Mohammed's Hijret to Medeenah: He is followed by Aly

WHEN the Koraysh infidels saw that the cause of the prophet gained ground daily, and that all their plots to overthrow it availed nothing, and when they were informed of Mohammed's league with the Ansârees, (Allied converts of Medeenah) they assembled at Dâr-ul-Nedvah to deliberate what was to be done. They had an old custom of assembling at this place for consultation whenever any calamity befel them, and no one under forty years of age was admitted into the council of Dâr-uI-Nedvah. Here forty of the old Koraysh chiefs now met, and Shaytân, the accursed, in the form of an old man, attempted to enter. The doorkeeper stopped him, and demanded who he was. He replied that he was an old man of the tribe of Nejd, and added, you have need of my experience; on hearing that you were assembling to overthrow this man, I came to give my advice on the subject. The door keeper told him to enter. It is related that Shaytân four times assumed a human shape, but to return.

When the members of the council had taken their seats, Abujahl introduced the business by saying, O ye Koraysh, among all the Arab tribes there are none more noble than ourselves. We are the people of the house of God, and twice a year men come to us on pilgrimage from the utmost bounds of the earth, and they all honor us. We are in the house, and no one can molest or injure us. Such has always been our state, till Mohamnied-bin-Abdullah grew up among us. We called him Ameen, for his probity, calmness and truth, but when he arrived at maturity, and was in great esteem among us, he proclaimed himself the prophet of God, and affirms that he receives communications from heaven. Next he imputed to us stupidity, reviled and degraded our gods, corrupted our youth, and sowed division among our people. He declares that our departed ancestors are in fire, than which nothing can concern us more. In reference to him I have matured a certain plan. What is it? inquired the council. Abujahl continued, Let us send a man to kill him secretly, and if the Benee Hashim demand the price of blood, we will a the ransom tenfold. This is a miserable plan, said Shaytân. Why'? they inquired. Because, he resumed, whoever slays Mohammed will certainly be put to death, and who of you will consent to be killed on this account? When Mohammed is slain, the Benee Hâshim and their patrons of the tribe of Khuzah, will retaliate and never consent that the slayer of Mohammed should walk the earth. From this cause, in the sacred place there will be fighting among you till you all kill one another.

Several members of the council now proposed to build a prison in such a manner that no one could approach Mohammed, who should be shut up in it, and food thrown in to him through an aperture till he died. This plan, said Shaytân, is worse than the other, for as the Benee Hâshim will never consent to such a thing, at the season of pilgrimage they will appeal to the assembled Arab tribes, and procure his release. Have you another plan? concluded Shaytân. Atabah, Shaybah, and Abusufeeân answered, We will expel him from our country and attend to the worship of our own gods. Another tradition says they proposed to bind Mohammed upon a furious camel, and enrage the animal by piercing him with spears, that he might rush away and tear his rider to pieces among the mountains. This project is worse than either of the others, said Shaytân. If Mohammed leaves your country alive, as he is more beautiful and eloquent than any other man, by the sweetness of his tongue, and the plausibility of his address, he will deceive all the Arab tribes, and bringing against you such armies of horse and foot as you cannot withstand, will annihilate you.

Being now at their wits' end, they said to Shaytân, O Shaykh, what is your advice in this matter? My scheme, said he, is that from every tribe agreeing in your object, you select one or more persons, and bring over one man of the Benee Hâshim to join you, and let the whole company thus appointed take their weapons and all at once smite him to death, that his blood may be so widely diffused that the Benee Hâshim will be utterly unable to demand satisfaction for it, because they cannot oppose all the tribes. Should they require the price of blood, then pay them the ransom three-fold. We will give ten ransoms, rejoined the council; adding, The shaykh of Nejd has proposed the right plan. Shaykh Toosee says Abujahl offered this scheme, and that it was approved by Shaytân; whichever way it was, this plan was agreed on, and the council broke up. Of the Benee Hàshim, Abulaheb was brought into this plot. The Most High then communicated this verse, warning the prophet, "And call to mind when the unbelievers plotted against thee, that they might either detain thee in bonds, or put thee to death, or expel thee from the city; and they plotted against thee: but God laid a plot against them; and God is the best layer of plots." (Surah 8:30) Having made the arrangement to rush into Mohammed's house at night and kill him, they came to the sacred mesjid, and whistled and clapped their hands and jumped about the Kabah. At night the party came to assassinate the prophet, but Abulaheb would not consent to their entering till the next morning, saying, There are women and children here, and I am not sure some mistake may not occur.

When the Koraysh had completed their plot for killing the prophet, Jibrâeel descended and gave him information of the matter, and communicated to him the divine command to flee to Medeenah. Mohammed called Aly, and imparted to him the tidings of Jibrâeel, and added, The Most High commands me to-night to escape to the cave of Soor. Sleep to-night in my place, that it may not be known I have gone. The commander of the faithful inquired, O prophet of God, will your safety be secured by my sleeping in your place? On being answered in the affirmative, Aly laughed, thanked God for the privilege of exposing his own life to save that of the prophet, and fell in adoration, and this was the first prostration of thanksgiving that was made in islâm. Aly laid the side of his face on the ground, and when he raised his head, he said, Go wherever God has commanded you; let me be your sacrifice. Order what you please, and on my life I will do it, and in this and in every other matter I supplicate grace of God. The prophet replied, God will conform you to my likeness: then sleep on my carpet, and put my Hazrem cloak over you. Know, Aly, that the Most High tries his friends in proportion to their faith and their rank, therefore the trials and calamities of prophets are greater than all others, and those most like them receive the next degree of trial. O brother, God has tried you, and lie tries me on your account, as He tried Ibrâheein, the Friend, and his son Ismaeel. It is more grievous to me thus to expose you to the daggers of my enemies, than it was for Ibrâheein to lay down Ismaeel to slay him. Your perfect readiness to be exposed is greater than Ismaeel's voluntary submissiveness to the knife of his affectionate father. Endure faithfully, O brother, for the mercy of God is nigh those that do well.

Mohammed and Aly having mutually embraced each other, with flowing tears parted, and Jibrâeel led the prophet out of the house which the Koraysh had already surrounded. The prophet recited this verse: "And we have set a bar before them, and a bar behind them; and we have covered them with darkness; wherefore they shall not see." (Surah 36:8) The Most High had sent a sleep upon them, so they did not perceive the prophet's departure; and he cast a handful of dust at them, saying, Ugly be your faces! doing thus by your own prophet. One tradition says they were awake, and God covered their eyes that they did not see. Jibrâeel now directed the prophet to go to Mount Soor, and conceal himself in the cave. Meanwhile Aly was lying in Mohammed's place and cloak. In that period the houses of Mekkah were without doors, and the walls were low. The Koraysh infidels therefore saw Aly, and mistaking him for the prophet, threw stones at him. Both sheeahs and sunnees relate that the following verse was communicated in commendation of Aly on the night he exposed his life to save that of the prophet: "There is also a man who selleth his soul for the sake of those things which are pleasing unto God." (Surah 2:203) Some traditions declare that God sent Jibrâeel and Meekâeel to protect Aly.

When the prophet was departing for the cave of Soor, he met Abubekr and took him along, through fear of his doing harm, or for some other reason. Hind-bin-Abyhâlah also went with Mohammed, who, on arriving at the cave, retained Abubekr and sent back Hind on some business. Another tradition is, that Abubekr saw Mohammed departing, and pursued him, who, apprehending it was one of the Koraysh, hastened on, but struck his blessed foot against a stone and bruised it. He was much troubled at being pursued, till at length Abubekr came up and the prophet took him along from sheer necessity.

When morning dawned, the Koraysh infidels drew their swords and ran upon the commander of the faithful, Khâlid-bin-Valeed being in advance of the rest. That lion of God, Aly, leaped up, and seizing Khâlid by the arm, wrung it so that he bellowed like a camel. He then caught the sword of Khâlid, and presented so bold a front to his assailants, that they all fled. When he had driven them out and they knew it was Aly, they said to him, We have nothing to do with you, where is Mohammed? He replied, You did not commit him to me: you wished to expel him, and he has gone away of himself.

One tradition says that the Koraysh not finding Mohammed, beat Aly till his body was black, chained and locked him up, and set a woman to watch him while they pursued after Mohammed. Aly then heard voices at which his sorrows fled, his chains fell off, the door opened and he came out. Another tradition says they hit Aly with a stone and waked him, on which he said, Why do you so? when, recognizing his voice, they said, We have nothing to do with this poor fellow beguiled by Mohammed. Aly retorted with the boast that if a part of his understanding were divided among all the idiots and lunatics of the world, they would all become intelligent; and if the same were done with his strength and valor, all the weak and cowardly would become champions, and added that he would kill all his assailants if he had not been forbidden to do so. Mohammed afterwards speaking to him of his bold dealing with his assailants, assured him that God made his voice so loud that all the Hoorees of paradise heard him, and importuned the Most High to make them Aly's wives. He replied they should be divided between Aly and his followers.

The Koraysh finding that the prophet had escaped them, sent parties in all directions after him. Abujahl ordered it to be proclaimed about Mekkah, that whoever would produce Mohammed or show where he was, he, Abujahl, would give such person a reward of one hundred camels. At last they sent for Abukarez of Khazauh, whose profession was that of tracing people, which he was able to do with the greatest certainty. They said to him, If you do us the favor we seek, we shall always be under obligation to you. Find out the track of Mohammed, and where he has gone, that we may pursue him. Abukarez soon made the first discovery, and said, This is the track of Mohammed's foot, and is the sister of that imprinted in the place of Ibrâheem; that is, the foot of the prophet is like that of Ibrâheem-Khaleel. And here, continued the searcher, is the track of another who has gone with Mohammed: this must be either Abukâhafah, or his son Abubekr.

Abukarez led the pursuers to the cave, where they saw that, by divine command and the miraculous power of the prophet, a spider had woven its web over the entrance, and a pair of doves, or, as one tradition has it, of partridges, had built a nest there and laid an egg. On seeing these things, they said, Mohammed came here, but did not enter the cave. If he had entered, the spider's web would have been torn, and the birds would not have settled here. He has either gone up to heaven, or down into the earth. God had sent an angel, who stood in the entrance and said to the Koraysh, There is no one in this cave, disperse among these defiles. Other accounts say that Mohammed called a tree, which blocked up the entrance; or again, that the passage was very narrow, and having opened to admit Mohammed, returned again to its impassable size. These accounts proceed to say that Abubekr was so much alarmed at the approach of the Koraysh, that he wished to go and join them, being with them in heart, and a man stooping down with his face towards the cave, Abubekr exclaimed, We are discovered. No, said Mohammed, the man would not have done thus if he had seen us. The prophet then miraculously opened a passage through the side of the cave, and showed Abubekr a ship ready to waft them away should the Koraysh enter.

It is related that the prophet remained three days in the cave, during which time Aly made arrangements for his journey to Medeenah, and carried him food and water. Three camels being provided for Mohammed, Abubekr, and a guide, the prophet left the commander of the faithful to settle his accounts with the Koraysh, for formerly much property had been entrusted to him for safe keeping, and his fidelity had acquired him the title of Ameen, the True. Pilgrims also, who came to Mekkah, trusted him in like manner, which was continued after his assumption of the prophetical office. Mohammed at parting directed Aly to go morning and evening to Abtah, and there cry with a loud voice, Whoever has any trust in the hands of Mohammed, let him come to me and receive it. Restore these trusts publicly, said Mohammed. I constitute you my khaleefah with my daughter Fâtimah, and commit you both to God. Get camels ready to carry yourself and wife, and your mother Fâtimah, and all the Benee Hâshim who wish to accompany you. The prophet gave him other charges, and ordered him to start immediately for Medeenah on the receipt of a letter he should receive from him. Mohammed then departed for Medeenah.

Abdullah-bin-Areekat pasturing his sheep near the cave, the prophet said to him, If I should trust my head to you, would you protect me and take me safely by some by-road to Medeenah? I knew, replied Abdullah, from the signs of the spider's web and the doves' nest, that you were a prophet. I have believed in you, and will protect and attend you wherever you go, and on my life, will convey you safely to Medeenah by a way in which no one shall see you. They then departed for Medeenah.

Source - The Life and Religion of Muhammad -Hiyat al-Qulub, by Allamah Muhammad Baqir al-Majlisi. Translated by Rev. James L. Merrick.