Siege Of Blessed Home Of Blessed Nabi

Siege Of Blessed Home Of Blessed Nabi

صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

  Following Their Plan, The Disbelievers Of Makkah Besieged The Home Of The Holy Nabi 

And Lay In Wait. They Wanted To Attack Him After He Had Gone To Sleep. At That Time, Only Sayyiduna ‘Ali رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ Was Staying With The Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم At Home. Although Disbelievers Were The Bitter Enemies Of The Revered And Renowned Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم , They Were Sure That He صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم Was The Most Honest Person. They Had So Much Trust In Him That They Would Entrust Their Wealth And Precious Things To Him. Hence, At That Time, There Were Many Entrusted Things At The Blessed Home. The Greatest And Noblest Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم Said To Sayyiduna ‘Ali, ‘Go To Sleep On My Bed Covering Your Body With My Green-Coloured Shawl. After I Have Left, You Give Back All The Entrusted Things Of The Quraysh To Their Respective Owners And Come To Madinah.’

Sayyiduna ‘Ali Knew That Disbelievers Had Intended To Kill The Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم . It Was, Of Course, A Very Critical And Dangerous Situation But He رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ Was Perfectly Sure That He رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ Would Remain Alive And Reach Madinah Because The Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم Had Said To Him, ‘You Give Back All The Entrusted Things Of The Quraysh To Their Respective Owners And Come To Madinah.’ Hence, It Was Like A Bed Of Roses For Sayyiduna ‘Ali رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ Who Slept Peacefully And Comfortably On Bed Until Morning. Feeling Proud Of This Great Deed Of His, The Lion Of Allah, Sayyiduna ‘Ali رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ Expressed His Feelings In His Couplets:

وَقَیْتُ بِنَفْسِیْ خَیْرَ مَنْ وَ طِئَ الثَّرٰی وَمَنْ طَافَ بِالْبَیْتِ الْعَتِیْقِ وَ بِالْحَجَرِ

Translation: Endangering my own life, I have protected the one who is the best and the greatest of all those who walk on the earth and perform the Tawaf of the Ka’bah and Hateem.

رَسُوْلُ اِلٰەٍ خَافَ اَنْ یَّمْکُرُوْا بِەٖفَنَجَّاہُ ذُوالطَّوْلِ الْاِلٰەُ مِنَ الْمَکْرِ

Translation: The Rasool of the Almighty suspected that the disbelievers of Makkah would succeed in their conspiracy against him but the Almighty has protected him from their conspiracy.1

After the Revered and Renowned Rasool صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم made Sayyiduna ‘Ali رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ go to sleep on his bed, he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم took a handful of soil and came out of his blessed home, reciting the opening Ayahs of Surah Yaseen. Then, throwing dust on to the heads of besiegers, he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم went away, unnoticed, unobserved and unharmed. Another person, who was not present in the crowd, informed them that Muhammad ( صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم ) had gone. While going, he ( صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم ) threw dust on to your heads. When those unfortunate people ran their fingers nervously through their hair, they found dust on their heads.2                                                                                                                                          

After the Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم came out of his home and reached the place called ‘Hazwarah’ [حَزْوَرَہ], he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم stood there and, looking towards the Holy Ka’bah with wistful eyes, he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم said, ‘O Makkah! I hold you the dearest in the entire world. If my nation had not exiled3 me from you, I would not have resided in any other place except you.’                                                                         

Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddeeq رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ also reached there, as was already decided. Noticing that the delicate feet of the Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم were wounded and fearing that disbelievers might chase them following their footprints, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ made the Beloved Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم sit on his shoulders. Then, passing through thorny bushes and climbing the hills that had pointed stones on them, they reached the cave of Saur the same night.4                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

At first, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddeeq رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ entered the cave, cleaned it properly and filled all of its holes with the pieces of cloth torn from his clothing. Then, the Beloved Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم entered the cave and went to sleep with his blessed head placed on the lap of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddeeq رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ. One of the holes of the cave was still not filled, so he رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ placed his heel on it. 

A snake bit his foot many times through the hole but Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddeeq رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ did not remove his foot so that the sleep of the Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم would not be disrupted. However, due to severe pain, some of the drops from the stream of his tears devotedly fell on to the blessed cheek of the Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم . He صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم woke up and was anxious to see his companion of the cave in tears. He صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم asked, ‘O Abu Bakr! What happened?’ He رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ humbly replied, ‘Ya Rasoolallah! Any snake has bitten me.’ Listening to it, he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم applied his blessed saliva to the wound, and the pain eased instantly. He صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم stayed in this cave for three nights.

Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ who was a young son of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddeeq رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ would sleep at the mouth of the cave at night and would return to Makkah at early dawn. He would enquire about the conspiracies of the Quraysh and would give the Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم whatever information he had, in the evening. Sayyiduna ‘Aamir Bin Fuhayrah رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ who was a slave of Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddeeq رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ would bring a herd of goats from the pasture to the cave after a considerable part of night passed. Then, the Greatest and Noblest Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم and his companion of the cave would drink milk from those goats.

The Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم was staying in the cave of Saur. On the other hand, the disbelievers who besieged the home of the Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم entered his blessed home on the morning. They found that Sayyiduna ‘Ali رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ was present on the bed of the Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم . Cruel disbelievers interrogated him for a while and then released him. They then searched for the Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم at each and every corner of Makkah and its outskirts.

They even reached the cave of Saur. But they did not know that it was as if there was Divinely-provided security at the mouth of the cave. Actually, a spider had built a web at the mouth of the cave and a female-pigeon had laid eggs at a corner. Seeing this scene, the disbelievers of Quraysh said to each other, ‘If any human being were present in this cave, so neither the spider would build the web nor would the female-pigeon lay eggs.’ Anyway, hearing the footsteps of the disbelievers, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ got a bit scared and humbly said, ‘Ya Rasoolallah صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم ! Now our enemies have come so close to us that they would see us if they only looked towards their feet.’

Comforting him, the Greatest and Noblest Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم said: ‘لَا تَحْزَنْ اِنَّ اللّٰەَ مَعَنَا’ do not get scared. Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ is with us.

Since then Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ was blessed with so great calmness and peace by Allah عَزَّوَجَلَّ that he رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ became quite fearless.5 These acts of self-sacrifice made by Sayyiduna Abu Bakr رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ were beautifully expressed by Sayyiduna Hassaan Bin Saabit Ansari رَضِىَ اللهُ تَعَالٰی عَـنْهُ – the famous poet of the court of the Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم :

وَ ثَانِیُ اثْنَیْنِ فِی الْغَارِ الْمُنِیْفِ وَقَدْ    طَافَ الْعَدُوُّ بِەٖ اِذْ صَاعَدَ الْجَبَلَا

Meaning: And the second of the two (i.e. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr) climbed the mountain and stayed in the great cave when the enemy was very near him.

وَ کَانَ حِبَّ رَسُوْلِ اللّٰەِ قَدْ عَلِمُوْا    مِنَ الْخَلَائِقِ لَمْ یَعْدِلْ بِەٖ بَدَلَا

Meaning: And he (i.e. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr) was the beloved companion of the Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم . All creatures know that the Greatest Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم has not declared anyone else greater than him.6

Anyway, on the fourth day, i.e. Monday 1st Rabi’-ul-Awwal, he صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم came out of the cave of Saur. ‘Abdullah Bin Urayqat who had already been hired by the Holy Nabi صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم for taking them to Madinah was present along with the two she-camels, as was decided in advance. He صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم mounted [i.e. got on] his she-camel while Sayyiduna Abu Bakr and Sayyiduna ‘Aamir Bin Fuhayrah رَضِیَ اللّٰهُ تَعَالٰی عَنْهُمَا mounted the other. ‘Abdullah Bin Urayqat started walking on foot ahead. Away from main routes, they set out on the journey taking different routes along the shore.7