CHAPTER 35: CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING TO THE MIGRATION OF ALLAH’S MESSENGER
CIRCUMSTANCES LEADING TO THE MIGRATION OF ALLAH’S MESSENGER
Allah says: “And say (O Muhammad): My Lord! Let my entry (to the city of Madinah) be good, and likewise my exit (from the city of Makkah) be good. And grant me from You an authority to help me (or a firm sign or a proof).” (Soorah Al-Isra 17:80)
Allah guided and inspired the Messenger of Allah peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to supplicate with these words to make for him ease in the nearest future and a speedy way-out. Thus, Allah granted him permission to migrate to Madinah, the city of the Prophet, wherein waited, for him, helpers and beloved; and which eventually
became his residence and final resting place.
Ibn Ishaq related: After his Companions among the Muhajiroon had left, Allah’s Messenger peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, remained in Makkah waiting for the permission to migrate. No one remained with him aside from those who were detained and those who were tortured into submission except ‘Ali Ibn Abi Talib and Abu Bakr Ibn Abi Quhafah, may Allah be pleased with them both. Abu Bakr persistently requested the permission of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to make Hijrah and he would say to him: “Don’t be in haste, perhaps Allah will grant you a companion.” Abu Bakr wished it would be the Prophet himself.
Now that it became clear to the Quraish that Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, has a faction and Companions not just outside their tribe but outside their land as well, they became worried. Moreover, what made the Quraish more worrisome was the continuous migration of his Companions among the Muhajiroon to Madinah where they have found a new home and protection. Thus, they feared that the Messenger of Allah would also migrate to join them for they knew that they will eventually fight them.
In order to stymy this, the Quraish gathered in Darun-Nadwah, a house belonging to Qusayy Ibn Kilab where they used to make important decisions concerning them. They gathered to discuss the issue of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and the strong position he posed to their collective existence.
Ibn Ishaq related that I was informed that ‘Abdullah Ibn ‘Abbas said: So they agreed to meet in the Darun-Nadwah to deliberate on the issue of Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him. On the appointed day which is known as the day of Zam‘ah (crowd), Iblees (Shaitan), may Allah’s curse be on him, came in the form of a handsome old man wearing a mantle and stood at the door. When they saw him standing by the door, they asked: “From where is the old man?” He said: “An old man from the people of Najd; I heard about what you are deliberating upon and I chose to attend the meeting with you so that I may listen to your deliberation and help you reach a sound decision.” They said to him: “Come in, then.” Shaitan entered the room wherein were gathered the nobles of the Quraish: ‘Utbah, Shaibah, Abu Sufyan, Tu’aimah Ibn ‘Adiyy, Jubair Ibn Mut‘im Ibn ‘Adiyy, Al-Harith Ibn ‘Amir Ibn Nawfal, Nadr Ibn Al-Harith, Abul-Bakhtari Ibn Hisham, Zam‘ah Ibn Al-Aswad, Hakeem
Ibn Hizam, Abu Jahl Ibn Hisham, Nubaih and Munabbih, the two sons of Al-Hajjaj and Umayyah Ibn Khalaf, respectively, among several others that cannot be mentioned among the Quraish.
They said to one another: “The matter of this man has reached a proportion which all of you are not oblivious to. By Allah, we should not allow him to pounce upon us with his followers outside our tribe. So give the matter a consideration.” In the course of the deliberation, one of them (some said it was Abu-Bakhtari Ibn Hisham) suggested: “Why not we put him in iron shackles and lock him away behind bars to await death in a similar manner to what happened to the poets that came before him like Zuhair and Nabighah.” The “old man” of Najd said: “No, by Allah, this suggestion is not good enough. If you enshackle him as you said, the news of his fate will filter out from behind bars to his Companions and without a doubt, they will pounce upon you and they will snatch him away from you. Thereafter, they will reinforce themselves and then vanquish you. So this is not a good proposal.”
After further deliberation, one of them suggested: “We should expel him from our land. Once he is out of our domain, we will be less concerned about where he goes. When we are relieved of his trouble, we will rectify our affairs and we will return to our good old days.” Again, the “old man” of Najd said: “This is not a good opinion either. Haven’t you observed the beauty of his speech and the sweetness of his logic and the manner he overwhelms men with his message? By Allah, if you apply this suggestion, he would win the Bedouin Arabs over to him with his speech and sweet rendition and they would follow him. Then they would take away your affairs from your hands and then do whatever they like with you. Think of a course of action better than this.”
Finally, Abu Jahl said: “By Allah, I have an idea after which a better one will not occur to you.” “What is the idea, O Abul-Hakam?” They asked. He said: “I suggest that we choose from the different clans each a young and strong man of high descent and noble status among us. Then we will give each youth a sharp sword to attack him; each dealing him a simultaneous fatal blow and then we can be relieved of him. If we do this, the responsibility for his blood will be borne by all the clans and the Banu ‘Abd Manaf will be incapable of fighting against the clans altogether. They would be forced to accept
whatever blood money paid to them by the entire clans.” The “old man” of Najd said: “This is the real proposal, there is no better idea than this.” After they reached a firm decision, the meeting ended with a firm determination to implement the plan.
Jibraeel came to the Messenger of Allah saying: “Do not sleep in your bed tonight.” When it became dark, they gathered at his door keeping a vigil waiting for him to go to sleep before they attack him. When Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, saw through their nasty intensions, he said to ‘Ali, “Sleep on my bed and cover yourself with my green Hadrami mantle. Use it when sleeping and nothing you dislike will reach you from them.” Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, usually slept in that same mantle.
Ibn Ishaq related that Yazeed Ibn Abi Ziyad narrated to me from Muhammad Ibn Ka‘b Al-Qurazi that: When they gathered with their evil designs at his door, Abu Jahl, who was among them, said to them in mockery: “Muhammad claims that if you followed him, you will be kings over the Arabs and non-Arabs. Then you will be resurrected after you die and you will be granted (as a reward) a garden like that of Jordan and if you fail to follow him, you will be slaughtered and when you are resurrected after you die, a fire will be made for you in which you will be burned.”
Allah’s Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, came out, took a handful of dust and said: “Truly, I said so and you will be among them.” Then Allah blinded their sight and they did not see him and he began to cast dust on their heads while reciting these Verses: “Ya Seen. [These letters are one of the miracles of the Qur’an, and
none but Allah (Alone) knows their meanings.] By the Qur’an, full of wisdom (i.e. full of laws, evidences, and proofs), Truly, you (O Muhammad) are one of the Messengers, On a Straight Path (i.e. on Allah’s religion of Islamic Monotheism). (This is) a Revelation sent down by the Almighty, the Most Merciful.” (Surah Ya Seen 36:1-5)
Up to the Verse: “And We have put a barrier before them, and a
barrier behind them, and We have covered them up, so that they
cannot see.” (Surah Ya Seen 36:9)
There was none of them that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, did not cast dust on his head and then he went his way. Then someone who had not been there with them all the while came and said: “What are you waiting here for?” “Muhammad.” They chorused. He said: “May Allah turn you down, I swear by Allah, Muhammad came out, put dust on the head of each of you and then went his way. Don’t you see what has occurred to you?” Each man touched his head and found dust on it. They looked inside the room and found ‘Ali in bed sleeping under the mantle of the Messenger of Allah so they said: “That is Muhammad sleeping under his mantle.” Thus, they remained in their places until daybreak. Then ‘Ali woke up from the bed and when the reality dawned on them, they exclaimed: “The one who informed us spoke the truth.”
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