Muhammad's Conquest of Mecca and Cleansing of the Kaaba

In January 630 CE, Muhammad led approximately 10,000 Muslims from Medina to Mecca after the Quraysh violated the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah. The city surrendered with minimal bloodshed. Muhammad declared general amnesty and entered the Kaaba, removing its 360 idols and redededicating it to monotheistic worship. Abu Sufyan, Quraysh leader and former opponent, converted to Islam before the city's surrender. The conquest established Mecca as Islam's spiritual center, a role it maintains today.