Surah al-Fath confirms the Prophet’s true vision of entering the Sacred Mosque. Sahih al-Bukhari shows its direct historical fulfilment in the following year’s ‘Umrat al-Qada, when the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions entered Makkah and performed the rites. The Conquest of Makkah came later as a separate greater victory, when he recited Surah al-Fath and prayed inside the Ka‘bah.
Before the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ saw a true dream connected with entering al-Masjid al-Haram. Classical tafsir explains that he saw himself and his Companions entering the Sacred Mosque. Surah al-Fath later confirmed the vision as true and promised that they would enter the sanctuary in safety, with some shaving their heads and others shortening their hair.
When the Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims set out for ‘Umrah, Quraysh prevented them from reaching the Ka‘bah at Hudaybiyyah. The journey therefore ended without entry into Makkah that year. This did not mean that the dream had failed. The treaty itself provided that the Muslims would return the following year for ‘Umrah. The Qur’anic promise thus remained connected to a future entry rather than to immediate entry in the year of Hudaybiyyah.
Sahih al-Bukhari records what happened next. In the following year the Prophet ﷺ returned with his Companions for ‘Umrat al-Qada. He entered Makkah according to the treaty, performed tawaf around the Ka‘bah, and went to al-Safa and al-Marwah, while his Companions performed the rites with him. Another report states that they remained in Makkah for three days before leaving. This next-year ‘Umrah is the direct historical fulfilment of the dream described in the Hudaybiyyah context.
The Conquest of Makkah came later and should not be confused with that first fulfilment. On the day of the Conquest, Sahih al-Bukhari reports that the Prophet ﷺ entered Makkah while riding, with Usama ibn Zayd behind him and Bilal and ‘Uthman ibn Talhah accompanying him. He entered the Ka‘bah and prayed inside it. Another authentic report describes him on his camel reciting Surah al-Fath on that same day.
The sequence is therefore clear and complete: the Prophet ﷺ saw the dream; the Muslims were temporarily prevented at Hudaybiyyah; the Qur’an confirmed the vision; the promised entry was realized the following year in ‘Umrat al-Qada; and the later Conquest of Makkah became a separate, greater victory in which the Prophet ﷺ again entered the sanctuary, recited Surah al-Fath, and prayed in the Ka‘bah. This keeps the dream and its fulfilment historically connected without merging two different entries into one event.
When the Prophet ﷺ and the Muslims set out for ‘Umrah, Quraysh prevented them from reaching the Ka‘bah at Hudaybiyyah. The journey therefore ended without entry into Makkah that year. This did not mean that the dream had failed. The treaty itself provided that the Muslims would return the following year for ‘Umrah. The Qur’anic promise thus remained connected to a future entry rather than to immediate entry in the year of Hudaybiyyah.
Sahih al-Bukhari records what happened next. In the following year the Prophet ﷺ returned with his Companions for ‘Umrat al-Qada. He entered Makkah according to the treaty, performed tawaf around the Ka‘bah, and went to al-Safa and al-Marwah, while his Companions performed the rites with him. Another report states that they remained in Makkah for three days before leaving. This next-year ‘Umrah is the direct historical fulfilment of the dream described in the Hudaybiyyah context.
The Conquest of Makkah came later and should not be confused with that first fulfilment. On the day of the Conquest, Sahih al-Bukhari reports that the Prophet ﷺ entered Makkah while riding, with Usama ibn Zayd behind him and Bilal and ‘Uthman ibn Talhah accompanying him. He entered the Ka‘bah and prayed inside it. Another authentic report describes him on his camel reciting Surah al-Fath on that same day.
The sequence is therefore clear and complete: the Prophet ﷺ saw the dream; the Muslims were temporarily prevented at Hudaybiyyah; the Qur’an confirmed the vision; the promised entry was realized the following year in ‘Umrat al-Qada; and the later Conquest of Makkah became a separate, greater victory in which the Prophet ﷺ again entered the sanctuary, recited Surah al-Fath, and prayed in the Ka‘bah. This keeps the dream and its fulfilment historically connected without merging two different entries into one event.
Conclusion
The Qur’anic promise was fulfilled when the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions entered Makkah for ‘Umrat al-Qada; the later Conquest of Makkah forms the next major chapter of the same history.
Sources
لقد صدق الله رسوله الرؤيا بالحق لتدخلن المسجد الحرام إن شاء الله آمنين.
Al-Fath 48:27.
Tafsir of Al-Fath 48:27; report that the Messenger saw in a dream entry/tawaf with his companions.