There are many moments in life when you return to a place not because it’s perfect or may hold the best memories, but simply because it’s time to go back. Maybe it’s a city you’ve left in pain. Maybe it’s a friendship that fell into a rut, a memory you want to avoid reliving, or even a version of yourself that you want to leave behind and start fresh somewhere. You go back to the past not to fall back on those memories and experiences, but to look at it with a new perspective, and to then reclaim it.
Now, when we look at the city of Makkah and the Prophet Muhammad (SAW), we can draw similar parallels. In the beginning, this was the city that mocked him, broke his heart, and was the city he (SAW) would one day walk back into as the servant of Allah (SWT), full of grace and dignity. His first return for pilgrimage after being exiled was a quiet turning point for Islam.
This wasn’t conquest, but closure and, like everything in the life of the Prophet (SAW), it holds deep meaning for us even today, if we are willing to pause and deliberate.
To understand the Prophet (SAW)’s first pilgrimage, one must appreciate the maqasid al-sirah, the objectives behind the life of the Prophet (SAW). Makkah was the birthplace of Islam and the cradle of tawheed established by Prophet Ibrahim (AS). But, by the time of the Prophet (SAW)’s arrival, it had been desecrated by idol worship and tribal injustice.
During the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah and with the intention of pilgrimage, the first attempt to re-enter Makkah occurred. The Muslims were blocked by the Quraysh from performing Umrah, and this marked a moment of intense trial. This treaty, though seemingly a loss, was a fath mubin as described by The Quran when Allah (SWT) says, “Indeed, We have granted you a clear triumph, O’ Prophet.” (The Clear Quran®, 48:1)
This treaty paved the way for the Prophet (SAW)’s eventual and actual first completed pilgrimage to Makkah, the Umrat al-Qada in 7 AH.
In the year that followed, the Prophet (SAW) and around 2,000 of his companions returned to Makkah as part of the terms agreed in Hudaybiyyah. This was not Hajj, but a minor pilgrimage. It was a short visit, lasting only three days, but its implications were immense:
- Reassertion of Tawheed: Entering Makkah and performing rites solely for Allah (SWT) in a city still dominated by idols was an ideological triumph. It was a physical tahliyah of the soul and place.
- Political Legitimacy: This visit publicly declared the presence and dignity of the Muslims to the tribes of Arabia. Islam was no longer a marginal or suppressed movement but an emerging force.
- Unity and discipline: The companions displayed remarkable adherence to the Prophet (SAW)’s leadership, even in tense conditions, showing Islam’s potential to unify diverse tribes under tawheed.
Three years later, in the 10th year after Hijrah, the Prophet (SAW) would finally perform Hajjat al-Wada, which was his first and only Hajj in Islam. Unlike the earlier Umrah, this pilgrimage was grand, public, and complete. Over 100,000 Muslims gathered to learn the full rites of Hajj from the Prophet (SAW) himself.
It was during this Hajj that he (SAW) delivered his final sermon, Khutbat al-Wada, establishing:
- The abolishment of tribalism and racial superiority.
- The sanctity of life and property.
- The centrality of The Quran and Sunnah.
- Gender equity, family rights, and mutual responsibility.
- The finality of his Prophethood and the perfection of Islam.
The Quran declared, “Today, I have perfected your faith for you, completed My favor upon you, and chosen Islam as your way. But whoever is compelled by extreme hunger — not intending to sin — then surely Allah is All-Forgiving, Most Merciful.” (The Clear Quran®, 5:3)
The Prophet (SAW)’s pilgrimage is a metaphysical journey. Hajj represents a return to fitrah, it is a reenactment of the journey of Prophet Ibrahim (AS), and a declaration of ubudiyyah (servitude) to Allah (SWT) alone. His first entry into Makkah for pilgrimage after Hijrah was marked by:
- Submission without arrogance.
- Dignity without revenge.
- Obedience to Allah (SWT) without compromise.
It is here that we realize the Prophet (SAW)’s re-entry into Makkah was not a political conquest but a restoration of sanctity, a healing of a wounded land, and an invitation to Divine presence.
The Prophet (SAW)’s first pilgrimage back to Makkah was a multidimensional victory (legal, spiritual, political, and civilizational). It was the re-opening of the gateway beneath earth and heaven. It was not merely about accessing a place, it was about reclaiming a maqam, a station of worship, and a station of servitude.
The question now is: Have we internalized the meanings of that journey? What are the idols in our own hearts that must be shattered before we return to our own Makkah within?
