The apostle goes to Thaqif to seek help
In consequence of the growing hostility of Quraysh after Abu Talib's death the apostle went to Ta'if to seek help from Thaqif and their defence against his tribe. Also he hoped that they would receive the message which God had given him. He went alone.
Yazid b. Ziyad told me from Muhammad b. Ka'b al-Qurayzi: 'When the apostle arrived at al-Ta'if he made for a number of Thaqif who were at that time leaders and chiefs, namely three brothers. One of them had a Quraysh wife of the B. Jumah. The apostle sat with them and invited them to accept Islam and asked them to help him against his opponents at home. One of them swore that he would tear up the covering of the Ka'ba if God had sent him. The other said, 'Could not God have found someone better than you to send?" The third said, "By God, don't let me ever speak to you. If you are an apostle from God as you say you are, you are far too important for me to reply to, and if you are lying against God it is not right that I should speak to you!" So the apostle got up and went, despairing of getting any good out of Thaqif.
I have been told that he said to them, "Seeing that you have acted as you have, keep the matter secret," for he was loath that his people should hear about it, so that they would be still further emboldened against him. But they did not do so and stirred up their louts and slaves to insult him and cry after him until a crowd came together, and compelled him to take refuge in an orchard belonging to 'Utba b. Rabi'a and his brother Shayba who were in it at the time. The louts who had followed him went back, and he made for the shade of a vine and sat there while the two men watched him, observing what he had to endure from the local louts. I was told that the apostle had met the woman from the B. Jumah and said to her, "What has befallen us from your husband's people?"
'When the apostle reached safety he said, so I am told, "O God, to Thee I complain of my weakness, little resource, and lowliness before men. O Most Merciful, Thou art the Lord of the weak, and Thou art my Lord. To whom wilt Thou confide me? To one afar who will misuse me? Or to an enemy to whom Thou hast given power over me? If Thou art not angry with me I care not. Thy favour is more wide for me. I take refuge in the light of Thy countenance by which the darkness is illumined, and the things of this world and the next are rightly orderd, lest Thy anger descend upon me or Thy wrath light upon me. It is for Thee to be satisfied until Thou art well pleased. There is no power and no might save in Thee."
"When 'Utba and Shayba saw what happened they were moved with compassion and called a young Christian slave of theirs called 'Addas and told him to take a bunch of grapes on a platter and give them to him to eat. 'Addas did so, and when the apostle put his hand in the platter he said "In the name of God" before eating. 'Addas looked closely into his face and said, "By God, this is not the way the people of this country speak." The apostle then asked "Then from what country do you come, O 'Addas? and what is your religion?" He replied that he was a Christian and came from Nineveh. "From the town of the righteous man Jonah son of Mattal," said the apostle. "But how did you know about him?" asked 'Addas. "He is my brother; he was a prophet and I am a prophet,' answered the apostle. 'Addas bent over him and kissed his head, his hands, and his feet.
'The two brothers were looking on and one said to the other, "He's already corrupted your slave!" And when 'Addas came back they said to him: "You rascal, why were you kissing the man's head, hands, and feet?" He answered that he was the finest man in the country who had told him things that only a prophet could know. They replied, "You rascal, don't let him seduce you from your religion, for it is better than his."
"The apostle returned from Ta'if when he despaired of getting anything out of Thaqif. When he reached Nakhla he rose to pray in the middle of the night, and a number of jinn whom God has mentioned passed by. They were- so I am told- seven jinn from Nasibin. They listened to him and when he had finished his prayer they turned back to their people to warn them having believed and responded to what they had heard. God had mentioned them in the words "And when We inclined to thee certain of the jinn who were listening to the Quran" as far as "and He will give you protection from a painful punishment". (46:29) And again, "Say: it has been revealed unto me that a number of the jinn listened." (72:1)
The Hijra of the Prophet
After his companions had left, the apostle stayed in Mecca waiting for permission to migrate. Except for Abu Bakr and 'Ali, none of his supporters were left but those under restraint and those who had been forced to apostatize. The former kept asking the apostle for permission to emigrate and he would answer, 'Don't be in a hurry; it may be that God will give you a companion.' Abu Bakr hoped that it would be Muhammad himself.
When the Quraysh saw that the apostle had a party and companions not of their tribe and outside their territory, and that his companions had migrated to join them, and knew that they had settled in a new home and had gained protectors, they feared that the apostle might join them, since they knew that he had decided to fight them. So they assembled in their council chamber, the house of Qusayy b. Kilab where all their important business was conducted, to take counsel what they should do in regard to the apostle, for they were now in fear of him.
One of our companions whom I have no reason to doubt told on the authority of 'Abdullah b. Abu Najih from Mujahid b. Jubayr father of al-Hajjaj; and another person of the same character on the authority of 'Abdullah b. 'Abbas told me that when they had fixed a day to come to a decision about the apostle, on the morning of that very day which was called the day of al-Zahma the devil came to them in the form of a handsome old man clad in a mantle and stood at the door of the house. When they saw him standing there they asked him who he was and he told them that he was a shaykh from the highlands who had heard of their intention and had come to hear what they had to say and perhaps to give them counsel and advice. He was invited to enter and there he found the leaders of Quraysh.
The discussion opened with the statement that now that Muhammad had gained adherents outside the tribe they were no longer safe against a sudden attack and the meeting was to determine the best course to pursue. One advised that they should put him in irons behind bars and then wait until the same fate overtook him as befell his like, the poets Zuhayr and Nabigha, and others. The shaykh objected to this on the ground that news would leak out that he was imprisoned, and immediately his followers would attack and snatch him away; then their numbers would so grow that they would destroy the authority of Quraysh altogether.
They must think of another plan. Another man suggested that they should drive him out of the country. They did not care where he went or what happened to him once he was out of sight and they were rid of him. They could then restore their social life to its former state. Again the shaykh objected that it was not a good plan. His fine speech and beautiful diction and the compelling force of his message were such that if he settled with some Beduin tribe he would win them over so that they would follow him and come and attack them in their land and rob them of their position and authority and then he could do what he liked with them. They must think of a better plan.
Thereupon Abu Jahl said that he had a plan which had not been suggested hitherto, namely that each clan should provide a young, powerful, well-born, aristocratic warrior; that each of these should be provided with a sharp sword; then that each of them should strike a blow at him and kill him. Thus they would be relieved of him, and responsibility for his blood would lie upon all the clans. The B. 'Abdu Manaf could not fight them all and would have to accept the blood-money which they would all contribute to. The shaykh exclaimed: 'The man is right. In my opinion it is the only thing to do.' Having come to a decision the people dispersed.
Then Gabriel came to the apostle and said: 'Do not sleep tonight on the bed on which you usually sleep.' Before much of the night had passed they assembled at his door waiting for him to go to sleep so thay they might fall upon him. When the apostle saw what they were doing he told 'Ali to lie on his bed and to wrap himself in his green Hadrami mantle; for no harm would befall him. He himself used to sleep in this mantle.
Yazid b. Ziyad on the authority of Muhammad b. Ka'b. al-Qurazi told me that when they were all outside his door Abu Jahl said to them: 'Muhammad alleges that if you follow him you will be kings of the Arabs and the Persians. Then after death you will be raised to gardens like those of the Jordan. But if you do not follow him you will be slaughtered, and when you are raised from the dead you will be burned in the fire of hell.' The apostle came out to them with a handful of dust saying: 'I do say that. You are one of them.' God took away their sight so that they could not see him and he began to sprinkle the dust on their heads as he recited these verses: 'Ya Sin (36: 1-8). when he had finished reciting not one of them but had dust upon his head. Then he went wherever he wanted to go and someone not of their company came up and asked them what they were waiting for them. When they said that they were waiting for Muhammad he said: 'But good heavens Muhamad came out to you and put dust on the head of every single man of you and then went off on his own affairs. Can't you see what has happened to you?' They put up their hands and felt the dust on their heads. Then they began to search and saw 'Ali on the bed wrapped in the apostle's mantle and said, 'By God it is Muhammad sleeping in his mantle.' Thus they remained until the morning when 'Ali rose from the bed and then they realized that the man had told them the truth.
Among the verses of the Quran which God sent down about that day and what they had agreed upon are: 'And when the unbelievers plot to shut thee up or to kill thee or to drive thee out they plot, but God plots also, and God is the best of plotters'; (8:30) and 'Or they say he is a poet for whom we may expect the misfortune of fate. Say: Go on expecting for I am with you among the expectant'. (52:30)
It was then that God gave permission to his prophet to migrate. Now 'Abu Bakr was a man of means, and at the time that he asked the apostle's permission to migrate he replied 'Do not hurry; perhaps God will give you a companion,' hoping that the apostle meant himself he bought two camels and kept them tied up in his house supplying them with fodder in preparations for departure.
A man whom I have no reason to doubt told me as from 'Urwa b. al-Zubayr that 'A'isha said: The apostle used to go to Abu Bakr's house every day either in the early morning or at night; but on the day when he was given permission to migrate from Mecca he came to us at noon, an hour at which he was not wont to come. As soon as he saw him Abu Bakr realized that something had happened to bring him at this hour. When he came in Abu Bakr gave up his seat to him. Only my sister Asma' and I were there and the apostle asked him to send us away. 'But they are my two daughters and they can do no harm, may my father and my mother be your ransom,' said Abu Bakr. 'God has given me permission to depart and migrate,' he answered. 'Together?' asked Abu Bakr. 'Together,' he replied. And by God before that day I had never seen anyone weep for joy as Abu Bakr wept then. At last he said, 'O prophet of God, these are the two camels which I have held in readiness for this.' So they hired 'Abdullah b. Arqat, a man of B. 'l-Di'l b. Bakr whose mother was a woman of B.Sahm b. 'Amr, and a polytheist to lead them on the way, and they handed over to him their two camels and he kept them and fed them until the appointed day came.
According to what I have been told none knew when the apostle left except 'Ali and Abu Bakr and the latter's family. I have heard that the apostle told 'Ali about his departure and ordered him to stay behind in Mecca in order to return goods which men had deposited with the apostle; for anyone in Mecca who had property which he was anxious about left it with him because of his notorious honesty and trustworthiness.
When the apostle decided to go he came to Abu Bakr and the two of them left by a window in the back of the latter's house and made for a cave on Thaur, a mountain below Mecca. Having entered, Abu Bakr ordered his son 'Abdullah to listen to what people were saying and to come to them by night with the day's news. He also ordered 'Amir b. Fuhayra, his freedman, to feed his flock by day and to bring them to them in the evening in the cave. Asma' his daughter used to come at night with food to sustain them.
The two of them stayed in the cave for three days. When Quraysh missed the apostle they offered a hundred she-camels to anyone who would bring him back. During the day 'Abdullah was listening to their plans and conversation and would come at night with the news. 'Amir used to pasture his flock with the shepherds of Mecca and when night fell would bring them to the cave where they milked them and slaughtered some. When 'Abdullah left them in the morning to go to Mecca, 'Amir would take the sheep over the same route to cover his tracks. When the three days had passed and men's interest waned, the man they had hired came with their camels and one of his own. Asma' came too with a bag of provisionsl but she had forgotten to bring a rope, so that when they started she could not tie the bag on the camel. Thereupon she undid her girdle and using it as a rope tied the bag to the saddle. For this reason she got the name 'She of the girdle'.
When Abu Bakr brought the two camels to the apostle he offered the better one to him and invited him to ride her. But the apostle refused to ride an animal which was not his own and when Abu Bakr wanted to give him it he demanded to know what he had paid for it and brought it from him. They rode off, and Abu Bakr carried 'Amir his freedman behind him to act as a servant on the journey.
I was told that Asma' said, 'When the apostle and Abu Bakr had gone, a number of Quraysh including Abu Jahl came to us and stood at the door. When I went out to them they asked where my father was and when I said that I did not know Abu Jahl, who was a rough dissolute man, slapped my face so violently that my earring flew off. Then they took themsleves off and we remained for three days without news until a man of the Jinn came from the lower part of Mecca singing some verses in the Arab way. And lo people were following him and listening to his voice but they could not see him, until he emerged from the upper part of Mecca saying the while:
God the Lord of men give the best of his rewards
To the two companions who rested in the two tents of Umm Ma'bad.
They came with good intent and went off at nightfall.
May Muhammad's companion prosper!
May the place of the Banu Ka'b's woman bring them luck,
For she was a look-out for the believers'
Asma' continued: 'When we heard his words we knew that the apostle was making for Medina. There were four of them: the apostle, Abu Bakr, 'Amir, and 'Abdullah b. Arqat their guide'.
Yahya b. Abbad told me that his father 'Abbad told him that his gradmother Asma' said: 'When the apostle went forth with Abu Bakr the latter carried all his money with him to the amount of five or six thousand dirhams. My grandfather Abu Quhafa who had lost his sight came to call on us saying that he thought that Abu Bakr had put us in a difficulty by taking off all his money. I told him that he had left us plenty of money. And I took some stones and put them in a niche where Abu Bakr kept his money; then I covered them with a cloth and took his hand and said, " Put your hand on this money, father." He did so and said: "There's nothing to worry about; he has done well in leaving you this, and you will have enough." In fact he had left us nothing, but I wanted to set the old man's mind at rest.'
Al-Zuhri told me that 'Abdu'l-Rahman b. Malik told him from his father, from his uncle Suraqa b. Malik: 'When the apostle migrated Quraysh offered a reward of a hundred camels to anyone who would bring him back. While I was sitting in my people's assembly one of our men came up and stopped saying ,"By God, I've just seen three riders passing. I think they must be Muhammad and his companions." I gave him a wink enjoining silence and said "They are the so-and-so looking for a lost camel." "Perhaps so," he said and remained silent. I remained there for a short while; then I got up and went to my house and ordered my horse to be got ready, for it was tethered for me in the bottom of the valley. Then I asked for my weapons and they were brought from the back of the room. Then I took my divining arrows and went out, having put on my armour. Then I cast the divining arrows and out came the arrow which I did not want: "Do him no harm." I did the same again and got the same result. I was hoping to bring him back to Quraysh so that I might win the hundred camels rewards.
'I rode in pursuit of him and when my horse was going at a good pace he stumbled and threw me. I thought this was somewhat unusual so I resorted to the diving arrows again and out came the detestable "Do him no harm." But I refused to be put off and rode on in pursuit. Again my horse stumbled and threw me, and again I tried the arrows with the same result. I rode on, and at last as I saw the little band of my horse stumbled with me and its forelegs went into the ground and I fell. Then as it got its legs out of the ground smoke arose like a sandstorm. When I saw that I knew that he was protected against me and would have the upper hand. I called to them saying who I was and asking them to wait for me; and that they need have no concern, for no harm would come to them from me. The apostle told Abu Bakr to ask what I wanted and I said, "Write a document for me which will be a sign between you and me" and the apostle instructed Abu Bakr to do so.
'He wrote it on a bone, or a piece of paper, or a potsherd and threw it to me and I put it in my quiver and went back. I kept quiet about the whole affair until when the apostle conquered Mecca and finished with al-Taif and Hunayn I went out to give him the document and I met him in al-Ji'rana.
'I got among a squadron of the Ansar cavalry and they began to beat me with their spears, saying, "Be off with you; what on earth do you want?" However, I got near to the apostle as he sat on his camel and his shank in his stirrup looked to me like the trunk of a palm-tree. I lifted my hand with the document, saying what it was and what my name was. He said "It is a day of repaying and goodness. Let him come near." So I approached him and accepted Islam. Then I remembered something that I wanted to ask him. All I can remember now is that I said "Stray camels used to come to my cistern which I kept full for my own camels. Shall I get a reward for having let them have water?" "Yes," he said, "for watering every thirsty creature there is a reward." Then I returned to my people and brought my alms to the apostle'
Muhammad b. Ja'far from 'Abdu'l-Rahman b. 'Uwaymir b. Sa'ida told me, saying, 'Men of my tribe who were the apostle's companions told me, "When we heard that the apostle had left Mecca and we were eagerly expecting his arrival we used to go out after morning prayers to our lava tract beyond our land to await him. This we did until there was no more shade left and then we went indoors in the hot season. On the day that the apostle arrived we had sat as we always had until there being no more shade we went indoors and then the apostle arrived. The first to see him was a Jew. He had seen what we were in the habit of doing and that we were expecting the arrival of the apostle and he called out at the top of his voice 'O Banu Qayla your luck has come!' So we went out to greet the apostle who was in the shadow of a palm-tree with Abu Bakr who was of like age. Now most of us had never seen the apostle and as the people crowded round him they did not know him from Abu Bakr until the shade left him and Abu Bakr got up with his matle and shielded him from the sun, and then we knew."'
The apostle, so they say, stayed with Kulthum b. Hidm brother of the B. 'Amr b. 'Auf, one of the B.'Ubayd. Others say he stayed with Sa'd b. Khaythama. Those who assert the former say that it was only because he left Kulthum to go and sit with the men in Sa'd's house (for he was a bachelor and housed the apostle's companions who were bachelors) that it is said that he stayed with Sa'd, for his house used to be called the house of the bachelors. But God knows the truth of the matter.
'Ali stayed in Mecca for three days and nights until he had restored the deposits which the apostle held. This done he joined the apostle and lodged with him at Kulthum's house. He stayed in Quba' only a night or two. He used to say that in Quba' there was an unmarried Muslim woman and he noticed that a man used to come to her in the middle of the night and knock on her door; She would come out and he would give her something. He felt very suspicious of him and asked her what was the meaning of this nightly performance as she was a Muslim woman without a husband. She told him that the man was Sahl b.Hunayf who knew that she was all alone and he used to break up the idols of his tribe at night and bring her the pieces to use as fuel. 'Ali used to talk of this incident until Sahl died in Iraq while he was with him. Hind b. Sa'd told me this story from what 'Ali said.
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