1 Escape from Makkah to Madinah

2
So when they plotted to assassinate him in the
middle of the night – they found that he
The Quraysh (the biggest tribe In
wasn’t there!
Makkah AND the prophets family)
The news of the assassination reached
wanted to kill Muhammad not only
Muhammad through revelation.
due to the message that was
spreading around Makkah about
Ali (the Prophet’s cousin) would take
Islam, but mainly because the vast
Muhammad’s cloak and pretend to be asleep
majority of Muslims had migrated to
in the Prophet’s bed.
Madinah and the Quraysh feared
Ali lay down on Muhammad’s mat. His eyes
that the Muslims would prosper in
were wide open. Muhammad knew that Ali
Madinah and would gather an army
would be safe. The Assassins would not dare
and attack the Makkans.
kill Ali as Ali belong to the tribe of the Quraysh
This was their suspicion about them,
too and plus he was still a teenager.
so they decided that if they killed
Muhammad then the Muslims
The Prophet slipped away quietly, while Ali
would become weak and wouldn’t
heard voices outside saying, “Muhammad is
dream of attacking the Makkans.
there, asleep. Let us kill him”. The group of
assassins crept quietly around the house
where Ali was sleeping.

They flung open the door, astonished to find that only Ali was there. He was
3 too young to be of any importance. The assassins howled with disappointment.

4
Meanwhile Muhammad and his closest companion
(Abu Bakr) avoided the road from Makkah to
Madinah, where they would have been seen, and
caught for certain. They went the opposite
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direction instead! They were on foot, climbing up
and over mountains. They were covered in dust,
exhausted and thirsty. By nightfall they reached
the caves. The enemies realised that Muhammad
and Abu Bakr were not on the road to Madinah but Footsteps could be heard at the mouth of the cave. Then
had gone the opposite way and chased after them a voice was heard. “No, they can’t be in here. It’s covered
searching high and low. Muhammad and Abu Bakr with spider’s webs and nests and branches. No one has
hid in a cave. An enemy had seen them! The been here since Muhammad was born.” Over the
enemies came to the cave. Muhammad and Abu entrance there was indeed a beautiful, silver spider’s
web, and above it, a low branch with a nest where a dove
sat, cooing gently. When the two were certain the enemy
Questions: Answer these into your exercise had gone, they left the cave that had protected them,

1. What two reasons did the Quraysh wish to kill the Prophet Muhammad for?
2. What tactic did Muhammad and Abu Bakr use to initially avoid the assassins when they went after
Muhammad once he had escaped?
3. How did a dove’s nest show that Muhammad had not entered the cave nor was he hiding inside it?
 How do you think that the Prophet’s escape to Madinah impacted upon the people who had accepted
Islam?
 How would you feel if you had to leave your own city due to people wanting to get you out of it or due to