The Prophet Muhammad a Mercy To the World

Conduct of Islam Upon Victory

When the Apostle of God appeared at the pass of Adhakhir, he entered Mecca from that direction. A tent of leather was pitched for him by the grave of his uncle Abu Talib. He refused to reclaim his house or the houses of his companions in Mecca that had been confiscated by the Polytheists.

This was after he had ordered the detachments of his companions and the commanders of his army to surround Mecca completely and to enter by all the entrances and roads which led to the city from high and low so that they would block any possibility of opposition. He ordered them to stay their hands from fighting and only to fight those who fought them.

He also gave a banner to Abu Ruweihah al-Khath'ami and ordered him to proclaim amongst the people of Mecca:

'Whoever enters under the banner of Abu Ruweihah has sanctuary.' This was in addition to the three other points of sanctuary mentioned. So the people were reassured and threw down their weapons and entered their houses in safety without anyone being made captive or blood being spilt.

Then the Prophet visited the Holy House and when he had finished his circumambulation of the Ka!bah he went to the mountain of al-Safa and ascended it. It is said that he sat in a corner of the mosque such that he look at the House. He began to praise God and pray. Then he called for the custodian of the Ka!bah who at that time was Othman ibn Talhah. He had locked the door when he heard that the Apostle of God had entered Mecca.

He refused to hand over the key so Imam Ali stood up to him and took the key from him and presented it to the Apostle of God. He ordered that the door be opened and he entered and he saw that there were two images inside. He called for a cloth and made it wet and then erased the images. Then he prayed two cycles of prayer between the two pillars upon the red marble. Then he approached the corners of the House and said 'Allahu Akbar' at each corner.

Then he went to the door [of the Ka!bah] and the Quraysh had filled the mosque in rows awaiting to see what he would do with them, assuming - according to the customs of the age of ignorance - that they would be subject to the sword and that they would be exterminated to the last man. But it was not to be like this, for Islam is the way of honour and virtue and the Prophet is the Apostle of mercy and humanism. He took hold of the pillars of the door and made the now famous speech.

The Apostle of God began his speech by praising and extolling God, and said: 'There is no deity but God, no partner has He. He fulfilled His promise and aided His servant and He alone defeated the confederates.'

Then he said: 'Every great deed, or wealth, or claim of blood, or foul deed or feud that existed in the Age of Ignorance are beneath my two feet now. As for the custodianship of the House and the task of watering of the pilgrims, they are returned to their rightful owners. Mecca is sacred by the sanctification of God. None other before me has been allowed free reign therein, and I have only been allowed free reign for a short time on one day. Mecca is sacred until the final hour comes. Trees therein are not to be cut and animals are not to be hunted . . .'

Then he said: 'O people, let those present inform those who are absent that with Islam, God has taken away the arrogance of the Jahiliyyah and the boasting about lineage and tribe. All of you are from Adam and Adam is from clay.'

Then he recited the Qur'anic verse: eO people, We have created you of male and female and made of you peoples and tribes so that you might know one another. Surely the most noble amongst you in the sight of God is the most pious f 144

Then he said: 'The best of the servants of God are those who fear God. Arabic is not a father and sire but is a tongue which speaks and if a person's actions do him down, his lineage will not save him.'

Then he turned to the people of Mecca and said: 'What foul neighbours to a Prophet you were. You belied and expelled and tortured [me and my followers]. Then you were not satisfied until you came to my lands to fight me. Now, O people of the Quraysh, what do you say? What do you think I shall do with you?

144 The Holy Qur'an, (49): 13.

They said: 'We think only good and we say only good. You are a noble brother and the son of a noble brother and you have defeated us.' The Prophet said: 'I will say to you what Joseph peace be upon him said to his brothers: eThere is no blame upon you this day, God will forgive you and He is the Most Mercifulf145 Go for ye are at liberty.'

The people left as if they had been raised from their graves, and entered into Islam. God had put the people of Mecca under the Apostle of God's power but because he freed them, the people of Mecca were to become known as the Tulaqa' or "those who have been freed".

With the Custodian of the Ka!bah

Then the Apostle of God sat in the mosque. Imam Ali came to him bringing the key to the Ka'bah. Then al-'Abbas stood up and asked the Apostle of God to give him the key. At this point the Qur'anic verse was revealed: eVerily God orders you to return all things held in trust to their rightful ownersf 146

So the Apostle of God ordered Imam Ali to return the key to Othman ibn Talhah. When he did so, Othman ibn Talhah, who did not expect that the key would be returned to him, said: 'O Ali, you took it from me by force and now you return it to me with kindness?' Imam Ali said: 'Yes, for God Almighty has sent down a revelation about you in the Qur'an and has said: eVerily God

145 The Holy Qur'an: Joseph (12): 92. 146 The Holy Qur'an: The Women (4): 58.

orders you to return all things held in trust to their rightful ownersf 147 When 'Othman ibn Talhah heard this he accepted Islam and the Prophet ratified his position as custodian himself. It is also related that Othman ibn Talhah said: 'In the Jahiliyyah we used to open the Ka'bah on Mondays and Thursdays. One day the Prophet approached and sought to enter the Ka'bah with some people. This was before he migrated to Medina. But I locked the door and abused him. He treated me with kindness and said: 'O 'Othman, perchance you will one day see this key in my own hand to do with as I will.

I said: 'That is the day when the Quraysh are destroyed and humiliated.' He said: 'On the contrary, they will live and be honoured.' Then he entered the Ka'bah and his words were such that made me think that they would come true.

When the day of the conquest of Mecca came he said: 'O Othman, bring me the key.' But I refused to bring him it. So Ali took it from me and gave it to him. When he had completed his prayers and his visit to the House he returned it to me and said: 'O Othman ibn Talhah, God has given you custody of His House (the Ka'bah) so eat from that which comes to you from this House as is customary.'

As I was leaving he called me and said: 'Did not what I say come to pass?' 147 The Holy Qur'an: The Women (4): 58.

Then I remembered what he had said to me in Mecca before the Hijrah and I said: 'Indeed. I bear witness that you are the Apostle of God.'

Forgive Your Archenemies

The Apostle of God had taken the oath of the Muslims not to slay in Mecca anyone other than those who fought them, with the exception of a few who were harming the Prophet and those who entered Islam with him, and who were inciting war and fighting against him and preventing the people from the way of God and the truth. These included the likes of Habbar ibn al-Aswad who had attacked Zainab the (step) daughter of the Apostle of God when she was migrating and terrorized her which caused the miscarriage of her child and an illness which she died of. Another of them was 'Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl who was one of the inciters of wars and those who fanned the flames of dissent against the Muslims. There were also two songstresses who used to sing mocking the Apostle of God and incited the Polytheists against him on the day of the battle of Ohud. These people went into hiding.

News reached Imam Ali that two of them who were the relatives of Omm Hani the sister of Imam Ali had sought sanctuary with Omm Hani and she had granted it to them in her house. Imam Ali went to her house wearing an iron helmet which masked his face and called: 'Send out those you are protecting.' The two men were terrified and Omm Hani feared for their safety. Omm Hani went out to him not knowing who he was and said: 'O servant of God, I am Omm Hani the daughter of the uncle of the Apostle of God and the sister of Ali ibn Abi Talib so leave my house.

Imam Ali said: 'Send them out.'

She said: 'I swear that I will complain to the Apostle of God about you.' Imam Ali took off the helmet and she recognised him and approached him and said: 'May I be your sacrifice, I swore to complain of you to the Apostle of God.'

He said to her: 'Go and make good your oath. He is at the top of the valley.' So she came to him distressed and when the Apostle of God had heard her story he said: 'Welcome O Omm Hani, we give sanctuary to those you have given sanctuary to.'

As for Habbar, he fled then he accepted Islam and he was pardoned.

The Apostle of God was asked for pardon for Sarah and one of the songstresses which he granted and they entered Islam.

As for Ibn Abi Sarh, he entered Islam and was brought by Othman who asked the Apostle of God for pardon which was granted. He had entered Islam before this then he migrated to Medina where he turned away from Islam and returned to Mecca.

Most of the people that the Apostle of God had called for their deaths were given sanctuary after other people interceded on their behalf so they came out from their hiding places. Then they came to the Apostle of God and entered Islam and he accepted their Islam and pardoned them.

One of these people were Safwan ibn Omayyah who had fled. Omeir ibn Wahab al-Jumahi sought sanctuary for him from the Apostle of God which he granted and he gave him the turban which he had been wearing when he entered Mecca.

Omeir caught up with Safwan as he was about to set off to sea and he stopped him and said: 'O Safwan, remember God lest you perish. I have brought the sanctuary of the Apostle of God.' Safwan was sceptical, and said: 'Go away and do not speak to me.'

Omeir who wanted to convince him said: 'O Safwan, I tell you that the most virtuous of people and the most pious of people and the best of people is your cousin. His might is your might and his honour is your honour and his wealth is your wealth.'

Safwan: 'I fear for myself from him.'

Omeir said to him: 'He is not as you imagine, he is more clement and noble than that.' Safwan was convinced when Omeir showed him the Apostle of God's turban which he had sent as a sign of his sanctuary. So he returned with him and when they stood before the Apostle of God Safwan said: 'This man claims that you have granted me an amnesty.' The Prophet said: 'He has spoken truly.'

He said: 'Then give me two months to make up my mind.' The Prophet said: 'You have four months.' Also among those who sought and were granted amnesty by the Apostle of God was [the prophet's prominent adversary] 'Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl whose wife Omm Hakim daughter of al-Harith ibn Hisham sought amnesty for him. She informed him: 'I have come to you from the most pious and best of

people. Do not throw yourself into perdition for I have sought amnesty for you and it was granted.' So he went with her to the Apostle of God and accepted Islam at his hands then he said: 'O Apostle of God, show me the best of what you know so that I may learn it.'

He said: 'Say: 'There is no deity but God and Muhammad is the servant and Apostle of God, then strive in the way of God.'

With His would be Assassin

It is reported that Fadalah ibn Omeir ibn al-Mulawwah sought to kill the Apostle of God while he was walking round the Ka'bah - the symbolic House of God in the holy city of Mecca. When he drew near to him the Apostle of God said:

'Is it Fadalah?' He said: 'Yes.' The Prophet said: 'What are you contemplating about?' He said: 'Nothing, I was contemplating about God.' The Prophet laughed and said: 'Ask God for forgiveness.' Then the Prophet put his hand on Fadalah's chest and the latter's heart became calm. Fadalah used to say: 'I swear that no sooner had he raised his hand from my chest than he was the most beloved to me of all God's creation.' It was through such noble morals and fine conduct that the people came to accept Islam in droves.

Abandoning the Prophet's Teachings

Among those who were sent by the Apostle of God after the conquest of Mecca to invite the people to God was Khalid ibn al-Walid who was sent to the Judheimah tribe as a missionary and not to fight them.

When Khalid and his men stopped at a well of the Judheimah tribe at al-Ghumeisa', the Judheimah took up their weapons and said: 'O Khalid, we have not taken up our weapons against God and His Apostle while we are Muslims. So look carefully. If the Apostle of God has sent you as a raider then here are our camels and our flocks for you to fall upon.'

Khalid said: 'Leave your weapons.' They said: 'We fear that you will take us for the feud of the Jahiliyyah when God and His Apostle have laid the feuds of the Jahiliyyah to rest.'148 Khalid and his men left them and stopped close by. Then he attacked them with his horsemen and killed and captured some men. Khalid ordered that they be bound then he put them to the sword.149

148 In the Pre-Islamic Era [known as the Jahiliyyah or the Age of Ignorance] members of the Judheimah had killed al-Fakih ibn al-Mughirah, the uncle of Khalid, who had been coming from the Yemen with a trade caravan when the former took what they had and killed him. On the day of the conquest of Mecca, the Apostle of God made a speech and said: 'All wealth, every great deed, or blood, or foul deed or feud that existed in the Age of Ignorance are beneath my two feet now.' 149 Aclam al-Wara, p 112

Treachery and Making Amends

When Khalid had betrayed the Judheimah their messenger came to the Apostle of God and informed him of what Khalid had done to them. The Apostle of God raised his hands to the heavens after he had ascended the pulpit and told the people of what Khalid had done and said: 'O God, I distance myself from what Khalid ibn al-Walid has done.' He repeated this declaration three times, and wept.150

Then he summoned Imam Ali and gave him some gold that he had with him and said: 'O Ali, go to the Judheimah and look into the matter and satisfy them for what Khalid has done.' Then he raised his feet and said: 'O Ali, let the judgements of the Jahiliyyah be under your feet.' When Imam Ali reached them he judged according to the judgement of God Almighty and when he returned to the Prophet, the Apostle of God said: 'O Ali, tell me of what you have done.'

Imam Ali said to him: 'O Apostle of God, I went there and gave the compensation for every blood spilt, and for every foetus lost, and for all property [that was damaged or looted]. I found I had a surplus so I compensated them for their dogs' water pots, . . . and for the fear their women felt and the terror their children had [as a result of the attack] and for the things that they may be aware of as well as for those they may not. Then I still found I had a surplus so I gave to them so that they would be pleased with you O Apostle of God.'

150 Tarikh al-Tabari, vol. 2, p 241.

At this the Apostle of God who looked well pleased said: 'O Ali, you gave to them so that they would be pleased with me, may God be pleased with you.'

Then he said: 'O Ali, you to me have the station of Aaron had to Moses except that there will be no prophet after me. O Ali, you are the guide of my nation. The truly blessed is he who loves you and follows your way and the truly wretched is he who hates you and neglects your way until the Day of Judgement.'151

151 Bihar al-Anwar; vol. 21, p.142-143, Amali al-Saduq, p 173.