The Humble Entry

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) entered Makkah. Now this was after an absence of eight years. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) had left Makkah eight years before, secretly; there was a plot to kill him, and he had had to flee from the danger that existed in Makkah. Eight years, and now the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) was entering Makkah victorious. The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the Muhājirūn had spent thirteen years in Makkah suffering torture, evil words, boycott — every type of harm one could imagine, the Muslims went through. And now there was a chance for revenge: a chance to slaughter those who had caused all of this punishment and torture and hardship to the Muslims. It could have been an occasion for great celebrations of victory, as different armies hold whenever they conquer a new land.

But how did the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the Muslims enter Makkah? Did the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) enter Makkah with "mission accomplished" propaganda, and celebrations, and the popping of champagne bottles, as the kuffār do? When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and the Companions entered Makkah, the description given of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) as he was entering is that he entered with humbleness, khushūʿ. He was reciting Sūrat al-Fatḥ, the sūrah of conquest, and his head was lowered so far that it almost touched the raḥl, the saddle, of the camel — his beard was touching it — and he would recite the āyāt and repeat them. He had a black turban on, and he had a white banner. And he entered Makkah in a state of humbleness, thanking Allah (ʿazza wa jall) for the conquest, praising Allah (ʿazza wa jall) for what He had given him.