When the Idols Began to Fall Face Down

Finally, the Prophet of Mercy ﷺ said:

“‘Abbas! Take Abu Sufyan to your tent and bring him to me in the morning.”

In the morning, the call to prayer was made, and the people hurried toward the prayer.

“Abu al-Fadl! What is happening?”

Hazrat ‘Abbas رضي الله عنه told him:

“The people are going to pray.”

In fact, Hazrat Abu Sufyan رضي الله عنه had become worried because he thought that perhaps some order had been issued concerning him.

Then he saw the people collecting the water with which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed ablution.

Then he saw that when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ bowed in prayer, all the people bowed with him, and when he prostrated, they also prostrated.

After the prayer, he said to Hazrat ‘Abbas رضي الله عنه:

“O ‘Abbas! Whatever Muhammad ﷺ commands, the people immediately obey it.”

Hazrat ‘Abbas رضي الله عنه replied:

“Yes! If the Noble Messenger ﷺ were to tell the people to refrain from eating and drinking, they would obey that command as well.”

Upon this, Abu Sufyan said:

“I have never seen a king like him in my life. Neither Kisra is like this, nor Caesar—and nor the king of Banu Azfar.”

Hearing this, Hazrat ‘Abbas رضي الله عنه said:

“This is not kingship; this is prophethood.”

Then Hazrat ‘Abbas رضي الله عنه took him and came into the presence of the Noble Messenger ﷺ.

When the Prophet ﷺ saw Abu Sufyan, he said:

“Abu Sufyan! Alas! Has the time not yet come for you to testify that ‘There is no deity except Allah’?”

Abu Sufyan immediately said:

“I testify that there is no deity except Allah and that you are the Messenger of Allah.”

Along with him, Budayl ibn Warqa’ and Hakim ibn Hizam also accepted Islam.

These people had not returned. They had stopped somewhere and were waiting to see what would happen.

After this, Abu Sufyan رضي الله عنه requested:

“O Messenger of Allah! Please have an announcement of safety and protection made among the people.”

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Yes. Whoever restrains his hand (that is, does not take up a weapon) shall have safety. Whoever closes the door of his house shall have safety. Whoever enters your house shall also have safety. And whoever enters the house of Hakim ibn Hizam shall also have safety.”

At the same time, he gave a banner to Abu Rudayhah رضي الله عنه and said:

“Whoever comes under the banner of Abu Rudayhah shall also have safety.”

Then the Prophet ﷺ gave instructions concerning Abu Sufyan, Hakim ibn Hizam, and Budayl ibn Warqa’:

“Keep these three near the narrow part of the valley so that when the army of Allah passes by there, they can see it properly.”

Hazrat ‘Abbas رضي الله عنه did exactly that.

Thus, all the tribes passed before Hazrat Abu Sufyan رضي الله عنه.

Whichever tribe passed before him raised the slogan of Takbir three times.

Seeing this magnificent army, Abu Sufyan رضي الله عنه exclaimed:

“By Allah, O Abu al-Fadl! Today the kingdom of your nephew has become extraordinarily powerful.”

Hazrat ‘Abbas رضي الله عنه replied:

“This is not a kingdom or worldly government; rather, it is prophethood and messengership.”

Then, when the Noble Prophet ﷺ came near the people, Abu Sufyan رضي الله عنه called out loudly:

“O group of Quraysh! Muhammad ﷺ has reached above your heads with his magnificent army. Therefore, whoever enters my house shall have safety.”

Hearing this, Quraysh said:

“Will your house be large enough for all of us?”

Hazrat Abu Sufyan رضي الله عنه replied:

“Whoever closes the door of his house shall also have safety. Whoever enters Masjid al-Haram shall have safety. Whoever seeks refuge in the house of Hakim ibn Hizam shall have safety. And whoever lays down his weapons shall have safety.”

As soon as the people heard this, they began to run.

Wherever they could find a place of refuge, they entered it.

In this way, Makkah al-Mukarramah was conquered without a battle.

This is a unique event in human history: a defeated nation overcame its bitter enemies without bloodshed and did not take revenge.

Despite this general proclamation of amnesty, there were eleven men concerning whom the Noble Prophet ﷺ had ordered that they be killed, even if one of them were to hold on to the covering of the Kaaba.

Among them was ‘Abdullah ibn Abi Sarh.

He was the foster-brother of Hazrat ‘Uthman رضي الله عنه. He later accepted Islam, and therefore he was not killed.

Another was ‘Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl. He too later accepted Islam.

In short, most of these eleven people accepted Islam, and therefore they were spared.

On that day, some of the polytheists also decided to resist.

Among them were Safwan ibn Umayyah, ‘Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl, and Suhayl ibn ‘Amr.

They gathered with their companions at the place of Khindamah.

Khindamah is a mountain of Makkah al-Mukarramah.

The Noble Prophet ﷺ sent Hazrat Khalid ibn al-Walid رضي الله عنه against these people.

In this encounter, around twenty-eight polytheists were killed, while the rest fled.

Finally, the Noble Prophet ﷺ entered Makkah al-Mukarramah.

At that time, he was riding his she-camel, Qaswa’.

Hazrat Usamah ibn Zayd رضي الله عنه was seated behind him.

The Prophet ﷺ had wrapped one end of a Yemeni shawl around his head, and out of humility and humbleness, he had lowered his head onto the saddle.

At that time, he was saying:

“O Allah! Life and comfort are only in the Hereafter.”

The Noble Messenger ﷺ entered Makkah from the place of Kada’.

This place is on the upper side of Makkah.

Before entering Makkah, the Prophet ﷺ also performed a bath.

He stayed at the place of Shi‘b Abi Talib.

This was the very valley in which Quraysh had forced the Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims to remain for three years.

Those three years were years of immense suffering and hardship for the Muslims.

When the Noble Messenger ﷺ entered the city and his eyes fell upon the houses of Makkah, he praised and glorified Allah.

The Noble Messenger ﷺ entered Makkah on Monday.

When he had migrated from Makkah, that too had been a Monday.

Finally, the Prophet ﷺ entered the Haram.

Abu Bakr as-Siddiq رضي الله عنه was walking beside him, and the Prophet ﷺ was speaking with him.

Then the Prophet ﷺ entered the House of Allah and, while remaining seated on his camel, performed seven circuits of Tawaf around the Kaaba.

Hazrat Muhammad ibn Maslamah رضي الله عنه was holding the reins of the Prophet’s ﷺ camel.

During these circuits, the Prophet ﷺ made Istilam of the Black Stone with his blessed hand—that is, he gestured toward it as an indication of kissing it.

At that time, there were three hundred and sixty idols inside the Kaaba.

Each tribe of Arabia had its own idol.

The Noble Messenger ﷺ had a stick in his blessed hand, with which he struck each idol as he passed by.

The idols kept falling face down.

At that time, the Prophet ﷺ was reciting verse 81 of Surah Bani Isra’il.

Its translation is:

“Truth has come, and falsehood has vanished. Indeed, falsehood is bound to perish.”

During the Tawaf, the Noble Messenger ﷺ reached the idol Hubal.

Quraysh took great pride in this idol and worshipped it with great pride.

It was one of the greatest idols of Quraysh.

The Prophet ﷺ struck the idol over its eyes with the stick.

Then, upon the command of the Prophet ﷺ, the idol was broken into pieces.

At that time, Hazrat Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwam رضي الله عنه said to Hazrat Abu Sufyan رضي الله عنه:

“O Abu Sufyan! Hubal has been destroyed. You used to take pride in it.”

Hearing this, Hazrat Abu Sufyan رضي الله عنه said:

“O Ibn al-‘Awwam! What benefit is there in talking about such things now?”

Then the Noble Messenger ﷺ reached Maqam Ibrahim.

At that time, this station was attached to the Kaaba.

After this, the Noble Messenger ﷺ said to Hazrat ‘Ali رضي الله عنه:

“Stand upon my shoulders, climb onto the roof of the Kaaba, and strike the idol of Banu Khuza‘ah that is on the roof.”

Hazrat ‘Ali رضي الله عنه obeyed the command. He climbed onto the roof and struck the idol.

It had been installed with iron rods.

Eventually, it was uprooted.

Hazrat ‘Ali رضي الله عنه picked it up and threw it down.

Now the Noble Messenger ﷺ ordered:

“Bilal! Bring the keys of the Kaaba from ‘Uthman ibn Abi Talhah.”