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The Conquest of Makkah

Anonymous

category: History & Biographies

source: Seerah.net

reads: 24022

... continued from Page 4

“By Allah,” replied Hind. “Slander is vile and shameful. It is better sometimes to ignore it.”

Finally, the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said to her, “And you shall not disobey me.”

“Yes,” acknowledged Hind, but she added, “In matters virtuous.” (Ibn Kathir, Vol. III, pp. 602-3)

INSEPARABLE FROM COMPANIONS

Allah had opened the gates of Makkah to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam). It was the city of his birth as well as his ancestral home. Some of the Ansaars prodded one another that since Allah had given power to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) over his homeland and the city, he might now remain there instead of going back to Madeenah.

After a short while, the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) asked them what they were talking about. But nobody would squeal about their conversation. At first they would not tell, but ultimately they expressed regret and told him about the talk. Thereupon the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said to them, “Allah forbid, I will live and die with you.”

SINNER TURNS INTO SAINT

Fadala b. ‘Umayr wanted to kill the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam). He skipped his plan to attack the Prophet when he would be busy in circumambulating the K’abah. When he drew near, the Prophet called out, “Fadala” to call his attention. He replied, “Yes, O Prophet of Allah.” The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) then asked him, “What are you thinking about?” “Nothing”, replied Fadala, “I was recollecting Allah.” The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) smiled and said, “Seek forgiveness from Allah,” and at the same time he put his hand on Fadala’s chest. His heart was at once set at ease and, as Fadala related later on, “The Prophet had not yet removed his hand from my chest that I found him dearer to my heart than every creature of Allah.”

Fadala further says, “Then I went back to my house and passed by a woman with whom I used to converse. She asked me to sit down and talk with her, but I replied, “No, Allah and Islam do not permit it now.”(55)

ALL TRACES OF PAGANISM ABOLISHED

The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) sent a few parties to destroy the idols installed in the city of Makkah and around it in the valley. Al of them, including those of Al-Lat and Al-Uzza and Manat-uth-Thalathatal Ukhra were broken into pieces. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) then sent a harbinger of news to announce that every man who had faith in Allah and the hereafter should destroy his household idol. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) also delegated some of his companions to the different tribes in the vicinity of Makkah to destroy the idols with them.

Jarir relates that a temple known as Dhul-Khulasah existed during the time when paganism prevailed in Arabia. Similarly, there were two more temples, one of these was al-K’abat-al-Yamaniyah and the other was al-K’abat-as-Shamiyah. The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) said to Jarir, “Why do you not give me rest with Dhul-Khulasah?” Jarir promised and went with a hundred fifty resolute horsemen of Ahmas (56) and broke up the temple as well as killed those who were present in it. When Jarir returned and gave the report to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), he prayed for the Ahmas.(57)

Thereafter the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) assembled the Muslims and announced that Allah has made Makkah a sacred territory forever. He said: “It is not lawful for anyone who believes in Allah and the hereafter to shed blood in the city or to cut down a tree. It was not permitted to anyone before me nor shall it be permitted to anyone after me.” The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) returned to Medina. (Zad al-Ma'ad, Vol. Vol. pp. 425-26)

IMPACT OF MECCA’S CONQUEST

The conquest 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 Madeenah 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 (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam), 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 let the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) 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 (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) 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 Madeenah, from every clan and tribe, to pay their respects to the Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) and to accept Islam directly from him. It was then that Allah revealed Surah an-Nasr, (Meaning Succour) which said: “When Allah’s succor and the triumph cometh and thou seest mankind entering the religion of Allah in troops.” [Qur'an 110:1-2]

THE YOUTHFUL ADMINISTRATOR

The Prophet (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) appointed ‘Attab b.Usayd to look after the arrangements of the pilgrimage and other affairs of Makkah before leaving the city. (Ibn Hisham, Vol. II, p. 440) ‘Attab was then only twenty years of age. There were several other persons in Mecca, more experienced as well as prominent than ‘Attab, but his selection by the Prophet of Allah (sallallahu `alayhi wa sallam) showed that he entrusted responsibility to a person solely on the basis of his merit and capability. ‘Attab continued to hold such position throughout the period of Abu Bakr’s Caliphate. (Al Isabah and Usad-al-Ghaba)

Footnotes

[39] Zirrqari relates in the Sharh al-Ladunniyah (Vol. II, p. 349), on the authority of Ibn ‘Ayidh that the man sent by the Prophwas Damra and Qartah b. ‘Amr had given the reply on behalf of the Quraysh.

[40] A place between Mecca and Medina.

[41] Hatib b. Abi Balta’a belonged to the tribe of Lakhm settled in northern Hijaz and Syria. It is related by some that he was a confederate of Bani Asad b. ‘Abdul ul-‘Uzza in Mecca; others hold him to be under the protection of Zubayr; there are still others who say that he was a freedman of ‘Abdallah b. Hamid al-Asadi (Al-Isabah fi Tamiz is-Sahabah, Vol. p. 300). It is also related that he was deputed to convey the letter of the Apostle to Muquaqis, the ruler of Egypt. Marzbani lists him in the M’ujam-us-Shu’ara among the noted poets and cavaliers of the Quraysh. He died, according to Madani, in 30 A.H. during the caliphateship of ‘Uthman.

[42] Note to be confused with Abu Sufyan, the Qurayshite Chief, who was the son of Umayyah.

[43] Ibn Hisham, Vol. I, p. 404; Zad al-Ma’ad, Vol. I, p. 423.

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