The Night of the Conquest

And according to Saʿīd ibn al-Musayyib, that particular day, when the people entered Makkah, was not a day of celebration; it was not a day of partying. It says: fa-lammā kānat laylatu dakhala al-nāsu Makkata laylata al-fatḥ, lam yazālū fī takbīrin wa tahlīlin wa ṭawāfin bi-al-bayti ḥattā aṣbaḥū; fa-qāla Abū Sufyāna li-Hind: a-tarayna hādhā min Allāh? Qālat: naʿam, hādhā min Allāh. When the people entered Makkah on the day of the conquest, they remained in takbīr and tahlīl — tahlīl means saying lā ilāha illā Allāh, and takbīr means saying Allāhu akbar — and ṭawāf bi-al-bayt, circling the Kaʿbah.

They had been away from the Kaʿbah for a long time, and now they were pleased and happy that Allah (ʿazza wa jall) had allowed them to enter Makkah and to worship Allah according to the rules of Islam while Islam was dominant in Makkah. So they were making ṭawāf around the House all the way until the morning: there was ʿibādah — all night long there was ʿibādah. Wherever one went in Makkah, one could see people making takbīr and tahlīl and ṭawāf around the House of Allah. So Abū Sufyān went back to his wife and said: do you think this is from Allah? It was an impressive scene — something that affected even these people of Quraysh, people of Makkah who had been kuffār just moments before. So Abū Sufyān told his wife: a-tarayna hādhā min Allāh? — do you think this is from Allah? She said: yes, this is from Allah. And then Abū Sufyān met the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) told him: you said to Hind, do you think this is from Allah? and Hind told you, yes, I think this is from Allah. Abū Sufyān said: I testify that you are the Messenger of Allah; no one overheard our conversation; there was no one there but me and Hind.