Life of Muhammad — Page 162
sa 162 Medina, his relations had sold all his property. There was no house left which the Prophet sa could call his own. Accordingly the Prophet sa said, "I will stop at H an i f Ban i Kin a na. " This was an open space. The Quraish and the Kin a na once assembled there and swore that unless the Ban u H a shim and the Ban u ‘ Abdul Mu tt alib handed over the Prophet sa to them to deal with him as they liked, they would have no dealings with the two tribes. They would neither sell anything to them nor buy anything from them. It was after this solemn declaration that the Prophet sa , his uncle Ab u Ta lib, his family and followers, had to take refuge in the valley of Ab u Ta lib and suffer a severe blockade and boycott lasting for three years. The place which the Prophet sa chose for his stay was, therefore, full of significance. The Meccans had once assembled there and taken the oath that unless the Prophet sa was made over to them, they would not be at peace with his tribe. Now the Prophet sa had come to the same spot. It was as though he had come to tell the Meccans: "You wanted me here, so here I am. But not in the way you wanted. You wanted me as your victim, one completely at your mercy. But I am here in power. Not only my own people, but the whole of Arabia is now with me. You wanted my people to hand me over to you. Instead of that, they have handed you over to me. " This day of victory was a Monday. The day on which the Prophet sa and Ab u Bakr ra left the cave of Thaur for their journey to Medina was also a Monday. On that day, standing on the hill of Thaur, the Prophet sa turned to Mecca and said, 'Mecca! you are dearer to me than any other place but your people would not let me live here. ' When the Prophet sa entered Mecca, mounted on his camel, Ab u Bakr ra walked with him holding a stirrup. As he walked along, Ab u Bakr ra recited verses from the S u rah, Al-Fath in which the conquest of Mecca had been foretold years before.