After the conquest of Makkah, the Islamic state got stronger and its land expanded. How did this affect the tribes around it?

Dear Brother / Sister,

9th Year of the Migration, the month of Muharram.

Until that date, many tribes had accepted Islam and many lands were under the rule of the Islamic state. It was necessary to administer those countries and to tell the people there about their responsibilities and obligations. To this end, the Messenger of Allah appointed some governors and zakah collectors in the month of Muharram of the 9^th year of the migration and sent them to different countries.1

The Messenger of Allah advised the governors and zakah collectors as follows:

“Forgive the mistakes of people; avoid collecting their best goods.”2

Among the tribes that the Messenger of Allah sent governors and zakah collectors were San’a, one of the most beautiful cities of Yemen, Hadramut in Yemen, the tribes of Sulayms, Muzaynas, Juhaynas, Sons of Kilab and Sons of Ka’b.3

Apart from administration, these governors also settled the issues among people and gave judgments based on Islamic decrees. Zakah collectors informed people about zakah in the places that they went to and asked the rich people to give zakah.

Some tribes paid zakah readily. Others did not like it because they thought it was too heavy a burden at first; however, they started to pay zakah later.

The conquest of Makkah was a very bright and honorable victory of Islam. With this conquest, the fierce struggle that lasted for years between the Messenger of Allah and the Qurayshi polytheists ended with the victory of Islam.

The tribes in Arabia observed this fierce struggle that lasted for years closely and carefully. At first, they decided to leave the Messenger of Allah alone with his struggle against the Qurayshis, his own tribe; they said,

“Leave him alone with his tribe. If he defeats his tribe, it means he is telling the truth and he is a prophet.”4

This fierce struggle, which was observed closely by the tribes around, ended with the victory of Islam and the defeat and destruction of the polytheism as a result of the conquest of Makkah.

There was only one thing left to do for them: To accept Islam as soon as possible. They knew it very well that they would not be able to stop and eliminate this cause, which Makkan polytheists could not stop and eliminate despite their strength and enmity.

Therefore, after the conquest of Makkah, at the beginning of the 9^th year of the Migration, the tribes around started to come to Makkah in large groups in order to become Muslims. For this reason, this year was named the “Year of Delegates”.5

The Prophet welcomed all of those delegates and entertained them. There were people from all walks of life in those delegates. All of them admired the high ethics and virtues of the Prophet and the kind attitudes of his Companions; they returned to their land happily.

Footnotes:

1. Ibn Hisham, Sirah, Vol. 4, p. 246; Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, Vol. 2, p. 160.
2. Halabi, Insanu’l-Uyun, Vol. 3, p. 216.
3. Ibn Hisham, ibid, Vol. 4, p. 246-247; Ibn Sa’d, ibid, Vol. 2, p. 160.
4. Ibn Sa’d, Tabaqat, Vol. 7, p. 89; Ibn Kathir, Sirah, Vol. 4, p. 72.
5. Ibn Hisham, Sirah, Vol. 4, p. 205; Ibn Kathir, ibid, Vol. 4, p. 76.

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