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What was the reason for the Prophet's (peace be upon him) command to kill some of the polytheists on the day of the Conquest of Mecca, such as Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl, and was that a revelation from Allah or was it out of a desire for revenge?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

Ikrimah ibn Abi Jahl was a fierce enemy of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. He actively planned the Battle of Uhud and was on the left flank of the army during it. He led the polytheists on the Day of the Trench and incited Banu Kinanah and Qurayzah to fight. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, forgave him and granted him safety after his conversion to Islam. Thereafter, he became one of the leaders of the Mujahideen and was martyred during the conquests of Ash-Sham. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, exerted his utmost effort and commanded what he deemed correct, and his judgment was considered revelation. He was merciful and forbearing. However, Ikrimah's enmity was not directed at his person, but rather at the religion he brought. His sternness and severity towards those who fought against the religion are in accordance with what is right, as Allah Almighty says: "O Prophet, strive against the disbelievers and the hypocrites and be harsh upon them."

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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