Victorious over idolatry in Mecca
📖Sahih al-Bukhari 2478
Narrated `Abdullah bin Mas`ud: The Prophet (ﷺ) entered Mecca and (at that time) there were three hundred-and-sixty idols around the Ka`ba. He started stabbing the idols with a stick he had in his hand and reciting: “Truth (Islam) has come and Falsehood (disbelief) has vanished.
Description:
When the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) entered Makkah after the conquest, the sacred Kaʿba was surrounded by 360 idols, remnants of pre-Islamic paganism. These idols were placed there by Quraysh and other Arab tribes during the era of ignorance (Jāhiliyyah), corrupting the House of Allah that was originally built by Prophet Ibrahim (Abraham) and his son Ismaʿil (Ishmael) for the worship of one God alone.
The Prophet (ﷺ), holding a stick, destroyed these idols one by one, reciting the Qur’anic declaration of truth and the end of falsehood:
📖Qur’an (Surah Al-Isra 17:81)
“And say, ‘Truth has come, and falsehood has vanished. Indeed, falsehood is ever bound to vanish.’”
This moment symbolized the absolute victory of Tawheed (monotheism) over shirk (polytheism).
Why was this significant?
Because the Kaʿba was never meant for idol worship. It was originally established as a center of pure monotheism by Prophet Ibrahim (عليه السلام) and Ismaʿil (عليه السلام), as commanded by Allah:
📖Qur’an (Surah Al-Baqarah 2:125)
“And [mention] when We made the House a place of return for the people and [a place of] security. And take, [O believers], from the standing place of Ibrahim a place of prayer. And We charged Ibrahim and Ismaʿil, ‘Purify My House for those who perform Tawaf, those who stay for worship, and those who bow and prostrate.’”
-
Pre-Islamic Arabs corrupted this command by introducing idols into the Kaʿba. The Prophet’s destruction of the idols restored the Kaʿba to its original sanctity – a house dedicated solely to Allah, free from any partners.
📖 Qur’an (Surah Aal-e-Imran 3:96)
“Indeed, the first House [of worship] established for mankind was that at Makkah—blessed and a guidance for the worlds.”