Back to Homeland

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 Qais, his son.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.)5

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 kinds of men: a righteous
pious man who is honorable to Allah, and an impious wicked man 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.)7”8

The Prophet r asked, “O people of
Quraish, what do you think I am to do to you?”

They said, “All good, a noble brother and the son of a noble
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.”9

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 upon him and his
followers all kinds of injury and harm.

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.10

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.11