Life event
Instructed by the Prophet ﷺ to build a mosque on the site where al-Lat had stood, after its treasures were taken to the Bayt al-Mal and distributed to the poor and needy.
~9 AH, shortly after the delegation of Thaqif · 9 AH
During their negotiations with the Prophet ﷺ, the Thaqif accepted that their idol al-Lat would be destroyed, but asked not to be the ones to do it. Al-Lat was the second most prestigious idol of the pagan Arabs after Hubal. The Prophet ﷺ sent al-Mughira ibn Shu'ba RA, who was their own kinsman, together with Abu Sufyan ibn Harb RA, to destroy it.
The whole tribe gathered anxiously, with the women crying and the elders wailing. Mughira first played a prank on them. He struck the idol, cried out, and fell on his face as if al-Lat had struck him down. The crowd rejoiced, thinking their idol had defended itself. Then Mughira jumped up and mocked them for believing it. The idol's caretaker warned that the earth would swallow anyone who reached its base. Mughira carried on and demolished al-Lat completely, down to the ground.
The Prophet ﷺ then sent word to Uthman ibn Abi al-As RA to build a mosque where the idol had stood. The treasures kept in its sanctuary were taken to the Bayt al-Mal, the public treasury, and the Prophet ﷺ distributed them to the poor and needy.
This marked the end of paganism among the Thaqif, the last tribe of the Hejaz still holding to idol worship. The story of Mughira's prank is not in Ibn Ishaq's biography of the Prophet ﷺ. It appears in later works of seerah such as al-Rawd al-Anf.
The Expedition of Tabuk·Chapter 12 of 15Al-Lat falls
See the whole storyThe Year of Delegations·Chapter 4 of 15Al-Lat falls
See the whole storyOther events recorded in 9 AH. Their order within the year is not established; use the storyline above for the sequence.
Instructed by the Prophet ﷺ to build a mosque on the site where al-Lat had stood, after its treasures were taken to the Bayt al-Mal and distributed to the poor and needy.
Do you want me to play a joke on them?
Asked of Abu Sufyan RA as the two of them prepared to destroy the idol al-Lat before the watching tribe of Thaqif.
Go ahead.
Al-Mughira struck the idol, cried out, and collapsed as if struck down; the watching crowd rejoiced, believing al-Lat had defended itself and killed him.
You fools! I did this to show you how foolish you are!
After striking the idol, crying out, and collapsing as if struck down (so the crowd first rejoiced, thinking al-Lat had defended itself) Mughira jumped back up and mocked them.
When you get to the base of the idol, you will see the earth will swallow you up.
Just to show you, I won't stop until I destroy it down to the ground.