The Migration

Thanks to the allegiance and support offered by the Ansaar, for the Muslims found a new rock of refuge. The Prophet (peace be upon him) commanded the Muslims in Mecca to migrate and join their brothers-in-faith, the Ansaar, in Madinah. He told his companions, God has provided to you some brethren and homes where you will live in safety. So the Muslims travelled themselves in batches from Mecca to Yathrib, leaving the Prophet (peace be upon him) behind in Mecca in anticipation of the command of Allah as to when he should leave the city.

 

But it was not easy to migrate as the Quraysh decided at once to take stringent measures against them. The pagan Quraysh did everything they could to stop the exodus such as creating obstacles along the way of the emigrants to prevent their departure, but the Muslims were equally determined not to reconsider their plans. Bent on leaving Mecca at all cost, some, like Abu Salama, had departed alone leaving their wives and children, while others, like Suhayb, had to give up their life-long earnings before leaving Mecca. Umm Salama relates:

 

When Abu Salama had made up his mind to set out for Madinah, he saddled his camel and mounted me on it with my son Salama. Then, taking hold of the camels halter, he went ahead. When some of the men belonging to Bani al-Mughari saw him, they came near us saying, It is alright so far as you are concerned, but how can we allow your wife to go with you? They snatched the camels headstall from his hand and took me with them. At this crucial point, Banu Abdul Asad, the clansmen of Abu Salama, got angry. They said: By God, you have torn her from our brother, but we will not allow our son to go with her. A scuffle started between them for the child Salama, until his arm was dislocated, and Bani Asad took him away leaving me with Bani al-Mughira while my husband went away to Madinah. Thus, all the three of us -- my self, my husband and my son were separated. I used to go out every morning to Abtah weeping till nightfall. A whole year passed in this manner when one of my cousins from Al-Mughira took pity on me and said to Bani al-Mughira: Why dont you let this poor woman go? You have separated her from her husband and son. So they said to me: You can go to your husband if you like. Then Banu Asad reunited me with my son. I saddled my camel and taking the child with me, set out for Madinah in search of my husband accompanied by not a blessed soul with me. When I arrived at Tanim I happened to meet Uthman Ibn Talha (23) of Bani Abdul-Dar who asked me where I intended to go. I replied that I was going to my husband in Medina. He asked if I had anybody with me to which I said in reply, None save this child and God. He said, By God, it is not easy for you to reach your destination. He took hold of the camels rope and went ahead leading it. I swear, I have never met a man nobler than he. Whenever we had to make a halt, he used to kneel the camel and withdraw; after I had got down, he used to unload the camel, tie it to a tree and go away to take rest under a tree. In the evening, he used to saddle the camel and load it, and then withdrew asking me to ride; he came back after I had mounted and taking the halter in his hand, he went ahead to the next destination thus he escorted me until I reached Madinah. When he saw Quba, the habitation of Bani Amr Ibn Auf, he said, Your husband is in this village. Now go to him with the blessing of God. Thus he bade me farewell and went off on his way back to Mecca.

 

She also used to say that no family in Islam suffered the hardships the way that the family of Abu Salama did. (Ibn Kathir, Vol.2, PP.215-17)

 

When Suhayb tried to leave for Madinah, the disbelieving Quraysh said to him, You came to us as a destitute beggar and have grown rich among us, and now you want to go away safely with your life and wealth. By God, it shall never be so! Suhayb asked, Would you allow me to go if I give my property to you? When they replied in the affirmative, Suhayb said, I will give you the whole of it.

 

When the Prophet (peace be upon him) was told about the incident, he exclaimed, Suhayb has made a profit! Suhayb has made a profit! (Ibn Kathir, Vol.2, P.233)

 

The emigrants to Medinah during this period were Umar, Talha, Hamza, Zayd Ibn Haritha, Abdur Rahman Ibn Auf, Zubayr Ibn al-Awwam, Abu Hudhayafa, Uthman Ibn Affan and several other companions of the Prophet (May Allah be pleased with them ajma'een). Thereafter, the emigrants trickled away one by one. The only ones left in Mecca, besides the Prophet (peace be upon him), Abu Bakr (radiallahu 'anhu) and Ali (May Allah be pleased with themaa) were either those who are detained because of some restraints or those who had fallen victims of their own shortcomings. (Ibn Hisham, Vol. I, pp. 470-79)

 

UNSUCCESSFUL CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE PROPHET (peace be upon him)

 

The migration of Muslims to Madinah frightened the Meccans out of their wits. For no sooner did they realize that the Prophet (peace be upon him) had already established a base with a large number of adherents in a foreign territory beyond their reach, and if he were also to join them there, then they would be rendered helpless, deprived of all authority over him. They held a council in Dar al-Nadwa (24) where all the chiefs of the Quraysh had assembled to deliberate on the possible solutions of the problem.

 

They debated and scrutinized the various suggestions and finally decided unanimously that each clan should provide young, courageous and blue-blooded warrior so that all of them fall upon Muhammad (peace be upon him) to jointly kill him. Thus, the responsibility of shedding his blood would lie equally on all the clans, and no single clan whatsoever would then be held responsible for it and Abdu Munaf for sure, would not dare take up a hatchet against all the people. Determined to slay the Prophet (peace be upon him), the pagans dispersed to execute their treacherous scheme.

 

But the Prophet (peace be upon him) was warned of their wicked plan by the All-Knowing God and thus, had asked Ali instead to lie on his bed and wrap himself in his mantle, assuring the that no harm would come to him.

 

The shrewd and determined gang stood outside the Prophets house with drawn scimitars in their hands prepared to attack the Prophet (peace be upon him). Muhammad (peace be upon him) came out and took a handful of dust. God instantly obscured their eye sight and the Prophet (peace be upon him) went through their ranks, sprinkling the dust over their heads and reciting the Surah Ya Sin:

 

"And we have set a bar before them and a bar behind them, and (thus) have covered them so that they see not.

 

[Qur'aan 36:9]

 

He went through them but nobody was able to see him.

 

Then, there came a man who asked them, What are you waiting for? When they replied that they were waiting for Muhammad (peace be upon him), he said, May God confound you! He has already gone away. They peeped through the chink of the door and saw Ali sleeping on the bed wrapped in the Prophets mantle. They had mistaken him for the Prophet (peace be upon him) and decided to wait till morning when Ali got up from the bed. All of them were abashed by the incident. (Ibn Hisham, Vol. Pp. 480-83)