Conquest of Makkah

This painting depicts the pinnacle of the Seerah

Calligraphy: [Sermon] O humanity! Indeed, We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may ˹get to˺ know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous among you. Allah is truly All-Knowing, All-Aware. 49:13

Details: 48x60"inch wood panel. Mixed media

The Story:

The Conquest of Makkah was the pinnacle of the Seerah. It took place in the 8th year after Hijrah, after the Quraysh violated the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. This breach gave the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ the right to respond, so he marched toward his beloved city with an army of 10,000 companions.

Imagine the scene: eight years earlier, he fled Makkah under threat of assassination. Now he returned with an army so vast that the leader of the Quraysh stood in shock, watching tribe after tribe advance with their banners, their campfires lighting up the plains outside Makkah. Leading the army was the most honored convoy, that of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and His companions.

The Quraysh expected revenge, but instead were met with mercy. Abu Sufyan accepted Islam, and the Prophet ﷺ declared safety for all who sought protection. Never had a city been reclaimed so peacefully.

Entering the city with his head lowered in humility, the Prophet ﷺ arrived at the Kaaba on his camel and began performing tawaf. As he circled the Kaaba, he pointed his staff at each idol and it fell, while he recited: “The truth has come, and falsehood has vanished.” Takbeer echoed across the valley, symbolizing the spiritual cleansing of the city.

The people of Makkah gathered around the Kaaba as the Prophet ﷺ stood at its doorway and delivered his short sermon. Instead of retribution, he granted a general amnesty: “Go, for you are free.” He then proceeded to Mount Safa, where people lined up to embrace Islam. 

After 21 years of struggle, he returned not as a conqueror seeking power, but as a Messenger of mercy. Following this victory, the hearts of Arabia opened to Islam, and paganism faded from the peninsula. The Conquest of Makkah was the climax of the Seerah, teaching us that Allah’s promise is true and arrives at the precise moment He decrees.

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