The Glorious Conquest:

Never before has there been in the history of mankind, nor will there ever be a decade ¹ so memorable, so glorious, so Divinely inspired, and so vividly ² immortalized ³ by mortals ⁴.

1. A Surprise Attack:

After Mu'tah, the Prophet stayed in Al-Madinah for three months, Jumadal Akhirah, Rajab and Sha'ban. During the month of Sha'ban he began to prepare for the attack on Makkah, since he had learnt that Quraysh had broken their pact with him by helping the tribe of Bakr, the allies of Quraysh, in their light against Khuza'ah, the allies of the Prophet.

One of the Khuza'ah tribe came to ask for the Prophet's help and the Prophet promised help, saying "May I not be helped if I do not help the sons of Ka'b (a clan of the Khuza'ah tribe)."

When Abu Sufyan learnt of Khuza'ah's envoy to the Prophet, he went to Al-Madinah to see the Prophet. He asked him for an extension of the pact between him and Quraysh, but the Prophet gave no ear to Abu Sufyan's entreaties. Then Abu Sufyan went to his daughter, Umm Habibah, the Prophet's wife, to ask her to talk to the Prophet about the extension of the pact. As he was about to sit on the Prophet's rug, she folded it up so that he could not sit on it. "Little daughter," Abu Sufyan said, "I hardly know if you think that rug is too good for me or that I am too good for the rug." "It is the Prophet's rug," she said, "And you are an idolater, a man unpurified." "By Allah," Sufyan answered, "Since you left me some evil has befallen you."

The first person to be told of the intended surprise attack against Quraysh was Abu Bakr, who was asked to be ready and to keep the plan to himself. But an Emigrant called Hatib did somehow know about the secret, and had sent a letter to Quraysh warning them of the Prophet's intention to attack them. He had given his letter to a woman who had hidden it in her hair. The Prophet learnt of this, and he sent `Ali and Zubayr after her and they forced her to give them the letter. They both went back and gave the letter to the Prophet who called Hatib and asked him what induced him to do that. He answered that he still believed in Allah and His Messenger, but did what he did for the sake of his son and family who were still in Makkah. Here `Umar was about to cut off Hatib's head as a hypocrite. But the Prophet said, "How do you know, `Umar, perhaps `Allah has looked favorably upon the people of Badr and said, "Do what you will, for I have forgiven you." Thus the Revelation came about Hatib:

"O you who have believed, do not take My enemy and your enemy as patrons so as to show them affection and they have shown disbelief in the Truth that has come to you and driven the Messenger and yourselves out of Makkah." (Al-Mumtahanah- 1).

2. Truth Has Come:

The army of ten thousand set out for Makkah on the tenth of Ramadan, with the Prophet and the Muslims fasting until they reached Al-Kudayd, where he broke his fast. But some Muslims broke their fast and the Prophet allowed others to keep their fast.

The arrival of the army at the vicinity of Makkah was kept a secret, until they reached Marr-'Aththhran. Before entering the city, the Prophet had divided the army at Thi Tuwa, with Al-Zubayr ommanding the left wing. Khalid was in command of the right wing and was to advance through the lower part, and the Prophet and his troops would enter Makkah through its upperside. When Qaswa' came to a halt, ⁵ the Prophet bowed his head until his beard almost touched the saddle, in gratitude to Allah. There was no fighting on that day, except when a small group of Quraysh attacked Khalid and his troops. Then a kirmish ⁶ took place, and two Muslims were killed, while Quraysh lost about thirty men.

When the Prophet entered his tent near the Mosque he prayed eight rak'at in thanksgiving. Then he entered the Mosque and performed the Lesser Pilgrimage by making the seven rounds of the House. Then the Prophet went towards the idols which surrounded Al-Ka'bah, pointing at them with his staff, repeating the verse:

"And say: Truth has come and falsehood has vanished. Surely falsehood is ever a vanisher." (Al-Isra'-81).

As he pointed at the 360 idols, one by one, each idol fell one after the other. Then he went to pray at the Station of Ibrahim; then to the well of Zam Zam where his uncle `Abbas gave him to drink. Then the Prophet entered the House, and ordered it to be locked behind him. With the Prophet inside the House were Usamah, Bilal, and `Uthman, who was the guardian of the House. The Prophet ordered that the paintings inside Al-Ka'bah should be effaced. ⁷ Then, the door was unlocked, and the Prophet addressed the gathering in these words: "Praise be to Allah, Who has fulfilled His promise and helped His servant and routed ⁸ the confederates, He alone." Then he asked the gathering: "What do you think I am about to do with you?" They nswered, "We say well, and we think well: an honorable brother, and the son of an honorable brother." To this the Prophet answered, "Go your way, for you are the freed ones."

Having commanded that all the idols should be burnt, the Prophet also ordered that everyone who had idols in his house must destroy them. In hundreds, the people came to pledge their obedience to the Prophet, who sat receiving every group at As-Safa, with `Umar below him imposing ⁹ conditions on the people who came to pay homage ¹⁰ to the Prophet, promising to hear and obey Allah and His Messenger to the best of their ability. Abu Bakr was at his father's house to bring his father, an old man, and his daughter to the Prophet to embrace Islam.

Among the women was Hind, the wife of Abi Sufyan. She was veiled, because she feard that the Prophet would punish her for what she had done to Hamzah at the Battle of Uhud. She said, "O Messenger of Allah, praise be to Him who has granted victory to the religion which I choose for myself." Then she unveiled her face and showed herself as "Hind, the daughter of `Utbah." To this the Prophet said, "Welcome."

3. Abu Sufyan: (The Noblest of Quraysh)

1 -At Uhud:

Abu Sufyan did not take part in the Battle of Badr; but he felt overjoyed with the victory of Quraysh at the Battle of Uhud, although at one point he was about to be killed by Hanthalah that day.

At the beginning of the Battle, Abu Sufyan sent a message to the Ansar in Al-Madinah telling them to leave him to deal with his cousin (the Prophet), for he had no need to fight the people of `Al-Madinah; but they gave a threatening answer.

After the battle, it was Abu Sufyan also who went to the top of the mountain and shouted out declaring Quraysh's victory, "Victory in war goes by turns. Today in exchange for that day (at Badr). Show your superiority, ¹¹ Hubal (their idol at Makkah)." The Prophet told `Umar to get up and answer Abu Sufyan and say, "Allah is Most High and Most Glorious. We are not equal. Our dead are in Paradise; your dead in Hell." Then Abu Sufyan called out to `Umar, "There are some mutilated bodies among your dead. By Allah it gives me no satisfaction, and no anger. I neither prohibited ¹²nor ordered mutilation."

In fact Abu Sufyan was about to have his share in mutilating the body of Hamzah. He struck the side of the mouth of Hamzah with the point of his spear, ¹³ saying, "Taste that, you rebel! ¹⁴" When a leader of one of his allies saw this, he said to his men, "Can this be the noblest of Quraysh who is doing what you see with the body of his dead cousin?" "Confound you," said Abu Sufyan, "Keep the matter quiet. A slip it was, no more."

2-At the Trench:

As the siege of Al-Madinah proved fruitless, Abu Sufyan thought of returning to Makkah. In fact he cried out, "Men of Quraysh! Our horses and camels are dying; the Banu Quraythah have failed us; and now we have suffered from the wind. Therefore be gone from this place, for I am going." As he was about to mount his camel, `Ikrimah (another leader of Quraysh) said to him, "You are the head of the people and their leader. Will you go away so hastily, and leave the men behind?" At this Abu Sufyan dismounted and waited until most of his men were already on the homemarch.

Abu Sufyan: "O, Muhammad, you have come with an assortment ¹⁵ of men - some known and some unknown - against your kindred."¹⁶

The Prophet: "It is you who are the aggressors. ¹⁷ You broke the pact of Hudaybiya, and helped with the attack on Banu Ka'b, thus sinfully violating ¹⁸ the sacred precinct of Allah and His Sanctuary."

Abu Sufyan: "Alas! Have you but turned your anger and your strategy ¹⁹ against the Hawazin, for they are further from you in kinship, and fiercer in enmity against you."

The Prophet: "I hope that my Lord will grant me all of that by victory over Makkah, by the triumph therein of Islam, and by the route of Hawazin and He will enrich me with their goods as plunder ²⁰ and their families as captives." (The next morning Abu Sufyan was taken again to the Prophet).

The Prophet: "Is it not time that you should testify that there is no god but Allah?"

Abu sufyan: "You are dearer to me than father and mother. How great is your clemency ²¹, honour, and mercy. By Allah, I thought that had there been another god with Allah he would have continued to help me."

The Prophet: "Woe ²² to you, Abu- Sufyan, is it not time that you testify that I am Allah's Messenger?"

Abu sufyan: "As to that, inside me there is still a scruple." ²³ (The Prophet tells his uncle, Al-'Abbas, to take Abu Sufyan again to his tent for the night. At dawn the next day, Al-'Abbas took Abu- Sufyan to the Mosque during prayer time. There he heard the call for prayer, and saw the Muslims crowding around the Prophet).

Abu Sufyan: "What are they (the Muslims) about?"

Al-'Abbas: "The Prayer."

Abu Sufyan: "And how often do they pray each day and night?"

Al-'Abbas: "The prayers are five times a day."

Abu Sufyan: "By Allah, it is too much!" (Abu Sufyan sees the Companions crowding to have some drops from the Prophet's ablution).

Abu Sufyan: "O Abul Fadl (Al-'Abbas), I have never seen such sovereignty ²⁴ as this!"

Al-'Abbas: "out upon you! Believe!"

Abu Sufyan: "Take me to him."

(After prayer, Al-Abbas took Abu Sufyan to the Prophet).

Abu Sufyan: "I now testify that you are the Prophet and Messenger of Allah."

Al-'Abbas (aside to the Prophet): "O Messenger of Allah, you well know the love of Abu Sufyan for honour and glory. Grant ²⁵ him therefore some favour."

The Prophet (to `Al-'Abbas): "I will."

The Prophet (going to Abu Sufyan): "Go to Quraysh and say to them, "Whosoever enters the house of Abu Sufyan shall be safe, and whosoever locks upon himself his door shall be safe, and whosoever enters the Mosque shall be safe."

(Abu- Sufyan goes with Al-'Abbas to see the Prophet's army entering Makkah. When he saw the squadrons ²⁶ of the Prophet passing, with only their eyes visible because of their armour, he was greatly impressed).

Abu Sufyan: "Allah is Greater. `Abbas, who are these?"

Al-'Abbas: "These are the Prophet amidst the Emigrants and the Ansar."

Abu sufyan: "None could stand them. By Allah, Abal-Fadl, the kingdom of your brother's son has become great."

Al-'Abbas: "It is prophethood, not kinship."

(Sa'd Ibn `Ubadah carrying the standard of the Prophet's squadron, passed by Abu Sufyan).

Sa'd (as he passed): "O Abu Sufyan, this is the day of slaughter! ²⁷ The day when the inviolable shall be violated! The day of Allah's abasement ²⁸ of Quraysh".

Abu Sufyan (at the top of his voice): "Messenger of Allah, have you commanded the slaying of your people. I adjure you by Allah on behalf of your people, for you are of all men the greatest of filial ²⁹ pity, the most merciful, the most clement." ³⁰

The Prophet: "This is the day of mercy, the day on which Allah has exalted ³¹ Quraysh."

(Abu Sufyan goes quickly to Makkah, stands outside his house, and shouts to those gathered round it).

Abu Sufyan: "O Quraysh, this is Muhammad who has come to you with a force you cannot resist. He who enters Abu Sufyan's house is safe."

Hind (Abu Sufyan's wife seizing ³² him by his moustaches): "Slay this greasy ³³ good-for-nothing bladder ³⁴ of a man. You miserable protector of a people!"

Abu Sufyan: "Woe to you! Let not this woman deceive ³⁵ you against your better judgement, for there has come to you that which you cannot resist. But whosoever enters the house of AbuSufyan shall be safe."

The Gathering: "God slay you! What good will your house be for all our numbers?"

Abu Sufyan: "And whosoever locks upon himself his door shall be safe, and whosoever enters the Mosque shall be safe." ³⁶ (The crowds disperse).