Rethinking Military Victory

Rethinking Military Victory

Peaceful coexistence between the polytheists of the Quraysh tribe and the Muslims was not possible in the Holy sanctuary of Makkah. The Quraysh increased their pressure and persecution on this estranged minority until they were forced to immigrate
Peaceful coexistence between the polytheists of the Quraysh tribe and the Muslims was not possible in the Holy sanctuary of Makkah. The Quraysh increased their pressure and persecution on this estranged minority until they were forced to immigrate to a welcoming city now known as Al-Medina. The Quraysh armies attacked the Muslims twice and in a third attempt, gathered the other confederate tribes to lay siege to the city in the battle of the trench. After these three offensive attacks, the powerful Quraysh tribe received some astonishing news: Muhammad and 1,400 of his followers were unarmed on their doorstep at Hudaybiyyah. The arrival of the Prophet (peace be upon him) along with his disciples placed the Quraysh into a huge dilemma. If they, the guardians of the sanctuary, were to prevent over one thousand pilgrims from entering the holy city, they would have committed a manifest violation of the laws upon which their greatness was founded. On the other hand, if they allowed their enemies to enter Makkah, it would be perceived by the Arabs as a flagrant victory for Muhammad (peace be upon him). Victory is often perceived as the immediate result of a clash. And due to the impatience within mankind, we wish to see the fruits of our actions blossom before our eyes. It is for this reason that people by their nature dedicate their lives towards causative actions that generally result in some expected effects. Although a cause-effect link may be well established to a particular action, it may be wrong to assume that the action itself is appropriate or even correct. This is one of the reasons that individuals turn to spontaneous and desperate actions in support of their community without considering the wider implications on the community itself. The real victory however, is the strategic outcome of an event, and it is upon every intelligent person to turn to the Quran in order to understand victory and how to achieve it. The greatest victory in the history of mankind was neither material gain, imperial power, nor the conquering of a nation. Some of the companions of the Messenger exclaimed to their successors: “You consider the (greatest) victory to be the conquest of Makkah, but we consider it to be the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah” [Saheeh Al-Bukhari] «تعدون أنتم الفتح فتح مكة، وقد كان فتح مكة فتحا، ونحن نعد الفتح بيعة الرضوان يوم الحديبية» رواه البخاري And it was this peace treaty which Allah described when He said: {Verily, We have given you (O Muhammad صلى الله عليه وسلم) a manifest victory.} [Al-Fath 48:1]. {إِنَّا فَتَحْنَا لَكَ فَتْحًا مُّبِينًا} الفتح: 1 Transliteration:Inna fatahna laka fathan mubeenan The Treaty of Hudaybiyyah was in actuality a victory as it opened the door to unrestricted propagation of Islam. The truce created an environment of security and quashed the air of hostility the Muslims previously faced when preaching Islam. It allowed the Companions to approach neighbouring communities and tribes to discuss and debate with them openly about the religion of Allah. It was said that after the treaty, no sensible person listened to the Call except that they accepted Islam and became Muslim[1]. With huge numbers of people entering the fold of Islam, the subservience and worship of Allah increased exponentially, which is the aim of Islam and a true measure of success. This victory was not restricted to an individual or a group of people, rather this was a victory in the sight of Allah and a victory for the world. The Prophet had initially gone to Hudaybiyyah with 1,400 followers, but only two years later he would conquer Makkah with over 10,000 followers without a battle. After 19 years since Muhammad (peace be upon him) began his call, the number of Muslims doubled as a result of the treaty[2]. The growth of the Muslim population continued, and now, almost a quarter of the world populace is associated with Islam[3]. This by the Grace of Allah means that more and more people have been saved from the punishment of the Hellfire and admitted into the Gardens of Paradise. The Quranic account of the Hudaybiyyah treaty ends with a description of the Messenger and His Companions. It is in this description that we find the personification of manners, actions, and the true purpose of life[4]: {Muhammad (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is the Messenger of Allah, and those who are with him are severe against disbelievers, and merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and falling down prostrate (in prayer), seeking Bounty from Allah and (His) Good Pleasure.} [Al-Fath 48:29]. {مُّحَمَّدٌ رَّسُولُ اللَّـهِ ۚ وَالَّذِينَ مَعَهُ أَشِدَّاءُ عَلَى الْكُفَّارِ رُحَمَاءُ بَيْنَهُمْ ۖ تَرَاهُمْ رُكَّعًا سُجَّدًا يَبْتَغُونَ فَضْلًا مِّنَ اللَّـهِ وَرِضْوَانًا...} الفتح: 29 Transliteration: Muhammadun rasoolu Allahi waallatheena maAAahu ashiddao AAalaalkuffari ruhamao baynahum tarahum rukkaAAan sujjadan yabtaghoona fadlan mina Allahi waridwanan And hereto lies the meaning of Victory, the true success: earning the Pleasure of Allah, salvation from an eternal punishment and admittance into Paradise, all of which lies not in this life, but in the hereafter.
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Causes of the Conquest of Makkah
1. Quraysh had committed a gross mistake when it helped its ally, Banu Bakr, against the Khuzaa‘ah tribe, which was an ally of the Muslims, with horses, arms and men. Banu Bakr along with their allies attacked Khuzaa‘ah at a watering place called Al-Wateer and killed about twenty of their men. When Khuzaa‘ah sought shelter in the safety of the Holy Mosque in order to force Banu Bakr to stop fighting them, as they were not prepared to fight, they told the leader of Banu Bakr, Nawfal, that they had entered the Holy place of his Lord, to which Nawfal replied, “There is no Lord today,” and called upon his tribe Banu Bakr to retaliate against Khuzaa‘ah. Thereupon, ‘Amr bin Saalim Al-Khuzaa‘i along with forty men from Banu Khuzaa‘ah set out to the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, in Madeenah and told him about the attack launched by Banu Bakr and about their casualties and the support that Quraysh had given to Banu Bakr. ‘Amr bin Saalim stood before the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, seeking support while he was sitting among people in the mosque.

The Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “O ‘Amr bin Saalim, you have been granted support. May the support of Allah be not with me if I do not support Banu Ka‘b.” When a cloud then passed across the sky, the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: “This cloud brings glad tidings of the victory of Banu Ka‘b.”

Another version reads that when the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, heard the news and made sure it was true, he sent to Quraysh a message saying: “If you should leave the alliance of Banu Bakr, then you have to pay the blood money of those killed from Khuzaa‘ah, otherwise, be sure that I will launch a war against you.”

Qarathah bin ‘Abd ‘Amr bin Nawfal bin ‘Abd Manaaf who was a relative of Mu‘aawiyah by marriage, stressed that Banu Bakr were unlucky people and that if Quraysh paid the blood money of those who were killed from among them, it would dry up the wealth of Quraysh. He also said that if Quraysh renounced the alliance of Banu Bakr, no other tribe would maintain the religion of Quraysh, so the only solution, according to him, was to accept the option to fight.

This indicates that the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not attack Quraysh unawares, but rather gave them three choices, and they opted for war.

2. Abu Sufyaan tries to forestall the folly of Quraysh

Quraysh had sent Abu Sufyaan to Madeenah to enable reconciliation and prolong it. When he arrived in Madeenah and approached the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, to present his cause, the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, turned away from him and gave him no answer, so he sought the help of the senior Companions such as Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthmaan and ‘Ali, may Allah be pleased with them, for mediation, but all of them refused. Thereupon, Abu Sufyaan returned to Makkah without making an agreement or a covenant with the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam.

It is worth mentioning that when Abu Sufyaan arrived in Madeenah, he visited his daughter Umm Habeebah, may Allah be pleased with her, the Mother of the Believers, and wanted to sit on the bedding of the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. His daughter folded the bed away so that he would not sit on it, to which he wondered whether the bed was not good enough for him to sit on or whether he was not good enough to sit on it. The Mother of the Believers, may Allah be pleased with her, replied, “This is the bed of the Messenger of Allah, and you are an impure polytheist.” In response to this, Abu Sufyaan said, “By Allah, you have been touched by evil after you left me.”

It is not strange that Umm Habeebah, may Allah be pleased with her, did so, for she was among those who made the two Hijrahs (emigrations) and severed all ties with the pre-Islamic era long ago. She had not seen her father for sixteen years, and when she saw him, she did not see in him a father who should be appreciated and respected. In her eyes, her father was the head of disbelief confronting Islam and fighting the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, for long years. Her reaction highlighted the Companions’ application of Islamic rulings in terms of showing Walaa’ and Baraa’ (allegiance to Muslims and disassociation from non-Muslims) and maintaining the pride of Islam and Muslims. The way she addressed her father who enjoyed high status among his people and among Arabs in general, indicates her strong faith and firm certainty. The conduct of Umm Habeebah, may Allah be pleased with her, was a manifestation of the profound efforts exerted by the Muslims to maintain their character and prompt their morale towards development and vitality.

As Quraysh violated their promises and covenants with the Muslims, the Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, decided to conquer Makkah and discipline the polytheists. His decision was reinforced with the help of Allah The Almighty by several factors:
a. The internal front of Muslims in Madeenah was strong and cohesive, as the Islamic state had got rid of Jewish betrayal and exterminated the Jews of Banu Qaynuqaa‘, Banu An-Nadheer, Banu Quraythah and Khaybar.
b. b.The weakness of the enemy’s internal front; at the head of these were the hypocrites who lost their power, namely the Jews of Madeenah, who were their tutors who guided them and gave them advice.
c. The Messenger, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, paid great attention to developing military power and launching expeditions during the reconciliation period, and thus the Muslims surpassed the polytheists in numbers, arms and morale.
d. The conquest took place after Quraysh had experienced economic weakness and the Muslims’ economy boomed after the conquest of Khaybar as they gained a lot of wealth.
e. Islam spread among the tribes that neighbored Madeenah, which reassured the leadership when making a military decision to transport troops and attack the enemies.
f. There was a fundamental and legal reason for conquering Makkah, which was the violation of covenants committed by Quraysh. It is noted that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, did not miss the law of opportunity, and handled it with profound wisdom. Hence, the Conquest of Khaybar took place after the Al-Hudaybiyah Peace Treaty. Now, another opportunity had arisen after Quraysh had violated the covenant and the scales of power changed in the region. Therefore, the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, wanted to benefit from these new events, thus, he prepared an army of ten thousand men, the like of which was never witnessed before in Al-Hijaaz.
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Lessons from the conquest of Makkah
The conquest of Makkah was one of the most important victories for Islam and Muslims. With this success, Allah The Almighty honored His Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, in particular, and the Muslims in general. It was followed by years of continuous Da‘wah (calling to Islam) and Jihaad to convey the message of Islam. It marked a significant stage in Islamic Da‘wah, as if the end of the mission of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, in this worldly life was drawing near, and it was a new start for the succeeding generations to fulfill the mission of spreading the message of Islam to the whole world.
It is true to say that the conquest of Makkah has implications, benefits and lessons that are too numerous to be listed in a book, not to mention in an article such as this. It is thus sufficient here to mention some of the benefits and implications contained in this historical event so as to understand its significance in the history of Islam and its impact on the path of calling to Allah The Almighty.

The first benefit: was that it brought that blessed land out of the grip of Shirk (polytheism)to the shelter of Tawheed (monotheism). When the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, first entered Makkah, he smashed all the idols surrounding the Ka‘bah, reiterating the Saying of Allah The Almighty (what means): {And say: ‘Truth has come, and falsehood has departed. Indeed is falsehood, [by nature], ever bound to depart’} [Quran 17:81] And: {Say: ‘The truth has come, and falsehood can neither begin [anything] nor repeat [it]’} [Quran 34:49]

After that, Bilaal ascended the Ka‘bah and called the Athaan (call for prayer) loud and clear so that his words echoed throughout Makkah. With this, he was announcing the end of the era of myths and Shirk, and the beginning of enlightenment and Tawheed (Islamic monotheism).

Second: the conquest of Makkah removed the threat that the disbelievers had imposed on the weak Makkans, whether they were Muslims or those who wished to embrace Islam but feared the threat of Quraysh, and so were denied their right to choose the religion of truth. This conquest came to remove that threat, and enable them to embrace the religion of Allah The Almighty without any fear.

Third: this great conquest destroyed Quraysh and eliminated the intimidation with which they had affected the hearts of the Arab tribes who deferred their acceptance of Islam until they saw the future of Quraysh - whether it be victory or defeat. In his Saheeh, Al-Bukhari narrated on the authority of ‘Amr ibn Salamah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Arabs deferred their Islam until the conquest, saying, "Wait! If Muhammad gains victory over them, then he is indeed a true Prophet.” When the conquest took place, every tribe took the initiative and embraced Islam.

Fourth: the conquest of Makkah increased the faith of the believers in the promise of their Lord – the promise of entering the [Sacred] House and circumambulating it after the polytheists had prevented them from doing so. Allah The Almighty Says (what means): {Certainly has Allah showed to His Messenger the vision in truth. You will surely enter Al-Masjid Al-Haraam, if Allah wills, in safety, with your heads shaved and [hair] shortened, not fearing [anyone]} [Quran 48:27]

Fifth: the Muslims attained the honor of guarding and serving the House. This enabled them to reach the same high rank as the Quraysh had previously occupied among the Arabs – in fact, even higher.

Sixth: the conquest of Makkah shook the center of disbelief and Shirk throughout the Arabian Peninsula and forced disbelieving leaders to fight on fronts that were weak and baseless, such as Thaqeef and Hawaazin about whom the Arabs did not care. After just two or three rounds of fighting, the whole Arabian Peninsula submitted to Islamic rule and turned into a center for disseminating the new religion. The conquering Muslim armies hastened to overthrow Chosroes and Caesar, and subjugate the two greatest and most oppressive empires to Islamic rule.

Seventh: the conquest of Makkah unveiled a very significant truth: the attitude of the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, towards the people of Makkah who had shown enmity towards him from the very beginning of his Da‘wah. When Allah The Almighty honored him with entering Makkah, he turned to the Makkans and asked them what they expected him to do with them. They said: "You are a generous brother, and the son of a generous brother." The Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, said to them: "Go, for you are free." [Al-Bayhaqi] With these simple words, the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, showed his noble attitude that was indeed most befitting for the person who had been sent by Allah The Almighty as a mercy for all the worlds.

These are just some of the benefits of the conquest of Makkah. Indeed, this event is unprecedented in its rank and importance to the extent that scholars called it the 'Great Conquest'. That is because the greatest area on earth was relieved from the grip of Shirk, and was granted the safety of Tawheed. This is a truly remarkable result and a blessed conquest that led to a huge number of people entering the religion of Allah The Almighty who Says (what means): {When the victory of Allah has come and the conquest, and you see the people entering into the religion of Allah in multitudes, then exalt [Him] with praise of your Lord and ask forgiveness of Him. Indeed, He is ever Accepting of repentance} [Quran 110:1-3]
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