"THE PRAISED ONE" THE LIFE OF THE PROPHET MUHAMMED. PART 6

THE LEADERS OF QURAISH MET ONCE MORE

As we mentioned earlier, the migration of Muslims to Madina had a negative impact on Makkah. Many houses were left empty, and the market was also empty, indicating that the Makkans would experience economic difficulties. However, the leaders of Quraish were concerned not only about the empty houses and market but also about the perceived danger ahead. They saw the Muslims' alliance with the people of Madina (Yathrib) as a threat, knowing that the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) was a highly influential leader. They also recognized the Muslims' willingness to sacrifice everything for the Prophet (pbuh) and the fact that the Madinese were powerful in war.

Based on these reasons, the leaders of Quraish concluded that their land and lives were in danger and decided to take action to stop the perceived threat. They began to explore available procedures to address the danger ahead. On Thursday, 26th Safar, in the fourteenth year of prophethood (September 12, 622 A.D.), they organized a meeting with this intention. The meeting was the most serious one yet, with representatives from every family present at their parliament. The various representatives were;

• Abu Jahl bin Hisham, from Bani Makhzum.
• Umair bin Mutim and two others for Bani Naufal bin Abd Munaf.
• Rabia's two son’s shaiba and Utba and Abu safyan for Bani Abd Munaf.
• An-Nadr bin AL-harith for bano Abd Ad-dar.
• Abu Bukhtary bin Hisham,and two others for bani Seas bin Abd al-Uzza
• Al-hajjal's two sons Nabil and Mubih from bani Sahm.
• Omauja bin Halaf from Bani Juma.
• And other.

All the representatives gathered, and Iblis (Satan) appeared to them in the form of an old man, claiming to be from Najd. He wished them success in their plans and was welcomed. The representatives shared their views, arguing about the best course of action. Some suggested expelling the Prophet (pbuh) from Makkah, while others proposed imprisoning him for life. However, all these suggestions were rejected due to various reasons. Finally, Abu Jahl suggested that they should assassinate the Prophet (pbuh). He argued that if only one person carried out the assassination, it would lead to further problems. Therefore, he proposed that one person from each family should be involved in the assassination. This suggestion was analyzed and accepted. Selected men were chosen to assemble at the Prophet's (pbuh) house on the designated day of the assassination. Their strategy was to rush out and kill the Prophet (pbuh) when he left his house in the morning. However, Allah is the master planner, and their plan was not destined to succeed.

Meanwhile, Ali, Abu Bakar, and a few family members, including Umm Ayman/Baraka, had prepared to leave Makkah, but the Prophet (pbuh) was waiting for Allah's permission. While waiting for Allah's permission, the leaders of Quraish had also planned how to get rid of the Prophet (pbuh). Allah then sent Angel Gabriel to command the Prophet (pbuh) to leave Makkah at dawn. The Prophet (pbuh) went to Abu Bakar's (r.a.) house and informed him that Allah's permission had arrived, and they agreed on how to depart.

That night, while the Prophet (pbuh) was in his house, the eleven assassins arrived, surrounded the house, and posted assassination notices around. The Prophet (pbuh) told Ali (r.a.) to sleep on his bed and cover himself. Abu Jahl would periodically peep through a hole to check if the Prophet (pbuh) was lying on his bed. A few hours later, at dawn, some of the assassins lay on the wall, while others lay on the floor. The Prophet (pbuh) emerged from his house and dropped a handful of dust on their heads.

He then passes by them as he recites the verses of the Quran (36:9),

وَجَعَلۡنَا مِنۡۢ بَيۡنِ اَيۡدِيۡهِمۡ سَدًّا وَّمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِمۡ سَدًّا فَاَغۡشَيۡنٰهُمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يُبۡصِرُوۡنَ

"And we have put a barrier before them, and a barrier behind them, and we have covered them up, so that they cannot see".

The Prophet (pbuh) then met with Abu Bakar, and they both left Makkah. While the assassins were still waiting for Muhammad (pbuh) to come out, someone unfortunately saw the Prophet (pbuh) and his companion leaving Makkah and informed the assassins. The assassins were surprised and went inside to find that the person lying on the Prophet's (pbuh) bed was Ali (r.a.). The news of the Prophet's (pbuh) exit spread quickly, and the assassins tortured Ali (r.a.) unspeakably.

The Prophet (pbuh) knew that they would come after them, so he played a clever trick on them. Instead of taking the road to Madina, which was north of Makkah, he took the road south of Makkah, leading to Yemen. The Makkans sent out all their warriors to find Muhammad (pbuh) and promised to reward the person who would capture him. They walked for 5 miles, and according to narrations, the Prophet (pbuh) walked on tiptoe to avoid leaving a trail behind, and his shoes wore out. Abu Bakar carried him up a mountain to a cave called Cave Thawr, where they spent three days. Abu Bakar entered the cave first to ensure it was safe before allowing the Prophet (pbuh) to enter. The Prophet (pbuh) was tired, so he lay down and placed his head on Abu Bakar's lap.

A dangerous insect bit Abu Bakar, but he did not want to disturb the Prophet (pbuh) as he slept. The pain was so intense that his tears dropped onto the Prophet's (pbuh) face. When the Prophet (pbuh) woke up, he applied his saliva to Abu Bakar's body, and the pain stopped instantly. The Prophet (pbuh) and Abu Bakar stayed in this cave for three days.

Meanwhile, in Makkah, a reward of 100 camels had been set aside for anyone who would bring the Prophet (pbuh) back to be assassinated. The Makkan warriors were sent out in search of him pbuh, the youth and even those outside Makka heard of the reward and also started to search.

One of the interesting incidents that occurred during their journey was when Suraqa bin Malik heard that a reward of 100 camels had been set aside for anyone who could bring the Prophet (pbuh) back to Makkah. He was tempted by the reward and decided to search for the Prophet (pbuh). When he heard that four people had taken a certain route, he decided to chase them. On his way, his horse fell down several times. He drew a lot, according to their tradition, to determine whether to continue the chase or not. The lot indicated an unsuccessful journey, but he was blinded by the reward and continued to pursue them.

He tried his best to get closer to them, and Abu Bakar kept looking back. However, the Prophet (pbuh) remained calm and recited verses from the Quran. Suraqa's horse fell down repeatedly, and he realized that the repeated falling was a warning from Allah. He was only able to catch up with them when his heart changed, and he surrendered. When he approached them, he begged the Prophet (pbuh) for forgiveness and offered provisions, but the Prophet (pbuh) rejected the offer and told him to return to Makkah and mislead the pursuers from their route.

Suraqa returned and did as promised, and later became a committed Muslim. Abu Bakar narrated that they migrated while the Makkans were pursuing them, and no one was able to catch up with them except Suraqa. He told the Prophet (pbuh) that Suraqa had caught up with them, and the Prophet (pbuh) replied, "Don't be cast down, verily, Allah is with us."

Abu Bakar narrated, "We migrated while the Makkans were pursuing us, and no one was able to catch up with us except Suraqa. I told the Prophet (pbuh) that Suraqa had caught up with us, and he said, 'Don't be cast down, verily, Allah is with us.'"

Another interesting incident occurred when the Prophet (pbuh) and his companions continued their journey until they reached a tent belonging to Umm Ma'bad, a gracious woman known for receiving travelers and treating them well. The Prophet (pbuh) and his companions were thirsty and hungry and wanted to visit Umm Ma'bad for some milk. Umm Ma'bad told them that they were not fortunate because her flock was out of pasture and the goat standing nearby was almost dry. The Prophet (pbuh) asked for permission and touched the animals while reciting Allah's names. Instantly, the animals were full of milk. They received plenty of milk from them, and the Prophet (pbuh) first offered some to the lady of the house. Before he left, he milked the goat and filled the woman's containers.

When her husband, Abu Ma'bad, returned home, he was surprised to see more than enough milk in the house. He asked his wife what had happened, and she described the events. He then asked his wife to describe the stranger's structure and character, which she did. Abu Ma'bad realized that this man was the one the Quraish were searching for. He expressed his admiration and asked to accompany them on their journey, reciting a poem loudly, which Allah echoed throughout Makkah, to the extent that the Makkans thought it was a jinn.

Abu Bakr's daughter, Asma, heard the poem and realized that her father and the Prophet (pbuh) were now closer to Madinah. The poem began with Allah's name and described the Prophet (pbuh), inviting people to come and see the goat as a witness that Muhammad (pbuh) was truly a prophet.

From Abu Ma'bad's place, the Prophet (pbuh) and his beloved companions continued their journey, heading towards Quba. They met Abu Ubaida, who was also searching for the Prophet (pbuh), but after a brief conversation with him, Abu Ubaida converted to Islam. There were many more events that accompanied the Prophet's (pbuh) journey to Madina.

The Prophet (pbuh) and his companions arrived at Quba on Monday, 8th of Rabi' al-Awwal. He spent four days in Quba, during which he built a mosque. The news spread quickly, and the people of Madina also learned that the Prophet (pbuh) was now closer. The Madinese and Muslims would gather every morning to wait for the arrival of the noble Prophet (pbuh), but the midday sun would force them to return home.

This repeated until one day, after they had gone back home as usual, a Jew saw the sign of the Prophet's (pbuh) arrival and stood on a hill, shouting, "O people of Madina! Your grandfather is here, the one you love so much, the one you have waited for so long!"

As the Jew's words echoed, the people of Madina, including males and females, Muslims and non-Muslims, young and old, all came out happily to welcome the noble Prophet (pbuh). The people were overjoyed to have the Prophet (pbuh) among them, and every Ansar (helper) wanted to receive him in their house, and every family wanted him to settle on their land.

As the Prophet's (pbuh) camel entered the town and passed by the people and houses, they would say, "Alight here, O Messenger of Allah, abide with us." The Prophet (pbuh) would reply calmly, "This camel is commanded by Allah, wherever it stops, that will be my abode."

The camel continued moving around until it finally reached a site and knelt down. However, the Prophet (pbuh) did not dismount until the camel rose, went forward, turned back, and knelt again in the same position, which became the site of the Prophetic Mosque. A quarter of this site belonged to a family called Banu Najjar, who were related to the Prophet's (pbuh) maternal uncles.

In front of Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari's house, he was the fortunate man to have received the noble Prophet (pbuh) as a guest. On this site, a house and a mosque were to be built for the Prophet (pbuh).

LIFE IN MADINA

Few days after the arrival of the Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) in Madina, Aisha, Ali, Asma (daughter of Abu Bakar), and all the household of Abu Bakar also arrived. However, Umm Ayman/Baraka went to Madina a few days later, alone and on foot, after completing a task given to her by the Prophet (pbuh).

Aisha (r.a.) narrated that a few days after their arrival, Abu Bakar and Bilal fell sick with a serious fever. The sickness was so severe that both of them thought they were near death and kept reciting poems. Aisha (r.a.) said, "I told the Prophet (pbuh) about it, and he said that it is a clear sign of home sickness." So the Prophet (pbuh) prayed to Allah, saying:

"O Allah, we beg and ask you to establish love in our hearts for Madina as our home, just like the love we have for our homeland. O Allah, we beg you to increase the wealth of Madina."

In Makka, the Prophet (pbuh) was dealing with two kinds of people: Muslims and non-believers. However, in Madina, he would have to deal with three kinds of people. These are;

• The various Madinese tribes 
• The Muslims
• The Jews. (Three different tribes) 

👌🏼 The Muslims consisted of those who believed in the message from Allah and, as a result, faced difficult times in Makkah, leading to their migration to Madina. Due to the authenticity of the message, their numbers increased daily.

👌🏼 The Madenes referred to the various tribes in Madina (Aws and Khazraj) who worshipped idols and engaged in undesirable behaviors like cheating in marketing, corruption, and others. However, as the light of Islam began to shine, they accepted Islam and transformed their way of life daily.

👌🏼 The Jews consisted of people who followed one of Allah's books (Zabur). Although the book emphasized the oneness of Allah and forbade all kinds of bad deeds, the Jews did not follow its teachings. They engaged in corruption, cheated each other, and practiced fortunetelling, drawing lots, and other undesirable behaviors. The Jews constituted three tribes: Bani Qurayza, Bani Nadir, and Bani Qaynuqa.

They saw changes in Madina with respect to how people related to one another and developed some hatred towards the Prophet (pbuh) and the Muslims. Although they saw all the signs and knew that Muhammad (pbuh) was truly a prophet, they still considered him to be their biggest enemy.

One of the incidents that highlighted the hatred the Jews had for the Muslims was when Abdullah bin Salaam, the leader of the Jews and the most trustworthy and learned among them, went to see the Prophet (pbuh) on the first day he arrived in Madina. After a brief conversation, Abdullah converted to Islam. He then told the Prophet (pbuh) that if his people were to find out about his conversion, they would falsely accuse him. The Prophet (pbuh) summoned some Jews and asked them about Abdullah bin Salaam, and they praised him as a trustworthy and learned individual. However, when the Prophet (pbuh) revealed that Abdullah had converted to Islam, they immediately began to slander him, calling him the most evil among them.

In another narration, Abdullah told his people, "O my people, fear Allah, you know he is the messenger sent by Allah to the truthful people." But the Jews denied this, saying, "You are lying!"

As mentioned earlier, the house of Abi Ayyub was used as a temporary residence for the Prophet (pbuh) upon his arrival in Madina. The Muslims, consisting of the emigrants and the Ansar (helpers), decided to build a mosque and a place for the Prophet (pbuh) to live on the site where the camel knelt. The land was owned by two orphans and was purchased by the Muslims. All the Muslims, including the emigrants and the Ansar, contributed to building the mosque. The Prophet (pbuh) himself carried bricks and stones. The mosque was built in a square form, with each side measuring 100 yards, and faced north towards Jerusalem's Masjid al-Aqsa. Two large stones were used to align the mosque's direction. A room was also built for poor Muslims and those without families.

ALLAH’S COMMANDED THE MUSLIMS TO FACE KIBLA (THE KA’BA) AND ADHAN

Allah SWT later commanded them to change the direction of the mosque (Masjid an-Nabawi) to face Makkah, specifically the Masjid al-Haram. After the mosque was built, a problem arose: how to call believers to prayer at the designated times. The Prophet (pbuh) and his companions discussed this issue and shared their views. Some suggested raising a flag, but the Prophet (pbuh) rejected this idea due to its inappropriateness. Others suggested ringing a bell, but the Prophet (pbuh) pointed out that this was a Jewish practice and Muslims should differentiate themselves. Various other suggestions were made, but all were rejected.

The Prophet (pbuh) then told them to sleep on it, and fortunately, one of the companions, Abdullah bin Zayd, had a dream in which a man in green taught him the words of the Adhan and Iqamah. The next day, Abdullah bin Zayd shared his dream with the Prophet (pbuh), who confirmed that Angel Gabriel had already informed him of the same words. Shortly afterwards, Umar bin Khattab also came forward and shared the same dream.

BUILDING A PEACEFULL ATMOSPHERE

The Prophet (pbuh) then established an atmosphere of peace amongst the Muslims, including the emigrants and the Ansar (the helpers), as well as the Madenese. The Ansar were extremely generous to the Muslims, and the Prophet (pbuh) emphasized the importance of treating fellow Muslims with kindness and respect. He taught them the Islamic values of truthfulness, fairness, and charity, and encouraged them to share their properties and families with the emigrants.

The Prophet (pbuh) built a society based on Islamic laws, which was highly effective due to the strong sense of love and brotherhood among the Muslims. The Ansar sacrificed greatly, with the intention of being submissive to Allah, just as the Prophet (pbuh) had taught them. They shared their properties, families, and even intermarried with the emigrants. Some gave out their lands, while others farmed together and shared the outputs equally.

As a result, a strong and effective society was built among the Muslims, based on love and brotherhood. The Prophet (pbuh) then decided to establish a peaceful and cordial relationship between the Muslims and non-Muslims, in order to provide maximum security for the Muslims. He entered into a treaty with the Jews and other tribes surrounding Madina, with no intention of violence.

The prophet pbuh and the Jews entered into a treaty of which it was decided that;

• Everybody should be allowed to practice any religion of his/her choice
• The Muslims and the Jews are one community.
• The Jews should be responsible for their expenditure whiles the Muslims will be responsible for theirs.
• The wronged person shall be aided.
• When attacked by third party both will help to fight back.
• No one shall be hindered from seeking lawful revenge and many more.

Madina and its suburbs then came together to form a coalition, with Madina as their capital and the Prophet (pbuh) as their commander-in-chief. In order to expand the security, the Prophet (pbuh) decided to enter into similar treaties with other towns surrounding Madina.

This move was aimed at creating a network of alliances that would provide mutual protection and stability in the region. By forming these treaties, the Prophet (pbuh) was able to establish a secure environment for the Muslims and non-Muslims alike, and pave the way for the spread of Islam.