The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, had instructed his commanders among the Muslims, when he ordered them to enter Mecca, not to fight anyone unless they fought them—except for certain individuals whom he named and whose execution he ordered, even if they were found beneath the curtains of the Kaaba.

Among them was Abdullah ibn Sad ibn Abi Sarh. He ordered his execution because he had embraced Islam and then apostatized as a polytheist. He fled to Uthman, his foster-brother, who concealed him until he brought him to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, after the people of Mecca had been reassured, and sought protection for him.

Also among them was Abdullah ibn Khatal, a man of Banu Tamim ibn Ghalib. His execution was ordered because he had been a Muslim, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent him as a collector of alms. He had a Muslim freedman who served him. He stopped at a place and instructed the freedman to slaughter a goat and prepare food for him. He then slept, and when he awoke, the man had prepared nothing for him. He attacked him and killed him, then apostatized as a polytheist. He had two singing-girls who sang satirical verses insulting the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, so he ordered that they too be killed along with him.

Al-Huwayrith ibn Nuqaydh ibn Wahb was among those who had harmed him in Mecca.

Miqyas ibn Subabah: his execution was ordered because he killed the Helper who had accidentally killed his brother, and then returned to Quraysh as an apostate.

Sarah, a freedwoman belonging to one of the clans of Banu al-Muttalib, was also among those who had harmed him in Mecca.

And Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl. As for Ikrimah, he fled to Yemen. His wife, Umm Hakim bint al-Harith ibn Hisham, embraced Islam and sought protection for him from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who granted him protection. She went out in search of him until she brought him to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he embraced Islam.

As for Abdullah ibn Khatal, Sad ibn Hurayth al-Makhzumi and Abu Barzah al-Aslami killed him, sharing in his blood. As for Miqyas ibn Subabah, he was killed by Tumaylah ibn Abdullah, a man from his own people. As for Ibn Khatal’s two singing-girls, one of them was killed, while the other fled until protection was sought for her from the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he granted her protection. As for Sarah, she went into hiding until protection was sought for her, and he granted it. She lived until, during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, a man’s horse trampled her to death at al-Abtah. As for al-Huwayrith ibn Nuqaydh, Ali ibn Abi Talib killed him.

When the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, entered Mecca, he stood at the door of the Kaaba and said, “There is no god but Allah alone. He has fulfilled His promise, granted victory to His servant, and defeated the confederates alone. Indeed, every distinction of honor, blood claim, or property claim from the Age of Ignorance…”