Table of Contents
A Turning Point in the Prophetic Mission
The Conquest of Mecca was the decisive moment when Allah completed the dominance of Islam over idolatry in the Arabian Peninsula. It occurred in the eighth year after the Hijrah and marked the return of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to his birthplace, not in arrogance or revenge, but in mercy, humility, and justice. This event is closely tied to the perfection and completion of the religion as a practical reality, although the formal declaration of completion came later in the Farewell Pilgrimage.
Mecca had been the center of opposition to the Prophet ﷺ for many years. Its conquest showed how Allah brings victory after patience, how He honors His Messenger, and how He opens hearts to guidance even among former enemies.
“When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest, and you see the people entering into the religion of Allah in crowds, then glorify the praises of your Lord and seek His forgiveness. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance.”
(Qur’an 110:1–3)
This surah, which the scholars understood as indicating the nearness of the end of the Prophet’s life, also reflects the reality of what happened at the Conquest of Mecca. It was not only a military victory, but also a spiritual one, because people entered Islam in large numbers and idolatry was removed from the House of Allah.
The Conquest of Mecca showed that true victory in Islam is victory of tawḥīd, mercy, and forgiveness, not worldly power for its own sake.
From Truce to March: The Path to Conquest
The Conquest did not come out of nowhere. Two important elements prepared the way. The first was the Treaty of Ḥudaybiyyah, which you will encounter in more detail in other chapters. It created a peace between the Prophet ﷺ and the Quraysh for a fixed period and allowed Muslims to interact broadly with the tribes of Arabia. The second was the clear violation of that treaty by allies of Quraysh.
Part of the agreement of Ḥudaybiyyah was that both sides could ally with other tribes. Banū Bakr allied with Quraysh, while Banū Khuzaʿah allied with the Prophet ﷺ. When members of Banū Bakr attacked Banū Khuzaʿah and Quraysh supported them secretly with weapons and men, the treaty was effectively broken. Banū Khuzaʿah then turned to the Prophet ﷺ in Madinah, reciting poetry and asking for his support as their ally.
This opened the door by the decree of Allah for the Prophet ﷺ to march towards Mecca, not simply to take a city, but to restore the Kaʿbah and the Sacred Mosque to pure worship of Allah alone. The Qur’an had already spoken of the rights of the believers regarding the Sacred Mosque after being prevented from it, and clarified that the Sacred Mosque ultimately belongs to those who have taqwā.
“They are the ones who disbelieved and obstructed you from al-Masjid al-Ḥarām and prevented the offering from reaching its place of sacrifice. And were it not for believing men and believing women whom you did not know, that you might trample them… And if they had been apart, We would have certainly punished those who disbelieved among them with a painful punishment.”
(Qur’an 48:25)
This verse, revealed about earlier events tied to Ḥudaybiyyah and the Sacred Mosque, shows that the command of Allah takes into account both justice and mercy. The Conquest of Mecca would also display this balance with great clarity.
The March of Ten Thousand
When the Prophet ﷺ prepared to move toward Mecca, Allah had already expanded the Muslim community and strengthened it. Around ten thousand companions set out with him. This number itself was a sign of the spread of Islam after years of patience and struggle.
The Prophet ﷺ kept his movement towards Mecca concealed in order to avoid unnecessary bloodshed and to reach the city with the least possible resistance. His goal was not destruction, but to remove the barriers between the people and the worship of Allah.
Along the way, incidents occurred that show the mercy of the Prophet ﷺ even toward those who had harmed him. Among these was the matter of his uncle al-ʿAbbās, who had embraced Islam but had remained in Mecca for a period. When the Muslim army camped near Mecca and lit many fires on the hills, Quraysh was struck with fear. Al-ʿAbbās went out and brought to the Prophet ﷺ one of his greatest former enemies, Abū Sufyān ibn Ḥarb, so that he might be guided and so that bloodshed could be reduced.
The Prophet ﷺ invited Abū Sufyān to accept Islam, and Allah opened his heart at that critical moment. This acceptance would help calm the Meccans and ease the entrance of the Muslims into the city. It was another sign that hearts are in the hand of Allah, and that He guides whom He wills.
“Indeed, [O Muḥammad] you do not guide whom you love, but Allah guides whom He wills. And He is most knowing of the [rightly] guided.”
(Qur’an 28:56)
Entering Mecca in Humility
When the Prophet ﷺ entered Mecca, he did not enter as a proud conqueror. He entered with his head bowed down in humility to Allah, thankful for His favor. The authentic narrations mention that his blessed head was lowered so much that his forehead almost touched the front part of his saddle. Such an entrance teaches that victory is from Allah and must not lead to arrogance.
“And Allah already gave you victory in many regions and on the day of Ḥunayn, when your great number pleased you, but it did not avail you at all…”
(Qur’an 9:25)
This verse, though revealed about another battle, explains a principle that clearly applies. Numbers, power, and outward success do not give victory by themselves. What matters is reliance upon Allah, humility before Him, and obedience to His Messenger.
The Prophet’s army entered Mecca from different directions, under firm instructions to avoid fighting except where directly attacked. Only a very small number of clashes occurred. Mecca was taken with minimal bloodshed compared to what might have happened by normal worldly standards.
This was an immense blessing, because the city held the Kaʿbah and the Haram, and many of its people were to become Muslims soon after. The Conquest was therefore both a political turning point and a merciful opening for guidance.
“Today There Is No Blame on You”
One of the most powerful scenes in the Conquest of Mecca was when the Prophet ﷺ gathered the people of Quraysh near the Kaʿbah. These were the same people who had mocked him, persecuted his followers, driven him out from his homeland, and fought against him in multiple battles. They now stood before him powerless.
He addressed them and asked what they thought he would do with them. They replied with words recognizing his noble character, that he was a generous and noble brother and the son of a noble brother. The Prophet ﷺ then said words that echo the speech of Prophet Yūsuf عليه السلام to his brothers, who had wronged him in the past.
“He said, ‘There is no blame upon you today. Allah will forgive you, and He is the most merciful of the merciful.’”
(Qur’an 12:92)
The Prophet ﷺ applied this Qur’anic manner in reality. It is authentically narrated that he told the Meccans on that day, “Go, for you are free.” This general amnesty was unprecedented. Instead of revenge and punishment, he chose forgiveness and an opportunity for a new beginning.
This mercy was not weakness. It was strength in perfect submission to Allah, who says:
“The recompense of an evil is an evil like it, but whoever pardons and makes reconciliation, his reward is with Allah. Indeed He does not love the wrongdoers.”
(Qur’an 42:40)
Although the Prophet ﷺ had complete power over his former enemies in Mecca, he pardoned the vast majority and granted them safety, following the example of Yūsuf عليه السلام and seeking the reward of Allah.
The Cleansing of the Kaʿbah and the End of Open Idolatry
The center of the Conquest of Mecca was the Kaʿbah, the House of Allah that Ibrāhīm and Ismāʿīl عليهما السلام had built for the worship of Allah alone. Over generations, idols had been placed around and in it, until hundreds were being worshiped besides Allah in the very place that was meant to declare pure tawḥīd.
The Prophet ﷺ entered the Sacred Mosque, encircled the Kaʿbah, and recited verses of the Qur’an as he commanded the idols to be removed and destroyed. Among the verses that he recited was:
“And say: The truth has come, and falsehood has vanished. Indeed, falsehood is ever vanishing.”
(Qur’an 17:81)
As he pointed to the idols with a stick, they fell one after another. This was a very clear physical sign of the triumph of tawḥīd over shirk in the holiest place on earth. It showed that Islam did not come to add another set of idols, but to purify worship so that it belongs to Allah alone.
The Qur’an had already affirmed that the Kaʿbah was established upon tawḥīd and was never meant to be a center of idolatry.
“And [mention] when We designated for Ibrāhīm the site of the House, [saying], ‘Do not associate anything with Me, and purify My House for those who perform ṭawāf and those who stand and bow and prostrate [in prayer].’”
(Qur’an 22:26)
By cleansing the Kaʿbah, the Prophet ﷺ was returning it to its original purpose and removing the greatest barrier that kept people from seeing the pure message of Islam. From then on, the Sacred Mosque would be a place of tawḥīd without open idols, and the whole pilgrimage would be reshaped according to the guidance of the Prophet ﷺ.
Announcements of Security and Limits of Amnesty
Even though the Prophet ﷺ gave a broad amnesty to the people of Mecca, he also set firm boundaries. Security was granted widely so that people could feel safe and consider the truth, but a small number of individuals who had committed particular severe crimes against Islam and the Muslims were excluded, unless they embraced Islam sincerely.
At the same time, the Prophet ﷺ announced specific means of safety. Among the reports is that he declared that whoever entered the house of Abū Sufyān would be safe, whoever laid down arms would be safe, and whoever remained in his house would be safe. This calmed the population and prevented panic and chaos.
This combination of mercy and firmness reflected the Qur’anic balance. Allah commands justice, but He also encourages forgiveness when it leads to good. The Prophet ﷺ forgave most of his enemies, but did not erase all distinctions between those who had spread oppression and those who had not.
“Indeed, Allah commands justice, good conduct, and giving to relatives, and forbids immorality, bad conduct, and oppression. He admonishes you that perhaps you will be reminded.”
(Qur’an 16:90)
The Conquest of Mecca, therefore, was not a moment of lawlessness. It was the moment when the law of Allah, with its combination of justice and mercy, became dominant in the holiest city.
The Declaration of Pure Religion in the Sacred City
The Conquest of Mecca prepared the ground for later declarations about the Sacred Mosque and the practice of the religion in the Arabian Peninsula. After the Conquest, the Prophet ﷺ confirmed that the sanctity of Mecca had been established by Allah and that fighting in it was not allowed, except for the short period that was made lawful for him on that day.
In an authentic ḥadīth, he said that Allah had made Mecca sacred and that no one is allowed to shed blood in it or cut its trees. The temporary allowance on the day of the Conquest was a specific exception for a specific purpose, and its ruling did not continue beyond that day.
“Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Bakkah, blessed and a guidance for the worlds.”
(Qur’an 3:96)
The Conquest did not remove the sacredness of Mecca. Instead, it established that this sacredness now stood in agreement with tawḥīd. The city that had been dominated by idols returned to being a center of pure monotheism, under the leadership of the Prophet ﷺ.
Later verses in Sūrat at-Tawbah, revealed after the Conquest, clarified more legal rulings about the Sacred Mosque, about who might approach it, and about the end of the practices of idolatrous pilgrimage. These detailed rulings belong to later chapters, but they build directly upon what was practically achieved in the Conquest of Mecca.
Surah al-Fatḥ and the True Victory
Although Sūrat al-Fatḥ was revealed earlier, around the time of the Treaty of Ḥudaybiyyah, it is closely connected to the Conquest of Mecca. At the time of Ḥudaybiyyah, some companions felt troubled because they did not enter Mecca that year. Allah revealed that this treaty was in fact a clear victory, because it opened the way for Islam to spread and for Mecca eventually to be conquered with little bloodshed.
“Indeed, We have given you a clear victory, that Allah may forgive for you what preceded of your sin and what will follow and complete His favor upon you and guide you to a straight path.”
(Qur’an 48:1–2)
This surah explained that the apparent delay in entering Mecca was actually wisdom from Allah and a preparation for greater good. Years later, when the Prophet ﷺ entered Mecca peacefully with a great army and many people were guided, the meaning of this “clear victory” became obvious.
Another verse from the same surah describes how Allah promised the Prophet and the believers the conquest of Mecca and beyond.
“Allah has promised you much booty that you will take, and He has hastened this for you and has restrained the hands of people from you, that it may be a sign for the believers and that He may guide you to a straight path.”
(Qur’an 48:20)
The Conquest of Mecca, therefore, was not only a historical moment but also the fulfillment of a divine promise and a sign of Allah’s support for His Messenger and the believers.
The Conquest of Mecca was the practical realization of the “clear victory” promised in Sūrat al-Fatḥ, showing that Allah’s help may come through paths that at first seem difficult or delayed.
Former Enemies Becoming Pillars of the Ummah
An important result of the Conquest of Mecca was the transformation of many former enemies of Islam into devoted Muslims who would later serve the religion with sincerity and effort. Individuals like Abū Sufyān, his wife Hind, and others entered Islam after seeing the mercy, justice, and power of the Prophet ﷺ.
The Qur’an speaks generally of such transformations, when those who fought Islam later come to faith and are forgiven.
“Perhaps Allah will put between you and those to whom you have been enemies among them affection. And Allah is competent, and Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.”
(Qur’an 60:7)
The Conquest of Mecca gave a real example of this possibility. People who had once carried weapons against the Muslims now prayed behind the Prophet ﷺ in the Sacred Mosque. Many of the new Muslims of Mecca would later participate in battles and efforts to spread Islam, standing shoulder to shoulder with early companions.
This shows that Islam is not a closed club. Even those who had committed major wrongs against the Muslims were not permanently cut off from Allah’s mercy if they sincerely repented and embraced the truth. The door of Islam remained open, and the Conquest of Mecca widened it.
The Conquest of Mecca as a Foundation for Completion
Although the official declaration of the completion of the religion came later, in the ninth or tenth year after Hijrah, on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage, the Conquest of Mecca laid the essential foundation for that completion. Once Mecca returned to the worship of Allah alone, and the Quraysh submitted to Islam, the central barrier that had opposed the Prophet ﷺ from the beginning was removed.
With Mecca under Islam, the call of tawḥīd could reach the rest of Arabia in a new and stronger way. Delegations would come to the Prophet ﷺ after this event, tribes would embrace Islam in large groups, and the political landscape of the Peninsula would be reshaped.
“He it is who sent His Messenger with guidance and the religion of truth to make it prevail over all religion, even though the polytheists dislike it.”
(Qur’an 9:33)
This verse describes the overall mission of the Prophet ﷺ. The Conquest of Mecca was a central step in fulfilling it. From that point on, Islam was not a small group surrounded by enemies, but the leading force in the land, calling humanity to worship Allah alone with mercy and clarity.
In this way, the Conquest of Mecca belongs to the “Completion of the Message.” It did not end revelation by itself, nor did it conclude the Prophet’s efforts, but it removed the strongest resistance and allowed the message to be established openly in the holiest place on earth. The chapters that follow in this course will show how that message reached its final shape, and how the Prophet ﷺ took leave of his Ummah with guidance that would remain until the end of time.