In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Treasures of the Seerah.
The Entry into Makkah.
On the morning of the seventeenth of Ramadan,
the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) set out toward Makkah.
He commanded al-'Abbas to detain Abu Sufyan at the narrow pass of the valley,
so that he could watch the army as it marched by.
So he did so,
and the tribes began to pass by,
each tribe carrying its banner.
Every time a tribe passed by him,
Abu Sufyan would ask, "O 'Abbas, who are these?"
He would answer, "Sulaym."
Abu Sufyan would say,
"What do I have to do with Sulaym?"
Then another tribe would pass by him,
and he would ask, "O 'Abbas, who are these?"
He would reply, "Muzaynah."
He would say, "What do I have to do with Muzaynah?"
This continued until all the tribes had passed.
Not a single tribe passed by without him asking al-'Abbas about them,
and whenever al-'Abbas informed him, he would say,
"What do I have to do with the tribe of so-and-so?
We have no power to fight all these people."
This went on until the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) passed by him in his green squadron,
comprising the Emigrants and the Ansar,
with nothing visible of them except their eyes behind their iron armor.
Abu Sufyan said,
"Glory be to Allah, O 'Abbas!
Who are these?"
He replied,
"This is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)
along with the Emigrants and the Ansar."
Abu Sufyan said,
"No one has the power or capacity to withstand these people."
Then he said,
"By Allah, O Abu al-Fadl,
the kingdom of your nephew has become grand today!"
Al-'Abbas said,
"O Abu Sufyan!
Indeed, it is prophethood."
He replied,
"Then yes, indeed,
it is prophethood."
The banner of the Ansar was with Sa'd ibn 'Ubadah (may Allah be pleased with him).
As Sa'd passed by Abu Sufyan, he said to him,
"Today is the day of fierce battle!
Today the sacred sanctuary is made permissible!
Today Allah has humiliated Quraysh!"
So when the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) came parallel to Abu Sufyan,
Abu Sufyan said to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
"O Messenger of Allah,
did you not hear what Sa'd said?"
He asked,
"And what did he say?"
He replied,
"He said such and such."
Whereupon 'Uthman and 'Abd al-Rahman ibn 'Awf said,
"O Messenger of Allah,
we do not feel safe from him launching an assault against Quraysh."
But the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,
"No, rather today is a day in which the Ka'bah will be venerated.
Today is a day in which Allah has honored Quraysh."
Then he sent word to Sa'd,
took the standard away from him,
and handed it to his son, Qays.
It was also said
that the standard was not taken away from Sa'd's house;
and it was said
that it was handed to al-Zubayr.
And Allah knows best.
Then Abu Sufyan entered Makkah
and called out to Quraysh,
"A force has come upon you against which you have no power!
So whoever enters the house of Abu Sufyan shall be safe!"
They said,
"May Allah ruin you!
What good is your house to us?"
He said,
"And whoever locks his door behind him shall be safe,
and whoever enters the Sacred Mosque shall be safe."
So the people dispersed into their homes and into the Sacred Mosque,
and the Mother of the Cities (Makkah) lay awake,
its movements paralyzed by terror.
Men hid behind locked doors,
anxiously awaiting their fate in silent dread.
Yet all honor belongs to Allah, His Messenger, and the believers.
Treasures of the Seerah.
The Day of al-Khandamah.
A group of men marched out intending to fight in defense,
among them 'Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl,
Safwan ibn Umayyah,
Suhayl ibn 'Amr,
and Himas ibn Qays,
along with others who accompanied them.
They gathered at a place called al-Khandamah.
Himas ibn Qays had been preparing a weapon of his,
so his wife asked him,
"Why are you preparing this weapon?"
He said,
"For Muhammad and his companions."
She said,
"By Allah, nothing can stand against Muhammad and his companions."
He replied,
"By Allah, I hope to capture some of them to serve you."
Then he recited:
"If they advance today, I have no excuse;
here is complete armor and a long spear,
and a sharp double-edged sword quick to unsheathe!"
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) entered Makkah,
having placed Khalid ibn al-Walid in command of the right flank,
joined by Aslam, Sulaym,
Ghifar, Muzaynah, Juhaynah,
and various other Arab tribes.
He commanded him to enter Makkah from its lower elevated side,
saying,
"If anyone from Quraysh confronts you,
mow them down completely,
until you meet me at al-Safa."
Al-Zubayr was in command of the left flank,
carrying the banner of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
The battle cry of the Muslims was divided into three:
As for the Emigrants,
their battle cry was:
"O Banu 'Abd al-Rahman!"
As for the Aws,
their battle cry was:
"O Banu 'Ubayd Allah!"
And as for the Khazraj,
their battle cry was:
"O Banu 'Abd Allah!"
The army entered,
encountering no resistance whatsoever as they entered Makkah.
As for Khalid and his companions,
no polytheist met them except that they struck him down.
Among those killed alongside Khalid's force were
Kurz ibn Jabir
and Khunays ibn Khalid,
who had strayed from the main army.
Khalid then encountered the men of al-Khandamah:
'Ikrimah, Safwan,
Suhayl, Himas, and others.
They engaged them in a brief skirmish,
killing twelve men from among the polytheists,
while the rest fled in defeat.
Himas ibn Qays also fled in defeat,
rushed into his house, and said to his wife,
"Lock the door!"
She mockingly said,
"Where is what you used to say:
'If they advance today, I have no excuse;
here is complete armor and a long spear,
and a sharp double-edged sword quick to unsheathe'?"
He replied in verse:
"Had you witnessed the Day of al-Khandamah,
when Safwan fled and 'Ikrimah fled,
and the Muslim swords confronted us,
severing every forearm and skull,
striking down so that nothing was heard but muffled groans,
while behind us was their snorting and roaring—
you would not have uttered a single word of blame!"
Khalid then advanced
until he reached al-Safa and met the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).
As for al-Zubayr,
he pressed forward until he planted the banner of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) near the Sacred Mosque.
Treasures of the Seerah.
His Entry (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) into the Sacred Mosque.
Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood up,
with the Emigrants and the Ansar before him, behind him, and all around him,
and entered the Sacred Mosque.
He approached the Black Stone and touched it,
then performed Tawaf around the House while holding a bow in his hand.
Around the House were three hundred and sixty idols,
so he began poking them with his bow while reciting:
“And say: Truth hath come and falsehood hath vanished away. Lo! falsehood is ever bound to vanish.” (17:81)
“And say: Truth hath come and falsehood hath vanished away. Lo! falsehood is ever bound to vanish.” (17:81)
“Say: The Truth hath come, and falsehood showeth not its face and will not return.” (34:49)
These had been, just a short while ago, sacred deities—
worshipped, invoked, and sought for rescue—
but now they were mere plaster and dust,
just as the Prophet of Allah, Abraham (peace be upon him), had said to his people.
“He said: Do they hear you when ye cry?” (26:72)
“Or do they benefit or harm you?” (26:73)
Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) entered the Sacred House of Allah;
he stepped inside the Ka'bah,
prayed there, declared Allah's greatness throughout its corners,
and affirmed the absolute oneness of Allah, the Glorified and Exalted.
Inside the Ka'bah, he saw depictions of Abraham and Ishmael casting arrows for divination,
just as the people of the Pre-Islamic Era of Ignorance used to do.
He said, "May Allah ruin them!
By Allah, they never practiced divination with arrows at all!"
He then ordered that the images be erased.
He did not pray inside the House until they were completely erased;
once they were erased,
he prayed two rak'ahs inside the House.
In this lies proof for the disliking of performing prayer in a place containing images.
Then he (peace be upon him) sat down in the mosque,
whereupon 'Ali ibn Abi Talib came to him holding the key to the Ka'bah.
He said to him, "O Messenger of Allah,
grant us the custodianship of the Ka'bah along with the provision of water to pilgrims, may Allah's blessings be upon you!"
The keys had previously been kept by 'Uthman ibn Talhah, from Banu Shaybah.
So the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) asked,
"Where is 'Uthman ibn Talhah?"
So he was summoned to him,
and he said to him,
"Here is your key, O Uthman!
Today is a day of righteousness and loyalty."
Then he gave him the key
and said to him,
"Take it as an everlasting, inherited custody;
none shall strip it from you save a transgressor."
Thus, the keys to the Ka'bah remained with Banu Shaybah.
Ibn Hazm (may Allah have mercy on him) stated
that it remains today in his lineage;
and the statement of Ibn Hazm
was in the year 456 AH,
while today, in our time,
the year 1426 AH,
the key still remains with Banu Shaybah.
It is noted in the footnote
that today we are in the year 1437 AH.
And it was said
that the people of Makkah came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
and he said to them,
"O tribe of Quraysh,
what do you think I am going to do with you?"
They replied, "Goodness!
A noble brother and the son of a noble brother."
He said,
"Then I say to you as Joseph said to his brothers:
“He said: Have no fear this day! May Allah forgive you, and He is the Most Merciful of those who show mercy.” (12:92)
'Go, for you are the free ones.'"
However, this narration is weak; its chain of transmission is not authentic.
Nevertheless, it is established that he pardoned them (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).
Then, when the time for prayer arrived,
the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) commanded
and instructed Bilal to ascend and call the adhan atop the Ka'bah.
Abu Sufyan ibn Harb,
'Attab ibn Asid,
and Al-Harith ibn Hisham were sitting in the courtyard of the Ka'bah.
'Attab said,
"Allah honored Asid by not letting him live to hear this,"
meaning: my father died without hearing the adhan,
so he was spared from hearing that which would enrage him.
Al-Harith said,
"If I knew it were the truth, I would have followed him."
Abu Sufyan said,
"As for me, by Allah, I shall say nothing!
For if I spoke,
these pebbles would inform upon me."
Then the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came out to them and said,
"I have come to know what you said,"
and he repeated it back to them.
Now, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) did not know the unseen,
but rather it was divine revelation from Allah, Blessed and Exalted.
Al-Harith and 'Attab said,
“When the hypocrites come unto thee (O Muhammad), they say: We bear witness that thou art indeed Allah's messenger. And Allah knoweth that thou art indeed His messenger, and Allah beareth witness that the hypocrites indeed are speaking falsely.” (63:1)
"By Allah, no one was with us who could have disclosed this,
such that we might say they informed you!"
Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered
the home of Umm Hani,
the sister of 'Ali ibn Abi Talib,
where he performed ghusl and prayed eight rak'ahs in her house.
Some scholars said:
This is the Sunnah of Conquest,
which certain commanders adopted as a Sunnah whenever they conquered a land;
while others said:
It was the Duha (forenoon) prayer.
Umm Hani said to the Messenger of Allah,
"The son of my mother, 'Ali, claims
that he will kill a man to whom I have granted protection—
so-and-so, the son of Hubayrah."
The Messenger of Allah replied,
"We give protection to whomever you protect, O Umm Hani."
In another narration,
she said,
"I had granted protection to two of my in-laws,
but 'Ali intended to kill them."
When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered the Mosque,
Abu Bakr came leading his father,
who was blind.
When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) saw him, he said,
"Why did you not leave the old man in his house,
so that I could go to him myself?"
Abu Bakr replied,
"He is more deserving of walking to you
than you walking to him."
So he seated him, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wiped over his chest
and said,
"Embrace Islam, and you will be safe."
So he embraced Islam.
Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said,
"Change this grey hair,
but avoid black."
And this family—
the family of Abu Bakr—
the grandfather embraced Islam,
namely Abu Quhafah,
the father of Abu Bakr,
making him a Companion;
Abu Bakr was a Companion;
'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr was a Companion;
and Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Bakr
was also a Companion.
This is the only family containing four consecutive generations who were all Companions.
A similar distinction applies to four others,
namely 'Abdullah ibn al-Zubayr,
who was a Companion;
his mother Asma',
a female Companion;
his grandfather Abu Bakr, a Companion;
and his mother's grandfather—who is the father of Abu Bakr al-Siddiq—
likewise a Companion.
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) entered Makkah
and declared nine individuals outlawed,
as they were among the most egregious criminals,
ordering their execution
even if they were found clinging to the drapes of the Ka'bah.
They were: 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Khatal,
'Abdullah ibn Abi Sarh,
'Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl,
Al-Harith ibn Nufayl ibn Wahb,
Miqyas ibn Subabah,
Habbar ibn al-Aswad,
two singing slave-girls who used to sing lampoons satirizing the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
and Sarah,
a freedwoman belonging to some of Banu 'Abd al-Muttalib,
with whom the letter sent by Hatib ibn Abi Balta'ah was intercepted.
As for Ibn Abi Sarh,
he came to 'Uthman seeking his protection,
so 'Uthman brought him to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and interceded for him,
and the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) accepted his intercession.
As for 'Abd al-'Uzza ibn Khatal,
he was found clinging to the drapes of the Ka'bah,
so he was brought to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
who ordered his execution.
As for Miqyas ibn Subabah,
he was likewise executed;
Numaylah ibn 'Abdullah killed him.
Miqyas had previously accepted Islam,
but later apostatized,
murdered a man from the Ansar,
and fled to join the polytheists.
As for Al-Harith ibn Nufayl ibn Wahb,
he was severe in harming the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in Makkah,
so 'Ali ibn Abi Talib executed him.
As for Habbar ibn al-Aswad,
who had harmed Zaynab, the daughter of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
he fled along with 'Ikrimah,
but later embraced Islam.
As for the two singing slave-girls,
one of them was executed,
while the other sought quarter and subsequently embraced Islam.
As for Sarah,
it was said that she embraced Islam, and it was also said that she was executed.