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Driven out of Makkah and forced to seek refuge in Thawr Cave, Prophet Muhammad r turned towards Makkah and bade it farewell, saying, “O Allah (bear witness), you are the most beloved land to Allah, and you are the most beloved land to me. Had your Mushrikin people not driven me out of you, I would not have left you.”1
That day, eight years after his emigration to Al-Madinah, the Prophet r entered his homeland, Makkah, a victor.
Yet he r was riding his horse with his head bowed – the end of his beard almost touching the back of his horse – out of submission, thankfulness, and humility before his Lord Who gave him this manifest victory.2
On the way to victorious return to Makkah, one of his Companions, Sa‘d bin ‘Ubadah t, said, “Today is the day of battle. Today the prohibited is permissible. Today Allah has humbled the Quraish.”
The Prophet r strongly objected, saying, “Today is the day of mercy. Today is the day Allah exalts the Kab‘bah. Today is the day the Kab‘bah is clothed. Today is the day Allah has honored the Quraish.”
The Prophet r then commanded that the banner should be taken from Sa‘d, thus relieving him of his duty as a commander, and be handed to his son, Qais.3
Go, you are the free ones
Three hundred and sixty idols were surrounding the Sacred House (the Ka‘bah) on the Day of the Victory of Makkah, which the Prophet r started stabbing with a stick he r had in his hand, while reciting4:
Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Surely, falsehood is ever bound to vanish
(Al-Isra’ 17: 81)
The Prophet r then entered the Ka‘bah and ordered that all the images be destroyed. After praying inside, he r walked around, declaring the Oneness of Allah and glorifying Him in every corner. He r came out of the Ka‘bah, stood at its door and preached, “There is no god but Allah alone. He has no partner. He honored His Soldiers. He granted victory to His Servant, and He defeated the Confederates, alone.”6
“O people, verily Allah has rid you of the vainglory of Jahiliyyah (Pre-Islamic Days of Ignorance of Allah) and its pride in ancestors. People are two types: a righteous pious person who is honorable to Allah, and an impious wicked person who is worthless to Allah. All mankind are Children of Adam, and Allah has created Adam from dust. Allah says, (O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another. Verily, the most honorable of you in the Sight of Allah is the most pious of you. Verily, Allah is All-Knowing, All-Aware.)6
(Al-Hujurat 49: 13)
The Prophet Pbuh asked, “O people of Quraish, what do you think I am to do to you?”
They said, “All good, you are an honorable brother and the son of an honorable brother.”
He r said, “I say to you as Yusuf (Joseph r) said to his brothers, ‘No blame will there be upon you today.’ Go, you are the free ones.”7
With these forgiving words, the Prophet of Mercy r gave a general amnesty to all Quraish, although among them were people who had plotted to kill him, had persecuted him, and inflicted all kinds of injury and harm upon him and his followers.
Among them were people who had fought him at Badr and Uhud, who blockaded him in the Battle of Al-Khandaq (Trench), who incited the Arab tribes to mutiny against him, and who would even then tear him apart if only they had the power. But he r pardoned all his enemies with the exception of nine persons, who were arch criminals. But, later on, most of them were pardoned and became good Muslims.8
This is how the man r whom Allah describes as “Mercy to the Worlds” dealt with those who opposed him.
His opponents were not just people who fought his Message on an intellectual level. They were individuals bent on destroying him, his family, his followers, and Islam itself.
This is one of the many examples in the life of a man r who faced constant death threats, actual attempts on his life, abuse, and harsh persecution at the hands of those threatened by his simple yet profound Message: There is no god but Allah; Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah.9
References
- Circumstances of revelation on the authority of Qatadah and Ibn ‘Abbas: Al-Qurtubi, Al-Jami‘ Li-Ahkam Al-Qur’an, interpretation of Surat Muhammad r [47: 13]. At-Tirmidhy (3860), Ibn Majah (3099), Ahmad (17966), and Ad-Darimy (2398) reported a version with a similar wording on the authority of ‘Abdullah bin ‘Adi bin Al-Hamra’ that reads: “I swear by Allah, you are the best of the lands of Allah, and you are the most beloved land to Allah. Had it not been that I was forced to leave you, I would have never left you.”
- Al-Hafiz Ibn Kathir, Al-Bidaya wa An-Nihaya, Description of the Prophet’s Entry into Makkah, vol. 1\4. Ibn Hisham, As-Sirah An-Nabawiyyah, Arrival of the Prophet’s in Dhi-Tuwa, vol. 4.
- As-Salhi Ash-Shami, Subl A-Huda wa Ar-Rashad fi Sirah Khairul-‘Abad, vol. 5; Ibn Hisham, As-Sirah An-Nabawiyyah, The Emigrants’ Anxiety over the Quraish from Sa‘d and the Messenger’s Command regarding Him, vol. 4.
- Narrated by ‘Abdullah
bin Mas‘ud: Sahih Al-Bukhary, Book of Al-Magazi, Hadith no. 3950; similar versions of the Hadith are also reported by Al-Bukhary (2298, 4351), Muslim (3333), At-Tirmidhy (3063), and Ahmad (3403). - Ibn Hisham, As-Sirah An-Nabawiyyah: Circumambulation by the Messenger r around the House and His Speech Therein, vol. 4; Safi-ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Rahiq Al-Makhtum, Victory of Makkah: The Messenger r Performing Salah inside the Ka‘bah and Delivering a Speech before the Quraish.
- Narrated by Ibn ‘Umar: Sunnan At-Tirmidhy, Book of Tafsir Al-Qur’an, Hadith no. 3193.
- Ibn Hisham, As-Sirah An-Nabawiyyah, Circumambulation by the Messenger r around the House and His Speech Therein, vol. 4; Safi-ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Rahiq Al-Makhtum; Victory of Makkah: No blame will there be upon you today.
- Safi-ur-Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Raheeq Al-Makhtum, Second Phase (Open Preaching): Victory of Makkah.
- Adapted from Abdul Malik Mujahid, The Prophet r and the People Who Opposed Him.
