The Prophet (ﷺ) entered Mecca and (at that time) there were three hundred-and-sixty idols around the Ka`ba. He started stabbing the idols with a stick he had in his hand and reciting: "Truth (Islam) has come and Falsehood (disbelief) has vanished."
Historical Context of the Conquest
This narration from Sahih al-Bukhari 2478 describes the Prophet's triumphant entry into Mecca during the Conquest in 8 AH. The 360 idols surrounding the Ka'ba represented the polytheistic practices that had corrupted the original monotheism of Abraham. Each idol corresponded to days of the lunar year, showing how deeply shirk had permeated Arabian society.
Significance of the Action
The Prophet's physical destruction of idols demonstrates that tawhid requires the complete eradication of shirk in both belief and practice. His use of a simple stick rather than a sword emphasizes that truth prevails through divine support, not merely physical force.
The recitation "Truth has come and Falsehood has vanished" quotes directly from Quran 17:81, connecting the action to divine revelation and confirming that Islam represents the ultimate truth while falsehood is inherently temporary and destined to disappear.
Scholarly Commentary on the Verse
Classical scholars like Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explain that this event fulfills Ibrahim's (AS) prayer in Quran 2:129 for a messenger who would "recite Your revelations, teach the Scripture and wisdom, and purify them." The purification mentioned refers specifically to cleansing the Ka'ba of shirk.
Imam al-Qurtubi notes that the method of destruction - stabbing rather than complete demolition - served as a powerful visual demonstration to the Quraysh of the complete overthrow of their former beliefs, making the victory more impactful psychologically.
Legal and Spiritual Implications
This hadith establishes the obligation to remove all manifestations of shirk from places of worship. Scholars derive from this that any innovation (bid'ah) in religion that leads to shirk must be opposed and eliminated.
The timing is significant - this cleansing occurred after the peaceful conquest, demonstrating that the primary objective was establishing tawhid, not military domination. The Prophet could have destroyed the idols before, but waited until Allah granted him authority over Mecca.