The conquest of Mecca.. a major turning point in the path of Islam

The conquest of Mecca was a great event, one of the decisive events in the history of Islam, in which God glorified His religion and humiliated its enemies. With this conquest, infidelity lost its most important strongholds and protectors in the Arab countries. After it, people entered the religion of God in droves, and Mecca became an impregnable fortress for the religion of monotheism and guidance.

Reason for opening

One of the terms of the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, signed in the year 6 AH between the Messenger Muhammad, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, and the Quraysh was that whoever wanted to enter into the Messenger’s alliance and covenant could enter into it, and whoever wanted to enter into the Quraysh alliance and covenant could enter into it. The “Khuza’a” tribe entered into the era of the trustworthy Messenger and the “Bani Banu” entered into it. Bakr” during the era of Quraysh.

There were continuous wars between these two tribes, and “Bani Bakr” wanted to obtain ancient revenge from “Khuza’a,” so they raided them at night and killed a group of them. Quraish secretly helped “Bani Bakr” with weapons and men, thus violating the terms of the peace treaty with the trustworthy Messenger, so they sent “Khuza’a.” She tells him the matter and that the Quraysh betrayed his allies.

The Messenger ordered the Muslims to prepare to go out to Mecca in support of their allies, the Khuza’a, and recommended that the matter be kept secret from the Quraysh until the Muslim army surprised them.

The Quraysh realised the seriousness of what they had done and that they were in trouble, so their leader, Abu Sufyan bin Harb, travelled to Medina to solve the problem and renew peace with the Messenger Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, but he found that the opportunity for that had passed because the Messenger had decided to invade and ordered preparations for it.

Course of events

On the 10th of Ramadan in the year 8 AH, the Messenger Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, left Medina to conquer Mecca with an army of ten thousand soldiers from his companions. He asked the Muslim tribes around Medina (Aslam, Muzaina, Juhayna, Ghaffar, and Salim) to go out with him, and two thousands of them joined him. The total Muslim army became 12 thousand soldiers.

The Messenger walked – while the Muslims were fasting with him – and when he reached a place called “Al-Juhfa”, his uncle Al-Abbas bin Abdul-Muttalib, may God be pleased with him, met him. He had left with his family and dependents to emigrate to Medina, so he accompanied him on his way to Mecca.

When they reached the “Marr al-Dhahran” valley, which is close to Mecca, Abbas rode the white mule of the Messenger Muhammad – may God bless him and grant him peace – and set off looking for someone to inform him of the advance of the Muslim army to conquer Mecca, so that he could inform the Quraysh of this and urge them to seek safety from the Messenger before he entered upon them, fighting with force of arms.

At these moments, Abu Sufyan was outside Mecca spying on the news, so Al-Abbas met him and advised him to come with him to ask for safety from the Messenger, so he came with him, and when they entered upon him, the trustworthy Messenger said, addressing Abu Sufyan: “Woe to you, Abu Sufyan! Is it not time for you to know that there is no god but God?”? Isn’t it time for you to know that I am the Messenger of God?

Abu Sufyan announced his conversion to Islam, and Al-Abbas said: “O Messenger of God, Abu Sufyan is a man who loves pride, so give him something.” The Messenger said: “Yes, whoever enters Abu Sufyan’s house is safe, and whoever closes his door on him is safe, and whoever He entered the Sacred Mosque and was safe.”

The Muslim army left “Mar Dhahran” heading to Mecca, so their army battalions passed by Abu Sufyan one after the other, which caused terror in him. He was convinced that the loss of the Quraysh would be certain if they tried to prevent the Muslims from entering Mecca.

Abu Sufyan rushed to his people, shouting at the top of his voice: “O people of Quraysh, this Muhammad has come to you with something that you cannot accept. Whoever enters Abu Sufyan’s house is safe, and whoever closes his door is safe, and whoever enters the mosque is safe.” So, the people dispersed and took cover in their turn and in the mosque. forbidden.

Peaceful entry

When the Noble Messenger arrived at Dhi Tuwa, he distributed his army into three parts: a section that Khalid bin Al-Walid commanded and ordered him to enter Mecca from below, a section that Al-Zubair bin Al-Awwam – who had the banner of the Prophet Muhammad – commanded and ordered him to enter Mecca from above, and a section that Abu Ubaidah commanded. Bin Al-Jarrah and ordered him to take the valley. The Messenger directed the three army commanders to restrain their hands and not fight anyone except those who fought them.

The Islamic army entered Mecca and did not face a fighting army from its people, except for a limited clash that took place between the army of Khalid bin Al-Walid and a small group of Quraysh led by Ikrimah bin Abi Jahl, who refused safety and wanted to confront the Muslims by force. In this clash, a few individuals from both sides were killed, and then it ended with the remnants of the Quraysh group fleeing. To their homes to be safe from killing.

The Messenger entered Mecca from above and walked – with Muslims in front of him and behind him and around him – until he entered the Sacred Mosque. He went to the Black Stone and touched it, then circumambulate the Kaaba. He had a bow in his hand with which he stabbed the idols erected around the Kaaba (360 idols) while repeating the Almighty’s saying: “And say, ‘Come.’” Truth and falsehood will perish. Indeed, falsehood will perish” (Al-Isra, verse: 81), “Say, “The truth has come, and falsehood does not begin or return” (Saba, verse: 49), and the idols fell on their faces.

When he completed his circumambulation, he called the custodian of the Kaaba, Othman bin Talha, and he took from him the key and ordered it to be opened. He entered it and ordered the images that were in it to be erased. Then he went around it and prayed inside it, then he left it and returned the key of the Kaaba to Othman bin Talha and ordered that it remain in his family forever.

The men of Quraysh gathered waiting for what the trustworthy Messenger would do to them. He turned to them and said: “O people of Quraysh, what do you think I will do to you?” They said: A noble brother and a generous nephew. He said: “For I say to you as Joseph said to his brothers: ‘There is no blame on you. “Today” (Joseph, verse: 92), “Go, for you are free.” He ordered Bilal to go up and give the call to prayer on the back of the Kaaba, and the Quraysh would listen.

On the day following his conquest of Mecca, the Prophet Muhammad, may God bless him and grant him peace, delivered a great sermon in which he explained some of the features of the religion and the sanctity of his faithful country, Mecca. Then he pledged allegiance to the men and women of the people of Mecca to listen and obey, and after that he stayed there for 19 days in which he explained to them the features of Islam and its teachings and arranged matters of governance.