out the letter, and we brought her to Rasulullahﷺ. Then ‘Umar said, ‘O Rasulullahﷺ!
(This Hatib) has betrayed Allahﷻ, Rasulullahﷺ and the believers! Let me cut off
his neck!’
Rasulullahﷺ
asked
Hatib, ‘What made you do this?’ Hatib said, ‘By Allahﷻ, I did not intend to give
up my belief in Allahﷻ and His Rasul but I wanted to have some influence among
the (Makkah) people so that through it, Allahﷻ might protect my family and property.
There is the tone of your Companions but has some of his relatives there through
whom Allahﷻ protects his family and property.’ Rasulullahﷺ said,
‘He has spoken the truth; do
no say to him but good. ’
‘Umar said, ‘He has betrayed Allahﷻ, His Messenger, and the faithful believers. Let me cut off his neck!’ Rasulullahﷺ
said,
‘Is he not one of the Badr warriors...? May be Allahﷻ looked at the Badr warriors and said, ’Do whatever you like, as I
have granted Paradise to you, or said, ‘I have forgiven you.’
On hearing this, tears came
out of ’Umar’s eyes, and he said, ‘Allahﷻ and ‘Rasulullah ﷺ know best.’”
Therefore,
Allahﷻ, Most High,
has revealed the Surah that begins with:
[Surah: Al-Mumtahinah-1]
Muslims Goes out to Makkah
On the 10th of Ramadan, 8 A.H,
Rasulullahﷺ went on his journey and put over Madinah Abu Ruhm Kulthum Ibn
Hussayn. In this context, Al- Bukhari narrated on the authority of Ibn ‘Abbas RA
that the latter said, “Rasulullahﷺ traveled in the month of Ramadan and
he fasted until he reached (a place called) ‘Usfan, then he asked for a tumbler
of water and drank it by the daytime so that the people might see him. He broke
his fast until he reached Makkah.”
Ibn ‘Abbas RA used to say, “Rasulullahﷺ
fasted and sometimes did not fast while traveling, so one may fast or may not
(on journeys).”
However, it should be noted
that the Muslims’ number was 10.000 men
Abu Sufiyan Embraces Islam
Hisham’s father, according to
Al-Bukhari, narrated that when Rasulullahﷺ set out (towards Makkah)
during the year of the Conquest (of Makkah) and this news reached (the infidels
of Quraish), Abu Sufyan, Hakim Ibn Hizam and Budail Ibn Warqa came out to
gather information about Rasulullahﷺ.
They proceeded on their way
they reached a place called Marr-az-Zahran (which is near Makkah). There they
saw many fires as if they were the fires of ‘Arafat. Abu Sufyan said, “What is
this? It looked like tire fires of ‘Arafat.” Budail Ibn Warqa said, “Banu ‘Amr
are less in number than that.”
Some of the guards of Rasulullahﷺ
saw them and took them over, caught them ,and brought them to Rasulullahﷺ. Abu
Sufyan embraced Islam.
Rasulullahﷺ proceeded, he said
to Al-‘Abbas RA,
“Keep Abu Sufyan standing at
the top of the mountain so that he would look at the Muslims.”
So Al-‘Abbas RA kept him standing (at that place) and the
tribes with Rasulullahﷺ started passing in front of Abu Sufyan in military batches.
A batch passed and Abu Sufyan
said, ‘O ‘Abbas, who are these?”
‘Abbas RA said, “They are
(Banu) Ghifar.”
Abu Sufyan said, “I have
gotten nothing to do with Ghifar.”
Then a batch of the tribe of
Juhaina passed by and he said similarly as above. Then (a batch of the tribe
of) Sa’d Ibn Huzaim passed by and he said similarly as above.
Then Banu Sulaim passed by and
he said similarly as above.
Then came a batch, the like of
which Abu Sufyan had not seen.
He said, “Who are these?”
‘Abbas RA said, “They are the
Ansar headed by Sa’d Ibn ‘Ubadah, the one holding the flag.”
Sa’d Ibn ‘Ubadah said, “’O Abu
Sufyan! Today is the day of a great battle and today (what is prohibited in)
the Ka’ bah will be permissible.”
Abu Sufyan said, “O ‘Abbas!
How excellent the day of destruction is!” Then came another batch (of warriors)
which was the smallest of all the batches, and in it there was Rasulullahﷺ and
his Companions, and the flag of Rasulullahﷺ was carried by Az-Zubair Ibn
Al-‘Awwam.
When Rasulullahﷺ passed by Abu Sufyan, the latter said, (to Rasulullahﷺ)
“Do you know what Sa’d Ibn
‘Ubadah said?”
Rasulullahﷺ said,
“What did he say?”
Abu Sufyan said, “He said
such-and-such.”
On that Rasulullahﷺ said,
“Sa’d told a lie, but today Allahﷻ will give superiority to the Kaabah and today the Kaabah will be covered
with a (cloth) covering. ”
Rasulullahﷺ ordered that his
flag be fixed at Al-Hajun.
Al-Bukhari also narrated that
‘Urwah said that Nafi’ Ibn Jubair Ibn Mut’im said, “I heard Al-‘Abbas saying to
Az-Zubair Ibn Al-‘Awwam, ‘O Abu ‘Abdullah! Did Allah’s Messenger (Rasulullahﷺ)
order you to fix the flag here?’”
Rasulullahﷺ ordered Khalid Ibn
Al-Walid to enter Makkah from its upper part from Ka’bal, Rasulullahﷺ himself
entered from Kuda. Two men from the cavalry of Khalid Ibn Al-Wahd named Hubaish
Ibn Al-Ash’ar and Kurz Ibn Jabir Al-Fihri were martyred on that day.
 |
| (For Illustration Only) |
Aishah (may Allah be pleased
with her) said, “During the year of toe inquest (of Makkah), Rasulullahﷺ
entered Makkah through Kada which was at the upper part of Makkah.”
Both Al-Bukhari and Muslims
narrated on the authority of Anas Ibn Malik RA that the latter said that on the
day of the Conquest, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
entered Makkah, wearing a helmet on his head. When he took it off, a man came
and said, “Ibn Khatal is clinging to the curtain of the Kaabah.”
Rasulullahﷺ said, “Kill him.”
Al-Bukhari, moreover, narrated
on the authority of ‘ Abdullah Ibn Mughaffal that the latter said that I saw ‘Rasulullah ﷺ on the day of the
Conquest of Makkah over his she-camel, reciting Surat-al-Fath in a vibrant
quivering tone.
Mu’awiyah commented on this,
saying, “Were I not afraid that the people may gather around me, I would recite
in vibrant quivering tone as he (i.e., ‘Abdullah Ibn Mughaffal) did, imitating
Allah’s Messenger.”
Muslims had been ordered by ‘Rasulullah ﷺ not to cause any harm
unless anyone tried to stop them from entering. However, according to Ibn Ishaq,
Safwan Ibn Umayyah, ‘Ikrimah Ibn Abi Jahl and Suhail Ibn ‘Amr had collected
some men in Al-Khandama to fight. Himas Ibn Qays Ibn Khalid, brother of Ibn
Bakr was sharpening his sword before ‘Rasulullah ﷺ entered Makkah, and his wife asked him why he
was doing so.
When he told her it was for ‘Rasulullah ﷺ and his Companions she said that she did not think that it would do
them any harm. He answered that he hoped to give her one of them as a slave.
Then he went to Al-Khandama
with Safwan, Suhail, and ‘Ikrimah and when the Muslims under Khalid arrived a
skirmish followed in which Kurz Ibn Jabir, one of the tribe of Muharib Ibn
fihr, and Hubaish Ibn Khalid Ibn Rabi’ah Ibn Asram, an ally of the tribe of
Munqidh, who were in Khalid’s cavalry, were killed. They had taken a road of
their own apart fiom Khalid and were killed together.
Salamah Ibn Al-Mayla, one of
Khalid’s horsemen, was killed. and the polytheists lost about 12 or 13 men;
then they took to flight.
‘Rasulullah ﷺ had instructed his commanders when they
entered Makkah only to fight those who resisted them, except a small number who
were to be killed even if they were found beneath the curtains of the Kaaba. Among
them were ‘ Abdullah Ibn Sa’d Ibn Abi Sarh, ‘Abdullah Ibn Khadl and Al-Huwairth
Ibn Naqid Ibn Wahb Ibn ‘Abd Qasa.
In his Sahih, Al-Bukhari
narrated on the authority of ‘Abdullah, “When the ‘Rasulullah ﷺ entered Makkah on the Day of the Conquest,
there were 360 idols around the Kaaba. ‘Rasulullah ﷺ started striking them with a stick he had in his hand and
was saying,
‘A Truth has come and
falsehood will neither start nor will it reappear. ’
Moreover, Al-Bukhari narrated
on the authority of ‘ Abdullah Ibn ‘ Umar (may Allah be pleased with them) who
said, “‘Rasulullah ﷺ arrived (at
Makkah) in the year of the Conquest (of Makkah) while Usamah was riding behind
him on (his she-camel). Al-Qaswa, Bilal and ‘ Uthman Ibn Talha were
accompanying him. When he made his she-camel kneel down near the Kaaba, he
said to ‘Uthman,
‘Get us the key (of the
Kaaba). ’
He brought the key to him and
opened the gate of the Kaaba, for him. Rasulullah ﷺ, Usamah, Bilal, and ‘ Uthman (Ibn Talhah) entered the Kaaba
and then closed the gate behind them (from inside).
Rasulullah ﷺ stayed there for a long period and then came
out. The people rushed to get in, but I went in before them and found Bilal
standing behind the gate, and I said to him, ‘Where did Rasulullah ﷺ pray..?’ He said, ‘He prayed between those two
front pillars.’
The Kaaba was built on six
pillars, arranged in two rows, and he prayed between the two pillars of the
front row leaving the gate of the Ka’ bah at his back and facing (in Prayer)
the wall which faces one when one enters the Ka’ bah.
Between him and that wall (was
the distance of about three cubits). But I forgot to ask Bilal about the number
of raka’at (units in Prayer) Rasulullah ﷺ had prayed. There was a red piece of marble at the place where he (i.e., Rasulullah ﷺ had offered the Prayer.”
Mujahid, according to
Al-Bukhri, also reported that Rasulullah ﷺ got up on the day of the Conquest of Makkah and said,
“Allah has made Makkah a
sanctuary since the day He created the Heavens and the Earth, and it will
remain a sanctuary by virtue of the sanctity..! Allah has bestowed on it until
the Day of Resurrection. It (i.e., fighting in it) was not made lawful to
anyone before me., nor will it be made lawful to anyone after me, and it was
not made lawful for me except for a short period of time. Its animals (that can be
hunted) should not be chased, nor should its trees be cut, nor its vegetation
or grass uprooted, not its Luqata (i.e., lost things) picked up except by one
who makes a public announcement about it.”
Al-‘Abbas Ibn ‘Abdul Muttalib
said, “Except the Idhkhir, ‘O Allah’s Messenger, as it is indispensable for
blacksmiths and houses.” On that, Rasulullah ﷺ kept quiet and then said,
“Except the Idhkhir as it is
lawful to cut.”
Abu Shuraih narrated that he
said to Amr Ibn Sa’id while the latter was sending troops in batches to Makkah,
‘O chief..! Allow me to tell you a statement that Rasulullah ﷺ said on the second day of the Conquest of
Makkah. My two ears heard it and my heart remembered it and my two eyes saw him
when he said it. He (Rasulullah ﷺ) praised Allah and then said.
‘Makkah has been made a
sanctuary by Allah and not by the people, so it is not lawful for a person, who
believes in Allah and the Last Day to shed blood in it, or to cut its trees and
if someone asks permission to fight in Makkah because Rasulullah ﷺ was allowed to fight in it, say to
him, ‘Allah permitted His Messenger and did not allow you, and even he (i.e., Rasulullah ﷺ) was allowed for a short period of the day, and today its
(Makkah’s) sanctity has become the same as it was before (of old) so those who
are present should inform those who are absent (this Hadith).
Then Abu Shuraih, was asked,
“What did ‘Amr say to you?”
Abu Shuraih said, “He said, ،I
knew that better than you, ‘O Abu Shuraih..!
The Haram (i.e., Makkah) does
not give refuge to a sinner or a fleeing murderer or a person running away
after causing destruction.’”
According to Al-Bukhari,
Salim’s father narrated that Rasulullah ﷺ sent Khalid Ibn Al-Walid to the tribe of Jadhimah and Khalid invited them
to Islam but they could not express themselves by saying, “Aslamna (i.e., we
have embraced Islam),” but they started saying “Saba’na! Sabana (i.e., we have
come out of one religion to another).”
Khalid kept on killing (some
of) them and taking (some of them as captives and gave every one of us his
Captive. When there came the day then Khalid ordered that each man (i.e.,
Muslim soldier) should kill his captive,
I said, “By Allah, I will not
kill my captive, and none of my companions will kill his captive.”
When we reached Rasulullah ﷺ, we mentioned to him the whole
story. On that, Rasulullah ﷺ raised
both his hands and said twice:
“O Allah! I am free from what
Khalid has done.”
“O Allah! I am free from what
Khalid has done.”
The Prophet’s stay in Makkah
The scholars of Siyrah unanimously agreed that Rasulullah ﷺ stayed the remaining days of Ramadan in Makkah shortening the Prayers and not
fasting.
In this context, Al-Bukhari
narrated that Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said, “We stayed (in Makkah)
for ten days along with Rasulullah ﷺ and used to offer shortened prayers (i.e., journey prayers).”
Also, Ibn ‘Abbas (may Allah be
pleased with them) reported that Rasulullah ﷺ stayed in Makkah for 19 days during which he prayed 2 Rak’at in each
Prayer (that consists of 4 Rak’at, namely, Zuhr, ‘Asr and Maghrib Prayers).
 |
| (For Illustration Only) |
The Prophet’s Judgments during His stay in Makkah
In his Sahih, Al-Bukhari reported some of the
Prophet’s judgments during his stay in Makkah, following are some of his
narrations:
‘Aishah (may Allah be pleased
with her) said that ‘ Utbah Ibn Abi Waqqas authorized his brother Sa’d to take
the son of the slave-girl of Zam’ah into his custody.
‘Utbah said (to him), “He is
my son.
“When Rasulullah ﷺ arrived in Makkah during the Conquest (of
Makkah), Sa’d Ibn Abi Waqqas took the son of the slave-girl of Zam’ah and took
him to Rasulullah ﷺ.
‘Abd Ibn Zam’ ah too came
along with him. Sa’d said, “This is the son of my brother and the latter has
informed me that he is his son.” ‘Abd Ibn Zam’ah said, “O Allah’s Messenger!
This is my brother who is the son of the slave-girl of Zam’ ah and was born on
his (i.e., Zam’ah’s) bed.”
Rasulullah ﷺ looked at the son of the slave-girl of Zam’ ah
and noticed that he, of all the people, had the greatest resemblance to ‘Utbah
Ibn Abi Waqqas.
Rasulullah ﷺ then said (to ‘ Abd),
“He is yours; he is your
brother, O ‘Abd Ibn Zam’ah, he was born on the bed (of your father).”
(At the same time) Allah’s
Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said (to his wife Sawdah),
“Veil yourself before him (i.e., the son of the slave-girl) ‘O Sawdah,” because
of the resemblance he noticed between him and ‘Utbah Ibn Abi Waqqas. Rasulullah ﷺ added,
“The boy is for the bed (i.e.,
for the owner of the bed where he was born), and stone is for the adulterer.”
‘Urwah Ibn Az-Zubair reported
that a lady committed theft during the lifetime of Rasulullah ﷺ in the Ghazwa of Al-Fath, (i.e., Conquest of
Makkah). Her folk went to Usamah Ibn Zaid to intercede for her (with Rasulullah ﷺ). When Usamah interceded for
her with Rasulullah ﷺ changed and he said,
“Do you intercede with me in a
matter involving one of the legal punishments prescribed by Allah..?”
Usamah said, “O Allah’s
Messenger! Ask Allah’s Forgiveness for me.” So in the afternoon, Rasulullah ﷺ) got up and addressed the
people. He praised Allah as He deserved and then said,
“… The nations prior to you
were destroyed because if a noble amongst them stole, they used to excuse him,
and if a poor person amongst them stole, they would apply (Allah ‘s) Legal
Punishment to him. By Him in Whose Hand Muhammad’s soul is, if Fatimah, the
daughter of Muhammad stole, I would cut her hand.”
Then Rasulullah ﷺ gave his order in the case of that woman
and her hand was cut off. Afterward, her repentance proved sincere and she got
married. ‘Aishah said, “That lady used to visit me and I used to convey her
demands to Rasulullah ﷺ.”
On the day of the Conquest of
Makkah, Rasulullah ﷺ took the pledge
of both men and women to testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is
the Messenger of Allah, and to embrace Islam. According to Ahmad, Rasulullah ﷺ took the pledge of people
to believe in Allah and to testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad
is Rasulullah ﷺ.
The Glorious Qur’an, we
read,
‘’ ‘O Prophet! When believing women come to thee to take the oath fealty to thee؛, that they will not associate in worship any other thing whatever with Allah, that they will not steal, that they will not commit adultery (or fornication), that they will not kill their children, that they will not utter slander, intentionally forging falsehood, and that they will not disobey thee in any just matter, then do thou receive their fealty, and pray to Allah for the forgiveness (of their sins): for Allah is Oft-Forgiving, Most Merciful.)’’
[Surah: Al-Mumtahinah, 12]
Majashi, according to
Al-Bukhari, said, “I took my brother to Rasulullah ﷺ after the Conquest (of Makkah) and said, ’O Allah’s
Messenger! I have come to you with my brother so that you may take a pledge of
allegiance from him for migration.’ Rasulullah ﷺ said,
‘The people of migration
(i.e., those who migrated to Madinah before the Conquest) enjoyed the
privileges of migration (i.e., there is no need for migration anymore). ’
I said to Rasulullah ﷺ, ‘For what will you take his pledge of
allegiance..?’
‘’Rasulullah ﷺ said, I will take his pledge of allegiance for
Islam, Belief, and for Jihad (i.e., fighting in Allah’s Cause).”’
Mujahid, likewise, said, “I
said to Ibn ‘ Umar, ‘I want to migrate to Syria.’ He said, ‘There is no
migration, but Jihad (for Allah’s Cause). Go and offer yourself for Jihad, and
if you find an opportunity for Jihad (stay there) otherwise, come back.”
In another narration, Ibn
‘Umar said, “There is no migration today or after Allah’s Messenger.” Then, he
completed his statement as above.
Ibn ‘Abbas said, “’ Umar used
to admit me (into his house) along with the old men who had fought in the Badr
battle. Some of them said (to ‘Umar), ‘Why do you allow this young man to enter
with us, while we have sons of his own age..?’ ‘Umar said, ‘You know what
person he is.’ One day ‘Umar called them and called me along with them, I had
thought he called me on that day to show them something about me (i.e., my
knowledge). ‘Umar asked them, ‘What do you say about (the Surah) that reads;
[Surah: An-Nasr: 1-3]
Some of them replied, ‘We are
ordered to praise Allah and repent to Him if we are helped and granted
victory.’ Some said, ‘We do not know.’ Others kept quiet.
‘Umar then said to me, ‘Do you
say similarly?’
I said, ‘No.’
‘Umar said ‘What do you say
then..?’
I said, ‘This Qur’anic verse
indicates the approaching of the death of Rasulullah ﷺ of which Allah informed him.
When comes the help of Allah
and the Conquest, i.e., the Conquest of Makkah, that will be the sign of your
Prophet’s approaching death, so testify the uniqueness of your Lord (i.e.,
Allah) and praise Him and repent to Him as He is ready to forgive.’ On that, ‘
Umar said, ،I do not know about it anything other than what you know.’
‘Amr Ibn Salamah said, “We
were at a place which was a thoroughfare for the people, and the caravans used
to pass by us and we would ask them,
‘What is wrong with the
people..?
What is wrong with the
people..?
Who is that man..?’
They would say, ‘That man
claims that Allah has sent him (as a Rasulullah ﷺ), that he has been divinely
inspired, and that Allah has revealed to him such-and-such.’ I used to memorize
that (Divine) Talk, and feel as if it was inculcated in my chest (i.e., mind)
and the Arabs (other than Quraish) delayed their conversion to Islam until the
Conquer (of Makkah).
They used to say, ‘Leave him
(i.e., Muhammad) and his people Quraish: if he overpowers them then he is a
true Prophet. So, when Makkah was conquered, then every tribe rushed to embrace
Islam, and my father hurried to embrace Islam before (the other members of) my
tribe. When my father returned (from the Prophet) to his tribe, he said, ‘By
Allah, I have come to you from Rasulullah ﷺ for sure!’ Rasulullah ﷺ afterward said to them.
‘Offer such-and-such prayer at
such-and-such time, and when the time for the Prayer becomes due, then one of
you should pronounce the Adhan (the call to prayer), and let the one amongst
you who knows Qur’an most should lead the Prayer. ’
So they looked for such a
person and found none who knew more Quran than I because of the Quranic
material which I used to learn from the caravans. They, therefore, made me their
Imam (to lead the prayer), and at that time I was a boy of six or seven years,
wearing an (i.e., a black square garment) proved to be very short for me (and my
body became partly naked). A lady from the tribe said, ‘Won’t you cover the
anus of your reciter for us..?’ So they bought (a piece of cloth) and made a
shirt for me. I had never been so happy with anything before as I was with that
shirt.”
The Conquest of Makkah |
Preparations
When Islam was well
established in the hearts of the Muslims, Allah decided that the time had come
for His Rasulullah ﷺ and his community to enter Makkah. They
would purify the Ka’bah so that it would be a blessed place of guidance for the
whole world. They would restore Makkah to its previous status and the sacred
city would offer security for all people once again.
A Broken Treaty
In the Peace Treaty of
Hudaybiyyah, it was laid down that anyone who wanted to enter into a treaty and
alliance with Rasulullah ﷺ should be able to do so; and anyone who
wanted to enter into a treaty and alliance with the Quraysh should also be
allowed to do so. The Banu Bakr entered into an alliance with the Quraysh while
the Banu Khuza’ah entered into one with
Long-standing hostility
existed between the Banu Bakr and Banu Khuza’ah. The coming of Islam had put a
barrier between the people as they had become engrossed in its affairs. The
Peace Treaty enabled the Banu Bakr to settle an old score against the Banu
Khuza’ah. One night the Banu Bakr attacked the Banu Khuza’ah by night when they
were camped by a spring and killed some of their men. A skirmish developed and
the Quraysh helped the Banu Bakr by providing weapons.
Some Quraysh leaders also
fought with the Banu Bakr secretly by night, and the Khuza’ah were driven into
the Haram. Some of the Quraysh said, ’ We have entered the Haram. Mind your
gods!’ Others replied thoughtlessly, ‘There is no god today, men of Banu Bakr.
Take your revenge! You may never have another chance!
Seeking help
Amr ibn Salim al-Khuza’i went
to Rasulullah ﷺ in Madinah and recited some
verses to him about the alliance between the Muslims and the Khuza’ah. He asked
for help, saying that the Quraysh had violated the agreement. His tribe had
been attacked at night, he maintained, and men had been killed in rukuk and
sajdah while performing prayers.
Rasulullah ﷺ, ‘You will be helped, Amr ibn Salim!’ He then sent a
man to Makkah to get confirmation of the attack and to offer the Quraysh the
chance to redress their offense. Their reply was impulsive and they ignored the
likely consequences.
 |
| (For Illustration Only - an old artist's impression of the conquest of Makkah) |
The Quraysh Attempt to Renew the Treaty
When Rasulullah ﷺ heard their answer, he said, ‘I think you will see Abu
Sufyan coming to strengthen the treaty and to ask for more time.’
That happened. The Quraysh
were so concerned about what they had done that they charged Abu Sufyan with
the task of getting the treaty ratified.
Abu Sufyan came to Rasulullah ﷺ in Madinah and also went to visit his
daughter, Umm Habibah, the wife of Rasulullah ﷺ. However, when he went to sit on Rasulullah ﷺ of Allah’s carpet, she rolled it up from
under him.
Puzzled, he said to her, ‘My daughter,
I do not know whether you think the carpet is too good for me or whether I am
too good for the carpet.’
She replied, ‘This is Rasulullah ﷺ of Allah’s carpet and you are an unclean
idol-worshipper. I do not want you to sit on his carpet.’
‘By Allah, ‘ Abu Sufyan
retorted. ‘You have been spoiled since you left me.’
Abu Sufyan Fails:
Abu Sufyan went to Rasulullah ﷺ, but he did not receive any answer. Then
he went to Abu Bakr and asked him to speak to Rasulullah ﷺ for him but he refused. He tried to win over Umar, Ali, and Fatimah
but they all said that the matter was too serious for them to get involved. Abu
Sufyan became confused about what to do.
Making Ready
Rasulullah ﷺ asked the Muslims to start preparing for an expedition but he
asked them to keep it a secret. Later he announced that he was going to Makkah
and ordered them to get ready.
He said, ‘O Allah! Impede the
informers of the Quraysh so that we can take Makkah by surprise.’ He left
Madinah with ten thousand men in Ramadan 8 A.H. and advanced as far as Marr
az-Zahran where they set up camp. Allah concealed this information from the
Quraysh, so they waited in uncertainty.
A Pardoning
On the way, Rasulullah ﷺ happened to meet his cousin, Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith
ibn Abdul-Muttalib. He ignored him because he had suffered insults and
persecution from Abu Sufyan.
The cousin complained to Ali that he had been ignored. Ali said to him, ‘Go to Rasulullah ﷺ and say to him what the brothers said to Yusuf,
(12: 91 )
Rasulullah ﷺ never Likes anyone to show more mercy than he.
Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith did
as ‘Ail advised and Rasulullah ﷺ replied, ‘Have
no fear this day. Allah will forgive you. He is the Most Merciful of the
merciful.
Abu Sufyan ibn al-Harith accepted
Islam and was known for his piety. He did not raise his head ever again in
front of Rasulullah ﷺ because he felt so ashamed
of his past behavior.
Abu Sufyan Ibn Harb Accepts
Islam
Rasulullah ﷺ was commanding the army and he ordered the campfires to be lit.
Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, who was spying out the ground for the Quraysh, said: ‘I
have never seen so many fires or such an army.
Al-Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib
had already left Makkah with his wife and children as a Muslim Muhajir and had
joined the Muslim army. He recognized Abu Sufyan’s voice and called to him,
‘See, Rasulullah ﷺ is here with his army. What a
terrible morning the Quraysh will have!’
He made Abu Sufyan ride on the
back of his mule, fearing that if a Muslim saw him, he would kill him. Al-Abbas
took him to Rasulullah ﷺ who said, ‘Woe to you,
Abu Sufyan! Has not the time come for you to acknowledge that there is no god
but Allah’
Abu Sufyan replied, ‘How kind
and gentle you are! By Allah, I think that if there had been another god
besides Allah, he would have helped me today.’
‘Woe to you, Abu Sufyan! Is it
not time that you recognized that I am the Messenger(peace be upon him) of
Allah!’
Abu Sufyan replied, ‘May my
father and mother be your ransom! How kind and generous you are! But by Allah,
I still have some doubt as to that.’
Al-Abbas intervened, ‘Woe to
you, Abu Sufyan! Become a Muslim and testify that there is no god but Allah and
that Muhammad is Rasulullah ﷺ before you lose
your head.’ Then Abu Sufyan recited the articles of faith and became a Muslim.
The Amnesty
Rasulullah ﷺ was generous in granting amnesty to everyone so that no one in
Makkah need be killed that morning. Only those who courted danger ran any risk
of losing their life.
He declared, ‘Whoever enters
the house of Abu Sufyan is safe. Whoever locks his door is safe. Whoever enters
the mosque is safe.’ Rasulullah ﷺ told his army
not to use arms against anyone when they entered Makkah unless they met
opposition or resistance. He directed the army not to touch property or
possessions belonging to the people of Makkah and that nothing should be destroyed.
Abu Sufyan’s Influence;
Rasulullah ﷺ decided to demonstrate the power of Islam to Abu Sufyan. He asked
Abbas ibn Abdul-Muttalib to take Abu Sufyan to where the marching squadrons
would pass by.
The Muslim squadrons passed by
like a surging sea with the different tribes bearing their standards. Whenever
a tribe passed by, Abu Sufyan would ask Abbas about it and, when he heard the
name of the tribe, he would mumble gloomily, ‘What have I got to do with them?’
Finally, Rasulullah ﷺ passed by with his squadron
in full, gleaming green armor. It was the regiment of the Muhajirun and the
Ansar. Only their eyes were visible because of their armor.
Abu Sufyan said, ‘Glory be to
Allah! Abbas, who are these?’
‘Rasulullah ﷺ with the Muhajirun and Ansar, ‘ he answered.
‘No one has any power or
resistance against them, ‘ said Abu Sufyan. ‘By Allah, Abul-Fadl, the authority
of your brother’s son has certainly increased.’
Abu Sufyan, ‘Abbas said, ‘This
is not a kingdom, it is prophethood.’
Abu Sufyan replied, ‘Then it
is wonderful.’
He stood up and shouted at the
top of his voice, ‘O men of the Quraysh! This is Muhammad with a force you
cannot resist. He has ten thousand men of steel. He says that whoever enters my
house will be safe.’
The men shouted back, ‘Allah
slay you! What good is your house to us?’
Abu Sufyan added, ‘And whoever
locks himself indoors is safe and whoever enters the mosque is safe.’ So the
people dispersed and went into their homes or into the mosque.
A Humble Victory;
On the morning of Friday, 20
Ramadan, 8 A.H., Rasulullah ﷺ entered Makkah with
his head bowed. When he realized the honor of the conquest Allah had bestowed.
upon him, he felt so humble before Allah that his chin almost touched the back
of his camel.
He was reciting Surat al-Fath
as he rode into Makkah in victory. He raised the standard of justice, equality,
and humility. Behind him rode Usamah ibn Zayd, the son of his freed slave,
rather than any sons of the Banu Hashim or of the Quraysh leaders, even though
they were present.
One man, trembling with awe on
the Day of the Conquest, was told, ‘Be at ease. Do not be afraid. I am not a
king. I am only the son of a woman of the Quraysh who used to eat meat dried in
the sun.’
Mercy, not Slaughter;
When Sa’d ibn ‘Ubadah in the
squadron of the Ansar passed by Abu Sufyan he called out, ‘Today is a day of
slaughter. Today there is no more sanctuary. Today Allah has humbled the
Quraysh.’
When Rasulullah ﷺ squadron came near Abu Sufyan, he complained;, ‘Messenger
of Allah did you not hear what Sa’d said..?’
‘What was that!’ said Rasulullah ﷺ, and Abu Sufyan repeated what Sa’d had
called out.
Rasulullah ﷺ disliked Sa’d’s comments and replied, ‘Today is a day of mercy and
forgiveness when Allah will exalt the Quraysh and raise honor for the Kaaba.’
He then sent for Sa’d, took
the standard from him, and gave it to his son Qays. This meant that the standard
did not really leave Sa’d because it only went to his son. But Abu Sufyan was
satisfied and Sa’d was not too upset.
Small skirmishes;
A small skirmish broke out
between Safwan ibn Umayyah, ‘Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl', and Suhayl ibn Amr, who came
up against the companions of Khalid ibn al-Walid. Twelve of the
idol-worshippers were killed when they tried to stop the advance of the Muslim
forces. The rest gave in without further bloodshed. Rasulullah ﷺ had told his men when
they entered Makkah, ‘Do not fight anyone unless they attack you.’
Purifying the Haram
Rasulullah ﷺ got down from his camel when everything had calmed down. He went
to the Kaaba first and performed tawaf. Around the Kaaba were three hundred
and sixty idols. With a stick he was carrying he began to push them over,
saying:
(Surah 17: 81)
‘The truth has come and falsehood originates not nor brings again.’
(Surah 34: 49)
The idols collapsed one by
one, falling onto their faces. Pictures and statues were found in the Kaaba
and Rasulullah ﷺ ordered that they should also be
destroyed.
A day of Piety
Having performed tawaf, Rasulullah ﷺ called Uthman ibn Talhah who had the key
to the Kaaba. The doors were unlocked and he went in. He had asked Uthman for
the key before the hijrah to Madinah but he had received a rude answer and
insults. He had shown tolerance by answering, Uthman, one day you will see this
key in my hand. I will then put it where I wish.
Uthman had retorted, ‘The
Quraysh will be destroyed and humiliated on that day.’
‘No, ‘ said Rasulullah ﷺ, ‘Rather it will be a day of prosperity and security
for the Quraysh.’ His words made such an impression on Uthman ibn Talhah that
he came to believe the prediction would eventually take place.
When Rasulullah ﷺ came out of the Kaaba, Ali ibn Abi Talib stood up holding
the key of the Kaaba in his hand. He said to Rasulullah ﷺ, Grant us the guardianship of the Kaaba along with providing water
for the pilgrims.’
Rasulullah ﷺ asked,
‘Where is Uthman ibn Talhah?
Uthman was summoned and Rasulullah ﷺ said to him, ‘Here is your key, Uthman.
Today is a day of piety and good faith. Keep it forever as an inheritance. Only
a tyrant would take it from you.’
Islam: Tawhid and Unity
Rasulullah ﷺ opened the door of the Kaaba. The Quraysh had filled the mosque and were waiting in rows to see what he would do.
Holding the door frame, he
said,
There is no god but Allah
alone. He has no partner. He has made good His promise. He has helped His
servant and He alone has put all allies to flight. Every claim of privilege,
property or bloodline is abolished by me today except for the custody of the
Kaaba and providing water for the pilgrims.
‘O people of the Quraysh..!
Allah has abolished the haughtiness of the Jahiliyyah and its veneration of
ancestors. People all spring from Adam, and Adam came from dust.’
Then he recited this verse:
(Surah al Hujarat: 13)
No discrimination
In the meantime, Fatimah, a
woman of the Banu Makhzum had been apprehended for theft. Her community went to
Usamah ibn Zayd, hoping that he could persuadeRasulullah ﷺ to intercede on her behalf. When he spoke to Rasulullah ﷺ about it, however, he was put to shame.
‘Do you dare to speak to me
about one of the hudud, the limits laid down by Allah !’ Rasulullah ﷺ asked him. Usamah beseeched him, ‘Pray for my forgiveness, Rasulullah ﷺ.’
That evening Rasulullah ﷺ made a speech. After praising Allah, he said, ‘The
people before you were destroyed because when one of their noblemen stole, they
ignored the offense but when one of the poor people stole, they administered
the hadd (prescribed punishment).
By the One who holds my life
in His hand, if Fatimah bint Muhammad, were to steal, I would have her hand cut
off. Then he ordered that the woman’s right hand be cut off. She genuinely
repented of her sin and went on to marry and lead a normal life.
Paying homage in Islam
A large crowd gathered in
Makkah to accept Islam and to pay homage to Rasulullah ﷺ. He received them on Mount Safa where they took the oath of
allegiance. They promised to obey Allah and His Rasulullah ﷺ to the best of their ability.
When the men had pledged their
faith, the women took the oath, including Hind bint Utbah, the wife of Abu
Sufyan. She was veiled and tried to disguise herself because of what she had
done to Hamzah, but Rasulullah ﷺ recognized her
bold talk.
‘Forgive what is past and
Allah will forgive you,
‘ she said to him.
My life is with you and my
death will be among you’
When Allah opened up Makkah to
His Rasulullah ﷺ, and he was back in his own homeland and city
of birth once more, the Ansar said among themselves, ‘Allah has given him power
over his homeland and city so he will probably stay here and not return to
Madinah.’
Rasulullah ﷺ asked them what they were talking about. No one else knew about
the conversation. At first, they were too shy to tell him but eventually, they confessed
what they had said.
He assured them, ‘I seek
refuge with Allah! I will live with you and I will die among you.’
Removing all vestiges of Idol worship.
Rasulullah ﷺ sent groups of his Companions to destroy the idols standing around
the Kaaba. All of the idols were broken including al-Lat, al-Uzza, and Manat.
He sent a crier to announce in Makkah, ‘Whoever beliefs in Allah and the Last
Day should destroy any idol in his house.’ He also sent representatives to the
surrounding tribes telling them to destroy their idols.
Rasulullah ﷺ assembled the Muslims in Makkah and declared that the city
would be a sanctuary forever. He said, ‘It is not lawful for anyone who
believes in Allah and the Hereafter to spill blood in the city nor to cut down
a tree. It was not lawful for anyone before me nor shall it be lawful for
anyone after me.’ Rasulullah ﷺ then returned to
Madinah.
The outcome of the conquest of
Makkah.
The conquest of Makkah had a
tremendous impact on the Arabs. It showed that Islam was the religion of Allah
and paved the way for the whole of Arabia to accept the faith. From far and
wide people came to pay their respects to Rasulullah ﷺ and to accept Islam at his hands. Allah spoke the truth:
(Surah
al-Nasr 110: 1-2).
THE CONQUEST OF MAKKAH
In accordance with the Treaty
of Hudaybiyah, the Muslims were permitted to perform the ‘Umrah; the following
year. Therefore in Zul Qadah 7 A.H. Rasulullah ﷺgathered all the Sahaba (R.A.) who had been deprived of the
opportunity to perform the ‘Umrah’ the previous year, to prepare for the
journey to Makkah. Other Sahaba (R.A.) also joined the group.
Rasulullah ﷺ led this group of 2000 Muslims towards Makkah. As a
precautionary measure, the Muslims took a few weapons and a hundred horses
because the Quraish were unpredictable where a ‘treaty’ was concerned.
Reaching the border of Makkah Rasulullah ﷺ left the horses and
weapons at Batan Ya Hooj in the care of 200 Muslims. The Muslims then entered
Makkah and went into the ‘Haram’ (Holy courtyard of the Kaaba). The 200
Muslims left outside Makkah were able to complete their Umrah at a later stage.
When Rasulullah ﷺ reached the Kaaba he wrapped his Ihram
(mantle) under his right arm, bearing his shoulder and praying:
‘O Allah have mercy on anyone
performing this Umrah today’.
Rasulullah ﷺ then stopped near the Hajre Aswad (Black Stone) to
begin the Tawaaf (circumambulation) of the Ka’bah. The first three circuits
were made with a swift march pace (called ‘Ramal), with the view of proving the
fine state of health of the believers to the kuffaar looking on.
The kuffaar shook their heads
gloomily saying to each other:
‘So these are the men
described to us as weakened by the heat and fever of Al-Madinah’.
Deep down in their heart, the
Kuffaar were forced to confess that such men as these, their mental well-being
surpassing even their bodily health were unconquerable.
The Muslims ran between Safaa
and Marwah; they sacrificed animals and shaved their heads bare. Rasulullah ﷺ was aware of the time limit of three
days allowed to the Muslims to stay in Makkah and he had no intention of
breaking his promise. At the end of the third day, the leaders of the Quraish
lost no time in creating a commotion and fuss to remind the Muslims to leave
Makkah. During the short stay in Makkah, Rasulullah ﷺ married widowed Maymoonah binte Harith (R.A.).
In due course, Islam spread
far and wide. The younger generation of the Quraish was being drawn towards
Islam. But the older people would not leave their ideology of pagan worship.
The Treaty of Hudaybiyah
prescribed that any non-Makkan wishing to join the camp of Rasulullah ﷺ or that of the Quraish may do so without
obstructions. On the basis of this agreement, the tribe Khuza’ah joined the
ranks of Rasulullah ﷺ and of
the Banu Bakr joined the Quraish.
Between Khuza’ah and Banu Bakr, a number of old unsettled blood feuds had to be suspended on account of the
treaty. It was not long before the idolaters of Makkah violated the ten years
truce (peace) signed at Hudaybiyah.
The Banu ak Dil, a clan of
Banu Nakr encouraged by the Quraish, especially by Ikramah ibn Abu Jahl and
others who furnished them with arms and equipment launched an attack on the
Khuza’ah tribesman camping near a well of theirs called ‘Al-Watir’. The
Khuza’ah party fled to Makkah and took refuge in the house of Budayl ibn Warqa.
They complained to him that the Quraish and their Banu Bakr allies violated
their treaty with Rasulullah ﷺ.
After running in full haste
towards Madinah, Amr ibn Salim al Khuza’i related to The Messenger of Allah
(peace and blessing be upon him) and the Muslims in Masjid-e-Nabawi what had happened and asked
for assistance. Rasulullah ﷺ answered:
‘Certainly,O, Amr ibn Salim,
we shall come to your rescue.
Another group of Khuza’ah
tribesman together with their Makkan host, Budayl ibn Warqa followed him and
confirmed their predecessor’s report.
The region of inequity and
oppression had lasted too long at Makkah, and this flagrant violation by the
Quraish of the Treaty was forcing his hand to conquer Makkah, Rasulullah ﷺ sent word to the Muslims all over
Arabian Peninsula to get together at once. The reason for this call, however,
he kept a secret.
The wise elders of the Quraish
realized the danger to which Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl and his youthful companions
had exposed Makkah, for their action was a clear violation of the Hudaybiyah
Treaty. Should Muhammed (peace and blessing be upon him) decide to avenge his
Khuza’ah allies against the Makkans, the holy city would be exposed to the
strongest danger. What should they do? it occurred to them to send Abu Sufyan
ibn Harb to Madinah to reaffirm the Treaty. Abu Sufyan ibn Harb, chief
statesman, and leader of Makkah proceeded to Madinah to conduct negotiations.
On his arrival to Madinah, he
decided that he had better see his daughter, Umme Habiba (R.A.), the wife of Rasulullah ﷺ, rather than Muhammed
(peace and blessing be upon him) himself.
After the treacherous
violation of the Treaty of Hubaybiyah by the Makkans, Umme Habiba (R.A.) knew
well Rasulullah ﷺ’s feelings
regarding the Quraish, though she did not know of his plans for Makkah.
Entering his daughter's
house, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb was about to sit upon the mattress of Rasulullah ﷺ when Umme Habiba (R.A.) moved it
away. When he asked her whether she had done so in order to save her father
from the mattress or the mattress from her father, she replied:
‘This is the mattress of the
Rasool of Allah. You are an idolater and hence impure. You may not, therefore, be
allowed to sit on Rasulullah ﷺ’s
mattress’.
Abu Sufyan ibn Harb was
angered by this reply and left the house saying to his daughter:
‘By God after you left my
house, you must have become utterly mad’.
His strategy exposed, he
proceeded to see Rasulullah ﷺ. The
Messenger of Allah (peace and blessing be upon him), however, refused to give
him an audience. Thereafter he approached Abu Bakr Siddique (R.A.), Umar ibn
Khattab (R.A.) and Ali ibn Abu Talib (R.A.) to intervene on his behalf and
reaffirm the treaty
The common reply was that
nobody could change the mind of Rasulullah ﷺ once it was made up.
Finally, Abu Sufyan ibn Harb
went to Masjid-e-Nabawi and there proclaimed on behalf of his tribe, the Banu
Kinanah, his willingness to make peace with the people. He then mounted his
horse and returned to Makkah. His heart was full of sorrow and his pride badly
wounded partly by his own daughter and partly by the rejection of those, who
prior to their emigration from Makkah, had longed for the least bit of
consideration or compassion from the Kuffar leader.
Abu Sufyan ibn Harb returned
to Makkah and reported to his people the frustration of his effort to reaffirm
the peace treaty. He informed them of his proclamation in Masjid-e-Nabawi and Rasulullah ﷺ’s refusal to come to
any new term; the Kuffar had broken the treaty.
Rasulullah ﷺ was now fully convinced that the time had eventually
arrived to free the sacred land of the Ka’ba from intrigue and sedition of the
kuffaar. It was Rasulullah ﷺ’s plan not to give the Quraish the time to
prepare for war.
Having confidence in Allah’s
assistance, Rasulullah ﷺ sought to
surprise the enemy before they could build up their defense. His aim was to
conquer without bloodshed. He therefore first commanded the people to get ready
and inform them of his plans for Makkah later.
He asked the Muslims to hurry
and made dua that the Quraish would not find out his plans before it was too
late. While the Muslim army prepared to leave Madinah, Hatib ibn Abu Balta’ah
(R.A.) rote a letter informing the Quraish about the Muslim move.
He gave it to a woman called
Sarah, a client of some members of the house of Banu ‘Abd al Muttalib. He
commanded her to take it to Makkah and hand it over to the Quraish leaders. Rasulullah ﷺ came to know by Divine
inspiration of Hatib ibn Abu Balta’ah (R.A.) attempt and sent Ali ibn Abu Talib
(R.A.) and Zubayr` ibn Al Awwam to intercept the messenger. She was arrested
and her horse and saddle searched, but no letter was found.
Ali (R.A.) threatened her that
unless she produce the letter voluntarily, he would be forced to search her own
person and to unveil her body in the process. When the women realized how
serious Ali (R.A.) was she unloosened the plaits of her hair, brought out the
letter and handed it over. The women was returned to Madinah and Hatib ibn Abu
Balta’ah (R.A.) was called to give an explanation of his action.
In his own defense Hatib ibn
Abu Balta’ah (R.A.) said:
‘O Messenger of Allah (peace
and blessing be upon him), by Allah I swear, that I am still a believer in
Allah and Rasulullah ﷺ My Imaan (faith) has
not changed by one jot or bit. But I am a man here in the Muslim camp having no
relations, family, or clan, Whereas in Makkah, I have children. family and
relatives whom I want no evil to befall’.
Rasulullah ﷺ forgave him for his ill action.
On the 10th Ramadhaan 8 A.H.
the Muslim army proceeded from Madinah to Makkah determined to conquer that
city and taking the holy Haram which Allah declared for all mankind. This army
had more men than Madinah had ever seen before. The tribe of Sulaym, Muzaynah,
Ghatafaan and others joined the Muhajireen and Ansaars in such numbers and with
such weapons that the wide expanse of the desert was filled with them.
They moved fast, and at every
station many more tribes joined their ranks and added to their weaponry and
equipment. Every soul was filled with the faith of Islam and had no doubt that
Allah’s help will bring victory. Rasulullah ﷺ led this army at the forefront. His greatest concern was to seize the
holy Ka’bah without shedding any unnecessary Blood. By the time the army
arrived at Zahraan, 8 kilometers from Makkah, its number had reached 10,000. Until then the kuffaar of
Makkah knew nothing about the advancing army.
In the mean time, the kuffaar
leaders continued to consult with one another regarding the measures to be
taken by them to meet the Muslim anger.
Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib (R.A.) the uncle of Rasulullah ﷺwithdrew from the discussion, took all the
members of his family and went to the direction of Madinah. At Juhfa he met Rasulullah ﷺ and embraced Islam.
The Quraish felt gravely
scared ever since the Muslims arrived at Zahraan. They sent Abu Sufyan ibn
Harb, Budayl ibn Warqa and Hakim ibn Hazzam, the relatives of Khadija binti Khuwaylid (R.A.) to survey the
field and assess the danger. While riding in the area of Rasulullah ﷺ’s white mule, Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib (R.A.)
overheard a conversation between Abu Sufyan and Budayl ibn Warqa. Abbas ibn
Abdul Muttalib (R.A.) recognized the voice of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb and called
out to him:
‘Watch out O Abu Sufyan! what
you see is Rasulullah ﷺ of Allah leading his
people. Misfortune will befall the Quraish tomorrow morning, when his army
storms the city’.
Abu Sufyan ibn Harb exclaimed:
‘What shall we do..?
Abbas (R.A.) invited him to
mount his mule, send his companions back to Makkah and returned with him to the
Muslim camp. Before reaching the Muslim camp Ummar ibn Khattab (R.A.)
recognized Abu Sufyan ibn Harb. He hurried to the tent of Rasulullah ﷺ and asked for permission to strike the
neck of Abu Sufyan. Abbas (R.A.) entered the tent saying:
‘O Messenger of Allah (peace
and blessing be upon him), I have extended my protection to this man’.
The Messenger of Allah (peace
and blessing be upon him) said:
‘O Abbas, take your guest to
your tent and bring him over in the morning’. The following morning Abu Sufyan
ibn Harb was brought before Rasulullah ﷺ and he accepted Islam. Abbas ibn Abdul Muttalib (R.A.) said:
‘O Messenger of Allah (peace
and blessing be upon him) Abu Sufyan is a proud man. Would you not grant him
some privilege?’
Rasulullah ﷺ declared:
‘Any person who takes refuge
in Abu Sufyan ibn Harab’s house shall find security; any person who shuts
himself up in his own house shall find security and any person who enters Haram
(courtyard) of the Ka’ba shall be considered safe’.
Rasulullah ﷺ prepared to enter Makkah. Each of the Muslim
commanders proudly displayed the banner of Islam and cries of ‘Allahu Akbar’
(Allah is great) echoed in unison around Makkah. Abu Sufyan ibn Harb (R.A.) was
given an elevated position on a hilltop to review the columns of the Muslim
army entering Makkah.
He repeated Rasulullah ﷺ promise of safety to those who took
shelter in his house or in the courtyard of the Ka’ba. Rasulullah ﷺ greatest desire at the time was to avoid any
bloodshed if possible.
The spectacle of Rasulullah ﷺ astride his famous camel ‘al Qaswa’,
entering the city from the upper end of Makkah and all the while reciting Surah
Fatah, was a sight the Sahaba (R.A.) would never forget. Khalid ibn Walid
(R.A.) enterd Makkah from the lower end of the city with his army where he had
to put down some resistance from Safwan ibn Ummayyah, Suhail ibn Umr, Ikrimah
ibn Abu Jahl and their men.
Khalid ibn Walid (R.A.) and
his men quickly dispersed them, with Sawan ibn Umayyah, Suhayil ibn Amr and
Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl taking flight as soon as they realised the hopelessness of
their resistance.
Rasulullah ﷺ and the Muhajireen were overwhelmed at the thought of
their Hijrat and now their triumphant return with such splendor and glory of
Islam for which they had sacrificed so much for the pleasure of Allah. Rasulullah ﷺ , moved by the sight of
Makkah and by the remembrance of Allah’s wahi (revelation), let tears fall from
his eyes as he thanked Allah, praised Him, and witnessed that there is no truth
and no power except in Allah.
So emotional were all these
feelings that Rasulullah ﷺ rode
towards the Ka’ba where he performed the ‘tawaf (circumambulation) seven times
while he was still astride his mount. He then dismounted and called upon Uthman
ibn Abu Talhah to open the Ka’ba for him.
Rasulullah ﷺ ordered the destruction of the idols while reciting:
“Truth has come and Falsehood
vanished and no more shall falsehood return” (Sahih al-Bukhari.)
The idols were then torn down
and broken and the House of Allah was purified. That which Rasulullah ﷺ had called for during the last twenty
years was now accomplished. That which Makkah had opposed most strongly was now
a fact of history.
The destruction of the idols
and the wiping put of Paganism in the holy sanctuary was now completed before the very eyes of the
Quraish. The Makkan idols, the objects of reverence and worship inherited from
the ancestors, crumbled to bits under the hammering blows.
The Messenger of Allah (peace
and blessing be upon him) then delivered his historical Khutbah (sermon) from
the doorway of the Ka’ba:
‘Allah is one and He has no
partner. He has fulfilled His promise to his believers and defeated those who
do not believe. It will not be permissible for anyone who believes in Allah and
His Rasulullah ﷺ to kill anyone in Makkah. Nor
shall any one destroy the greenery of Makkah.
I have forbidden the practice
of all custom of the age of illiteracy; but the care of the Ka’ba and the
supply of Zam Zam water shall be continued as before.
‘O people of Quraish, Allah
forbids you to display your pride and arrogance and glorify your ancestory.
All men were created from Adam
and Adam (A.S.) had been created from dust. O men of Quraish what do you think
I am about to do with you?’ Everything good’, they answered, ‘for you are a
noble brother and a noble nephew of ours’. Rasulullah ﷺ said:
‘ Well I am telling you now
what Yusuf (A.S.) said to his brothers:
‘Today there is no reproach
against you. Go, you are all free’.
With these words Rasulullah ﷺ gave a general amnesty to all the
Quraish and all the Makkans. No unfriendliness, antagonism or hostility could
find permanent abode in the heart of
His heart was absolutely free
of injustice, of malice, of tyranny or false pride. In the most decisive
moment, Allah gave him power over his enemy. However, Rasulullah ﷺ chose to forgive, therby giving all mankind
and all the generations the most perfect example of goodness, truthfulness,
nobility and magnanimity.
After the Khutbah Rasulullah ﷺ sat on top of Mount Safa
and the Muslims took the pledge of loyalty to Allah and His Rasulullah ﷺ. He then asked Umar ibn Khattab (R.A.) to accept the
pledge of the womenfolk while he made dua to Allah for their forgiveness.
Bilal (R.A.) was asked to call
the first Adhaan in Makkah. His rich beautiful voice echoed throughout Makkah.
The destruction of the idols
in and around Ka’ba meant the eventual disappearance of the idols in Arabia.
The attention of the people of Arabia was on the Quraish whether they were
going to accept Islam. Most of them became Muslims but there were others
however, who continued their own form of worship.
Rasulullah ﷺ did not impose any conditions upon them but he
persisted on peace and harmony among all the people, regardless of their
religious beliefs. The concession so impressed the nonbelievers that in due course
nearly all the people of Makkah became Muslims.
Rasulullah ﷺ then issued a proclamation prohibiting any idol in a
Muslim home. He ordered the destruction of all idols in and around Makkah.
Khalid ibn Walid (R.A.) was sent with a cavalry of 30,000 to an oasis where
they laid waste the great idol ‘Uzza’ to the ground. Su’a’, the idol of Bani
Hazeel and the famous ‘Manat’ at Qadeed were razed to the ground.
After the conquest of Makkah Rasulullah ﷺ spent 15 days in the
city, during which he organized the affairs of Makkah and instructed its people
in Islam. During this period, he sent forth delegations to call men peacefully
to Islam without shedding blood and to destroy the idols.
Certain arch enemies of Islam
were pardoned by Rasulullah ﷺ and
they embraced Islam. Hinda the wife of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb who had disemboweled
the martyred body of Hamza (R.A.) Rasulullah ﷺ in spite of the detestable mutilation of the body of Hamza (R.A.)
forgave her. Hindun when she returned to her house, lavished insults on her
private family idol:
‘O powerless idol! How mad we
all were to rely on thy assistance and help’! And she smashed it to pieces.
Ikrimah the son of Abu Jahl, who had organized the ambush that nearly entrapped
Khaild ibn Walid (R.A.) and his cavalry, had fled to the sea coast. Umme Hakim,
daughter of al Harith ibn Hisham and the wife of Ikrimah ibn Abu Jahl converted
to Islam and sought pardon for her husband directly from Rasulullah ﷺ.
She was granted it. Rasulullah ﷺ also forgave Safwan ibn
Umayyah who accompanied Ikrimah on his escape towards the sea and thence to
Yaman.
Habbar bin Aswad had
maltreated Zainab binte Muhammed (R.A.)
when she was leaving Makkah for Madinah. She was far advance in
pregnancy and as she was mounting her camel, Habbar ibn Aswad drove the butt
end of his lance against her, throwing her to the ground, and eventually
causing her death.
Fearing deserved punishment,
he fled. After hiding for some time he presented himself before Rasulullah ﷺ and embraced Islam in all sincerity.
The wrong was great; the crime was atrocious- but the injury was personal.
Pardon was unconditionally granted.
Wahshi al Habashi (R.A.), the
slayer of Hamza (R.A.) was pardoned after embracing Islam.
As the Ansar of Madinah
witnessed all this, and as they saw Rasulullah ﷺ on the top of Mount Safa inviting the Makkans to embrace Islam,
they feared he might now give up Madinah and settle in his native city Makkah.
It was quite likely that Rasulullah ﷺ would now make Makkah his capital. Rasulullah ﷺ inquired concerning their fears and said:
‘Never by Allah! I have
pledged to join you in life and death. I shall remain true to my promise’.
Evidently, neither relative,
nor native city, nor even the Holy Ka’ba itself could change Rasulullah ﷺ from not honoring his pledge he once
gave to those who stood by him in his hour of need. His word given at the
conclusion of the ‘Covenant of Aqabah’ was to be honored in exemplary
faithfulness and loyalty.
v
/ Nabi (Arabic: أَلْنَّبِيّ
an-Nābiyy), "The Prophet" – i.e.: "Prophet of Prophets"
Rasoul’Allah/
Rasoul’Ullah (Arabic: رَسُولُ ٱلله Rasūl’Allāh/ Rasūl’Ullāh), "The
Messenger of Allah"
Habib/
Habeeb (Arabic: أَلْحَبِيب al-Ḥabīb), "The Beloved" – i.e.
Habib’Ullah/Habib’Allah (Arabic: حَبِيبُ ٱلله al-Ḥabīb’Allāh/ al-Ḥabīb’Ullāh)
"The Beloved of Allah"
Mustafa/
Mustafaa (Arabic: أَلْمُصْطَفَى al-Muṣṭafā), "The Chosen/
Appointed"[22] – i.e: the "Prophet of Allah and Islam"
Amin/
Ameen/ Amiyn (Arabic: أَلْأَمِين al-Amīn), "The Genuine/ Trustworthy/
Faithful"[23]
Sadiq/
Sadeeq (Arabic: أَلْصَّدِيق aṣ-Ṣadīq), "The Honest/ Righteous/ Truthful"[24]
– i.e: Siddīq
Rauf/
Raouf/ Rawouf (Arabic: رَءُوف Raw’ūf), "Kind/ Compassionate/
Affectionate"[25]
Uswatun
Hasanah (Arabic: أُسْوَةٌ حَسَنَة Uswatun Ḥasanah), "The Model of
Excellent Conduct, Merit and Virtue"[26]
Kamil/
Kaamil (Arabic: أَلْكَامِل al-Kamil), "The Perfect, Complete and
Absolute", i.e.: al-Insan al-Kamil/ al-Insaan al-Kaamil (Arabic: أَلْإِنْسَانُ
ٱلْكَامِل al-Insānu ’l-Kāmil), "The Man of All Men in Absoluteness,
Completion, Perfection"[27]
Khayr
ul-Bashr (Arabic:خَيْرُ ٱلْبَشر al-Khayru ’l-Bashr), "The Best of
Mankind"[28]
Khatim
an-Nabiyyin/ Khaatim an-Nabiyyin (Arabic: خَاتِمُ ٱلْنَبِيّين Khātim
an-Nābiyyin), "The Seal of the Prophets"[29]
ar-Rahmatul
lil-‘Alamin/ ar-Rahmatul lil-‘Aalameen/ ar-Rahmatul lil-‘Aalamiyn (Arabic: أَلْرَحْمَةٌ
لِّلْعَالَمِين ar-Rahmatul lil-‘Ālamīn), "Merciful and Compassionate to
the Universe (of All Creation)"[30] i.e.: the "Merciful and
Compassionate to all Mankind, jinn and All Creation"
al-Mubashir,
"The Bearer of Good Tidings"[31]
an-Nadhir,
"The Warner"[31]
al-Mudhakkir,
"The Reminder"[32]
ad-Dā‘ī,
"The One Who Calls (unto God)"[33]
al-Bashir,
"The Announcer"[34]
an-Nūr,
"The Light Personified"[35]
al-Misbah,
"The Lamp/ Lantern" (lit. "Bringer of Light – Dawn") –
i.e.: as-Siraaj al-Muneer, "The Lamp of Illuminated, Ever-glowing,
Ever-Enlightening, Incandescent"[36]
as-Siraaj,
"The Lamp/ Lantern" – i.e.: as-Siraaj al-Muneer, "The Lamp of
Illuminated, Ever-glowing, Ever-Enlightening, Incandescent"[36]
Ni‘mat-Ullah,
"The Divine Favour"[37]
al-Ummiyy,
"The Unlettered and Illiterate", i.e.: An-Nabiyyu l-Ummiyy, "The
Prophet who is Unlettered and Illiterate"[38]
al-Muzzammil,
"The Enwrapped"[39]
al-Muddathir,
"The Shrouded"[40]
al-'Aqib,
"The Last (Prophet)"[41][42]
al-Mutawakkil,
"The One who Puts his Trust (in God)"[43]
Qutham,
"Of Perfect Character. Gifted With Every Merit."
al-Mahi,
"The Remover (of Disbelief)"[44]
al-Hanif,
"The One of Primordial Religion"
Nâbîyyu
at-Tawbah, "The Prophet of Penitence"
al-Mu`azzaz,
"The Strengthened One, the One Made Invulnerable"
al-Muwaqqar,
"Held in Awe"
al-Fatih,
"The Opener"
al-Hashir,
"The Gatherer (First to be Resurrected) on the Day of Judgement"[42]
al-Shafî`,
"The Intercessor"[45][46]
Kareem
(Arabic: كريمٍ Sd), "Noble and Generous"[47]
Shahid/Shahed
(Arabic: شَاهِدًا Sd), "A Witness"[48]
al-Mushaffa`,
"The One Whose Intercession Shall be Granted"[49]
al-Mujtaba
(Arabic: اَلْـمُـجْـتَـبَى,
"the Chosen One")[50]
Ahmad,
"Most Deserving of Praise"[51]
Hamid,
"Praiser (of God)"
Mahmood,
"Praiseworthy"
‘Abd’Allah/
‘Abd’Ullah, "Servant of Allah"[52]
Akhir,
"The End/ Last" – i.e. "Last Prophet",[53] "Last
Messenger"[54]
Khatim,
"The Seal" - i.e. "Final Prophet"[55], "Final
Messenger"[56]
No comments:
Post a Comment