Farewell to Makkah

Turning point

The Holy Prophet's ascension to the Heavens, proved to be a turning point in the life story of the Holy Prophet, and as such in the history of Islam. It had its repercussions on the life of Ali. After this momentous event in the annals of mankind, the clouds began to lift, and things became easier for the Holy Prophet and for that matter for the Muslims. The tribes around Makkah who had heretofore refused to listen to the Holy Prophet, now came to be divided among themselves and some persons out of them accepted the new faith. To overcome the grief and the irreparable loss because of the death of Khadija, the Holy Prophet married an elderly lady Sauda. She was a good housewife, she looked after the house of the Holy Prophet with proper care. She looked after the young daughters of the Holy Prophet with great affection, and consoled them in their grief at the loss of their mother. In 621 C.E., a delegation from Yathrib came to Makkah and they accepted Islam. The Jews of Yathrib observed that according to their scriptures that was the time for the advent of a new prophet. After the end of the social boycott, the Muslims stepped up trading activities. It appears that at this time while the Holy Prophet devoted his attention to religious affairs, Ali concentrated his attention at the management of the business affairs. The traditional accounts of the period that have come down to us create the impression that by this time the economic resources of the Holy Prophet had dried up, and neither he nor Ali had any source of income. This view cannot be accepted for an ideal prophet could not neglect this aspect of his activity. In the conduct of business the Holy Prophet entrusted this responsibility to Ali and he discharged this responsibility with due diligence. Heretofore the Holy Prophet had avoided any armed conflict with the Quraish. A state akin to cold war prevailed between the Quraish and the Muslims for a period of over ten years. In 622 C.E. the people of Yathrib invited the Holy Prophet and his followers to migrate to Yathrib and live in their midst. They promised their full support to the Holy Prophet and his followers. The Holy Prophet directed his followers to migrate in batches to Yathrib. By the beginning of the month of September in 622 C.E. all male members of the Muslim families had left Makkah for Madina except the Holy Prophet, Abu Bakr, and Ali.

The Quraish plot to assassinate the Holy Prophet

The migration of the Muslims to Yathrib caused a great stir in the Quraish camp. They felt that if the Muslims gained strength in Yathrib, they would be a source of great danger for the Quraish. The Quraish held a council of war under the leadership of Abu Sufyan and Abu Jahl. The Quraish felt that as long as Muhammad lived, be it in Makkah or elsewhere, he would continue to be a great challenge for the Quraish. The Quraish took cognizance of the fact that in spite of their hostility, Islam was fast spreading in various parts of Arabia. They viewed the process of the growth of Islam with great concern and alarm. They held that in the circumstances their safety lay in the assassination of Muhammad (peace be on him). The Quraish resolved that Muhammad (peace be on him) should be assassinated before he could proceed to Yathrib. The Council of war decided that the young men belonging to all sections should surround the house of Muhammad at night, and assassinate him when he came out of his house in the morning by falling on him in a body, and putting an end to him with the blows of their daggers.

Frustration of the Quraish plot

The Holy Prophet was forewarned of the Quraish plot by Allah. It was revealed that if the unbelievers plotted Allah could frustrate their plot and Allah was the best planner. The Holy Prophet asked Ali to sleep on his bed that night. Thereafter he was to wind up business in Makkah and come to Yathrib. After the departure of other Muslims to Yathrib, Abu Bakr had sought the permission of the Holy Prophet to migrate to Yathrib. Muhammad (peace be on him) had asked him to wait for it was possible that he might have a good companion for the journey to Yathrib. Abu Bakr was, however, asked to keep ready for the call to migrate might come any moment. That day before the Quraish youth could come to besiege his house the Holy Prophet left for the house of Abu Bakr and gave him the tidings that the time for their migration to Yathrib had arrived. At night in the cover of darkness the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr left Makkah for Yathrib. They did not take the direct road to Yathrib. They moved in the opposite direction, and took refuge in a cave in Mt. Thaur some five miles south of Makkah. In the house of the Holy Prophet at Makkah, Ali locked the doors from inside and lay on the bed of Holy Prophet. He covered himself with the mantle which was the cover of the Holy Prophet. At night the youth of the Quraish surrounded the house according to plan. Peeping inside the house, they saw the bed occupied and felt satisfied that the Holy Prophet was sleeping there as usual. The Quraish youth kept the vigil throughout the night and they felt assured that during the night no one entered the house, nor went out of it. When the day dawned and the door of the house was opened, it was Ali and not the Holy Prophet who had to face the brunt of the fury of the Quraish at the frustration of their plan. "Where is Muhammad?" asked the Quraish, and Ali replied that he had left for Yathrib. When their plan was thus thwarted the Quraish youth were very furious, but Ali faced them boldly without showing any sign of fear. In utter disgust and disappointment the Quraish youth dispersed to carry the tale of the failure of their plan to their leaders Abu Sufyan and Abu Jahl. Once again in the battle between the truth and falsehood, the truth triumphed. That was the closing scene of the drama that had been played at Makkah during the period 611-622 C.E. During this period of eleven years, all the maneuvers that the Quraish had adopted ended in their failure and defeat. Ali remained in Makkah for a few days, and when he had settled all accounts and wound up business he took farewell of Makkah, and took the road to Yathrib. It was not a flight as some writers tried to present, it was a march on the road to the fulfillment of destiny. With the migration of the Muslims from Makkah the war between the Quraish and the Muslims was not over. It meant that such a war was now to be carried on a wider front to the increasing advantage of the Muslims, and the ultimate surrender of the Quraish.

Analysis of the events during the period 620-622 C.E.

When we objectively assess and analyze the events that took place during the three years covering the period 620-622, we notice certain facts which have not been given due coverage in the traditional accounts that have come down to us. The event of the Holy Prophet's ascension to the heavens was too novel and strange to be believable even by the Muslims. The way success came to the Muslims immediately after the ascension establishes the truth of the extraordinary event. The plan chalked out by the Quraish to assassinate the Holy Prophet was a close secret and the way the plan came to naught shows that the Holy Prophet enjoyed the protection of God. The way Ali asked his life for the sake of the Holy Prophet shows his great love and devotion to the Holy Prophet. How he faced the Quraish youth thwarted in their plan shows his unusual courage and strength of character. A question may be asked that when the Holy Prophet had already escaped from his house where was the need of Ali lying on the bed of the Holy Prophet and risking his life. This was necessary to prevent the pursuit of the Holy Prophet. If the Quraish had come to know that night that the Holy Prophet had left Makkah for Yathrib, an immediate pursuit by the Quraish would have been dangerous for the Holy Prophet. By a delay of twelve hours in the pursuit the Quraish lost the track of the Holy Prophet and could not catch him. In the traditional accounts that have come down to us, an impression is created that the entire project was financed by Abu Bakr and that the Holy Prophet was penniless at the time of migration. This impression is erroneous for evidence is available to the effect that out of the two camels that Abu Bakr had purchased for the journey, the Holy Prophet actually paid for the cost of one camel. The way Ali was left in Makkah to settle accounts shows that the Holy Prophet had some business undertaking in Makkah which was managed by Ali. This shows that at the time of migration neither the Holy Prophet nor Ali were resourceless. In some accounts it is stated that Ali traveled from Makkah to Yathrib on foot obviously because he had little money. This is not correct. There was no monetary difficulty either in the case of the Holy Prophet or Ali.