At a glance
- Era
- The Prophetic Era
- Region
- Arabia
- Review
- Draft Completeness 2/5 · Help complete it
Walk this pathway
12steps · 40min · student
Umar
He went out meaning to kill the Prophet and ended a Muslim.
Umayr ibn Wahb
After Badr: what he plotted and how it ended.
Khalid ibn al-Walid
He who led Mecca's cavalry, then became Muslim before the conquest.
Abu Sufyan's Conversion
The night of the conquest at Marr al-Zahran.
Hind bint Utba
And her story before the conquest and after it.
Hakim ibn Hizam
He of whom the Prophet spoke a word of safe-conduct.
Suhayl ibn Amr
The negotiator of al-Hudaybiyya who became Muslim on the day of the conquest.
Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl
One granted safety on the day of the conquest.
Safwan ibn Umayya
He fled, then safe-conduct reached him.
Wahshi ibn Harb
The killer of Hamza, and what the account says after his conversion.
Abdullah ibn al-Ziba'ra
Quraysh's poet: his return and his apology.
Those Whose Hearts Were to Be Reconciled
What was prescribed to steady the Islam of these and their like.
Tell it back
Tell what you learned in your own words. What you write stays on this device only, and no one else reads it.
- Where would you start if you told this to a friend?
- What surprised you or did you like most?
- Sum it up in two sentences of your own.
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Write at least two sentences, or tick that you told it, to earn the stamp in your passport.
The aim of this trail
To see how the sources describe those who changed their position: when, and for what reason, without passing judgement on them. And to understand what is known as "winning hearts" (ta'lif al-qulub).
What you will know at the end
- Order in time the conversions of the most prominent of these people.
- Distinguish those who became Muslim before the conquest from those who became Muslim at it.
- Know the meaning of "those whose hearts are to be reconciled" and an example of it.
How to read this trail
Each step here describes what a person did in their own time, and attributes judgements to those who voiced them. The museum passes judgement on no one. These are the life stories of figures who stood on the other side at one stage, then crossed over; this is what makes the story complete. Approximate duration: 40 minutes; 12 steps. This is an experimental trail within "Tour and Learn".
Before you begin
It is best to begin with The Meccan Period: From the Cave to the Hijra.
The steps
1. Umar
The conversion of Umar ibn al-Khattab: he went out intending to kill the Prophet ﷺ, and ended as a Muslim. 1
2. Umayr ibn Wahb
The conversion of Umayr ibn Wahb: after Badr, what he had plotted and how it ended. 2
3. Khalid ibn al-Walid
Khalid ibn al-Walid: he who led the cavalry of Mecca, then became Muslim before the conquest. 3
4. The conversion of Abu Sufyan
The conversion of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb at Marr al-Zahran: the night of the conquest, at Marr al-Zahran. 4
5. Hind bint Utba
Hind bint Utba: her history before the conquest and after it. 3
6. Hakim ibn Hizam
Hakim ibn Hizam: the one of whom the Prophet said a word of safe-conduct. 5
7. Suhayl ibn Amr
Suhayl ibn Amr: the negotiator of al-Hudaybiyya, who became Muslim on the day of the conquest. 3
8. Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl
Ikrima ibn Abi Jahl: one granted safe-conduct on the day of the conquest. 6
9. Safwan ibn Umayya
Safwan ibn Umayya: he fled, then safe-conduct reached him. 7
10. Wahshi ibn Harb
Wahshi ibn Harb: the killer of Hamza, and what the narrative records after his conversion. 3
11. Abdullah ibn al-Zibara
Abdullah ibn al-Zibara: the poet of Quraysh, his return and his apology. 8
12. Those whose hearts are to be reconciled
Those whose hearts are to be reconciled: what was prescribed to secure the Islam of these people and others like them.
When you finish
Next, try: The Women Around the Prophet: Twelve Lives.
Sources
- Jami' al-Tirmidhi
- al-Raheeq al-Makhtum — Safi al-Rahman al-Mubarakpuri , p.233
- Ibn Ishaq / Guillaume, The Life of Muhammad (1955)
- al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/44-47
- al-Isaba fi tamyiz al-sahaba — Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani , p.337
- Ibn Sa'd, Kitab al-Tabaqat al-Kabir (Bewley translation, Ta-Ha)
- al-Isaba fi tamyiz al-sahaba — Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani , p.695
- al-Isaba fi tamyiz al-sahaba — Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani , p.875
Cite this page
islam.museum contributors. “From Opposition to Islam: Those Who Changed Sides”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/exhibits/path-from-opposition-to-islam/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-21.