The Conquest Of Makkah (Part 1)

The Prophet had established his superiority over his enemy, the only way of completely crushing the opposition was to attack their stronghold of Makkah.

The previous Battles of Badr, Uhad and the Ditch were fought near Medina to defend it from enemy assault and after the last of these battles the Prophet with his great foresight had declared that the aggression of the Quraish had been crushed and had prophesied the invasion of Makkah.

But with the Treaty of Hudaibiya the period of armistice was utilised by the Prophet in further consolidating his power. After prompt measures used against traitors and insurgents, peace reigned supreme around Medina and its neighbourhood.

Everyone knew that the emerging Islamic state was significant. To their utter misfortune, the Quraish had themselves annulled the Treaty of Hudaibiya.

The Prophet mobilised his forces and ordered the arms to be burnished. He kept his intention secret and even Hazrath Ayesha who arranged his armour did not know what was the objective of the campaign.

Ten thousand volunteers were called and only the size of army indicated invasion of Makkah was intend.

On the 10th of Ramadan the Prophet with his force of 10,000 marched out from Medina and took a circuitous route which confused the patrol parties of the Quraish and while they wandered about elsewhere, the Muslim army was suddenly in the vicinity of Makkah.

When the Prophet reached Haifa, his uncle Abbas joined him with his family. Then at Abawa came Abu Sufian (the Prophet’s cousin) and Abdullah bin Umayya (cousin of the Prophet and stepbrother of Hazrath Umm-e-Salma).

But due to the tortures they had inflicted on the Prophet despite their being his close relatives, he refused to meet them. Abu Sufian declared in desperation that they would lie with their families on the burning sands of the desert and starve themselves to death.

Then Hazrath Umm-e-Salma pleaded for her stepbrother and Hazrath Ali advised them to ask pardon of the Prophet in the words of the brothers of Prophet Joseph, viz., “By God you have got mastery over us and surely we have been at fault.” When the Prophet heard these words he also answered in the words which Prophet Joseph had said to his brothers, “There is no charge against you today, May God forgive you for He is the most Merciful and Beneficient.

The army encamped at Marr-us-Zahran and the Prophet ordered that each man should light a separate hearth for cooking Abu Sufian bin Harb (the most prominent leader),

Hakim bin Hazm and Budail bin Warqa watched the camp from an elevated position and were moved by the sight of ten thousand hearths alight. Hazrath Abbas, while passing by, recognised the voice of Abu Sufian and greeted him. Hazrath Abbas told Abu Sufian that the Prophet had marched with a large force and the Quraish would be annihilated.

Abu Sufian asked if there was any remedy and Hazrath Abbas advised him to ride with him on his pony and plead with the Prophet. They were checked at every step but allowed to proceed on the intervention of Hazrath Abbas.

On the way Hazrath Umar saw them and rushed to the Prophet for his permission to kill Abu Sufian. Hazrath Abbas also spurred his pony but Hazrath Umar was ahead of him and while he was still talking, Hazrath Abbas said he had brought Abu Sufian under his protection. The Prophet asked Abu Sufian: “Are you still in doubt that there is no deity except God?”

Abu Sufian: “If there were any other deity he would have come to our help.”

The Prophet: “Do you still doubt that I am Prophet of God.”

Abu Sufian: “There is some doubt in it.”

Hazrath Abbas then demanded of Abu Sufian, “Accept Islam.” And by the morning the most prominent leader of Makkah and the bitterest enemy of Islam had become a Muslim.

Before the army entered Makkah Abu Sufian was kept under such secret surveillance that he never knew it.

When the army marched through Kada for entry into Makkah, Hazrath Abbas at the instance of the Prophet took Abu Sufian to a convenient spot to show him the strength of the force, and the clan after clan with its chief bearing its standard passed along and Abu Sufian asked about each contingent.

When Hazrath Sa’ad bin Ubada passed by them the long history of the oppressions of the Quraish passed before his eyes and he shouted, “Today is the day of great expedition. Today the sanctity of Haram (Kaabah) will be for us.” When the Prophet heard of this cry he immediately ordered that the standard be taken from him and given to his son.

At the same time he said, “This is the day of the greatness of the Kaabah and of virtue and generosity”, and his conveyance passed with utmost simplicity with Hazrath Zubair ibn-ul-Awwam hoisting the standard before him.

In one brief sentence the Prophet had declared his policy as a victor. Then it was publicly announced that whoever entered the precincts of the Kaabah would be safe, whoever went into the house of Abu Sufian would be safe and whoever had not raised his sword against the Muslims would be safe, provided that he was not guilty of any culpable offence.

Abu Sufian himself went forward and loudly cried out this proclamation. When Hind, daughter of Utbah (wife of Abu Sufian), heard it she pulled out the moustache of her, husband and cried out, “O Banu Kinana! Kill this man. What is he talking?” She continued to abuse and the people gathered there but Abu Sufian quietly said that it was no use talking like that for no one could confront the Prophet now.

Unlike other conquerors; the Prophet on his triumphant entry into Makkah had lowered his head so much in thanksgiving to God that his forehead touched the seat on the camel while he was reciting Surah Fatha.

Ikrama bin Abu Jehl, Safwan bin Umayya and Suhail bin Amr gathered some mischief-makers from the Quraish near Khandama Hill to create trouble.

Hams bin Qais bin Khalid also joined them. Two companions of the Prophet, Kurz bin Jabir Alfahri and Khonais bin Khalid bin Rabi’ who had strayed from the camp and were passing that way were killed by these men.

‘When Hazrath Khalid heard of it he promptly rushed to deal with them. Twelve of the mischief-makers were killed and the rest including Hams fled.

Another group collected in the city to make trouble. The Prophet called a contingent of the Ansar through Hazrath Abu Huraira and told them of the activities of these mischief–mongers, at the same time ordering that if they created trouble they should be killed immediately.

When Abu Sufian heard this order he came to the Prophet and pleaded that the Quraish had already suffered much and they might not be wiped out altogether. After brief resistance and having received a beating, the trouble-makers ran away.

When the Ansar saw this great leniency of the Prophet to the Quraish there was some discontent among them and they apprehended that the Prophet was after all moved by the love for his ancestral home and its people.

They feared that they might be deprived of this most lovable personality. When the Prophet heard about it, he promptly came forward and addressed the Ansar, “By God that is far from me. I am a servant of God and His Prophet. I want to live with you as directed by God and now I must live with you until death.” Much moved, the Ansar apologised for their misapprehensions and the Prophet accepted it.

People asked the Prophet if he would like to stay in his ancestral home to which most pathetically he replied, “Aqil has left no trace of my house that I may stay there.” His standard was planted at Hajun (Jannatul Mualla) where he decided to stay.

He first went to the historic place of Khaif where he had spend his days of confinement with his people.

Next, he went to the Kaabah with some close associates, and kissed the black stone. Then he went over to each of the idols and touched them with his bow declaring, “Truth has (now) arrived and falsehood perished; for falsehood is (by its nature) bound to perish.” (Surat Al-Isra: 81).

At the touch of the bow the idols fell down. Then he called for the keys of the Kaabah and its gate opened.

Inside he saw the portraits of Hazrath Ibrahim and Ismail with arrows as dice in their hands which he ordered to be erased, saying, “God’s curse on these unbelievers. Both of these were Prophets of God and they never gambled!” later under his orders all the idols which had long been fixed around the Kaabah were broken and then the Prophet knelt down for prayer. Large crowds waited outside the Mosque to know their fate and the Prophet came out and addressed them: “There is no deity except Allah and He has no partner. He fulfilled His promise and helped His servant, who single-handedly routed all armies. Today all pride, all claims of blood and ransom are under my feet. Only the guardianship of the Kaabah and supply of water to the pilgrims are exempt. “O Quraish! Now your pride of ignorance and boast of nobility of birth has been suppressed. All men are the progeny of Adam who was raised from the earth”.

Then he recited the verse of the Qur'an:

“O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and female and made you into nations and tribes that ye may know each other (not that ye despite each other). Verily, the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous of you.” (Surat Al_Hujrat: 13)

Then he made a legal announcement:

“God had forbidden trade in wine”

Then the Prophet asked those assembled:

“Can you tell me how I am going to treat you?”

At this time the history of 21 years of oppression and cruelties inflicted on the Muslims must have passed before the eyes of the Quraish. But in all humility and penitence they replied.

“You are a noble brother and son of a noble brother”. And the Prophet responded, “there is no charge against you today. Go, you are all free.”

It will be recalled that the key-bearer of the Kaabah, Usman bin Talha, had once refused to open the door of the Kaabah for the Prophet and the Prophet had prophesied that a day would come when “the key will be in my hand I will entrust it to whomsoever I like”, whereupon Usman had said, “That will by the day when all the people of the Quraish would have been killed”. And the Prophet had said, “No that will be the day of the true dignity of the Quraish”. The Prophet, ignoring the request of Hazrath Ali for the custody of the key, gave it over to the same Usman bin Talha who recalled what he had once said and declared, “Truly, you are a Prophet of God”. The Prophet then said, “Today is the day of generosity and trust”.

At the command of the Prophet, Hazrath Bilal climbed to the top of the Kaabah and called Azan, which was a declaration of the victory of the Islamic revolution.

Then the Prophet took a bath at the house of Umm-e-Hani and offered eight Rak’ats of thanksgiving prayer.

Next day the Prophet again addressed the people from the Safa hill and explained the sanctity of the Kaabah which was permanently established.

Then followed a glorious spectacle of cases wherein justice was tampered with mercy.

Although a general amnesty was proclaimed, a few persons who had committed very grave offences were named and ordered to be killed wherever they were found. The list included the names of some women as well as some men.

Most of them were later pardoned. Four men at the most were killed under this order, while one report says that only one was killed and this was Abdul Uzza ibn Hanzal, who had been sent to collect charitable funds after he had accepted Islam, but on the way he killed the other Muslims accompanying him and fled taking with him the sacrificial animals Safwan bin Umayya was among the bitterest enemies of Islam who tried to flee to Yemen but on his way at Jeddah received pardon from the Prophet through Umair bin Wahb Jamhi and returned to Makkah.

Later he embraced Islam. Ikrama bin Abu Jehl had also fled to Yemen, but his wife Umm-e-Hakim, niece of Abu Jehl, became a Muslim, secured pardon for her husband and brought him herself.

He was much surprised to find that a bitter enemy like him could be excused. Abdullah bin Abi Sa’ad bin Abi Sarah had accepted Islam and was deputed to keep a record of revelations.

Later, he conspired with the enemies and even claim that it was he who received revelations and that the Prophet had noted down them after hearing from him.

The offence was very grave but on very strong recommendations of Hazrath Usman he was pardoned. He continued to remain a Muslim thereafter. Miqyas bin Sababa had joined the Muslims as an enemy spy and treacherously killed a Muslim of the Ansar clan and fled.

He was also guilty of other offences and was executed. Habbar ibn-ul-Aswad, besides committing other inimical acts, had ill-treated Hazrath Zainab on her way from Makkah to Medina as a result of which she had suffered a miscarriage.

He remained underground for some time and then surrendered, apologised and expressed regret and also accepted Islam.

The Prophet pardoned him. Even the man who had killed Hazrath Hamza was pardoned when he surrendered and accepted Islam.

The Prophet, however, asked him not to come before him as his face recalled the grief.

Abdullah bin Zib’ar used to write hostile poems against Islam. He also surrendered, accepted Islam and was pardoned. Ka’ab bin Zuhair also used to write inflammatory poems against Islam.

He presented himself with his brother, apologised and accepted Islam and as atonement composed the famous poem “Baanat Su’aad”.

The Prophet not only pardoned him but also rewarded him with a piece of his apparel. While the Prophet was circum-ambulating the Kaabah during his stay at Makkah, Fuzala bin Umair secretly came with the intention of killing the Prophet who himself went to Fuzala and exposed his evil intentions.

The man expressed regret, accepted Islam and was pardoned. The greatest offender among the women was Hind bint-e-Utbah who, besides her other acts of bitter hostility, had mutilated the dead body of Hazrath Hamza and chewed his liver.

She came to the Prophet with her face covered to conceal herself from others and her talk with the Prophet was still full of rancour. The conversation was as follows:

Hind: “O Prophet of God! What do you want from us?”

The Prophet: “That you should not assign any partner to God.”

Hind: “You did not take this pledge from the men. Nevertheless I agree.”

The Prophet: “That you should not commit theft.”

Hind: “I sometimes steal some money of my husband Abu Sufian. I wonder if this is permissible.”

The Prophet: “Do not kill your children.”

Hind: “We nursed them in childhood. When they were grown up, you killed them in the Battle of Badr. Now you settle with them.”

No one could have tolerated this insolence but she was exploiting the most forgiving nature of the Prophet.

Qartana was a slave girl of Ibn Hanzal and used to sing defamatory songs against the prophet. She absconded after the victory of Makkah, but later returned, expressed regret and accepted Islam.

(Continued)