The life of the Holy Prophet of Islam — Page 27
the Prophet and he stood up. When he was told that it was the coffin of a Jew, he said, “Was Jew not a human being?” (Sahih Bukhari) Victory of Mecca On the day of the victory of Mecca ten thousand soldiers of the Muslim army marched into the city but with great care that nobody should be disturbed. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) himself was controlling the situation with great concern for the safety and welfare of the people. That was the day when the enemies of Mecca fully surrendered themselves before the Muslim army. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) had full control not only upon his opponents but also upon his own army. As the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and his army marched through the heart of Mecca, he did so in all peace, humbleness, and justice. That was a very great achievement and victory of Islam. That was the day when the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) returned to Mecca, the city from where he was expelled along with his helpless companions. He had not yet forgotten his helpless position the day he left Mecca. Every scene was fresh in his memory. When he was leaving the city, he had a last glance at it, while tears rolled down from his eyes and he could not control his emotions and said, “O city of Mecca, I don’t like to leave you but the people of Mecca don’t permit me to live in. ” It was the same city where he was severely tortured and humiliated. It was the city where his loved ones were tormented and killed mercilessly. Now he was entering the same city as a victor. He was the champion, he was the conqueror, but very different from the worldly kings. He was a wonderful man, that the history is not able to produce single one parallel to him. He entered in Mecca while the people of Mecca were at his mercy, but there was not any sign of pride on his face. He was riding on camel and his head was bowing down so much so that it was touching the back of the camel. A man spoke to him on that day, trembling with fear. As he did so, Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) consoled him saying, “Calm yourself, for I am not a king. I am but the son of a humble and poor woman from Quraish. ” Bilal, a slave, honored It was a day of great victory of Islam; it was a day of happiness and joy for every one. But during these moments of pleasure the Holy Prophet remembered well the sufferings of his companions. It was a day of understanding their sentiments and emotions. That was the day when Bilal, an Ethiopian slave, was honored. It was announced that whoever would be under the banner of Bilal would be in peace. What a great tribute was paid to the sacrifices of Bilal? Holy Prophet took away the Flag from the hands of a Muslim General, who used derogatory remarks. As Sa‘d ibn Obadah, one of the generals of the Islamic army, passed by Abu-Sufyan, he murmured, “Today is the day of revenge. Today that which is unlawful is made lawful. Today Allah has dishonored Quraish. ” When the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) passed by Abu-Sufyan, he complained to him of what Sa‘d had said to him. Muhammad disliked what he heard and responded, “Today is the day of mercy. Today Allah shall honor Quraish, and shall honor the Kaaba. ” The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then commanded that the banner be taken from Sa‘d and given to his son Kais. The Holy Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) then stood in the door of the Kaaba. The people had gathered below him, waiting for him to issue his decree regarding the fate of his enemies. Finally he spoke and said, “There is non worthy of worship except Allah, He has no partner. He has fulfilled His promise, given victory to His servant, and defeated the confederates by His own Self. I declare that every glory, money, or blood has been placed under