Dr. Al Houli describes the night Abu Sufyan stayed in the tent of Al-Abbas as a threshold in history. It was the final night for polytheism (shirk) in his heart and the heart of Makkah. In the morning, the Prophet ﷺ asked him, “Is it not time you testify that there is no god but Allah?”

Abu Sufyan’s response was a mix of awe and lingering doubt. He admitted that if other gods existed, they would have helped him against this army. When asked about the Messengership, he said, “As for this, there is still something in my soul.” It was only when Al-Abbas warned him of the gravity of his situation that he declared his faith. Dr. Al Houli notes that while he may have initially entered Islam out of fear, Allah willed for His light to be completed.

By the Prophet’s ﷺ command, Al-Abbas held Abu Sufyan at the edge of the valley to witness the Muslim forces. As tribes like Sulaym and Muzaynah passed, Abu Sufyan asked, “What do I have to do with them?” But then came the “Green Battalion”—the Muhajirun and Ansar—clad in iron armor that only showed their eyes. Al-Abbas said: “This is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”

The Prophet ﷺ entered Makkah with his head bowed in humility. He circled the Kaaba, shattering 360 idols with his staff while reciting: “Truth has come, and falsehood has departed.” (17:81). He entered the Kaaba, cleared it of pagan imagery—noting that Ibrahim (AS) never practiced divination—and prayed inside.

Standing at the door of the Kaaba, he asked the Quraish, “What do you think I am going to do with you?” After they acknowledged his nobility, he spoke the words that echo through history: “Go, for you are free.”

Dr. Al Houli concludes by noting that of the eight people initially ordered for execution, four embraced Islam and were pardoned, and the day became one of returning trusts (amanat) and establishing divine justice.