The plot to Kill Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw)

 Islam started to be known in and outside Makkah, which increased the rage of disbelievers and pushed them to behave badly with the Muslims by humiliating and killing them. Under that cruel treatment, the Muslims decided to migrate out of Makkah, and after they took the permission of the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw), they sneaked out. Then Abu-baker went to the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw) asking him to do so, but the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw) answered him that it was better to wait so that he would gain his companionship during his migration.

The disbelievers met in the house of ‘Qusay bin Kilab’ (the counsel house), and they started discussing their plot to kill Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw). Some of them said that they should dismiss Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw) and his followers from Makkah, others said that they should imprison him (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw), but ‘Abu-Jahl’ said: “We take a young man from every tribe, and then each man should strike a blow at him with his sword, so that the responsibility of the guilt would rest equally on all tribes. Therefore ‘The Bani Hashim’ would not be able to revenge their kinsman's death”. The Satan (Iblis) was present among them in the form of a man from the tribe of ‘Najd’ and he said: “this is a wise choice”. They agreed all about that choice, and they hasted to choose the youths from every tribe to execute Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw).

When the night came, the murderers surrounded the Prophet's house. They stayed up all the night waiting Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw) to leave his house at the early dawn to kill him. But the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw) had been warned by Allah (SWT) who said:

“And (remember) when the disbelievers plotted against you (O Muhammad) to imprison you, or to kill you, or to get you out (from your home (Makkah)); they were plotting and Allah too was plotting, and Allah is the Best of those who plot.” (8-30)

In the meantime Allah (SWT) sent Gabriel (PBUH) asking Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw) not to sleep in his bed, and to prepare himself for the migration. For this reason the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw) said to ‘Ali bin Abi-Talib’ to lie down in his bed and wrap himself up in his green mantle assuring him full safety and protection from Allah (SWT). Afterwards the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw) got out of his house and threw a handful of dust on them reciting the verses:

“And We have put a barrier before them, and a barrier behind them, and We have covered them up, so that they cannot see” (36-9)

 The murderers mistook ‘Ali bin Abi-Talib’ for Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw), then they continued watching him until morning. When ‘Ali bin Abi-Talib’ waked up, they became shocked as the Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw) had got out under their eyes without seeing him (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw). The disbelievers felt very angry that they promised to give a hundred camels to the one who brings the head of Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw).

 The Muslims should rely on Allah (SWT) in all their matters, they should be convinced of His Protection and Help because He is the One who could save and rescue them in the harsh adversity. This is the lesson given by The Prophet Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him, saaw) while he was encountering his enemies.

By Youssef Khannou

References:

‘’The sealed nectar‘’, Saifur Rahman al-Mubarakpuri, ‘Dar-us-Salam’, 1994.

“Sirat Ibn Hisham”, ‘Ibn- Hisham’, ‘Dar Ibn Al-Haytham’, 2006.