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Islam - Children's Corner
The Hijrah to
Madinah
From the Seerah of Muhammad (salAllahu
alayhi wasalam)
Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) awoke with a start. What was that noise? He
pulled his cloak tightly round him for warmth, sat absolutely still, and
listened.
Here in Makkah he knew he had many enemies. When Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi
wasalam) began preaching about Allah, and telling people to get rid of the idols
they worshipped many people became very angry.
They had worshipped their idols for a long time, and besides that, the idols in
the Ka’bah brought trade and money to Makkah. People would not change their ways
just because Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) said they should. Who did he
think he was anyway?
A quick prayer came from Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam)’s lips, then he
awoke his young follower, Ali (radiAllahu anhu), who was sleeping close by.
“It is time,” said the Prophet.
Everyone knew there were people plotting to kill Muhammad, but no one knew when.
Muhammad and his friends made plans to leave Makkah for Madinah.
The people then were anxious to have Muhammad as their leader, unlike the
Makkans. Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu), his
great friend and supporter, were to escape at the dead of night. Ali (radiAllahu
anhu) would take Muhammad’s cloak and pretend to be asleep in the Prophet’s bed.
That would give them more time to get away. It was all important to make sure
Muhammad reached Madinah alive.
Ali lay down on Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam)’s mat, the sweat glistening
on his forehead. His eyes were wide open, and he was listening for the slightest
sound.
The Prophet slipped away quietly, while Ali heard voices saying, “Muhammad is
there, asleep. At dawn, when he steps out of the door, we will silence him
forever.”
By dawn the escape party was long gone. The group of assassins crept quietly
around the house where Ali was sleeping.
They flung open the door, scimitars flashing...but stopped, astonished to find
that only Ali was there. He was too young to be of any importance. The assassins
howled with disappointment, and were so surprised that they allowed Ali to push
past them, and walk out of the house towards the Ka’bah.
Meanwhile Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) and Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu) had
avoided the road from Makkah to Madinah, where they would have been seen, and
caught for certain. They were on foot, climbing the rocky slopes to the caves
near Makkah. They were covered in dust, exhausted and thirsty.
Abu Bakr was, by turns, angry and afraid. He could not believe a Messenger of
God would have to hide like this. He called to God for help.
The Prophet (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) reassured him. “God will hear you,” he
said.
By nightfall they reached the caves, but they could hear the hooves of their
enemies’ horses close behind. What could they do? Abu Bakr began to despair.
“What shall we do,” he said, “there are only two of us?”
Muhammad (salAllahu alayhi wasalam) pulled him inside the nearest cave. “You are
mistaken,” he said. “There are three of us.”
Footsteps could be heard at the mouth of the cave. Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu)
held his breath. Then a voice was heard.
“No, they can’t be in here. It’s covered with spider’s webs and nests and
branches. No one has been here since Muhammad was born.”
There was the sound of people moving away, horses’ hooves fading in the
distance. Abu Bakr let out a long sigh. He praised God, but was too terrified to
move. And what did they mean...spiders’ webs and nests and branches?
He opened his eyes. The cave did not look the same. Over the entrance there was
indeed a beautiful, silver spider’s web, and above it, a low branch with a nest
where a dove sat, cooing gently.
“How did that happen?” asked Abu Bakr (radiAllahu anhu), but the prophet simply
turned to his friend and smiled. (radiAllahu anhu) When the two were certain the
enemy had gone, they left the cave that had protected them, and continued their
journey safely to Madinah.
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The
Holy Quran Quotes
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“And they (polytheists, disbelievers in the Oneness of Allah and in His Messenger, Muhammad (saw) ) will not cease fighting you until they turn you back from your religion (Islamic Monotheism) if they can.”
(Al-Baqarah, 2:217)
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