Al-Hilli on the non-violent conquest of Mecca

Hasan Ibn Yusuf Ibn Mutahhar Al-Hilli writes:

الظاهر من المذهب أن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله فتح مكة بالسيف ثم آمنهم بعد ذلك وبه قال أبو حنيفة ومالك والأوزاعي وقال الشافعي إنه عليه السلام فتحها صلحا بأمان قدم لهم قبل دخوله وهو منقول عن أبي سلمة بن عبد الرحمن ومجاهد لنا ما رواه الجمهور عن النبي صلى الله عليه وآله أنه قال لأهل مكة ما تروني صانعا بكم قالوا أخ كريم وأبن أخ كريم فقال أقول كما قال أخي يوسف لا تثريب عليكم اليوم يغفر الله لكم وهو أرحم الراحمين أنتم الطلقاء ومن طريق الخاصة ما رواه الشيخ عن صفوان بن يحيى وأحمد بن محمد بن أبي نصر قال ذكرنا له الكوفة إلى أن قال إن أهل الطائف أسلموا وجعلوا عليهم العشر ونصف العشر وإن أهل مكة دخلها رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله عنوة وكانوا أسراء في يده فأعتقهم فقال اذهبوا فأنتم الطلقاء

“The obvious view of the religion is that the Prophet (s.) conquered Mecca with the sword. Then he granted them security on this and this is what Abu Hanifah, Malik and Awza’i and Ash-Shafi’i said, that he conquered it before entering it by a peace treaty and this is reported by Abu Salamah Ibn Abdi r-Rahman and Mujahid. What speaks for us is what the majority reported from the Prophet (s.), namely that he said to the inhabitants of Mecca: “What do you think i am doing to you?” They said: “Gracious brother and the son of a gracious brother.” Then he said: ” I say as my brother Joseph said: “No rebuke shall come upon you this day. God forgives you and He is the most gracious of the gracious.” (12:92) Go, for you are the released.” And through the path of the special circle, what the scholar (At-Tusi) narrated from Safwan Ibn Yahya and Ahmad Ibn Muhammad Ibn Abi Nasr, who said: “We called him Kufah.” Until he (a.) said: “The people of Ta’if became Muslims and the tenth was imposed on them and half of the tenth and the inhabitants of Mecca, which the Prophet (s.) entered by force, were prisoners in his hand. Then he released them and said: “Go, for you are the released.” [Mutaha l-Matlab, Volume 14, Page 266 – 267]