ABU BAKAR IN MAKKAH
(86) CHAPTER. (If) a mosque (is built) on a road, it should not be a cause of harm for the people.
Bukhari
Volume 1, Book 8, Number 476:
Narrated 'Aisha:
(The wife of the Prophet) I had seen
my parents following Islam since I attained the age of puberty. Not a day
passed but the Prophet (s) visited us, both in the mornings and evenings. My
father Abu Bakr thought of building a mosque in the courtyard of his house and
he did so. He used to pray and recite the Qur'an in it. The pagan women and
their children used to stand by him and look at him with surprise. Abu Bakr was
a Soft hearted person and could not help weeping while reciting the Quran. The
chiefs of the Quraish pagans became afraid of that (i.e. that their children
and women might be affected by the recitation of Quran)."
(2) Abu
Bakar wanting to migrate to Abyssinia
but returned under protection
of polytheist Ibn Ad-Daghina
Bukhari Volume 5, Book 63, Number 3905:
Narrated 'Aisha:
(The wife of the Prophet) I never
remembered my parents believing in any religion other than the true religion
(i.e. Islam), and (I don't remember) a single day passing without our being
visited by Allah's Apostle (s) in the morning and in the evening.
When the Muslims were put to test (i.e. troubled by the pagans), Abu Bakr set
out migrating to the land of Ethiopia, and when he reached Bark-al-Ghimad, Ibn
Ad-Daghina, the chief of the tribe of Qara, met him and said, "O Abu Bakr!
Where are you going?" Abu Bakr replied, "My people have turned me out
(of my country), so I want to wander on the earth and worship my Lord." Ibn Ad-Daghina said, "O Abu Bakr! A man like you should
not leave his home-land, nor should he be driven out, because you help the
destitute, earn their livings, and you keep good relations with your Kith and
kin, help the weak and poor, entertain guests generously, and help the
calamity-stricken persons. Therefore I
am your protector. Go back and worship your Lord in your town."
So Abu Bakr returned and Ibn
Ad-Daghina accompanied him. In the evening Ibn Ad-Daghina visited the nobles of
Quraish and said to them. "A man like Abu Bakr should not leave his
homeland, nor should he be driven out. Do you (i.e. Quraish) drive out a man
who helps the destitute, earns their living, keeps good relations with his Kith
and kin, helps the weak and poor, entertains guests generously and helps the
calamity-stricken persons?" So the people of Quraish could not refuse Ibn
Ad-Daghina's protection, and they said to Ibn Ad-Daghina, "Let Abu Bakr worship his Lord
in his house. He can pray and recite there whatever he likes, but he
should not hurt us with it, and should not do it publicly, because we are
afraid that he may affect our women and children." Ibn Ad-Daghina told Abu
Bakr of all that. Abu Bakr stayed in that state, worshipping his Lord in his
house. He did not pray publicly, nor did he recite Quran outside his house.
Then a thought occurred to Abu Bakr
to build a mosque in front of his house, and there he used to pray and recite
the Quran. The women and children of the pagans began to gather around him in
great number. They used to wonder at him and look at him. Abu Bakr was a man
who used to weep too much, and he could not help weeping on reciting the Quran.
That situation scared the nobles of the pagans of Quraish, so they sent for Ibn
Ad-Daghina. When he came to them, they said, "We accepted your protection
of Abu Bakr on condition that he should worship his Lord in his house, but he
has violated the conditions and he has built a mosque in front of his house
where he prays and recites the Quran publicly. We are now afraid that he may
affect our women and children unfavorably. So, prevent him from that. If he
likes to confine the worship of his Lord to his house, he may do so, but if he
insists on doing that openly, ask him to release you from your obligation to
protect him, for we dislike breaking our pact with you, but we deny Abu Bakr
the right to announce his act publicly." Ibn Ad-Daghina went to Abu- Bakr
and said, ("O Abu Bakr!) You know well what contract I have made on your
behalf; now, you are either to abide by it, or else release me from my
obligation of protecting you, because I do not want the 'Arabs hear that my
people have dishonored a contract I have made on behalf of another man."
Abu Bakr replied, "I release you from your pact to protect me, and am
pleased with the protection from Allah."
At that time the Prophet (s)
was
in Mecca, and he said to the Muslims, "In a dream I have been shown your
migration place, a land of date palm trees, between two mountains, the two
stony tracts." So, some people migrated to Medina, and most of those
people who had previously migrated to the land of Ethiopia, returned to Medina.
Abu Bakr also prepared to leave for Medina, but Allah's Apostle (s)
said
to him, "Wait for a while, because I hope that I will be allowed to
migrate also." Abu Bakr said, "Do you indeed expect this? Let my
father be sacrificed for you!" The Prophet (s) said, "Yes." So Abu Bakr
did not migrate for the sake of Allah's Apostle (s) in order to accompany him. He fed
two she-camels he possessed with the leaves of As-Samur tree that fell on being
struck by a stick for four months.
One day, while we were sitting in
Abu Bakr's house at noon, someone said to Abu Bakr, "This is Allah's
Apostle (s) with his head covered coming at a
time at which he never used to visit us before." Abu Bakr said, "May
my parents be sacrificed for him. By Allah, he has not come at this hour except
for a great necessity." So Allah's Apostle (s) came and asked permission to enter,
and he was allowed to enter. When he entered, he said to Abu Bakr. "Tell
everyone who is present with you to go away." Abu Bakr replied,
"There is none but your family, may my father be sacrificed for you, O
Allah's Apostle!" The Prophet said, "I have been given permission to
migrate." Abu Bakr said, "Shall I accompany you? May my father be
sacrificed for you, O Allah's Apostle?" Allah's Apostle (s)
said,
"Yes." Abu Bakr said, "O Allah's Apostle! May my father be
sacrificed for you, take one of these two she-camels of mine." Allah's
Apostle (s) replied, "(I will accept it)
with payment." So we prepared the baggage quickly and put some journey
food in a leather bag for them. Asma, Abu Bakr's daughter, cut a piece from her
waist belt and tied the mouth of the leather bag with it, and for that reason
she was named Dhat-un-Nitaqain (i.e. the owner of two belts).
Then Allah's Apostle (s)
and
Abu Bakr reached a cave on the mountain of Thaur and stayed there for three
nights. 'Abdullah bin Abi Bakr who was intelligent and a sagacious youth, used
to stay (with them) aver night. He used to leave them before day break so that
in the morning he would be with Quraish as if he had spent the night in Mecca.
He would keep in mind any plot made against them, and when it became dark he
would (go and) inform them of it. 'Amir bin Fuhaira, the freed slave of Abu
Bakr, used to bring the milch sheep (of his master, Abu Bakr) to them a little
while after nightfall in order to rest the sheep there. So they always had
fresh milk at night, the milk of their sheep, and the milk which they warmed by
throwing heated stones in it. 'Amir bin Fuhaira would then call the herd away
when it was still dark (before daybreak). He did the same in each of those
three nights. Allah's Apostle and Abu Bakr had hired a man from the tribe of
Bani Ad-Dail from the family of Bani Abd bin Adi as an expert guide, and he was
in alliance with the family of Al-'As bin Wail As-Sahmi and he was on the
religion of the infidels of Quraish. The Prophet and Abu Bakr trusted him and
gave him their two she-camels and took his promise to bring their two she
camels to the cave of the mountain of Thaur in the morning after three nights
later. And (when they set out), 'Amir bin Fuhaira and the guide went along with
them and the guide led them along the sea-shore.
(3) Abu Bakar under protection of
polytheist in Makkah
but rebuked when put conditions
Bukhari
Volume 3, Book 39, Number 2297: [3906]
Narrated Aisha:
(Wife of the Prophet) Since I
reached the age when I could remember things, I have seen my parents
worshipping according to the right faith of Islam. Not a single day passed but
Allah's Apostle (s) visited us both in the morning and in the evening. When the
Muslims were persecuted, Abu Bakr set out for Ethiopia as an emigrant. When he
reached a place called Bark-al-Ghimad, he met Ibn Ad-Daghna, the chief of the
Qara tribe, who asked Abu Bakr, "Where are you going?" Abu Bakr said,
"My people have turned me out of the country and I would like to tour the
world and worship my Lord." Ibn Ad-Daghna said, "A man like you will
not go out, nor will he be turned out as you help the poor earn their living,
keep good relation with your Kith and kin, help the disabled (or the dependents),
provide guests with food and shelter, and help people during their troubles. I
am your protector. So, go back and worship your Lord at your home." Ibn Ad-Daghna went along with Abu Bakr and took him
to the chiefs of Quraish saying to them, "A man like Abu Bakr will not go
out, nor will he be turned out. Do you turn out a man who helps the poor earn
their living, keeps good relations with Kith and kin, helps the disabled,
provides guests with food and shelter, and helps the people during their troubles?"
So, Quraish allowed Ibn Ad-Daghna's guarantee of
protection and told Abu- Bakr that he was secure, and said to Ibn Ad-Daghna,
"Advise Abu Bakr to worship his Lord in his house and to pray and read
what he liked and not to hurt us and not to do these things publicly, for we
fear that our sons and women may follow him." Ibn Ad-Daghna told Abu Bakr
of all that, so Abu- Bakr continued worshipping his Lord in his house and did
not pray or recite Qur'an aloud except in his house. Later on Abu Bakr
had an idea of building a mosque in the court yard of his house. He fulfilled
that idea and started praying and reciting Qur'an there publicly. The women and
the offspring of the pagans started gathering around him and looking at him
astonishingly. Abu Bakr was a softhearted person and could not help weeping
while reciting Qur'an. This horrified the pagan chiefs of Quraish. They sent
for Ibn Ad-Daghna and when he came, they said, "We have given Abu Bakr
protection on condition that he will worship his Lord in his house, but he has
transgressed that condition and has built a mosque in the court yard of his
house and offered his prayer and recited Qur'an in public. We are afraid lest
he mislead our women and offspring. So, go to him and tell him that if he
wishes he can worship his Lord in his house only, and if not, then tell him to
return your pledge of protection as we do not like to betray you by revoking
your pledge, nor can we tolerate Abu Bakr's public declaration of Islam (his
worshipping)."
'Aisha added: Ibn Ad-Daghna came to Abu Bakr and said, "You know the conditions on which I gave you protection, so you
should either abide by those conditions or revoke my protection, as I do
not like to hear the 'Arabs saying that Ibn Ad-Daghna gave the pledge of
protection to a person and his people did not respect it. Abu Bakr said, "I revoke your pledge of protection and am
satisfied with Allah's protection." At that time Allah's
Apostle (s) was still in Mecca and he said to his companions, "Your place
of emigration has been shown to me. I have seen salty land, planted with
date-palms and situated between two mountains which are the two Harras."
So, when the Prophet (s) told it, some of the companions migrated to Medina,
and some of those who had migrated to Ethiopia returned to Medina. When Abu
Bakr prepared for emigration, Allah's Apostle (s) said to him, "Wait, for
I expect to be permitted to emigrate." Abu Bakr asked, "May my father
be sacrificed for your sake, do you really expect that?" Allah's Apostle (s)
replied in the affirmative. So, Abu Bakr postponed his departure in order to
accompany Allah's Apostle (s) and fed two camels which he had, with the leaves
of Samor trees for four months.
(4) Abu Bakar in Cave Sour
Bukhari
Volume 5, Book 62, Number 3653:
Narrated Abu Bakr:
I said to the Prophet (s) while I
was in the Cave. "If any of them should look under his feet, he would see
us." He said, "O Abu Bakr! What do you think of two (persons) the third of whom is
Allah?"
(9) CHAPTER. The Statement of
Allah, '...The second of two, when they (Muhammad and Abu Bakr were in the
cave, and he said to his companion (Abu Bakr) 'Be
not sad (or afraid), surely Allah is with us.' (V.9:40)
Bukhari Volume 6, Book 65, Number 4663:
Narrated Abu Bakr:
I was in the company of the Prophet (s)
in the cave, and on seeing the traces of the pagans, I said, "O Allah's
Apostle (s) if one of them (pagans) should lift up his foot, he will see
us." He said, "What do you think of two, the third of whom is
Allah?"
(5) Abu Bakar's migration to Madina
with Prophet (s)
Bukhari Volume 4, Book 56, Number
2979: [3905,
3906]
Narrated
Asma:
I
prepared the journey-food for Allah's Apostle (s) in Abu Bakr's house when he
intended to immigrate to Medina. I could not find anything to tie the
food-container and the water skin with. So, I said to Abu Bakr, "By Allah,
I do not find anything to tie (these things) with except my waist belt."
He said, "Cut it into two pieces and tie the water-skin with one piece and
the food-container with the other (the sub-narrator added, "She did
accordingly and that was the reason for calling her Dhat-un-Nitaqain (i.e.
two-belted woman)."
Bukhari
Volume 3, Book 45, Number 2439:
Narrated Abu Bakr:
While I was on my way, all of a
sudden I saw a shepherd driving his sheep; I asked him whose servant he was. He
replied that he was the servant of a man from Quraish, and then he mentioned
his name and I recognized him. I asked, "Do your sheep have some milk?"
He replied in the affirmative. I said, "Are you going to milk for
me?" He replied in the affirmative. I ordered him and he tied the legs of
one of the sheep. Then I told him to clean the udder (teats) of dust and to
remove dust off his hands. He removed the dust off his hands by clapping his
hands. He then milked a little milk. I put the milk for Allah's Apostle (s) in
a pot and closed its mouth with a piece of cloth and poured water over it till
it became cold. I took it to the Prophet (s) and said, "Drink, O Allah's
Apostle!" He drank it till I was pleased.
Bukhari
Volume 4, Book 61, Number 3615:
Narrated Al-Bara' bin 'Azib:
Abu Bakr came to my father who was
at home and purchased a saddle from him. He said to 'Azib. "Tell your son
to carry it with me." So I carried it with him and my father followed us
so as to take the price (of the saddle). My father said, "O Abu Bakr! Tell
me what happened to you on your night journey with Allah's Apostle (during
Migration)." He said, "Yes, we travelled the whole night and also the
next day till midday when nobody could be seen on the way (because of the
severe heat). Then there appeared a long rock having shade beneath it, and the
sunshine had not come to it yet. So we dismounted there and I leveled a place
and covered it with an animal hide or dry grass for the Prophet (s) to sleep on
(for a while). I then said, 'Sleep, O Allah's Apostle (s), and I will guard
you.' So he slept and I went out to guard him. Suddenly I saw a shepherd coming
with his sheep to that rock with the same intention we had when we came to it.
I asked (him). 'To whom do you belong, O boy?' He replied, 'I belong to a man
from Medina or Mecca.' I said, 'Do your sheep have milk?' He said, 'Yes.' I
said, 'Will you milk for us?' He said, 'Yes.' He caught hold of a sheep and I
asked him to clean its teat from dust, hairs and dirt. (The sub-narrator said
that he saw Al-Bara' striking one of his hands with the other, demonstrating
how the shepherd removed the dust.) The shepherd milked a little milk in a
wooden container and I had a leather container which I carried for the Prophet (s)
to drink and perform the ablution from. I went to the Prophet (s), hating to
wake him up, but when I reached there, the Prophet (s) had already awakened; so
I poured water over the middle part of the milk container, till the milk was
cold. Then I said, 'Drink, O Allah's Apostle!' He drank till I was pleased.
Then he asked, 'Has the time for our departure come?' I said, 'Yes.' So we
departed after midday. Suraqa bin Malik followed us and I said, 'We have been
discovered, O Allah's Apostle!' He said, Don't grieve for Allah is with us.'
The Prophet (s) invoked evil on him (i.e. Suraqa) and so the legs of his horse
sank into the earth up to its belly. (The sub narrator, Zuhair is not sure
whether Abu Bakr said, "(It sank) into solid earth.") Suraqa said, 'I
see that you have invoked evil on me. Please invoke good on me, and by Allah, I
will cause those who are seeking after you to return.' The Prophet (s) invoked
good on him and he was saved. Then, whenever he met somebody on the way, he
would say, 'I have looked for him here in vain.' So he caused whomever he met
to return. Thus Suraqa fulfilled his promise." [3652]
Bukhari
Volume 7, Book 77, Number 5807:
Narrated 'Aisha:
Some Muslim men immigrated to
Ethiopia whereupon Abu Bakr also prepared himself for the emigration, but the
Prophet (s) said (to him), "Wait, for I hope that Allah will allow me also
to emigrate." Abu Bakr said, "Let my father and mother be sacrificed
for you. Do you hope that (emigration)?" The Prophet (s) said, 'Yes."
So Abu Bakr waited to accompany the Prophet (s) and fed two she-camels he had
on the leaves of As-Samur tree regularly for four months One day while we were
sitting in our house at midday, someone said to Abu Bakr, "Here is Allah's
Apostle, coming with his head and a part of his face covered with a
cloth-covering at an hour he never used to come to us." Abu Bakr said,
"Let my father and mother be sacrificed for you, (O Prophet)! An urgent
matter must have brought you here at this hour." The Prophet (s) came and
asked the permission to enter, and he was allowed. The Prophet (s) entered and
said to Abu Bakr, "Let those who are with you, go out." Abu Bakr
replied, "(There is no stranger); they are your family. Let my father be
sacrificed for you, O Allah's Apostle!" The Prophet (s) said, "I have
been allowed to leave (Mecca)." Abu Bakr said, “I shall accompany you, O
Allah's Apostles, Let my father be sacrificed for you!" The Prophet (s) said,
"Yes," Abu Bakr said, 'O Allah's Apostles! Let my father be
sacrificed for you. Take one of these two she-camels of mine" The Prophet (s)
said. I will take it only after paying its price." So we prepared their
baggage and put their journey food in a leather bag and Asma' bint Abu Bakr cut
a piece of her girdle and tied the mouth of the leather bag with it. That is
why she was called Dhat-an-Nitaqaln. Then the Prophet (s) and Abu Bakr went to
a cave in a mountain called Thour and remained there for three nights.
'Abdullah bin Abu Bakr. who was a young intelligent man used to stay with them
at night and leave before dawn so that in the morning, he would he with the
Quraish at Mecca as if he had spent the night among them. If he heard of any
plot contrived by the Quraish against the Prophet (s) and Abu Bakr, he would
understand it and (return to) inform them of it when it became dark. 'Amir bin
Fuhaira, the freed slave of Abu Bakr used to graze a flock of milch sheep for
them and he used to take those sheep to them when an hour had passed after the
'Isha prayer. They would sleep soundly till 'Amir bin Fuhaira awakened them
when it was still dark. He used to do that in each of those three nights.
Bukhari Volume 5, Book 63, Number
3906:
Narrated 'Aisha:
(The wife of the Prophet) I never
remembered my parents believing in any religion other than the true religion
(i.e. Islam), and (I don't remember) a single day passing without our being
visited by Allah's Apostle in the morning and in the evening. When the Muslims
were put to test (i.e. troubled by the pagans), Abu Bakr set out migrating to
the land of Ethiopia, and when he reached Bark-al-Ghimad, Ibn Ad-Daghina, the
chief of the tribe of Qara, met him and said, "O Abu Bakr! Where are you
going?" Abu Bakr replied, "My people have turned me out (of my
country), so I want to wander on the earth and worship my Lord." Ibn
Ad-Daghina said, "O Abu Bakr! A man like you should not leave his
home-land, nor should he be driven out, because you help the destitute, earn
their livings, and you keep good relations with your Kith and kin, help the
weak and poor, entertain guests generously, and help the calamity-stricken
persons. Therefore I am your protector. Go back and worship your Lord in your
town."
So Abu Bakr returned and Ibn
Ad-Daghina accompanied him. In the evening Ibn Ad-Daghina visited the nobles of
Quraish and said to them. "A man like Abu Bakr should not leave his
homeland, nor should he be driven out. Do you (i.e. Quraish) drive out a man
who helps the destitute, earns their living, keeps good relations with his Kith
and kin, helps the weak and poor, entertains guests generously and helps the
calamity-stricken persons?" So the people of Quraish could not refuse Ibn
Ad-Daghina's protection, and they said to Ibn Ad-Daghina, "Let Abu Bakr
worship his Lord in his house. He can pray and recite there whatever he likes,
but he should not hurt us with it, and should not do it publicly, because we
are afraid that he may affect our women and children." Ibn Ad-Daghina told
Abu Bakr of all that. Abu Bakr stayed in that state, worshipping his Lord in
his house. He did not pray publicly, nor did he recite Quran outside his house.
Then
a thought occurred to Abu Bakr to build a mosque in front of his house, and
there he used to pray and recite the Quran. The women and
children of the pagans began to gather around him in great number. They used to
wonder at him and look at him. Abu Bakr was a man who used to weep too much,
and he could not help weeping on reciting the Quran. That situation scared the
nobles of the pagans of Quraish, so they sent for Ibn Ad-Daghina. When he came
to them, they said, "We accepted your protection of Abu Bakr on condition
that he should worship his Lord in his house, but he has violated the
conditions and he has built a mosque in front of his house where he prays and recites
the Quran publicly. We are now afraid that he may affect our women and children
unfavorably. So, prevent him from that. If he likes to confine the worship of
his Lord to his house, he may do so, but if he insists on doing that openly,
ask him to release you from your obligation to protect him, for we dislike
breaking our pact with you, but we deny Abu Bakr the right to announce his act
publicly." Ibn Ad-Daghina went to Abu- Bakr and said, ("O Abu Bakr!)
You know well what contract I have made on your behalf; now, you are either to
abide by it, or else release me from my obligation of protecting you, because I
do not want the 'Arabs hear that my people have dishonored a contract I have
made on behalf of another man." Abu Bakr replied, "I release you from
your pact to protect me, and am pleased with the protection from Allah."
At that time the Prophet (s) was in
Mecca, and he said to the Muslims, "In a dream I have been shown your
migration place, a land of date palm trees, between two mountains, the two
stony tracts." So, some people migrated to Medina, and most of those
people who had previously migrated to the land of Ethiopia, returned to Medina.
Abu Bakr also prepared to leave for Medina, but Allah's Apostle (s) said to him,
"Wait for a while, because I hope that I will be allowed to migrate
also." Abu Bakr said, "Do you indeed expect this? Let my father be
sacrificed for you!" The Prophet (s) said, "Yes." So Abu Bakr did
not migrate for the sake of Allah's Apostle in order to accompany him. He fed
two she-camels he possessed with the leaves of As-Samur tree that fell on being
struck by a stick for four months.
One day, while we were sitting in
Abu Bakr's house at noon, someone said to Abu Bakr, "This is Allah's
Apostle (s) with his head covered coming at a time at which he never used to visit
us before." Abu Bakr said, "May my parents be sacrificed for him. By
Allah, he has not come at this hour except for a great necessity." So
Allah's Apostle came and asked permission to enter, and he was allowed to enter.
When he entered, he said to Abu Bakr. "Tell everyone who is present with
you to go away." Abu Bakr replied, "There is none but your family.
May my father be sacrificed for you, O Allah's Apostle?" The Prophet (s) said,
"I have been given permission to migrate." Abu Bakr said, "Shall
I accompany you? May my father be sacrificed for you, O Allah's Apostle?"
Allah's Apostle said, "Yes." Abu Bakr said, "O Allah's Apostle!
May my father be sacrificed for you, take one of these two she-camels of
mine." Allah's Apostle replied, "(I will accept it) with
payment." So we prepared the baggage quickly and put some journey food in
a leather bag for them. Asma, Abu Bakr's daughter, cut a piece from her waist
belt and tied the mouth of the leather bag with it, and for that reason she was
named Dhat-un-Nitaqain (i.e. the owner of two belts).
Then Allah's Apostle and Abu Bakr
reached a cave on the mountain of Thaur and stayed there for three nights.
'Abdullah bin Abi Bakr who was intelligent and a sagacious youth, used to stay
(with them) aver night. He used to leave them before day break so that in the
morning he would be with Quraish as if he had spent the night in Mecca. He
would keep in mind any plot made against them, and when it became dark he would
(go and) inform them of it. 'Amir bin Fuhaira, the freed slave of Abu Bakr,
used to bring the milch sheep (of his master, Abu Bakr) to them a little while
after nightfall in order to rest the sheep there. So they always had fresh milk
at night, the milk of their sheep, and the milk which they warmed by throwing
heated stones in it. 'Amir bin Fuhaira would then call the herd away when it
was still dark (before daybreak). He did the same in each of those three
nights. Allah's Apostle and Abu Bakr had hired a man from the tribe of Bani
Ad-Dail from the family of Bani Abd bin Adi as an expert guide, and he was in
alliance with the family of Al-'As bin Wail As-Sahmi and he was on the religion
of the infidels of Quraish. The Prophet and Abu Bakr trusted him and gave him
their two she-camels and took his promise to bring their two she camels to the
cave of the mountain of Thaur in the morning after three nights later. And
(when they set out), 'Amir bin Fuhaira and the guide went along with them and
the guide led them along the sea-shore.
The nephew of Suraqa bin Ju'sham
said that his father informed him that he heard Suraqa bin Ju'sham saying,
"The messengers of the heathens of Quraish came to us declaring that they
had assigned for the persons why would kill or arrest Allah's Apostle and Abu
Bakr, a reward equal to their blood money, while I was sitting in one of the
gatherings of my tribe. Bani Mudlij, a man from them came to us and stood up
while we were sitting, and said, "O Suraqa! No doubt, I have just seen
some people far away on the seashore, and I think they are Muhammad and his
companions." Suraqa added, "I too realized that it must have been
they. But I said 'No, it is not they, but you have seen so-and-so, and
so-and-so whom we saw set out.' I stayed in the gathering for a while and then
got up and left for my home and ordered my slave-girl to get my horse which was
behind a hillock, and keep it ready for me.
Then I took my spear and left by the
back door of my house dragging the lower end of the spear on the ground and
keeping it low. Then I reached my horse, mounted it and made it gallop. When I
approached them (i.e. Muhammad and Abu Bakr), my horse stumbled and I fell down
from it, Then I stood up, got hold of my quiver and took out the divining
arrows and drew lots as to whether I should harm them (i.e. the Prophet and Abu
Bakr) or not, and the lot which I disliked came out. But I remounted my horse
and let it gallop, giving no importance to the divining arrows. When I heard
the recitation of the Quran by Allah's Apostle who did not look hither and
thither while Abu Bakr was doing it often, suddenly the forelegs of my horse
sank into the ground up to the knees, and I fell down from it. Then I rebuked
it and it got up but could hardly take out its forelegs from the ground, and
when it stood up straight again, its fore-legs caused dust to rise up in the
sky like smoke. Then again I drew lots with the divining arrows, and the lot
which I disliked, came out. So I called upon them to feel secure. They stopped,
and I remounted my horse and went to them. When I saw how I had been hampered
from harming them, it came to my mind that the cause of Allah's Apostle (i.e.
Islam) will become victorious. So I said to him, "Your people have
assigned a reward equal to the blood money for your head." Then I told them
all the plans the people of Mecca had made concerning them. Then I offered them
some journey food and goods but they refused to take anything and did not ask
for anything, but the Prophet (s) said, "Do not tell others about
us." Then I requested him to write for me a statement of security and
peace. He ordered 'Amr bin Fuhaira who wrote it for me on a parchment, and then
Allah's Apostle (s) preceded on his way.
Narrated 'Urwa bin Az-Zubair:
Allah's Apostle (s) met Az-Zubair in a caravan of Muslim merchants who were
returning from Sham. Az-Zubair provided Allah's Apostle (s) and Abu Bakr with white
clothes to wear. When the Muslims of Medina heard the news of the departure of
Allah's Apostle from Mecca (towards Medina), they started going to the Harra
every morning. They would wait for him till the heat of the noon forced them to
return. One day, after waiting for a long while, they returned home, and when
they went into their houses, a Jew climbed up the roof of one of the forts of
his people to look for something, and he saw Allah's Apostle and his companions
dressed in white clothes, emerging out of the desert mirage.
The Jew could not help shouting at
the top of his voice, "O you 'Arabs! Here is your great man whom you have
been waiting for!" So all the Muslims rushed to their arms and received
Allah's Apostle on the summit of Harra. The Prophet (s) turned with them to the
right and alighted at the quarters of Bani 'Amr bin 'Auf, and this was on
Monday in the month of Rabi-ul-Awal. Abu Bakr stood up, receiving the people
while Allah's Apostle (s) sat down and kept silent. Some of the Ansar who came
and had not seen Allah's Apostle before, began greeting Abu Bakr, but when the
sunshine fell on Allah's Apostle and Abu Bakr came forward and shaded him with
his sheet only then the people came to know Allah's Apostle. Allah's Apostle
stayed with Bani 'Amr bin 'Auf for ten nights and established the mosque
(mosque of Quba) which was founded on piety. Allah's Apostle (s) prayed in it
and then mounted his she-camel and proceeded on, accompanied by the people till
his she-camel knelt down at (the place of) the Mosque of Allah's Apostle at
Medina. Some Muslims used to pray there in those days, and that place was a
yard for drying dates belonging to Suhail and Sahl, the orphan boys who were
under the guardianship of 'Asad bin Zurara. When his she-camel knelt down,
Allah's Apostle (s) said, "This place, Allah willing, will be our abiding
place." Allah's Apostle (s) then called the two boys and told them to
suggest a price for that yard so that he might take it as a mosque. The two
boys said, "No, but we will give it as a gift, O Allah's Apostle!"
Allah's Apostle then built a mosque there. The Prophet (s) himself started
carrying unburnt bricks for its building and while doing so, he was saying
"This load is better than the load of Khaibar, for it is more pious in the
Sight of Allah and purer and better reward able." He was also saying, "O Allah! The actual reward is the reward in the
Hereafter, so bestow Your Mercy on the Ansar and the Emigrants." Thus the
Prophet recited (by way of proverb) the poem of some Muslim poet whose name is
unknown to me.
(Ibn Shibab said, "In the Hadiths it does not occur that
Allah's Apostle (s) recited a complete poetic verse other than this
one.")
