The march of the Conquest of Mecca

مسيرة فتح مكة

The march of the ten-thousand-strong army of the Conquest from Medina to Mecca in Ramadan 8 AH (January 630 CE): departing Medina on 10 Ramadan, breaking fast at al-Kudayd, encamping with 10,000 fires at Marr al-Zahran, halting at Dhu Tuwa to divide columns, and entering Mecca.

Depth

At a glance

Era
The Prophetic Era
Region
Arabia
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Stations

Summary

The march of the conquest army — ten thousand fighters — from Medina to Mecca in Ramadan 8 AH (January 630 CE) under the Prophet ﷺ's command; he left Abu Ruhm Kulthum ibn Husayn al-Ghifari in charge of Medina 1.

The route

The army set out ten days into the month of Ramadan, fasting, until they reached the water of al-Kudayd between Asfan and Amaj; there the Prophet broke his fast and the people broke theirs with him, to ease them 1.

The army marched on until it camped at Marr al-Zahran — Wadi Fatima — where the Prophet ordered fires kindled: ten thousand fires lit the valley and awed Quraysh 1. That night al-Abbas ibn Abd al-Muttalib (may God be pleased with him) brought Abu Sufyan, who became Muslim on the morrow's morning 2.

Abu Sufyan was held at the valley's narrows by the mountain's ridge while the tribal battalions paraded in arms — among them the Ansar's and Muhajirun's battalion in iron — then the army moved on and camped at Dhu Tuwa, where the entry plan was laid and the axes divided 3.

For young visitors

The Muslim army travelled a long distance through the desert while fasting, then broke their fast at a water-well. As they neared Mecca they kindled ten thousand fires in the valley, so Mecca's people saw the army's size and surrendered peacefully without a great fight.

Connections

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Part of
The Conquest of Mecca (Fath Makka)

People and things also explored

The conversion of Abu Quhafa· The conversion of Abu Sufyan ibn Harb· Abu Sufyan's mission to Medina· Ali sent to Banu Jadhima to correct Khalid's error· The Battle of Hunayn· The Demolition of al-Uzza and Major Idols· The cleansing of the Kaaba and destruction of idols· The proscribed persons on the day of the Conquest

Sources

  1. al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/42
  2. al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/44-46
  3. al-Sira al-Nabawiyya — Ibn Hisham, al-Saqqa edition (1355/1936) , 4/46-49
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “The march of the Conquest of Mecca”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/journey/fath-mecca-march/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-16.

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Related

The conversion of Abu Quhafa

At Dhu Tuwa or upon the entry into Mecca, Abu Bakr led his aged, blind father Abu Quhafa to the Prophet to profess Islam; the Prophet remarked with tenderness that he should have gone to the old man instead, and instructed that his white hair be dyed.