Muhammad a Prophet For all Humanity
5. Lessons of the Prophet’s Life
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efforts to prevent the Muslims from leaving
Makkah: some they beat up, some they took
captive; but somehow most of the Muslims
managed to reach their refuge in Madinah.
Finally (A.D. 622) came the Prophet’s turn. The
Quraysh realized that, with the rest of the Muslims
safely installed in Madinah, it would not be long
before the Prophet himself joined them. Leaders of
all the tribes of the Quraysh, except the Banu
Hashim, met in the great hall of Qusayy ibn Kilab’s
house, where all such meetings were held. Various
proposals were put forward, but finally all agreed
that a person from every tribe should attack and kill
Muhammad: his blood would thus be divided over
all eleven tribes; the Banu Hashim, the tribe to
which the Prophet belonged, being unable to fight
with all of them, would accept compensation
instead. The next night, they surrounded the
Prophet’s house, waiting for the Prophet to emerge
so that they could pounce on him and kill him.
The Prophet knew exactly what was going on.
Quietly, he continued his preparations. That night,
according to plan, he left Makkah along with Abu
