8 AH TO 10 AH

Conquest of Makkah
 In 630 C.E., a tribe allied to the Quraysh attacked a tribe allied to the Muslims, and caused much damage
to life and property.
 The tribe allied with the Muslims invoked the aid of the Muslims.
 The Holy Prophet assured the aggrieved tribe that the Muslims would honour their pledge, and would
come to their aid.
 The Holy Prophet wrote to the Quraysh that according to the terms of the Hudaibiyah pact they should
either identify the aggrieved tribe or break their alliance with the aggressor tribe, and let the Muslims deal
with such tribe.
 In their arrogance the Quraysh turned down the proposal and chose to abrogate the Hudaibiyah pact with
the Muslims.
 The Makkans soon realized the folly of their decision. Abu Sufiyan (the leader of the Quraysh) came to
Madinah to make amends, but it was now too late, and the Muslims refused to negotiate.
 Since the Hudaibiyah pact, things had dramatically changed within two years to advantage of the Muslims.
 Allah had revealed that the Hudaibiyah pact was going to be a victory for the Muslims, and the Muslims
looked longingly to the great victory promised to them by Allah.
 The Holy Prophet mustered a force ten thousand strong and marched to Makkah. At the battle of the
Trench three years earlier the Quraysh had mustered a force of ten thousand, and the Muslims were
compelled to be on the defensive.
 Now the tables were reversed. The Muslims mustered a force of ten thousand, and Makkans had to be on
the defensive.
 The Quraysh lost even the will to defend. They realized that they were no match for the Muslim force.
 Abu Sufiyan as the representative of the Quraysh, waited on the Holy Prophet, accepted Islam and offered
the surrender of Makkah.
 The triumphant entry of the Muslims in Makkah marked the vindication of the truth of Islam.
 The hapless who had been driven away from their home town in 621 C.E. returned to their home town in
630 C.E eight years later as conquerors. That was the triumph of faith.
 The Holy Prophet visited the Ka’abah, and broke the idols. That marked the coming of the truth and the
vanishing of falsehood.
 The Holy Prophet granted general amnesty to the People of Makkah. There were to be no reprisals, and
no revenge.
 In the hour of triumph the Holy Prophet and his followers freely forgave everybody, and forgot the
persecutions they had suffered at the hands of the Quraysh in the early days of Islam.
 All the people of Makkah offered their allegiance to the Holy Prophet and accepted Islam. That was a
major revolution in the history of mankind.
Battles of Hunayn and Ta’if
 The conquest of Makkah by the Muslims, and the wholesale conversion of the Quraysh to Islam came as a
shock and a surprise to the neighbouring tribes.
 The tribes of Hawazin and Thaqif who inhabited the tract between Makkah and Ta’if, a distance of about
sixty miles attributed the fall of Makkah to the cowardice of the Quraysh.
 When they were offered Islam, they ridiculed the offer and declared that they were no cowards like the
Quraysh, and know how to fight.
 They Holy Prophet accepted the challenge, and marched out of Makkah to the valley of Hunayn at the
head of the force thirteen thousand strong. They included ten thousand men of the Madinah force and
three thousand man of the Quraysh.
 In the Hunayn valley the Muslims met an initial reverse when a wing of the army was ambushed in a
narrow defile. The situation was, however soon brought under control, and in the confrontation that took
place at Autas, the tribes were routed, and they retreated to Ta’if.
 After the battle of Autas, the Muslims marched to Ta’if.
 Ta’if, a holy city, was fortified. Instead of fighting the Muslims in the open the tribes decided to shut
themselves in the fort which enjoyed reputation for impregnability.
 The Muslims besieged the fort. The siege dragged on for two months. As other urgent matters awaited
the attention of the Holy Prophet he lifted siege of Ta’if and returned to Makkah.
 After having made arrangements for the administration of Makkah the Holy Prophet and the Madinah
army returned to Madinah.
 After some time Malik b Auf (the leader of the people of Ta’if) visited Madinah, accepted Islam, and they
tendered the submission of the city of Ta’if.
The Year of Deputations
 When the other tribes of Arabia came to know of the fall of Makkah, and the conversion of the Quraysh of
Makkah to Islam, they felt that they should also cast in their lot with the new power.
 During 631 C.E. which came to be known as the "Year of Deputations", deputations of various tribes
from all over Arabia flocked into Madinah to offer allegiance to the Holy Prophet and accept Islam.
 All the pagan tribes in Arabia accepted Islam, and written treaties were made with them specifying their
privileges, and responsibilities.
 Muslim missionaries were sent to the various tribes to teach them the fundamental principles of Islam.
Residents on behalf of the government of Madinah were also posted with various tribes.
 The Christians of Najran who did not wish to forsake Christianity were allowed to retain faith. They were
offered protection subject to the payment of a poll tax known as " Jizya".
Expedition to Tabuk
 After having Islamicised Arabia, the next task of the Holy Prophet was to protect the borders. In the West
the Byzantine power posed a threat to the Muslim state.
 The Byzantines had defeated the Persians, and the Byzantine emperor planned more conquests. On the
borders of Arabia and Byzantine there were many Arab tribes who had adopted Christianity, and accepted
the suzerainty of Byzantium.
 The strategy of the Byzantines was to convert more and more Arab tribes to Christianity. The task before
the Holy Prophet was thus not merely to protect the physical frontiers, he had to protect the spiritual
frontiers as well.
 In 629 C.E. the Holy Prophet had sent an expedition to Mu’tah with the object of securing the frontiers.
The expedition had not succeeded, and the Muslim army was extracted from a difficult position with great
difficulty.
 After the conquest of Makkah the Muslim position had been considerably strengthened and in 631 C.E. the
Holy Prophet decided to pursue the project which had suffered a setback at Mu’tah.
 The Holy Prophet accordingly gave the call to arms, and mustered a force thirty thousand strong.
 This was the largest army that the Holy Prophet had so far led.
 At the head of this army the Holy Prophet marched to Syria, and after a weary and arduous march
reached Tabuk midway between Madinah and Damascus. From the camp at Tabuk, the Holy Prophet sent
emissaries to the Christian Arab tribes.
 Some Christian tribes accepted Islam. The Christian Arab prince of Aylah did not agree to forsake
Christianity, but he agreed to pay an annual tribute to the Muslims and accept the suzerainty of the
government of Madinah. Ukaidar b Malik the chief of Daumatul Jandal refused to accept Islam or to pay
tribute to the Muslims. An expedition headed by Khalid b Walid went to Daumatul Jandal.
 Ukaidar was taken prisoner and brought before the Holy Prophet. He was released on his agreeing to pay
an annual tribute to the Muslims and accept the suzerainty of the government of Madinah.
 Within Syria the Byzantine emperor collected a large force.
 The Holy Prophet did not deem it expedient to cross the frontier and clash with the Byzantine army. His
main purpose in undertaking the expedition was to protect the frontiers by winning the allegiance of the
border tribes.
 As this object had been achieved the Holy Prophet decided to return from Tabuk to Madinah.
Proclamation about the paramountcy of Islam
 In 631 C.E. on the occasion of the Hajj led by Abu Bakr and Ali, it was proclaimed, in pursuance of a
revelation, that henceforward the non-Muslims were not to be allowed to visit the Holy Ka'abah or perform
the pilgrimage.
 No one was to circumambulate the Holy Ka'abah naked. Polytheism was not to be tolerated.
 Where the Muslims had any agreements with polytheists such agreement was to be honoured for the
period stipulated in the agreement.
 Where there was no agreement, a grace period of four months was to be given, and thereafter no quarter
was to be given to the pagans.
 From the day this proclamation was made, a new era dawned in Arabia. Henceforward Arabia was to be a
Muslim land.
Farewell pilgrimage
 In 632 C.E., the first anniversary of the Islamicisation of Arabia the Holy Prophet decided to celebrate the
Hajj on a large scale.
 Messages were sent to all parts of Arabia asking the Muslims to gather at Madinah for the purpose of
proceeding to Makkah for pilgrimage.
 In response to this call over one lakh Muslims collected at Madinah. The Holy Prophet led this caravan to
Makkah.
 At Dhul Halifa the Holy Prophet and his followers put on the Ihram.
 When all the Muslims were dressed alike in the sacred attire the Holy Prophet gave the call "Labbbayk,
Allahumma Labbayk. “Here I am at your service, O lord!". This was repeated by all the pilgrims and the
hills and dales echoed with the sacred call.
 The party reached Makkah on the 4th of Dhul Hajj after a journey of nineteen days. On the 8th of Dhul
Hajj, the party left Makkah for Mina and passed the night there.
 Next day the party proceeded to Mount Arafat. After midday prayer on the 9th of Dhul Hajj, the Holy
Prophet addressing the pilgrims delivered his historic address.
 He wanted the Muslims to regard the life and property of every Muslim as a sacred trust. He said, "Hurt
no one so that no one may hurt you".
 He forbade usury. He declared, "O men, women have rights over you just as you have rights over them".
 He observed that no prophet would come after him. He wanted the faithful to worship Allah, say their
prayers, observe fasts and pay Zakat.
 He ordained that all Muslims had the same rights and responsibilities. He held "None is higher than the
other unless he is higher in virtue".
 He said, Know that a Muslim is a brother of another Muslim, and they form one brotherhood". He decreed,
"There is no superiority of a Arab over a non-Arab or vice versa".
Having spoken the Holy Prophet turned his face to the Heaven and said. "Be my witness O God, that I
have conveyed Thy message to Thy people". And then the entire congregation said, "Yes, You have done
so."
 That day God revealed: This Day have We perfected for you your faith, And completed Our blessing on
you, And have ordained Islam for you as religion.
 After having performed the pilgrimage, the Holy Prophet and his followers returned to Madinah.
Illness and death of the Holy Prophet
 A short time after returning from Farewell Pilgrimage the Holy Prophet fell ill.
 His illness took a turn for the worst and the faithful got alarmed as to what would happen to them if the
Holy Prophet passed away.
 When the Holy Prophet felt some relief he attended the mosque, and addressing the faithful said: I have
come to know that the rumour of your Prophet's death has alarmed you, but has any prophet before me
lived for ever that might make you think that I will live with you forever.
 As the last exhortation to his people the Holy Prophet said: I do but go before you, and you will soon
follow me. Death awaits us all, and let no one then seek to escape it. My life has been for your good, so
will be my death.
 A few days later, the Holy Prophet passed away.
 When the news of his death spread and the faithful gathered in the mosque, Umar said, "Who says the
Holy Prophet is dead. Moses like he has gone to visit Allah and erelong he would return to us".
 Abu Bakr soon removed this impression. Addressing the people assembled in the mosque he said: “Those
who worshipped Muhammad, let them know that Muhammad, being mortal is dead. From God he came
and to God he has returned. Those who worshipped the God of Muhammad, let them know that God
being immortal lives and will live forever.”
Achievements of the Holy Prophet
 Within the brief span of his Prophethood extending over twenty-two (22) years, the Holy Prophet built an
Ummah out of the people never united before; established a religion that elevated the soul; created an
egalitarian society; laid the basis of an empire; and set up new ideals before mankind.
 He aimed at freeing human beings from all the shackles that bound them. He laid down that all power
was to be exercised as a sacred trust on behalf of Allah.
 He liberated the society from priesthood, and ordained that there was no church in Islam. He abolished all
distinction between the temporal and spiritual aspects of life.
 He declared in unequivocal terms the equality of all men. He liberated men.
 He liberated man by planning for him a new political, economic and social order free from exploitation.
 Under such an order democratic equality was to be more effective and dynamic than anywhere else;
claims of birth and wealth were to have no value; the slave and the free were to be at par, the foe once a
Muslim was to be dearer than any kinsman; the pagan, once a Muslim might rise to any heights of
spiritual eminence.
Saviour of Humanity
 The Holy Prophet was the embodiment of virtue, the epitome of wisdom, and the living example of good
conduct--indeed a model of human perfection.
 He was not only a prophet; he was a leader of men, a teacher, an administrator, a statesman, a ruler, a
military commander and a reformer as well.
 His character was pure and stainless.
 His house, his dress, and his food were all characterized by simplicity.
 He was unpretentious; he would even mend his clothes or shoes himself.
 He visited the sick and provided relief for those in distress. He was accessible to all.
 He was sympathetic, generous and forbearing.
 He was conspicuous for his unconquerable will, inflexible resolve, fixed indomitable perseverance,
unyielding persistency, infinite and interminable patience, calm endurance, irresistible courage, and
tenacity of the ego.
 As a ruler and statesman he took measures with due tact and prudence.
 As a commander he displayed great military skill in the field.
 He had the strictest ideas of the responsibilities pertaining to the administration of justice.
 The poorest suitor, however trifling his cause, never failed of a hearing from him.
 He was slow to resent an injury, and quick to pardon an offender.
 His magnanimity and his profound knowledge of the humanity stamped him as the supreme leader of
men, the Saviour of humanity and mercy for all the worlds.