20 RAMADAN - THE LIBERATION OF MECCA

Allah has confirmed His Messenger's vision with truth: You will enter the Masjid al-Haram [Sacred Mosque] in safety, Allah willing, shaving your heads and cutting your hair without any fear. He knew what you did not know and ordained, in place of this, an imminent victory. (Surah Al-Fath 48:27)

One night in Madinah, the Prophet s.a.w. dreamed that the believers would enter the Sacred Mosque and walk around the Ka'bah. After he awoke, he gave this good news to the believers, for those who had migrated from Makkah to Madinah with him had not been able to return since.

In Surah Al-Fath above, Allah revealed to the Prophet s.a.w. that He would help and support him, that the dream was true, and that the believers would enter Makkah. A short while later, with the Treaty of Hudaybiyah and the conquest of Makkah, the believers entered the Sacred Mosque in complete safety, just as the dream had foretold. That was how Allah showed that it had been His will that the Prophet's (saw) dream be fulfilled...

Other verses that give the glad tidings of Makkah's conquest are given below:

He held their hands back from you, and your hands from them in the valley of Makkah, after giving you the upper hand over them. Allah sees what you do. (Surah Al-Fath 48:24)

Truly We have granted you a clear victory, so that Allah may forgive you your earlier errors and any later ones, complete His blessing upon you, and guide you on a straight path. And so that Allah may help you with a mighty help. (Surah Al-Fath 48:1-3)

Surat Al-Isra' states that the unbelievers cannot stay in Makkah:

They were very near to scaring you from the land with the object of expelling you from it. But had they done so, they would only have remained there a short time after you. (Surah Al-Isra' 17:76)

The Prophet s.a.w. entered Makkah and conquered it on 20 Ramadan, 8 AH (630 AD). Two years later, all of the unbelievers left Makkah, just as Allah had said that they would. Another point that should be noted here is that when the Prophet s.a.w. gave that good news to the believers, it looked totally out of the question. In fact, the situation pointed in quite the opposite direction, and the polytheists appeared quite determined never to let the believers enter Makkah. As a result, those who had doubts in their hearts began to doubt the Prophet's (saw) words. Yet, the Prophet s.a.w. trusted in Allah, paid no attention to the doubters' words, and told people what Allah had revealed to him. The Qur'an confirmed his words, and the prediction was fulfilled shortly afterwards. This was one of the miracles of the Glorious Qur'an.

(When the Prophet s.a.w. entered Makkah with his head bowed, it was Surah Al-Fath above that he was reciting. When he realised the honour of the conquest Allah had bestowed upon him, he felt so humble before Allah that his chin almost touched the back of his camel.)

[Source: Allah's Miracles in the Qur'an (edited)]

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THE LIBERATION OF MAKKAH
By Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabahani

As soon as the treaty of Hudaybiyah was signed between the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. and the Quraysh, the tribe of Khuza'ah came under the protection of Allah's Messenger and Banu Bakr sided with the Quraysh. Relations between the Quraysh and the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. remained peaceful and both sides resumed their business. The Quraysh expanded their trade in order to make up for what they had lost during the wars against the Muslims. Allah's Messenger s.a.w. pursued his task of conveying the Message of Islam to the whole of mankind while simultaneously strengthening the position of the Islamic State over the Arabian Peninsula and providing safety and security within the State itself.

The Messenger of Allah s.a.w. defeated the Jewish fortifications at Khaybar and then he s.a.w. sent his envoys to the kings of various states and established foreign contacts. He s.a.w. expanded the authority of the Islamic State to the point where it engulfed the whole of the Arabian Peninsula. Then exactly one year after the treaty Hudaybiyah the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. called on the people to prepare for the ‘Umra ul Qada (making up the Umrah missed at Hudaybiyah) having been excluded from performing it the previous year. A convoy of two thousand men marched from Madinah and, in accordance with the Hudaybiyah agreement, none of the men carried more than the single sword in its sheath as prescribed by it.

However, the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. feared betrayal by the Quraysh and he prepared an army of a hundred riders, appointing Muhammad ibn Maslamah at its head, with instructions to lead the convoy, but not to trespass the sanctity of Makkah [Mecca], which they duly obeyed. The Muslims went on to perform the fulfilled ‘Umrah and they returned to Madinah without incident. After their return to Madinah the people of Mecca began embracing Islam. Khalid ibn Walid, ‘Amr ibn 'As and the guardian of the Ka'bah, ‘Uthman ibn Talhah embraced Islam, followed by a large number of people from Mecca. The Muslims grew stronger by the day, whereas fear and weakness crept into the Quraysh's ranks.

When the Muslims returned from the battle of Mu'tah, having suffered a large number of casualties, the Quraysh deemed that the Muslims were finished, so they motivated the tribe of Banu Bakr against Khuza'ah and supplied them with weapons. Banu Bakr attacked Khuza'ah killing some of their men and the remaining Khuza'ah fled to Makkah for refuge. ‘Amru ibn Salim al-Khuza'i then hurried to Madinah and told the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. what had happened and implored his help. The Messenger of Allah s.a.w. replied, "May you be helped, O ‘Amru ibn Salim."

Upon this the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. decided that this breach of the treaty by the Quraysh could not be ignored nor could it be corrected except by the conquest of Makkah. The Quraysh became afraid of the consequences of breaking the treaty, so they sent Abu Sufyan to Madinah with the aim of strengthening the treaty by asking for an extension. However, Abu Sufyan did not go directly to meet Allah's Messenger s.a.w. and instead went to the home of his daughter Umm Habibah, wife of the Messenger of Allah s.a.w.. As he moved to sit on the Messenger of Allah's bed she folded it up so that he could not sit on it. When her father asked her whether she had folded it because he was too good for it or whether it was too good for him, she replied, "It is the Messenger of Allah's bed and you are a filthy polytheist so I do not want you to sit on it." Abu Sufyan replied, "By Allah since you left me you have turned bad." He then left in a rage.

Later Abu Sufyan managed to talk to the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. and to ask for the extension to the treaty which he so badly desired, but he did not receive any reply as he was ignored completely. Next he went to Abu Bakr and pleaded with him to speak to the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. on his behalf. Abu Bakr refused to do so. Then he approached ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab who rebuked him harshly saying, "Should I intercede for you with the Messenger of Allah? By Allah if I had only an ant I would fight you with it." Finally he went to see ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib who was with Fatimah and he appealed to him to intercede with the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. ‘Ali answered that if the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. had determined a thing then it was useless for anyone to try to talk him out of it. Turning to Fatimah he asked her to let her son Hasan be a protector between men. She said, "None could give protection against the Messenger of Allah." At this point Abu Sufyan became desperate and he rode off shortly back to Makkah where he told his people about his experience in Madinah. Meanwhile, the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. urged his people to prepare for battle and he marched with them towards Makkah. He s.a.w. was hoping to take the Quraysh by surprise in order to force them to surrender and thus avoid bloodshed.

The Muslim army numbering ten thousand set off from Madinah to conquer Makkah. They eventually reached Marr al-Dahran, which was about five kilometers from Makkah, without the knowledge of the Quraysh. Although, the Quraysh expected an invasion and their leaders were still debating how they should counter it. During this time, the ever vigilant Abu Sufyan came out to assess the danger that was looming over Makkah when he was met by Al-‘Abbas, who had by then accepted Islam. He was riding the Messenger of Allah's white mule on an errand to warn the Quraysh to seek protection or face annihilation from the Muslims, since the Quraysh were not in a position to stand in the Messenger of Allah's way. Al-‘Abbas said to Abu Sufyan, "This is the Messenger of Allah and his army and I fear for you and the Quraysh if he should enter Makkah by force." Abu Sufyan asked, "What is there to do?" Al-‘Abbas asked him to ride behind him and together they would go to meet the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. and seek his protection. As they proceeded through the Muslim encampment, they passed by ‘Umar's fire. ‘Umar recognized the Messenger's mule and also spotted his implacable enemy Abu Sufyan.

Realizing that Al-‘Abbas wanted to seek protection for Abu Sufyan, ‘Umar dashed to the tent where the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. was in order to ask him to cut off Abu Sufyan's head. However, Al-‘Abbas galloped his mule there ahead of ‘Umar exclaiming as he entered, "O Messenger of Allah, I have offered him my protection." A serious argument between ‘Umar and Al-‘Abbas arose, whereupon the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. said to Al-‘Abbas, "Take him away to your quarters and bring him back in the morning." The next day Abu Sufyan was brought to the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. whereupon he embraced Islam.

Al-‘Abbas said to the Messenger of Allah s.a.w., "O Messenger of Allah! Abu Sufyan is a man who likes to have some cause for pride, could you not do something for him?" Upon hearing this Allah's Messenger s.a.w. proclaimed that, "He who enters Abu Sufyan's house is safe, and he who locks his door is safe, and he who enters the Masjid is safe." Allah's Messenger s.a.w. then ordered that Abu Sufyan be detained in the narrow part of the valley where the mountain projected so that the whole Muslim army would pass by him and he would see them. Afterwards, he hurried back to his people shouting at the top of his voice, "This is Muhammad who has come to you with a force you cannot resist. He who enters Abu Sufyan's house is safe, and he who locks his door is safe, and he who enters the Masjid is safe." On hearing this the Quraysh aborted their resistance. Then the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. marched and entered Makkah, while remaining on the alert. He s.a.w. had instructed his commanders to split into four divisions and not to fight or shed any blood unless they were forced to do so. The army entered Makkah meeting no resistance except the division of Khalid ibn Al-Walid, who quickly dealt with it.

The Messenger of Allah s.a.w. dismounted at the top of Makkah where he stopped for awhile before marching towards the Ka'bah, which he circumambulated seven times. He s.a.w. then summoned ‘Uthman ibn Talhah and he opened the Ka'bah. People gathered around him, and he s.a.w. addressed them by reciting the verse:

يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوبًا وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ

"O mankind, We created you from male and female, and made you into peoples and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honourable of you in the sight of Allah is that who has "At-Taqwa". Verily, Allah is All knowing. All-Aware." [Al-Hujurat, 49:13]

Then the Messenger of Allah  asked, "O Quraysh, what do you think I am about to do with you?" They replied, "Good! You are a noble brother, son of a noble brother." He s.a.w. said, "Go your own way for you are free." Inside the Ka'bah, the Messenger of Allah s.a.w. ordered the pictures of angels and prophets which were decorating its walls to be torn down. He s.a.w. also found a dove made out of wood which he broke in his hands and then threw it away. Lastly, Allah's Messenger  pointed to the multitude of idols present with a stick in his hand and he recited the verse:

وَقُلْ جَاء الْحَقُّ وَزَهَقَ الْبَاطِلُ إِنَّ الْبَاطِلَ كَانَ زَهُوقًا

"And say: Truth has come and Batil has vanished. Surely! Batil is ever bound to vanish." [Al-Isra, 17:81]

All the idols collapsed onto their backs one after the other, then they were burned, broken up and disposed of. Now the sacred house was finally purified.

The Messenger of Allah s.a.w. remained in Makkah for fifteen days, during which time he s.a.w. organized its affairs and taught the people Islam. Thus was Mecca completely liberated and as a result the main obstacle standing in the way of the Islamic campaign had finally been overcome. The great victory was achieved with only a few pockets of resistance, such as Hunayn and the city of Ta'if, remaining in the Arabian Peninsula. These were not expected to prove difficult to remove.

[Source: Extracted from the book The Islamic State (p. 106) by Sheikh Taqiuddin an-Nabahani. Images added.]

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EXEMPLARY CHARACTER SHOWN BY THE PROPHET S.A.W.

Returning the Key of Ka’bah to Its Hereditary Keepers

After destroying the idols, the the Prophet s.a.w. gave back the key of the sacred house to the hereditary keepers and told the people to come in peace to him. This conduct delighted the Meccans. They considered this great act of kindness and forgiveness of the Prophet s.a.w. the height of nobility and came forward to enter this astonishing religion which returned enmity with love.

Entry Into Makkah: A Humble Victory

The Prophet s.a.w. entered Makkah with his head lowered in thanks giving to Allah, his beard almost touching the saddle of his dromedary and the Surah Al-Fath on his lips, to denote the honor and victory granted to him.

On the day the Prophet s.a.w. victoriously entered Makkah, which was the religious and political center or rather the heart of Arabia, he took care to exemplify the principle of justice and equality to man and humility and submission to God, not forgetting even one cardinal virtue upheld by Islam. He seated Usama b. Zayd, the son of his ex-slave, with him on his camel although all the nobles of the Quraysh and of his own family, Bani Hashim, were present on the occasion...

The day Makkah fell to the Prophet of God s.a.w., he happened to talk to a man who began to tremble because of his awe. The Prophet s.a.w. consoled him saying, "Be at ease and do not be afraid. I am not a king but merely the son of a Qurayshite woman who used to take meat dried under the sun."

The Day of Mercy and Forgiveness
 

Sad b. Ubada passed by Abu Sufyan with a detachment of the Ansaar. While marching ahead he shouted: "Today is a day of conflict, Sanctuary is no more, Allah has humbled the Quraysh."

In a short while, the Prophet's regiment came near Abu Sufyan. He complained to the Prophet s.a.w. and repeated what Sad had said. The Prophet s.a.w. was displeased with Sads bragging and replied: "Nay, today is the day of mercy and forgiveness. Today will Allah honor the Quraysh, and raise glory of the Sanctuary."

The Prophet s.a.w. sent somebody for Sad and taking the emblem from him gave it to his son Qays. It meant as if the standard had not been taken away from him at all (Zad al-Ma'ad, Vol. I, p. 425).

Whatever the Prophet s.a.w. said or did, he was in fact guided from on High. The transfer of the standard was merely symbolic but not superfluous. The Prophet s.a.w. set at ease, on the one hand, Abu Sufyan whose feelings had been hurt and, on the other, he avoided doing anything painful to Sad b. Ubada whose services for the cause of Islam were of no mean order...

The Prophet of Mercy

The Prophet s.a.w. then asked the Quraysh, "O Quraysh, what do you think am I about to do with you?" "We hope for the best," They replied, "You are a noble brother, son of a noble brother."

The Prophet s.a.w. said in reply, "I say to you what Yusuf (Prophet Joseph) said to his brothers: 'This day let no reproach be (cast) on you' (Surah Yusuf 12:92); go your way for you are all free."

Then the Prophet s.a.w. ordered Bilal to climb on top of the roof of the Ka'bah and give the call for prayer. This was the first time that the chiefs and nobles of the Quraysh heard the call to prayer resounding in the valley of Mecca.

Thereafter the Prophet s.a.w. went to the house of Umm Hani bint Abi Talib, took a bath and offered eight raakats of prayer as a thanksgiving gesture for the victory that God had granted him.

Equality Before Law

Fatimah, a woman of Bani Makhzum, was in the meanwhile apprehended on the charge of theft. Her clansmen approached Usama b. Zayd in the hope that the Prophet s.a.w., being well disposed towards him, might be able to intercede with him for the woman. When Usama mentioned the matter to the Prophet s.a.w., he found his expression completely altered. The Prophet s.a.w. said to Usama, "Do you speak to me about the bounds put by God?" Usama felt so ashamed that he beseeched the Prophet s.a.w., "O Messenger Allah, pray to God to forgive me." In the evening, when the people convened, the Prophet s.a.w. said after praising Allah:

"The people before you were destroyed because they used to overlook when a highborn or man of substances among them committed a theft but when the poor or the weak did the same they chastised him as ordained by the law. I swear by Him who holds my life that if Fatimah bint Muhammad had committed theft I would have amputated her hand."

The Prophet s.a.w. ordered to cut off the right hand of the culprit. She is reported to have sincerely repented of her sin and led a normal life after marrying a man (Bukhari and Muslim).

Kindness To Enemies

Now that the victory was complete, all the citizens of Makkah were granted amnesty. Only nine persons were condemned to death. Of these was one who had been guilty of apostasy after accepting Islam, another man had deceitfully killed a Muslim while few others had been busy bringing down Islam and vilifying the Prophet s.a.w. Abdullah b. Sad b. Abi Sarah had abandoned Islam. Ikrima b. Abi Jahl so detested Islam that he had fled to Yemen. His wife became Muslim and requested from the Prophet s.a.w. to grant him immunity. Ikrima was the son of Abu Jahl, the greatest enemy of the Prophet s.a.w., yet he was not only pardoned but when he came back to Makkah, the Prophet s.a.w. accorded him a warm welcome. The Prophet s.a.w. rose to receive Ikrima in such a haste that his robe fell from his shoulders.

The Prophet s.a.w. was well pleased to admit Ikrima to the fold of Islam. Accorded a place of honor among the Muslims, Ikrima distinguished himself by his deeds of valor in the battles fought with the Apostates and the Byzantine forces.

One of these culprits was Wahshi, the slave of Jubayr b. Mutim, who killed the Prophet's uncle Hamza (ra). The Prophet s.a.w. had condemned him to death but when he came to witness the truth in Allah, the Prophet s.a.w. accepted his allegiance.

There was also Habbar b. Al-Aswad who had attacked the Prophet's daughter Zaynab (May Allah be pleased with her). She had fallen from her litter and had an abortion. Habbar had also fled from Makkah but when he came back to accept Islam, the merciful Prophet s.a.w. also forgave him. Among those found guilty were two singing girls, Sarah and her friend, who used to sing satirical songs denigrating the Prophet s.a.w. When immunity was demanded for them, the Prophet s.a.w. granted them impunity from punishment and they acknowledged Islam (Zad al-Ma'ad, Vol. I, p. 425)...

IMPACT OF THE LIBERATION OF MECCA

The liberation of Makkah is great event in the history of Islam because after this liberation Islam spread in all corners of the world beyond Arabia. Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. won that great battle without any bloodshed.

The liberation of Makkah had a tremendous impact on the Arabs. It was a great victory for it vindicated the claim that Islam was the religion of Allah and paved the way for its reception by the whole of Arabia. Tribesmen from distant deserts started coming to Madinah in batches or sent deputations to give credence to Islam.

A number of tribes had treaty relations with the Quraysh which bound them to keep away from the Muslims, while the others feared or respected the Quraysh as the guardians of the holy sanctuary. With the submission of the Quraysh to Allah and His Prophet s.a.w., all these obstacles were removed.

There were also tribes who believed the fate of Abraha still fresh in their mind that no tyrant could lay his hands upon Makkah and, therefore, they preferred to wait and see the result of the contention between the Muslims and the Quraysh. Some of them had actually decided to leave the Prophet s.a.w. alone and to accept him as the Prophet of Allah if he were successful in winning over his own tribe (Bukhari on the authority of 'Amr b. Salama).

When Allah allowed His Prophet s.a.w. to gain the upper hand over Makkah and the Quraysh yielded obedience to him, willingly or unwillingly, the whole of Arabia bowed its head to Islam in a way unheard of in the country given to disorder and unruliness throughout the ages. The Bedouins had thronged to Madinah, from every clan and tribe, to pay their respects to the Prophet s.a.w. and to accept Islam directly from him. It was then that Allah revealed Surah An-Nasr (meaning Succour or Help) which said:

When comes the Help of Allah (to you, O Muhammad against your enemies) and the conquest (of Makkah), and you see that the people enter Allah's religion (Islam) in crowds [Surah An-Nasr 110:1-2].

[Source: Peace Be Upon Him and The Sealed Nectar p. 249 (edited). Images added.]