PARDON FOR MAKKANS
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After circumambulating the Holy Ka'bah, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) reached its gate and addressed the people:
In Arabic, the Makkans are called "Talqa" "freed slave". This is because the Makkans would have become slaves to the Muslims but the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) freed them, thus they came to be known as Talqa. Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) recited the following verse:
The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) then recited the following verse:
After reciting the above mentioned verses, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) addressed them again, "O people! Allah has created all humans from one man and one woman: They bear no supremacy to each other except in piety. As all people are equal in the eyes of Allah, therefore all titles and honours based on the supremacy of lineage or clanship are cancelled from today. Only the title of "water-carrier" (water distributor) will remain. Like the previous, this title will rest with my uncle, AbbasR.A, for it is well known he distributes water, equitably and without showing favour to anyone. When Makkans entered Faith, UthmanR.A bin Talha was reinstated the key-bearer and guardian of Holy Ka'bah. After him, this post was passed on to his descendants. Even today, the people who are key-bearers of the Holy Ka'bah belong to the lineage of UthmanR.A bin Talha. After delivering his Sermon, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) broke the biggest idol placed in the Holy Ka'bah into pieces with his own hands. Then he asked his son-in-law, Ali, to do away with the rest of the idols and erase the sketches hanging on the inner and outer walls of Holy Ka'bah. According to a tradition, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) directed that a particular sketch should not be erased. This sketch was of Maryam in which she was holding Eesah in her lap. But according to other authentic traditions, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had ordered that each and every doll, idol, picture or statue present in the Holy Ka'bah be completely destroyed. When the idols of stone were pulled down to pieces and when, the idols of wood were split by axes some of the Quraysh present there had their faces in their clothes for fear that a great calamity may fall upon them but nothing happened. Only the idols were pulled down and the broken pieces and shards started scattering away with the wind. After cleansing the Holy Ka'bah of idols, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), who had already declared open remission, asked the people present there to go wherever they liked. They would not be barred from any area. Those who were confined in Abu Sufyan's house or in their own houses were told to come out and to employ themselves in their routine tasks. When all the people had gone, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) was left alone at the gate of Holy Ka'bah. He had no home of his own in his ancestral city. Eight years from that day, the Prophet Muhammad (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had lived in a beautiful two-storey house in Makkah owned by his noble wife KhadijahR.A. It was rated among the best houses of Makkah. After KhadijahR.A's death this house had come under the ownership of Ali's brother, Aqeel, who had sold this house to another person. Some of the Muslims said that as the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had overpowered Makkah and conquered the city, therefore it was his right to choose any Makkan house for his residence. But the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) turning down the suggestion replied that the lives and properties of the Makkans were all under protection. He would not pick any house in Makkah to reside. After saying this, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) left for his tent that was fixed at a place called "Alkhaif". Renowned Moazzan BilalR.A climbed up the Holy Ka'bah to say the prayer call. When BilalR.A's voice rose in the streets of Makkah, Utbah bin Assayed rushed to the Holy Ka'bah and started shouting at BilalR.A to come down and not say the prayer call. But BilalR.A gave the call for prayers ignoring him. There was no change in his concentration, whereupon Utbah bin Assayed continually kept on calling and threatening. |
After saying Azan, BilalR.A went to the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) and complained about Utbah bin Asyed's insolence. Although such behaviour to a
Muslim, performing a religious duty was a very grave offence, yet the Prophet (may Allah
bless him and grant him peace) of Allah pardoned Utbah. Deeply moved by this clemency he
entered Islam. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) also gave him back
his former status and he was appointed the Governor of Makkah by the Muslims. After the conquest of Makkah, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
showed great clemency towards many of his hard-hearted enemies and pardoned them. One
among such persons was Ikrimah bin Abu Jahal, who, for the fear of his life had left
Makkah before the Muslim army entered the city. Ikrimah's wife went to the Prophet (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) and sought refuge for her husband. The Prophet (may
Allah bless him and grant him peace) pardoned him and thus he was able to return to
Makkah. One of the worst enemies of Islam was Abu Sufyan's wife Hind (or Hinth). She had gouged
out HamzahR.A 's liver in the battle of Uhud, hence she was known as "Hind - the
liver-eater". She had not only gnawed at the liver of HamzahR.A, but had amputated
many Muslim corpses and made a garland of their noses and ears. She used to dance while
wearing those body parts. This cruel woman was pardoned by the Prophet (may Allah bless
him and grant him peace) and she was not harmed by the Muslims throughout her life.
Another great foe of Islam was Safwan bin Umayyah, who had sent a hired killer to Madinah
to take the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) life. He was also
pardoned. He expressed his unwillingness to embrace Islam at that time. However, on the
fifth day of his remission he presented one hundred chain-mails and five thousands Dirhams
in cash to the Muslim army. At last, after a few months at the end of the Battle of
Hunayn, he entered Faith. At the time when the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) of Islam
conquered Makkah, there were present in the Holy Ka'bah four Lac, twenty thousand Mithqal
of gold. (1 Mithqal approximately equals 5.0 grams or about 72.0 grains; that is about
2,100 Kg of gold). The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) ordered that no part of this gold
should be touched or taken away as booty. In the first ten days of this conquest, two
thousand people of the Quraysh entered Faith free of coercion. One by one they appeared
before UmarR.A bin Khatab and recited the "Kalim-e-Shahadat" confession
declaration of article of Faith while UmarR.A advised them to refrain from adultery, and
to do deeds of virtue. It might be asked why UmarR.A advised the new Muslims to refrain from adultery
especially with unmarried women? Why did he not advise them to refrain from usury? The
answer is that among the Unbelievers in Makkah adultery had become so deeply entrenched
that it was not considered a wrong act. In the city of Makkah, some women, and widows
belonging to respectable families used to fix banners (or flags) at their houses
signifying their willingness to entertain men in their houses. After the conquest of
Makkah, these customs of sinfulness and impiety were removed. Among those who appeared before UmarR.A to recite the Kalima and enter Islam included
Abu Sufyan's wife Hind. This cruel adversary of Islam also entered Faith. There is no doubt that when the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) left
Madinah, he was absolutely sure of the Conquest of Makkah. In its proof is the 110th Surah
Al-Nasr of the Holy Qur'an, which is: 1. 2. 3. Some Islamic scholars say that as soon as this Surah was revealed, Allah asked the
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) to pray for His Forgiveness. Muhammad
(may Allah bless him and grant him peace) understood that his last moments had come.
According to another narration, when Abu BakrR.A listened to this verse, he could not stop
himself from weeping, as he also understood the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him
peace) would depart from them soon. According to another tradition, the daughter of the
Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), FatimaR.A also became worried and wept
on hearing these verses. When the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) saw
her weeping, he said, "Daughter, do not be sad. You will be the first among the
members of my family to meet me in heaven". After the conquest of Makkah, the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
stayed at Makkah for fifteen days. Meanwhile almost all of the Makkans entered Faith. When
the people of Madinah, observed the Prophet's (may Allah bless him and grant him peace)
stay in Makkah getting longer, they became anxious, thinking that Makkah was the native
city of the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace), therefore he may not return
to Madinah. The Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) had told Ansar; "I
will stay with you as long as I live, and there too shall I die". Fifteen days later,
the Prophet (may Allah bless him and grant him peace) of Islam started on his course back
to Madinah. The people of Madinah who were afraid that he might never return to their
city, on seeing him coming back to Madinah, burst into tears. |