Talk:Migration to Medina

message: The NPOV part of this needs to be included:
On the occasion of the migration of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and  Abu Bakr, the Quraish had planned to surround the Prophet’s house with a group of strong young men, one from each tribe, to kill him when he left his house. Allah revealed their plans to the Prophet and so `Ali ibn Abi Talib agreed to sleep in the Prophet’s house that night. The Prophet walked right past the young would-be killers while they were waiting for him. He threw some sand at their faces and recited the verse from the Qur’an that means [And We have put a barrier before them, and a barrier behind them, and We have covered them up, so that they cannot see] (Yasin 36:9) and they were unaware of him passing by them.
The next morning the young men who had been chosen to kill the Prophet discovered `Ali in the Prophet’s house and they were confused, wondering how Muhammad had escaped. When the Prophet left his house under Allah’s protection, he headed straight to the house of Abu Bakr. Abu Bakr had been waiting for some time until the Prophet finally said that it was time to leave Makkah and make the important journey to Madinah (Al-Mubarakphuri, 165-69).
As he was eagerly waiting, Abu Bakr had been preparing for their journey. He had two camels that were fed and rested so as to be ready to carry himself and the Prophet on their long journey.
Madinah lies to the north of Makkah, but the Prophet and Abu Bakr left Makkah with their guide heading south in the hope of tricking the Quraish and thereby gaining ground. They went to a small cave called Thawr where they sought safety.
Abu Bakr loved the Prophet dearly and was committed to the cause of Islam from the very beginning. He was a tenderhearted man and all his concern, at that time especially, was centered on the safety of the Prophet. Abu Bakr carried the Prophet up the mountain to the cave of Thawr in an attempt to conceal their footsteps. When they were ready to enter the cave, Abu Bakr entered first to check that it was safe. He didn’t fear danger to himself but wanted to ensure the Prophet’s safety. He cleaned the cave as best he could and bid the Prophet enter. This action of Abu Bakr was recorded in the Qur’an [If you will not aid him, Allah certainly aided him when those who disbelieved expelled him, he being the second of the two, when they were both in the cave, when he said to his companion: Grieve not, surely Allah is with us] (At-Tawbah 9:40). They stayed there for three nights and Abu Bakr’s pregnant daughter Asma’ brought them food. She risked great danger in doing so. Because she tore her belt in two to use one piece to tie shut the food bag, she gained the epithet the One with Two Belts.
Meanwhile the Quraish were baffled about where the Prophet was. They beat `Ali, trying to get any information out of him concerning the whereabouts of the Prophet (peace be upon him). They also threatened Asma’ and slapped her, trying to do the same. But neither uttered a word. In the end, the Quraish offered a reward for anyone who found the Prophet. As a consequence, a number of bounty-hunters sought the prize of a few camels in hope of catching the Prophet Muhammad (Nadwi, 62).
In the midst of all this turmoil and strife, Abu Bakr remained steadfast beside the Prophet until the very end. He, as usual, was calm and committed, ever kind and generous.
One group of bounty-hunters came so close to the mouth of the cave where the Prophet and his companion were hiding that Abu Bakr asked the Prophet, “What if they were to look through the crevice and detect us?” The Prophet, ever calm and self-assured in his perfect faith, replied, “Silence, Abu Bakr! What do you think of two with whom the third is Allah!” (Al-Mubarakphuri, 171).
Allah had ensured the safety of the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr by sending a spider to spin its web across the entrance of the cave.
Across the mouth of the cave, a spider had spun its web and two doves built their nest and laid some eggs in the entrance. When the bounty-hunters saw this, they naturally believed that the unbroken web and the undisturbed nest was proof that no one had entered the cave.
Abu Bakr witnessed many significant events in the Prophet’s life. The migration was one of these events. When the Prophet entered Madinah and the crowds were chanting and singing with joy and happiness, Abu Bakr was his quiet and noble companion.
http://www.islamonline.net/english/journey/2005/07/jour02.shtml
--Striver 07:09, 13 December 2005 (UTC)
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