Conquest of Makkah

Introduction
Islam, one of the growing religions in the current times, was bestowed by Allah
to Holy Prophet(pbuh) more than 1400 years ago. The life of the Holy
Prophet(pbuh) is the ultimate guide. On the 20th of Ramadan in the year 8 AH
(after Hijrah), the Prophet Muhammad (saw) led an army of 10,000 believers in
a free-of-blood conquest of Makkah. The fact that Allah selected this
wonderful month to commemorate such a great occurrence as the Conquest of
Makkah is not insignificant. This event, which occurred on the 17th of
Ramadan, was a crucial turning point in Islamic history, much like the Battle of
Badr. Therefore, these events were divinely appointed for this significant
month. During this time in history, it is easy to see the Prophet and his
companions' good faith and sincerity about every provision of the Hudaybiyah
Peace Pact that they signed with the Quraysh.

Findings
The treat of Hudiabyah marked the cause of this conquest. This peaceful
conquest was the highlight of that year as Muslims had been struggling to keep
up with the peace with the people of Makkah. ‘It is my sincere hope that
Makkah would be captured without any bloodshed’ the Prophet stated to the
army leaders before the armies of Islam arrived at the main roadways in
Makkah. ‘Therefore, it is best to refrain from killing civilians’ Except for the
army led by Khalid bin Walid, all of the units reached the city without engaging
in battle, and the city's gates had been opened for them. The Prophet, who
was aware of the cause of the dispute, said: "Allah's Will is above everything"
as he watched the unit of Khalid's swords flash from a location known as
Azakhir. Soon after, Makkah was peacefully conquered. The mosque's
premises and the vicinity were completely silent. The participants were
contemplating various things while holding their breath. The Makkans were
reminded of the brutality, oppression, and injustice they had committed at this
hour, and several other ideas crossed their heads.
As the Makkans wondered about their fates, they asked the Prophet(PBUH)
what would he do with them. And the Prophet(pbuh) responded by saying "I
too say to you the same thing, which my brother Yusuf said to his unkind
brothers i.e., "Have no fear this day! May Allah forgive you, and He is the
Most Merciful of the merciful" The prophet soon addressed the people and
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declared his forgiveness despite all their crimes and wrongful doings. “I
forgive all of you and make you free and declare that you may go after the
pursuits of your life." The conquest of Makkah also shows how Prophet(pbuh)
established justice when he handed over the key to the Kaabah to Hazrat
Usman bin Talha as it rightfully belonged to their family. In his statement,
which he delivered in front of Banu Hashim and Quraish he denounced all
forms of prejudice and emphasized the importance of justice and equality for
people of all social strata, saying: "O Children of Hashim and Muttalib! As
Allah's Messenger, I have been sent to you, and the bonds of love and goodwill
that bind us together are likewise unbreakable. You should all be aware that I
only associate with upright and religious people however I and you shall be
held accountable for our separate activities on the Day of Judgment.
Holy Prophet(pbuh) wanted people to understand the concept of superiority
because of piety, not due to society’s unjust classes. "Arabs do not have any
superiority over non-Arabs, and red people are not superior to black people.
All people have always been equal and are equal now, like the teeth of a
comb. Piety is the standard for superiority” By such a statement he nullified all
sorts of imaginary standards and this was the basis of the Charter of Human
rights. The Prophet(pbuh) declared in his speech that every Muslim is a brother
to another Muslim. Tranquillity and justice were maintained. According to
Muhammad(PBUH) “He who seeks refuge in Abu Sufyan's house is safe;
whosoever confines himself to his house, the residents shall be in safety; and
he who enters the Sacred Mosque is safe."

Analysis
One of the most important lessons that this event teaches Muslims is the
power of forgiveness. Despite decades of persecution and violence by the
people of Makkah, the Holy Prophet(pbuh) set a huge example by stating that
even the ones who take refuge in Abu Sufyan’s house are safe. This states that
the biggest enemy of Islam was forgiven based on humanity. This act further
established the peace between various tribes and paved the way for the
success of Islam in the Arabian Peninsula. The very first thing that the
Prophet(pbuh) declares before the conquest of Makkah is that he wanted no
bloodshed, this declares the charter of peace and how every life created by
Allah belongs to him. For the non-believers, such example denotes that good
deeds belong to every religion and every human being must be responsible for
one another.

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The value of patience is one of the key lessons learnt from this historic event.
This teaches humans on how to reach your ultimate goal requires a lot of
patience and perseverance. In this matter, the Prophet(pbuh) when declares
that there’s no such thing as class systems or superiority or inferiority. This
indicates the need for equal rights for all humans in spite of their race, caste,
ethnicity and gender. He further adds to this when he divides them into two
groups and the group that consisted of the pious people is the most liked by
Allah himself. This example shows how the righteous ones are most valuable.
Another instance where the people fear for their fate ask the prophet and he
replies with the indication of peace and harmony. Such a reference proves that
no matter how the situation is, a noble message can clear all negativity. The
message of the Holy Prophet(pbuh) transcends all mankind and it is solely the
basis of the Charter of Human Rights. This auspicious event marks forgiveness
and justice for all. Most importantly, this shows the importance protection of
human rights. Protection of human rights has been the sole reason for the
incident and shows the real face of Islam. With example of Jihad, Islam has
been widely misinterpreted by the world but this event shows how the Islam
has always laid the foundation of peace and first Charter of Human Rights.

Conclusion
More than 1400 years ago, Islam has laid out its basis on peace and justice. The
religion that solely depends on peace had provided the Muslims with various
events that supports this ideology. The conquest of Makkah is a testament to
the power of faith and the role it can play in shaping history. The protection of
every human being is essential for any nation to prosper. The Conquest of
Makkah is the perfect portrayal of peace and equality. In conclusion, the
capture of Makkah was a significant milestone in Islamic history that provides
several insightful lessons for people today. There are numerous lessons we
may learn from this incident, including the value of faith, diplomacy, setting an
appropriate tone, compassion, and tolerance. Forgiveness, unity, and patience
are just a few of the lessons that come to mind. These teachings can help us
develop more cordial and peaceful interpersonal interactions. They are not just
applicable to Islamic history but also to the world of humanity. In the end, the
conquest of Makkah reminds us that even during conflict, there is always a
route to peace and forgiveness if we are prepared to strive towards it with
kindness, understanding, and a dedication to justice.

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Recommendation
This event is an example for the current scenarios of the world. Such even
should be kept in mind as even the Muslim countries have major conflicts.
Leaders nowadays, should learn from this example and from the personality of
Holy Prophet(pbuh) and how leaders should set such examples during war
time. Every war must not lead to bloodshed and can be solved with peaceful
talks. The Conquest of Makkah should be a lesson for the leaders to deal with
equality and care for every human being in the community. Muslims come
from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities, but they are united by
their faith in Islam. This event showed be highlighted more to show the real
face of Islam as the current portrayal of Islam shows the misinterpreted jihadi
concept.

Citations
https://muslimhands.org.uk/latest/2023/04/summary-and-importance-of-
conquest-of-makkah
https://www.al-islam.org/message-jafar-subhani/chapter-48-conquest-
makkah
https://www.islamicfinder.org/knowledge/islam-and-sunnah/conquest-of-
makkah/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conquest_of_Mecca#:~:text=The%20Conques
t%20of%20Mecca%20(Arabic,Muhammad%20and%20the%20Quraysh%20tri
be.

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