The march of the Conquest of Mecca

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

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 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.