having accomplished the distribution of the spoils at al-ji‘ranah he left it while wearing al-‘umrah clothes and proceeded to makkah to perform al-‘umrah. the messenger of allâh [pbuh] turned back from there to madinah after appointing ‘itab bin usaid on makkah as governor. his arrival to madinah was by the last six nights of dhul-qa‘dah, in the year 8 a.h. on this occasion muhammad al-ghazali said:

"what a great change it is between the victorious period of muhammad at present which allâh has towered with a manifest conquest, and that period of the past during which muhammad first arrived at this town, eight years ago."

when he first came to madinah, he was pursued and wanted. he was seeking a secure shelter. he was a lonely stranger who sought companionship and comfort. the people of madinah welcomed him, gave him residence and aided him and embraced the light of islam, which had been sent down upon him. they, for his sake, did not care about the enmity of other peoples. here he is entering madinah again, after the lapse of eight years of that first visit. madinah, the town that had received him once, when he was a frightened emigrant; it receives him once again when makkah has become in his hands and at his disposal. it is makkah that has got rid of its pride and jahiliyah (i.e. pre-islamic period and traditions). it is now proud again and mighty in islam. the messenger of allâh forgave all the errors and wrongs of its people.

"verily, he who fears allâh with obedience to him (by abstaining from sins and evil deeds, and by performing righteous good deeds), and is patient, then surely, allâh makes not the reward of the good-doers to be lost." [al-qur'an 12:90] [fiqh-us-seerah 303; za'd al-ma'ad 2/160-201; ibn hisham 2/389-501; sahih bukhari: chapter fath ghazwal, hunian, awtas and at-ta'if 2/612-622. fath al-bari 8/3-58]