Indeed, Allah later empowered ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Marwān over him, and the latter had him executed—an act of calculated treachery carried out after he had been seized. His army was routed and its commander slain; the details will be given, God willing.

Points derived from the ḥadith:

1. Knowledge must be imparted when there is need for it, for that is when it is most persuasive.
2. Rulers are to be advised, and such counsel should be offered with tact and gentleness, for that is likeliest to achieve its aim.
3. A report should be corroborated by whatever confirms it—stating the reliable paths by which it reached one: having heard it personally, heard it repeatedly, witnessed the matter, or received it from a trustworthy source, and the like.
4. Important speeches, addresses, letters, and other significant communications should open with praise and glorification of Allah.
5. Allah declared Mecca sacred from the day He created the heavens and the earth, proving that its excellence is not tied to passing circumstances; rather, its veneration is ancient and intrinsic. Abraham’s declaration merely made manifest what Allah had already consecrated.
6. Sound faith is what restrains a person from Allah’s prohibitions and from crossing His limits.
7. Shedding blood in Mecca is forbidden—apparently without exception. A fuller discussion will follow, God willing, in the next ḥadith.
8. Cutting its trees is likewise prohibited, whether they grew spontaneously or were planted by people. This too will be addressed, God willing, in the next ḥadith.
9. No one may invoke the Prophet’s ﷺ combat in Mecca as a licence to fight there himself.
10. The Sanctuary was made lawful for the Prophet ﷺ for but a single hour; it had never been lawful before, and will never be lawful again.
11. The Prophet conquered Mecca by force, as indicated by his words, “If anyone seeks a concession on the basis of the Messenger of Allah’s fighting….”
12. Whoever possesses knowledge must convey it, especially when the need arises. This was what moved Abū Shurayḥ to counsel ʿAmr ibn Saʿīd.
13. Ibn Jarīr said: this shows that a solitary report is acceptable, for everyone who heard that sermon was obliged to transmit it.

Note:
The disputed legal issues connected to this ḥadith have been deferred to the discussion of the next ḥadith, because the two reports are closely related in meaning.