Surah Al-Maaida (5) — Ayah 67

67. O Messenger! Convey what has been revealed to you from your Lord. And if you do not do so, then you have not conveyed His message [112]. And Allah will protect you from the people (from their harm) [113]. Surely, Allah does not guide the disbelieving people.

[112] The mention of the four important responsibilities of all Messengers has appeared numerous times in the Noble Quran. Among them, the first and most important responsibility is the propagation of the message of Prophethood. And you ﷺ paid the greatest attention to this. Enduring the persecutions of the disbelievers and undertaking arduous journeys, you would meet people individually and collectively, and despite hearing their harsh and bitter responses, you ﷺ fulfilled this duty with complete responsibility. Then, in the last period of your life, at three different times, you took testimony from thousands of Companions ؓ in their gatherings: "Have I conveyed to you the message of Prophethood?" When they replied in the affirmative, you ﷺ proclaimed loudly, "O Allah, bear witness." Furthermore, you ﷺ emphatically instructed the Companions ؓ to convey the message of Prophethood to those who had not yet received it, as is evident from the following hadiths.

1.
The Duty of Propagation of the Message:

Sayyiduna Jabir ؓ bin Abdullah says that (on the occasion of the Farewell Pilgrimage) after delivering the sermon, you ﷺ said, "You will be asked about me, so what will you say?" The Companions replied, "We will testify that you ﷺ have conveyed to us the message of Allah, fulfilled (the right of propagation), and gave us excellent advice and goodwill." You ﷺ raised your index finger towards the sky and, pointing towards the people, said three times, "O Allah! Bear witness."
[مسلم کتاب الحج۔ باب حجۃ النبی]

2. Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ says that in the sermon of the Farewell Pilgrimage, you ﷺ commanded all Muslims: "Listen! Those of you who are present should convey (the instructions of this sermon) to those who are not present."
[بخاری۔ کتاب العلم۔ باب لیبلغ العلم الشاھد الغائب]

Because the present may convey the news to an absent person who may remember it better than the one who heard it.
[بخاری۔ کتاب العلم۔ باب قول النبی رب مبلغ اوعی من سامع]

3. Sayyidah Aisha ؓ narrates that (once after the prayer of eclipse) you ﷺ delivered a sermon to the people and, after praising and glorifying Allah, said, "The sun and the moon are among the signs of Allah. They are not eclipsed due to anyone's death nor due to anyone's birth." (After finishing the sermon) you ﷺ raised both hands and said, "O Allah! I have certainly conveyed Your message."
[مسلم۔ کتاب الکسوف پہلی حدیث]

What happened was that on the day the son of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Ibrahim, passed away, the sun was also eclipsed by coincidence. The ancient Arabs believed that lunar and solar eclipses occurred due to the death of a great person. On this incident, some Muslims also began to say that the sun was eclipsed due to the death of Ibrahim, and this day was 29th Shawwal, 10 AH, Monday, corresponding to 27th January 632 CE. When the eclipse began, you ﷺ led the Companions in a long two-rak‘ah prayer, which included four bowings and four prostrations. You instructed the Companions that when the sun or moon is eclipsed, perform prayer. After the prayer, you ﷺ delivered a lengthy sermon in which you strongly refuted this ignorant belief that the sun and moon are merely signs of Allah and are not eclipsed due to anyone's death or life. After the long sermon, you ﷺ addressed the Companions ؓ and asked, "Have I conveyed to you the message of Allah?" When the Companions replied in the affirmative, you ﷺ raised both hands and said, "O Allah! Bear witness. I have conveyed Your message."
[بخاری۔ ابواب الکسوف، مسلم۔ کتاب الکسوف]

4. Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas ؓ narrates: In your final illness, you ﷺ removed the cloth from your head, at that time your head was bandaged, and in this state, you ﷺ repeated three times, "O Allah! Indeed, I have conveyed Your message."
[مسلم کتاب الصلٰوۃ۔ باب نہی عن قراءۃ القرآن فی الرکوع والسجود]

And regarding propagation, the aspect you ﷺ paid the most attention to is evident from the following hadiths:

5.
Etiquette of Preaching:

Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas‘ud ؓ says that you ﷺ would consider the time and occasion when advising us, and you ﷺ disliked that we should become weary.
[بخاری۔ کتاب العلم۔ باب ماکان النبی یتخولھم بالموعظۃ والعلم کی لاینفروا]

6. Abu Wa’il says that Abdullah bin Mas‘ud ؓ used to preach to the people every Thursday. A man said to him, "Abu Abdur Rahman! I wish you would preach to us every day." He replied, "I do not do this because I dislike making you weary, and I preach to you considering the time and occasion, just as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would consider the time and occasion when advising us. He feared that we might become weary."
[بخاری۔ کتاب العلم۔ باب ماکان النبی یتخولھم، بالموعظہ والعلم کی لاینفروا]

Apart from men, you ﷺ would sometimes make special arrangements for women as well, as is evident from the following hadiths:

7. Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas ؓ says that you ﷺ (after delivering the Eid al-Fitr sermon) came out from the men's rows, and Bilal ؓ was with you. You ﷺ thought that perhaps your voice had not reached the women. Then you ﷺ advised the women and instructed them to give charity. Some women began to throw their earrings, some their rings, and Bilal ؓ began to collect this charity in the corner of his garment.
[بخاری۔ کتاب العلم۔ باب عظۃ الامام النساء وتعلیمھن]

8. Sayyiduna Abu Sa‘id Khudri ؓ says that once the women said to you ﷺ, "The men have prevailed over us in coming to you. Therefore, please appoint a day for us." So you ﷺ promised them. On that day, you ﷺ preached to them and taught them the religious rulings, and among the rulings was this: If a woman’s three young children die (and she is patient), they will become a shield for her from Hell. A woman asked, "And if two?" You ﷺ replied, "And two as well."
[بخاری۔ کتاب العلم۔ ھل یجعل للنساء یوما علی حدۃ فی العلم]

[113]
The Difference Between a Nabi and a Rasul:

The scholars have described the differences between a Nabi (Prophet) and a Rasul (Messenger) as follows:
(1) The coming of a Rasul is foretold in the Book of Allah beforehand, whereas this is not necessary for a Nabi.
(2) A Rasul receives a Book or scriptures from Allah and forms a separate community, whereas a Nabi follows and causes others to follow the previous Book.
(3) Allah Himself takes the responsibility of protecting the life of a Rasul, whereas Prophets have been unjustly killed at the hands of rebellious disbelievers. And since the Messenger of Allah ﷺ is a Messenger for the entire world and until the Day of Judgment, this responsibility was even greater for you ﷺ compared to others. That is why, especially, Allah revealed this verse to reassure you ﷺ. This verse was revealed long after you ﷺ were wounded in the Battle of Uhud. Before this, sometimes such emergency situations arose that you ﷺ could not even sleep at night without a guard. After the revelation of this verse, you ﷺ never appointed a guard again. How much danger did you ﷺ face to your life due to the propagation of the message? This can be gauged from the fact that there were about seventeen assassination attempts on you ﷺ from the Quraysh of Makkah, the Jews, and the hypocrites, and each time Allah protected you ﷺ and humiliated those disbelievers. A summary of these attacks is as follows: The period of your Prophethood is 23 years. The first three years were of extremely secret propagation. In the remaining twenty years, there were seventeen assassination attempts or conspiracies to kill you ﷺ. Of these, nine were from the Quraysh of Makkah, three from the Jews, three from Bedouin tribes, one from the hypocrites, and one from the King of Persia, Khosrow Parviz. Probably, no other person in this world has faced so many assassination attempts, and each time Allah fulfilled His promise by informing you ﷺ through revelation or by helping you and saving you from your enemies. Now we present these assassination attempts in chronological order for the readers.

1.
The Martyrdom of the One Who Saved Your ﷺ Life:

After inviting your close relatives on Mount Safa, when the verse ﴿فَاصْدَعْ بِمَا تُؤْمَرُ﴾ was revealed, you ﷺ went to the Sacred Mosque and proclaimed the Oneness of Allah. This proclamation was the greatest insult to the polytheists of Makkah. Suddenly, an uproar broke out, and people from all sides attacked you ﷺ. Your stepson (son of Sayyidah Khadijah ؓ from her first husband), Harith bin Abi Hala, was at home. When he heard the news, he came running and tried to save you. Swords began to strike him from all sides, and he was martyred. This was the first blood shed in the path of Islam.
[الاصابہ فی تمییز الصحابہ ذکر حارث بن ابی ہالہ بحوالہ سیرت النبی ج 1 ص 314]

2.
Abu Jahl’s Intention to Kill:

One day, Abu Jahl said to his companions, "I have made a vow to Allah that whenever Muhammad ﷺ goes into prostration, I will crush his head with a heavy stone so that this daily dispute ends. After that, you may leave me helpless if you wish, and let Banu Abd Manaf treat me as they wish, or you may protect me." His companions said, "By Allah! We will not leave you helpless. So do as you wish." According to this plan, Abu Jahl took a heavy stone and went to the Ka‘bah, waiting for the right moment. When you ﷺ went into prostration, Abu Jahl approached you with the stone, but suddenly he became frightened and retreated. His face turned pale, and he could barely put the stone down. His companions were astonished and asked, "Abu al-Hakam! What happened?" He said, "As I was approaching Muhammad ﷺ, I saw a terrifying camel. By God, I have never seen such a frightening head, neck, and teeth on a camel. It wanted to devour me, and I barely managed to escape and save my life."
[ابن ہشام 1: 298-299 بحوالہ الرحیق المختوم ص 151]

3.
The Murderous Intent of ‘Uqbah bin Abi Mu‘ayt:

‘Uqbah was always on the lookout for an opportunity to strangle you and finish you off. Such an opportunity would arise for the polytheists when you were praying in the Ka‘bah. Sayyiduna ‘Urwah bin Zubair ؓ says: I asked Abdullah bin ‘Amr bin ‘As ؓ, "What was the worst harm the polytheists of Makkah inflicted on the Messenger of Allah ﷺ?" He narrated his eyewitness account: "You ﷺ were praying in the Ka‘bah. ‘Uqbah bin Abi Mu‘ayt came and threw his cloak around your neck, twisting it so tightly that you began to choke, your eyes bulged, and you were close to death. At that moment, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ arrived. He forcefully pushed ‘Uqbah away and rescued you, saying, 'Do you want to kill a man just because he says, "My Lord is Allah," even though he has brought you clear signs from your Lord?'" [40: 28]
[بخاری۔ کتاب المناقب۔ باب فضل ابی بکر بعد النبی کتاب التفسیر سورۃ مومن]

And in Sayyidah Asma ؓ's narration, there is further detail: When ‘Uqbah strangled you with his cloak, you ﷺ cried out, "Save your companion!" Hearing your cry, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ came to your aid, and when he pushed ‘Uqbah away, the polytheists attacked Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ. When he returned, his condition was such that whenever we touched a hair on the top of his head, it would come away with our pinch.
[مختصر سیرۃ الرسول ص 13 بحوالہ الرحیق المختوم 8 ص 153]

4.
Sayyiduna ‘Umar’s Intention to Kill Before Accepting Islam:

Once, the polytheists of Makkah were sitting in the Ka‘bah, discussing how to get rid of the trouble brought by the Prophet of Islam ﷺ. Sayyiduna ‘Umar, in a fit of rage, said, "I will go right now and end this trouble," and set out with a naked sword. On the way, he met a Muslim, Nu‘aym bin Abdullah, who asked, "‘Umar! What are your intentions today?" He replied, "I am going to finish off your Prophet." Nu‘aym said, "First, look to your own house. Your sister and brother-in-law have both become Muslims." In anger, Sayyiduna ‘Umar went to their house. The door was closed, and the sound of Quran recitation could be heard from inside, with Khabbab bin al-Aratt ؓ teaching them the Quran. Sayyiduna ‘Umar knocked forcefully. When they opened the door, he began to beat his brother-in-law mercilessly. His sister Fatimah intervened, and he wounded her as well. Fatimah said, "‘Umar! Even if you kill us, we will not leave Islam." Her words softened his heart. He said, "Alright, let me hear this recitation." The Quran further affected his heart, and his entire world changed. He got up and went straight to Dar al-Arqam, still holding his sword, but now with a completely changed intention. The Muslims peeked through a crack and saw ‘Umar standing at the door with a naked sword. They were frightened. Sayyiduna Hamzah ؓ was also present and said, "Open the door. If ‘Umar has come with evil intent, I will cut off his head with his own sword." The door was opened, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself stepped forward, grabbed ‘Umar’s cloak, and asked, "‘Umar, what brings you here?" Sayyiduna ‘Umar respectfully replied, "I have come to accept Islam." He then recited the testimony of faith before everyone, and all the Muslims raised the slogan of Takbir. Thus, Sayyiduna ‘Umar’s intention to kill became the reason for his acceptance of Islam.
[سیرۃ النبی شبلی نعمانی ج 1 ص 228 بحوالہ طبقات ابن سعد و ابن عساکر و کامل لابن الاثیر]

5.
The Bargain with Abu Talib for the Purpose of Killing:

When the chiefs of Quraysh became certain that Abu Talib would never abandon his nephew’s support, they devised a heinous plot to deceive Abu Talib and prepare a scheme to kill the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. Several Quraysh chiefs, accompanied by ‘Amarah, the son of the chief of Makkah, Walid bin Mughirah, went to Abu Talib and said, "This is the most handsome and beautiful youth of Quraysh. Take him under your care and adopt him as your son. You will have the right to his blood money and support, and in exchange, hand over your nephew to us, who opposes the religion of our forefathers, calls them fools, and is scattering the unity of the nation. We want to kill him, and it is a man for a man." Abu Talib replied, "By Allah! What a terrible bargain you have come to persuade me to make. You want me to feed, clothe, and raise your son, and in exchange, you take my son from me and kill him. By Allah! This is impossible." At this, Mut‘im bin ‘Adi said to Abu Talib, "By God! Your people have spoken justly to you, but you do not accept anything." Abu Talib replied, "By God! This is not justice. Rather, it seems to me that you too have joined the opposition. If that is the case, then do as you wish."
[ابن ہشام 1: 266، 267 بحوالہ الرحیق المختوم ص 145]

Disappointed by Abu Talib’s response, the Quraysh delegation dispersed.

6.
The Assassination Plot That Led to Your ﷺ Migration:

This incident is mentioned in Surah Al-Anfal, verse 30, and its full details are given in the footnote there. In brief, in this consultation, Iblis himself was present, and it was finally decided that eleven men from different tribes would surround your ﷺ house that night, and when you ﷺ came out at dawn, they would all attack at once and finish you off. Allah informed you ﷺ of this plot through revelation and also gave you permission to migrate. Thus, you ﷺ migrated in utmost secrecy and narrowly escaped the evil of these polytheists and disbelievers, and their plan failed miserably.

7.
The Offer of a Reward of One Hundred Camels for Your ﷺ Capture or Murder After Migration:

Tempted by this huge reward, people set out individually and in groups to search for and pursue you ﷺ, and one group even tracked your footprints to the mouth of the Cave of Thawr. They were so close to the cave that if they had looked down at their feet, they would have seen you ﷺ and Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ. Even at this moment, this paragon of patience and steadfastness did not waver in the slightest. Comforting Sayyiduna Abu Bakr Siddiq ؓ, you ﷺ said, "Do not grieve; Allah is with us." [9: 40] This incident is also mentioned in Surah At-Tawbah, verse 40; see the footnote there. Among those who pursued individually, the incident of Suraqah bin Malik is particularly noteworthy, who actually reached you, but his horse stumbled suddenly and he fell. When he mounted again, the horse stumbled a second time, and again he fell. When he mounted a third time, the horse stumbled again. He realized that his safety lay in not approaching them. When the Messenger of Allah ﷺ looked back and saw Suraqah, he prayed, "O Allah, make him fall," and Suraqah’s horse sank into the ground up to its knees.
[بخاری۔ کتاب الانبیاء۔ باب ہجرۃ النبی واصحابہ الی المدینۃ]

Further details will come in the footnote to Surah At-Tawbah, verse 40, i.e., in the incident of the migration.

8.
‘Umair bin Wahb Jumahi’s Intention to Kill, 2 AH:

‘Umair was also among your foremost enemies. In the Battle of Badr, his son was captured and taken prisoner by the Muslims, which enraged him and he resolved to take revenge. One day, ‘Umair was sitting in the Hatim, discussing the slain thrown into the well of Badr with Safwan bin Umayyah. Safwan said, "By Allah! Life has no pleasure now." ‘Umair said, "If I did not have debts and dependents, I would go and kill Muhammad ﷺ." Safwan said, "I will take care of your debts and your family. If I have anything to eat, they will have it too." ‘Umair said, "Alright, but keep this matter to yourself." Safwan agreed. ‘Umair then poisoned his sword and went to Madinah, arriving at the Prophet’s Mosque. Sayyiduna ‘Umar ؓ informed you that your enemy ‘Umair bin Wahb had arrived with a sword around his neck and sought permission to meet you. You ﷺ said, "Let him come," but Sayyiduna ‘Umar ؓ, as a precaution, took the sword’s belt. You ﷺ said to Sayyiduna ‘Umar ؓ, "Let go of his sword," then asked ‘Umair, "Why have you come?" ‘Umair said, "My son is in your custody; please show kindness." You ﷺ said, "If that is the case, why are you wearing a sword?" He replied, "These swords have never been of any use." You ﷺ said, "Tell the truth. Do not make excuses." When ‘Umair repeated his earlier statement, you ﷺ said, "That is not the case. Rather, you have come to kill me. You and Safwan bin Umayyah discussed this in the Hatim. Safwan took responsibility for your debts and family, and you have come here to kill me. But remember, Allah is between me and you." ‘Umair thought that only Safwan knew of this matter; who else could have told him? Surely, he must be a Prophet, and we are in the wrong. With this realization, he declared the testimony of faith before you and became Muslim. You instructed the Companions: "Teach your brother the religion, teach him the Quran, and release his son." Meanwhile, Safwan had announced in Makkah that he would soon bring good news, but when he heard of ‘Umair’s conversion to Islam, he was furious and swore never to speak to ‘Umair or benefit him in any way. ‘Umair, after learning Islam, returned to Makkah and began preaching, through which many people became Muslim.
[ابن ہشام 1: 661 تا 663 بحوالہ الرحیق المختوم ص 372]

(9)
The Jews’ Plot to Kill, 4 AH:

The incident of Bi’r Ma‘unah once again revived the wounds of the Battle of Uhud. Of the seventy Qurra, only ‘Amr bin Umayyah Damri survived, whom the disbelievers captured.
[بخاری۔ کتاب المغازی۔ غزوۃ الرجیع و بئر معونہ]

But he escaped from captivity and reached Madinah to inform you of this painful incident. On the way, ‘Amr bin Umayyah mistakenly killed two men, thinking they were enemies, though they were under treaty. When you ﷺ learned of this, you were greatly saddened and said, "Now we must pay blood money for these two men." You began arranging for this payment. According to the Constitution of Madinah, the Jews were equally responsible for such blood money. So you ﷺ, accompanied by some Companions, went to Banu Nadir. They seated you in the courtyard of a house, and you ﷺ sat leaning against a wall. The Jews left, pretending to collect the money, but outside, they began plotting your murder. One Jew said, "Who will go to the roof and drop a millstone on Muhammad ﷺ to crush him?" Another wretch immediately volunteered. Allah informed you of their intention through revelation. You ﷺ immediately got up and left for the mosque, informing the Companions on the way of the Jews’ evil plan. This treachery of the Jews became the immediate cause of the Battle of Banu Nadir, and eventually, they were exiled.
[الرحیق المختوم ص 462]

(10)
Thumamah bin Uthal’s Intention to Kill, 6 AH:

In 6 AH, a small Muslim force under Muhammad bin Maslamah ؓ was sent to assess the political situation of the Yemeni tribes. This force captured the chief of Banu Hanifah, Thumamah bin Uthal Hanifi, and brought him to Madinah. Thumamah had set out, disguised, to kill the Prophet ﷺ at the behest of Musaylimah the Liar, but was captured by the Muslims. You ﷺ ordered him to be tied to a pillar in the Prophet’s Mosque and asked, "Thumamah! What is your situation?" Thumamah replied, "If you kill me, my blood will be avenged; if you forgive me, you forgive a grateful person; and if you want wealth, you will get as much as you want." You ﷺ heard his reply and left without answering. The next day, you ﷺ came again and asked the same question, and Thumamah gave the same answers. You ﷺ left again without answering. On the third day, the same question and answer occurred. You ﷺ then said to the Companions, "Release him." After being released, Thumamah went to a garden, performed ghusl, returned to you ﷺ, and accepted Islam, saying, "By Allah! Before today, your face was the most disliked to me, but today it is the most beloved. Your religion was the most disliked, but today it is the most beloved. I was intending to perform ‘Umrah when your companions captured me." You ﷺ gave him glad tidings and instructed him to perform ‘Umrah. When Thumamah went to Makkah for ‘Umrah, the polytheists said, "Thumamah has become irreligious." Thumamah replied, "No, I have become Muslim. And know that from now on, not a single grain of wheat will reach you from Yemen unless the Messenger of Allah permits." And indeed, this is what happened later. The incident of Thumamah bin Uthal is mentioned in several places in the Sahihayn, but they do not specify that when Thumamah was captured, he had set out to kill you ﷺ at the behest of Musaylimah the Liar; this detail is found in the Seerah Tayyibah.
[سیرۃ طیبہ 2: 297 بحوالہ الرحیق المختوم ص 506]

11.
The Jews’ Plot to Kill You with Poisoned Mutton, 7 AH:

After the conquest of Khaybar and the settlement with the Jews regarding sharecropping, you ﷺ stayed in Khaybar for a few days. The treacherous and cunning, defeated Jews devised a plot to kill you ﷺ during this time. The wife of Salam bin Mishkam, who was the daughter of the Jewish chief Marhab, was used as an instrument for this purpose. Zaynab sent you ﷺ an invitation, which you ﷺ graciously accepted. You were asked which part of the meat you preferred, and you replied, "The foreleg." You attended the meal with some Companions at the appointed time. As soon as you ﷺ took the first bite, you sensed the effect of the poison and immediately stopped eating. However, Sayyiduna Bishr ؓ bin Bara had eaten several morsels and died from the poison a day or two later. You ﷺ summoned Zaynab and questioned her; she confessed and revealed that the entire Jewish community was involved in the plot. You ﷺ asked the Jews, "Why did you do this?" They replied, "We thought that if you were a true Prophet, the poison would not harm you, and if you were false, we would be rid of you." [بخاري كتاب الطب۔ باب مايذكر فى سم النبي] You ﷺ personally forgave Zaynab and the Jews, but ordered Zaynab to be killed in retaliation for Sayyiduna Bishr ؓ.
[ابن ہشام 2: 235 تا 237 بحوالہ الرحیق المختوم ص 598]

In your final illness, you ﷺ said to Sayyidah Aisha ؓ, "Aisha! Now I realize that the morsel I ate at Khaybar has cut my aorta."
[بخاری۔ کتاب المغازی۔ باب مرض النبی]

12.
Khosrow Parviz, King of Persia’s Intention to Kill, 7 AH:

After the Treaty of Hudaybiyyah, you ﷺ sent letters of invitation to the kings of Persia. When the King of Persia received the letter, he tore it up in anger and said, "A slave of mine writes such a letter to me?" When you ﷺ learned of this, you ﷺ prayed, "O Allah, destroy these people as well."
[بخاری۔ کتاب المغازی۔ باب کتاب النبی الی کسریٰ و قیصر]

He then ordered the governor of Yemen, Bazan, to send someone to arrest this claimant to Prophethood and bring him before us. Bazan sent two men to Madinah for this purpose. When they arrived in Madinah, they said, "The Emperor of the world, Khosrow, has summoned you. If you do not comply, he will destroy you and your country." You ﷺ said, "Come tomorrow." The next day, when they came, you ﷺ said, "Your Emperor was killed last night by his son. Go back and tell him that the rule of Islam will reach the capital of Persia." When those men returned to Yemen, the news of Khosrow’s murder had already reached there. Seeing this, they became Muslim.
[سیرۃ النبی۔ شبلی نعمانی ج 1 ص 482]

13.
The Jews’ Plot to Kill You Through Magic:

After the incident of the poisoned mutton, the Jews devised a new plan to kill you. They requested their ally, Labid bin A‘sam, who was a master magician, to cast such a deadly spell on you that it would kill you quickly. Labid used his two daughters as intermediaries, who somehow obtained some of your hair. They recited incantations over the hair, tied knots, blew on them, and hid them in the sheath of date palm clusters, burying them under a stone at the bottom of a well called Dharwan. The magic was so strong that the water of the well turned as red as if henna had been mixed in it, and the clusters of the trees around the well looked like snake hoods. Allah sent angels to you in a dream and revealed the truth, thus protecting you from this evil as well. [تفصيل كے ليے ديكهئے بخاري۔ كتاب بدء الخلق باب صفة ابليس و جنوده۔ نيز كتاب الادب۔ باب ﴿إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ يَأْمُرُ بِٱلْعَدْلِ وَٱلْإِحْسَٰنِ﴾ [النحل :90] and see the footnote to Surah Al-Falaq, number 5.

14.
The Intention to Kill by a Bedouin of an Enemy Tribe:

On the return from the expedition of Dhat al-Riqa‘, the Muslim army camped at a place. The Companions ؓ rested under separate trees. You also sat under a tree, hung your sword on it, and as soon as you lay down, sleep overcame you. Meanwhile, a Bedouin from an enemy tribe arrived. He considered this a golden opportunity to kill you and began to take down your sword. As he was doing so, you woke up. The Bedouin, holding the sword, said, "Now tell me, who can save you from me?" You replied calmly, "My Allah." You said these words with such boldness that the Bedouin was overawed and began to tremble. The sword fell from his hand. You picked up your sword, and when you had control over him, you called the Companions and informed them of the incident. Later, you forgave the Bedouin. [بخاري۔ كتاب الجهاد، باب من علق سيفه بالشجرة فى السفر عند القائلة] Note that this Bedouin was from the same tribe against whom you had set out.

15.
Fadala bin ‘Umayr’s Intention to Kill, 8 AH:

This Fadala was the son of ‘Umair bin Wahb, who, after consulting with Safwan bin Umayyah, had come to Madinah to kill you and ended up accepting Islam and settling in Makkah. His son Fadala was still a polytheist. After the conquest of Makkah, while you were performing Tawaf of the Ka‘bah, Fadala conceived the idea of killing you. As he approached you with this intention, you yourself informed him of his intention, upon which, like his father, he became Muslim. [الرحيق المختوم ص 648]

16.
The Hypocrites’ Plot to Kill You, 9 AH:

On the return from the expedition of Tabuk, about fourteen or fifteen hypocrites plotted to guide you to a path through a mountain pass instead of the open road, and when you reached there, to throw you off your mount into the ravine and kill you. Accordingly, your mount was led onto this path. Hudhayfah bin Yaman was with you. As the pass approached, some hypocrites, with their faces covered, began to approach you in the darkness of night. Meanwhile, you were informed of their evil plan through revelation. You instructed Hudhayfah bin Yaman to strike the faces of the hypocrites’ mounts and scatter them. The hypocrites suspected that the Messenger of Allah had become aware of their evil plan, so they became concerned for their own lives and fled. Thus, Allah foiled the hypocrites’ assassination plot as well. [الرحيق المختوم ص 686]

You had informed Sayyiduna Hudhayfah bin Yaman of the names and parentage of these hypocrites, and he recognized them. However, the Messenger of Allah instructed him not to publicize them among the general Muslims. These conspiratorial hypocrites later became known as the "People of ‘Aqaba," and their mention is found in summary in Muslim, Book of the Description of the Hypocrites. Also see [ سورة حجرات كا حاشيه نمبر 34]

17.
The Plot of ‘Amir bin Tufayl and Arbad to Kill, 10 AH:

Among the delegations that came to Madinah in 10 AH was a delegation from ‘Amir bin Sa‘sa‘ah. This delegation did not come for guidance but with the evil intention of killing you. Among them was ‘Amir bin Tufayl, the same person who had treacherously martyred seventy Qurra at Bi’r Ma‘unah. The second was Arbad bin Qays, the third Khalid bin Ja‘far, and the fourth Jabbar bin Aslam. All were chiefs of their people and devilish men.

‘Amir and Arbad plotted on the way to deceive and kill Muhammad. When the delegation reached Madinah, ‘Amir began the conversation to distract you, while Arbad circled behind you, drawing his sword. But Allah paralyzed his hand, and he could not unsheath it, and their plot was exposed. You invoked a curse upon both of them and did nothing more. On their return, lightning struck Arbad and his camel, burning him to death. As for ‘Amir, during his journey, a boil appeared on his neck, which led to his death. At the time of death, his last words were, "Ah! A boil like a camel’s boil, and death in the house of such-and-such a woman."

According to the narration of Sahih Bukhari, ‘Amir began his conversation as follows: "I give you three options:
(1) You be the ruler of the rural population, and I will be the ruler of the urban population.
(2) Or, after you, I will be your successor.
(3) If both are unacceptable, I will attack you with a thousand horses and a thousand mares from Ghatafan." [بخاري۔ كتاب المغازي۔ باب غزوة الرجيع و رعل و ذكوان]

After this incident, he was afflicted with plague in the house of a woman and, at the time of death, his last words were, "A boil like a camel’s boil, and that too in the house of such-and-such a woman of Banu so-and-so. Bring me my horse." He mounted his horse, and death overtook him in that state. [بخاري۔ كتاب المغازي۔ باب غزوة الرجيع و رعل و ذكوان]

So this is the brief story of those assassination attempts and conspiracies, especially those devised to wipe this greatest benefactor from the face of the earth—the benefactor of humanity who cared equally for the reform and welfare of all people in the world. And Allah foiled all such conspiracies and attacks, thus fulfilling His promise: ﴿وَاللّٰهُ يَعْصِمُكَ مِنَ النَّاسِ﴾ [المآئده :67]