When the Prophet (s.a.w.) Escaped an Assassination Attempt

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

Dr. Muhammad Muswthafa al-Badawi said, in the early days of prophethood, when the elders of Quraysh realised they were reaching the limits of what was possible to prevent the Prophet (s.a.w.) from conveying his Lord’s Message, they sat in council and Satan himself joined them, in the form of an old Najdi man.  Each suggestion they put forward he rejected, until Abu Jahl ‘Amr ibn Hisham suggested that if they wanted to murder Prophet Muhammad (s.a.w.), but were worried about the revenge sure to be exacted by his clan and their allies, then they should choose forty men, one from each clan, to attack him as one man, so that his clan and their allies would find it impossible to exact revenge from all of them and their allies banded together.  This proposition was strongly supported by Satan and adopted unanimously by the elders. 

Gabriel (a.s.) came to the Prophet (s.a.w.) saying, “Sleep not tonight in the bed in which you usually sleep!” 

When the night grew dark, the assassins gathered before his house, waiting for the Prophet (s.a.w.) to sleep so that they could rush him.  The Prophet (s.a.w.) saw them and said to Sayyidina ‘Alî ibn Abu Thalib (k.w.), “Sleep on my bed and cover yourself with this, my green Hadhrami cloak.  Sleep in it; nothing unpleasant will reach you from them!”  The Prophet (s.a.w.) gave Sayyidina ‘Alî (k.w.) the cloak he usually wrapped himself in when he slept. 

At the door, Abu Jahl said, “Muhammad claims that if you follow him, you will become the kings of both Arabs and non-Arabs, then you will be Resurrected after you die, and gardens will be yours like the gardens of Jordan.  But if you do not, he will cut your throats, then you will be Resurrected after your death, then yours will be a fire in which you will burn!” 

The Prophet (s.a.w.) came out, took a handful of dust in his blessed hand, and said, “Yes, I say this!  You are one of them!”  Allah (s.w.t.) took away their eyesight so they did not see him.  He sprinkled dust over their heads reciting these verses from Surah YaSin: 

سُوۡرَةُ یسٓ

بِسۡمِ ٱللهِ ٱلرَّحۡمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

يسٓ (١) وَٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ ٱلۡحَكِيمِ (٢) إِنَّكَ لَمِنَ ٱلۡمُرۡسَلِينَ (٣) عَلَىٰ صِرَٲطٍ۬ مُّسۡتَقِيمٍ۬ (٤) تَنزِيلَ ٱلۡعَزِيزِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ (٥) لِتُنذِرَ قَوۡمً۬ا مَّآ أُنذِرَ ءَابَآؤُهُمۡ فَهُمۡ غَـٰفِلُونَ (٦) لَقَدۡ حَقَّ ٱلۡقَوۡلُ عَلَىٰٓ أَكۡثَرِهِمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يُؤۡمِنُونَ (٧) إِنَّا جَعَلۡنَا فِىٓ أَعۡنَـٰقِهِمۡ أَغۡلَـٰلاً۬ فَهِىَ إِلَى ٱلۡأَذۡقَانِ فَهُم مُّقۡمَحُونَ (٨) وَجَعَلۡنَا مِنۢ بَيۡنِ أَيۡدِيہِمۡ سَدًّ۬ا وَمِنۡ خَلۡفِهِمۡ سَدًّ۬ا فَأَغۡشَيۡنَـٰهُمۡ فَهُمۡ لَا يُبۡصِرُونَ (٩) 

In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful

Ya Sin.  By the Qur’an, full of Wisdom ― You are indeed one of the Messengers.  On a Straight Way.  It is a Revelation Sent Down by (Him) the Exalted in Might, Most Merciful. in order that you may warn a people, whose fathers had received no admonition, and who, therefore, remain heedless (of the Signs of Allah).  The Word is Proved True against the greater part of them; for they do not believe.  We have Put yokes round their necks right up to their chins, so that their heads are forced up (and they cannot see).  And We have Put a bar in front of them and a bar behind them, and further We have Covered them up; so that they cannot see. (Surah YaSin:1-9) 

By the time the Prophet (s.a.w.) had recited these verses, every one of them had dust upon his head, then he departed.  A man arrived and seeing them standing there asked, “What are you waiting here for?” 

“Muhammad!” they replied. 

“May Allah Make you fail!  By Allah, Muhammad has gone out and he left no man among you, but he put dust on his head, then he walked away to his purpose, can you not see what has happened to you?”  Each of them put his hand on his head only to find it covered with dust.  This was recorded by Shaykh Abu Muhammad 'Abd al-Malik ibn Hisham al-Baswri (r.a.).