THE CONQUEST OF MAKAAH
The early history of Islam is important for
Muslims even to the present day. The Prophet Muhammad’s ﷺ life, especially, is
considered to be an example for all believers. There are numerous events that
exemplify the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ’s
struggles and his character. These events have played a defining role in the
formation of the faith and the Muslim community.
Allaah Al Kareem has confirmed His Prophets’ vision with truth: You will enter the Masjid al-Haram [Sacred Mosque] in safety, Allaah 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.
(Qur'an, 48:27)
One night in Madinah Shareef, the Beloved Prophet ﷺ 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 Makaah to Madinah with him had not been able to return since.
In Soorah al-Fataah 27, Allaah Al Kareem
revealed to the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ that He would help and support him, that the dream was true,
and that the believers would enter Makaah. A short while later, with the Treaty
of Hudaybiyah and the conquest of Makaah, the believers entered the Sacred
Mosque in complete safety, just as the dream had foretold. That was how Allaah
Al Kareem showed that it had been His will that the Prophet's ﷺ dream be fulfilled.
(8th year of the Migration, the
month of Ramadan, Friday / AD 630 January)
THE
PREREQUISITE TO THE CONQUEST OF MAKAAH
Before the conquest of Makaah, several events
took place. In 628 C.E., the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ set
out with about 1400 Muslims from Madinah Shareef to perform umrah, the minor
pilgrimage. When they reached the outskirts of Makaah, the Prophet sent an
emissary to the Makkaan’s informing them that the Muslims were not coming to
fight but coming to perform a ritual. The Muslims were not permitted to perform
the pilgrimage that year, but an agreement was reached between the Muslims and
the tribe of Quraiesh.
This agreement was called the Treaty
of Hudaybiyah.
According to the treaty, the Muslims would postpone their pilgrimage to the
following year. When the Muslims returned for the pilgrimage, the Makkaan’s
would clear the city so that the Muslims could perform the ritual peacefully.
Also, all the Arab tribes would choose to ally themselves with the Makkaan’s or
the Muslims and would defend the respective side should there be an attack.
Finally, the treaty outlined a plan for 10 years of peace between the two
sides, preventing any bloodshed.
Both sides adhered to the treaty initially.
However, two years later there was a violation of the agreement. One of the
tribes allied with the Makkaan’s’ attacked and killed some members of a tribe
allied with the Muslims. This incident dissolved the treaty.
The Holy Prophet Muhammad ﷺ
therefore, ordered to prepare a strong force as expedition to Mautaa where many
companions were martyred which had grieved him a lot. It was due to the evil
designs of the Kuffars the Quraiesh. Thus the Holy Prophet ﷺ had to teach a lesson to kufaars. The Quraiesh got ashamed, and
sent Aboo Sufyaan to apologize, and desired that peace treaty may be renewed;
but it was too late and so violated that his intervention was of no avail. Aboo
Suufyaan was ashamed. He went back to Makaah frustrated.
On the other hand, Hazrat Abbass [Radiyal Laahu
Anhu] the real uncle of the Holy Prophet ﷺwho
had embraced Islaam and migrated to Madinah had several relatives in Makaah who
had not yet embraced Islaam. He wanted that somehow or the other they may be
informed so that they may either come and apologize or embrace Islaam, and thus
may be saved. As such he rode the mule of the Holy Prophet ﷺ and came out of
the army camp outside Makaah. He met Aboo Suufyaan and made him understand how
the people should face the fact and narrated the whole situation to him. Hazrat
Abbas then gave him protection and brought him to the Holy Prophet ﷺ
At that time Aboo Suufyaan halfheartedly
embraced Islaam with some reservations. Hazrat Abbaas [Radiyal Laahu Anhu]
requested the Holy Prophet ﷺ that since Aboo Suufyaan was the Chief of the Quraiesh,
he may be specially favored, so that his lofty position amongst the Quraiesh
could be maintained. But it was now too late .
THE BASIC REASON FOR THE CONQUEST OF MAKAAH:.
When the aggrieved party sought justice from
their Muslim allies, the Holy Prophet ﷺas their
leader, demanded an immediate redress for not only violating the treaty but
also slaying his men in the sanctified area. Three demands were made, the
acceptance of any one of them was stressed:
a.
to
pay blood money for the victims of Khuza-'ah;
b.
to
terminate their alliance with Banu Bakr' or
c.
to
consider the truce to have been nullified.
In
the fit of their pride Quraiesh arrogantly said:
"We will neither pay blood money nor terminate our alliance
with Banu Bakr, but are prepared to declare the truce of Hudaybia as null and
void.
THE
DEJECTION OF ABU SOOFIYAAN:
Abu
Soofiyaan was dejected over the imprudence of his people and came to Madinah
for a renewal of the truce. He went to the house of his daughter Hazrat Umm e Habibah
[Radiyal
Laahu Anha]
But
as he went to sit on the Prophet Muhammad's ﷺ carpet she folded it up. "My daughter." said
he, "I hardly knew if you think that the carpet is too good than me or
that I am not good for the carpet.
“She replied, "It is the Prophet's ﷺ carpet and you are an unclean polytheist."
This reply of the wife of the Holy Prophet
Muhammad ﷺ speaks eloquently of the great love and the profound respect
which his partner of life had for him. Can an imposter command such affection
from one who has a free access to the most guarded sectors of his life? It is
the sincerity, the deep love, great attachment and the genuine sincerity of the
followers with Muhammad ﷺ
Abu Soofiyaan turned his steps back to Makaah
in a state of bitter disappointment and submitted the report of his meeting
with his daughter, the behavior of Hazrat Abu Bakr, Hazrat Umar and Hazrat Ali [Radiyal Laahu Anhuma] who did not
respond to his so belated truce call, and the meaningful silence of the Holy
Prophet ﷺThe Makaans were dismayed, but did not
expect imminent danger.
THE
FINAL VICTORY WITHOUT A DROP OF BLOOD AND THE MOST PEACEFUL ENTRY OF MUSLIMS IN
MAKAAH
The
Prophet ﷺordered preparations to be made for
march to Makaah. The expedition was first kept secret but later on he revealed
that the neighboring tribes, who were in alliance with the Muslims, were also
invited to join the Prophet's ﷺ army.
For twenty-one long years the Quraiesh had been
committing atrocities on the Muslims. They tortured them, inflicted injuries
upon them, dragged them in the fire and on the burning sand of blazing Makaah,
in fact, made their very existence impossible. Hard pressed by these shameless
acts, the Muslims left their native place in order to seek shelter at Madinah.
But the revengeful Makaans allowed them no rest even in that city. They
attacked them even in their new abode.
After making full preparations the Holy
Prophet, ﷺ proceeded to Makaah
at the head often thousand soldiers in Ramadaan, 8th Hijraah. He encamped at a
place known as Marr al-Zahran. The Quraiesh were quite unaware of the
development. But the Holy Prophet ﷺ did not like to take them by surprise. He, therefore,
ordered his men to kindle fire on all sides for cooking purposes. The idea
behind this was that the Quraiesh should be afforded full opportunity to assess
the situation correctly in which they were pitchforked and should not endanger
their lives by leaping blindly in the battlefield. The Holy Prophet ﷺ wanted to avoid
bloodshed as far as possible and was anxious that the wiser counsel should
prevail upon the haughty Makaans and they should weigh the consequences of the
matter before coming forward for an encounter. Hazrat Abbas [Radiyal Laahu Anhu], the
Prophet's ﷺuncle, like his brother Aboo Taalib,
had always been friendly to his nephew, Prophet Muhammad ﷺ He had been giving him timely
warning of the Makaans attack on Madinah. He met the Holy Prophet ﷺon the way and discussed the situation with him. Hazrat
Abbas had tender feelings for his kith and kins in Makaah and was desirous that
they should realize the gravity of the situation and yield before the
irresistible tide of the Muslim army.
Hazrat Abbas [Radiyal Laahu Anhu] was fully
aware of the change of heart of the majority of the Makaans and he succeeded in
convincing Aboo Suufyaan on this state of affairs. The Peace Treaty of Hudaybiyah
had provided them a respite to see and think in a calmer atmosphere, and, with
cool-head feelings and in a rational frame of mind, the teachings of Islaam and
the great spiritual and moral revolution which it had brought about amongst
those who had accepted it. Their hearts had attested he truth of the Divine
mission which Prophet Muhammad ﷺ had bought.
Only their proofing in words was to be made.
THE
PROPHET ﷺ ENTERS
the City of MAKKAH
The month of Ramadaan, 8th year of
the Migration. The sun had just risen.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ was
on Qaswa, his camel. He had a black turban made in Yemen round his head. One
end of his turban was hanging between his shoulders. He was entering the
blessed city in glory and modesty. On the one hand, he was praising and
thanking God [Allaah Kareem] because He showed him that day; on the other hand,
he was reading the chapter of al-Fath, which had given the glad tidings that Makaah
was going to be conquered. It was one of the happiest moments for him and for
his Companions.
The tongues did not utter bitter words; they
pronounced only nice words that conquered hearts. The faces were full of
smiles.
The mujahids were not in ecstasy, caused by
great victories and magnificent conquests. They controlled their hearts, souls
and tongues.
Sa’d b. Ubada [Radiyal Laahu Anha] is Dismissed
Meanwhile, Hazrat Sa’d b. Ubada, the commander
of the third wing was affected by the dazzling victory involuntarily and said,
“Today is the great day of fighting. Today it
will be permissible to fight in the Kabaah.”
Rasoolul Laah ﷺ was informed
about his statement. This statement was contrary to the aim and spirit of
entering the Kabaah without fighting and shedding blood. He ordered that the
standard be removed from him and given to Hazrat Qays
[Radiyal Laahu Anhu]
Attack against the Group of Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed
[Radiyal Laahu Anhu]
The Islamic army was entering Makaah in waves,
without swinging their swords against anybody, and with respect as the Prophet
Muhammad ﷺ had ordered.
However, meanwhile, the group commanded by
Hazrat Khalid bin Waleed [Radiyal Laah Anhu] was attacked. Some people like
Ikrima Abi Jahl, Safwan Umayya and the people that they gathered attacked
them.
Hazrat Khalid
bin Waleed [Radiyal Laahu Anhu] did not want to respond at first because the
order of the Prophet ﷺ was
clear. However, when he saw that the polytheists increased the attack and threw
a lot of arrows, he let his soldiers fight. The polytheists had to run away.
Two mujhaids were martyred during the fight and thirteen polytheists were
killed. The Prophet ﷺ was
informed about the situation. The Prophet ﷺ summoned Khalid. When he learnt from
Khalid that the polytheists attacked the Muslims and that the mujahids had to
defend themselves, he said, “What God decreed and allowed is good.”
No other clashes took place when the
magnificent Islamic army consisting of ten thousand soldiers entered; the
Muslims did not use their weapons.
After having entered the city, the Holy Prophet ﷺoffered prayer of thanks in the Masjid-ull-Haraam to the
Almighty God
Who, out of His immense grace, had granted him a most splendid and most
peaceful victory over a cruel enemy. A tent was pitched for him near the Haraam
at a spot where he was obliged to spend his days in a secluded quarter.
GENERAL FORGIVENESS:
None
could be more anxious to avoid bloodshed than Muhammad ﷺ. He,
therefore, proclaimed amnesty to the people who had persecuted and tortured him
and his followers and had even made several attempts on his life. But he is the
Rahmat-ul-lil Aalameen. The Blessing unto the worlds, and even his deadliest
enemies were to be forgiven.
"There shall no retaliation against you this day,"
he
declared. He asked Aboo Sufiyaan, once his arch enemy to proclaim: "he who
takes refuge in the house of Aboo Sufyaan is safe: whoso closes the door of his
house, the inmates thereof shall be in safety, and he who enters the Sacred
Mosque of the Ka-'abah is safe."
It was in this spirit of clemency that the Holy
Prophet ﷺwas to enter the city of Makaah.
THE
KA'ABAH IS PURIFIED:
The
Holy Prophet ﷺin unison remembrance of Allaah
Al Kareem got up and proceeded towards Ka'baah, the Sacred House. It was to be
cleaned and made for ever an emblem of the oneness and Supremacy of Allaah Al
Kareem as well as the unity of Muslims. It was unfortunately occupied with 360
idols. Prophet Muhammad ﷺ knocked
them down with the help of Hazrat Ali [Radiyal
Laahu Anhu] and recited the verse of the Holy Quraan:
"Please declare, the
Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Surely falsehood is ever-vanishing".
(Al-Quraan -)
One by one the stone-gods were dismantled from
outside the Ka'abah. Images and effigies were deleted from its outer walls. He
then prostrated himself in worship within the Ka'baah. He sent Hazrat Bilaal to
summon 'Usmaan Bin Talhaah possessing the key of the Ka'baah. Ascending the
steps of the threshold and unlocking the door he ordered that idols should be
destroyed and images obliterated from it’s within with complete overhaul with
the help of Hazrat Alee [Radiyal Laahu Anhu]
He in
the sacred hall performed devout prostrations. He then returned to the door-way
the Istelaam, and, standing upon its elevated step, gazed in thank-fullness on
the thronging multitude below. It was the 20th of Ramadan, the eighth year of
Hijraah, when, on the gate of Holy Ka'abah, and with its key held in his hand,
he delivered the following address:
"There is no god but Allaah Al Kareem
alone. He has no associate. He made good His promise that He held to His
bondsman and helped him and defeated all the confederates along. Bear in mind
that every claim of privilege, whether that of blood, or property, is under my
feet, except that of the custody of the Ka'baah, worship in it and supplying of
water to the pilgrims.
O people of Quraiesh surely Allaah Almighty has
abolished from you all pride of the time of ignorance and all pride in your
ancestry, (because) all men descended from Hazrat Aadam, [Alaiehis Salaam] and Hazrat Aadam [Alaiehis Salaam] was fashioned
out of clay".
Then he recited to them the Verse:
"O mankind verify We have created you of a male and a female
and We have made you nations and tribes that you might know one another. Surely
the noblest of you with Allaah Al Kareem is the one who most fears from Him.
Surely Allaah Al Kareem is All Knowing, All Aware (Al -Quraan.l".
He
further added:
"O
you people of Quraiesh what do you, think of the treatment that I am about to
accord to, you?"
They
replied:
"O
noble brother and son of a noble brother we expect nothing but kindness from
you".
Upon
this he said:
"I
speak to you in the same words as Hazrat Yousuf [Alaiehis Salaam] spoke unto
his brothers";
"This day, there is no reproof against you".
Go your way, for you are freed ones".
Then
he asked Hazrat Bilaal [Radiyal Laahu Anhu] to climb up the Ka'baah to loudly
give the call for prayer and he gave the Aazaan on top of the Ka'baah.
BROTHERHOOD OF MANKIND.
The
Holy Prophet also imprinted upon the minds of the people the pragmatic value of
this fundamental principle of Islaam, i.e., Divine Unity and human integrity.
This concept strikes at the very root of all types of man-made distinctions,
e.g., those of race, colour, creed and language and completely sweeps off all
kinds of hierarchical privileges of life prevailed social and political
discriminations. It was a pronouncement of very great significance. Herein was
sounded the death knell of the doctrine of polygenism ascribing multiple
ancestry to mankind and the idea of castes or classes forming a barrier to
common, humanity. There is no distinction between man and man. All are equal,
because they are descendants of the same parents. Superiority of one over
another in this vast "brotherhood does not depend on nationality, wealth
or rank but on one's piety, straightforwardness, sincerity and conscious
adherence to the command of Allaah Al Kareem in the Holy Quraan and the Sunnah
of the Holy Prophet ﷺ
Lessons & Wisdoms
The
conquest of Makaah has many untold wisdoms and lessons to learn, of them:
1) The
manner in which Hazrat Umm Habeebah [Radiyal Laahu Anhu] conducted herself with
Hazrat Abu Soofiyan, her father, is indicative of the Islamic concept of loving
and hating for the sake of God [Allaah Kareem]. Her father had been at war with
the Muslims for many years and stood for all that which opposed Islam. When he
visited her she invited him into the apartment but did not allow him to sit on
the cushion of the Prophet stating that it not befitting for an idol worshipper
to sit upon the cushion of the Prophet ﷺ.
2) The
story of the conversion of Abu Sufyan shows us the tremendous forgiving nature
of the Prophet. Instead of calling for his execution, as in accordance with the
rules of warfare, he invited him to Islam. Moreover, after he accepted Islam,
he enticed him into working for the Islamic call by granting him a position of
honor by singling out his house as a place for refuge. In this way the Prophet ﷺ took
into consideration his social status and used it in a positive manner.
3) The
manner in which the Prophet ﷺ
entered Makaah, his once beloved home town, shows us the perfect display of
humbleness- a balance between humility to Allaah Almighty and not belittling
oneself in front of the creation of God. He entered as a conqueror, mounted on
his camel with his head bowed, in gratitude to Allaah Ta’alaa. In this way the
Prophet ﷺ was
continually seeking to cultivate the spirituality of his followers, be it even
on a military campaign.
The fact
that the Prophet ﷺ chose to have Usamah Ibn Zaid, the son of
a freed slave and not of noble lineage, was symbolic display of the justice and
equality Islam would now bring to Makaah. It is said that the lowering of the
Prophet’s head was to show that the conquest was not intended to place the
Prophet ﷺ on a throne but rather raise the Command
of God above all else.
5) The
Prophet ﷺ had the heart of a true visionary leader.
He did not allow any for personal grudges to dictate his strategy and when he
entered Makaah, home to his bitterest enemies who had spared no effort in
trying to malign and abuse him, he did so whilst asking God [Allaah Almighty]
to forgive them and without desiring bloodshed- for the ultimate goal was to
guide mankind. Conquering Makaah in this way made the incident that much more
monumental and unique.
6) The
Prophet ﷺ took all the necessary means to overtake
the Quraiesh with meticulous precision and then he relied upon God [Allaah
Almighty] for a positive outcome. Though he was now in a position of strength
he did not fail in making supplications to God, beseeching His help and aid in
the campaign. This shows us that a Muslim should not become complacent with the
blessing of God [Allaah Kareem] and that having plenty should not make one less
reliant upon Allaah Kareem].
7) The
Prophet ﷺ delivered a speech of universal pardon
(with some exceptions), asking Hazrat Bilaal [Radiyal Laah Anhu] to pronounce
the Azaan and so he did by climbing on top of the Ka’baah. Such an act clearly
demonstrates that Muslims do not believe that the Ka’bah building to be an idol
that they prostrate to. Praying in its direction is a symbolic act of unity for
the Muslim nation epitomizing the essence of Islam- worshiping the One and only God.
The
exceptions to the pardon clearly show us the limits of mercy beyond which is
the realm of negligence and injustice.
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