The Conquest of Mecca

In 630 CE, after the Quraysh violated the terms of the Hudaybiyyah treaty by supporting an attack on an allied tribe of the Muslims, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ marched on Mecca with a large force. Rather than the violent retaking many might have expected, the city surrendered with minimal resistance, and the conquest is remembered as remarkably peaceful. Upon entering the city that had once persecuted and exiled him, Muhammad ﷺ declared a general amnesty for its people, including many who had fought against him for years. He proceeded to the Kaaba and removed the idols that had been placed inside and around it, restoring the sanctuary — originally built, in Islamic belief, by Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismail — to the worship of one God. The conquest of Mecca is regarded in Islamic history as both a military and moral turning point: the city that was the center of opposition to Islam became, without a large-scale battle, part of the Muslim community, and the general clemency shown toward former enemies is frequently cited as a defining example of the Prophet's ﷺ character at the height of his political power.