Dar al-Nadwah:
Ibn Ishaq (may Allah have mercy on him) reports that when the Quraysh considered that many people from other cities had entered the companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and that many noble companions from here too had, for the sake of their religion, set aside worldly life, wealth and possessions and chosen migration, and that Allah the Exalted had provided them a secure place where they live in peace and ease, and that now the Messenger of Allah ﷺ himself also intended to go there soon and join them, then this concern deeply troubled the Quraysh, and they looked to its consequences and thought that the gathering of this strength of the Muslims would be the establishment of the causes of their own decline and destruction. Thus, with this concern, they arranged for a council of consultation to be held in the house of Qusayy ibn Kilab, which was called Dar al-Nadwah. This is the same house that has been mentioned above, where the Quraysh would gather whenever they had to consult on an important matter, and in this house all their affairs were decided. In short, when these apprehensions about the Messenger of Allah ﷺ arose for them, a council of consultation was established in this house.
The Consultative Council of Iblis:
Ibn Ishaq narrates, through reliable narrators, from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with both of them) that the day this assembly was fixed was named the Day of Crowding (Yawm al-Zahmah), and when these people turned towards that house, Iblis stood at the door in the form of an old, aged man. When these people came and saw that old man, they asked: “Venerable elder, who are you?” He said: “I am from the people of Najd, and having heard of your concern and anxiety, I thought it appropriate to attend your assembly and express my opinion. It is certain that you will benefit from it.” The Quraysh said: “Very well, come in and be seated.” So that accursed one entered the house along with them. The narrator says that the nobles and chiefs of the Quraysh who were present in this assembly were these:
The Participants of the Assembly:
From Banu Abd Shams: Utbah ibn Rabi’ah, Shaybah ibn Rabi’ah and Abu Sufyan ibn Harb. From Banu Nawfal ibn Abd Manaf: Tu’aymah ibn Adi, Jubayr ibn Mut’im and Harith ibn Amir ibn Nawfal. From Banu Abd al-Dar ibn Qusayy: Nadr ibn Harith ibn Kaladah. From Banu Asad ibn Abd al-Uzza: Abu al-Bakhtari ibn Hisham, Zam’ah ibn Aswad ibn al-Muttalib and Hakim ibn Hizam. From Banu Makhzum: Abu Jahl ibn Hisham. From Banu Sahm: the two sons of Hajjaj, Nabih and Munabbih. From Banu Jumah: Umayyah ibn Khalaf, and many other people besides them.
Various Proposals:
So they said to all of them: “You see the state of this man: his companions, both from among us and from among people other than us, have increased greatly and are growing day by day. It is certain that one day they will overpower us and wipe out our religion and faith from the face of the earth. Therefore, a consultation is necessary by which a complete arrangement may be made for ourselves, so that we never have to see bad times again.”
One person said: “Imprison Muhammad ﷺ and post guards at the door, just as was done before with the poets Zuhayr and Nabighah, so that they died in prison.”
The Najdi Sheikh said: “By Allah! This opinion of yours is not correct. If you do this, then surely his companions, on hearing this news, will at once launch such a fierce attack upon you that they will kill you and take Muhammad ﷺ away cleanly, and you will be unable to do anything. So think of some other matter.”
One person said: “Let us expel them from here. They will wander in confusion, going who knows where, and after their disappearance, our mutual affection and love will return as it was, and those who have become Muslims will again join us.”
The Najdi Sheikh said: “By Allah! This opinion is even more defective than your first opinion. You are not aware of the sweet speech and good conduct of Muhammad ﷺ, that whoever speaks with him even once becomes captivated by him. If you did this, that is, expelled him from this city, then know that he would join some tribe of Arabia and, by his eloquent speech, win them over and then turn back against you, and trample you under the hooves of their horses so that they leave no trace of your name, and take all your authority into their own hands. Therefore, devise some plan that is correct and proper in every respect.”
The Wicked Proposal of Abu Jahl:
Abu Jahl ibn Hisham said: “By Allah! I have an opinion on this matter, and I do not think anyone has thought of it until now.” The Quraysh said: “O Abu al-Hakam! Quickly state what opinion has come to your mind.” He said: “I have devised this plan: we should choose one young man from each of all our tribes, arm them, and keep them ready; and when Muhammad ﷺ is sleeping, all those young men should strike him at once with a single sword-blow, thus killing him. Then, if his people want retribution, they will not be able to fight all our many tribes. Inevitably they will agree to accept blood-money, so we will pay the blood-money and settle this matter, and be rid of this concern forever.”
Shaykh Najdi said: “Truly, what can be said of Abu al-Hakam! This opinion alone is extremely strong and correct in every respect; act upon it.” After this opinion was settled, people got up from that place and left. Meanwhile, Jibril came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said that tonight he should not sleep in the place where he always sleeps.
Instruction to Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him):
The narrator says: when the night became very dark, all these people were waiting for the Prophet ﷺ to go to sleep so that they could make their attack. When the Noble Messenger ﷺ was informed that the enemies were waiting for this, he ﷺ said to Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him): “Sleep on my bed, wrapped in my green cloak, and do not worry; they will not harm you.” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, whenever he slept, used to sleep in that cloak.
The departure of the Messenger ﷺ:
Ibn Ishaq says that when all these people of Quraysh gathered at the door of the Prophet ﷺ, Abu Jahl was also among them. He said: “Muhammad ﷺ says that if you follow me, you will become kings of Arabia, and after death, you will be raised again and be given gardens like those in Jordan. And if you do not follow me, you will be slaughtered in the world, and after death, you will be raised and burnt in the fire.” While he was saying this, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out carrying a large vessel full of dust and said: “Yes, I say exactly this.” But Allah Almighty blinded their eyes to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, so that they did not see him. The Noble Messenger ﷺ kept reciting the first verses of Surah Ya-Sin up to “la yubsiruna” and kept throwing dust on their heads, until, when he finished, he went on to his task, and those people had no knowledge of it.
Then a stranger came to them and said: “What are you standing here waiting for?” They said: “We are waiting for Muhammad ﷺ.” He said: “By Allah! Muhammad ﷺ has left you humiliated, and has not left anyone of you unharmed. He has thrown dust on all your heads; you do not know what is upon your heads.” Then, when these people looked at their heads, they indeed found them covered with dust. Then these people began peering inside, and saw that indeed someone was sleeping and was wrapped in the same cloak that the Prophet ﷺ used to wrap himself in. They said: “Muhammad ﷺ is sleeping,” and they remained standing there waiting until morning. When morning came, they saw that Hazrat Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) rose from the bed, and then they said: “By Allah, the man who spoke to us last night was telling the truth.”
The sayings of Allah Almighty:
Ibn Ishaq says that Allah Almighty revealed these verses regarding the activity of the disbelievers on that day and about Makkah:
«وَإِذْ يَمْكُرُ بِكَ الَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا لِيُثْبِتُوكَ أَوْ يَقْتُلُوكَ أَوْ يُخْرِجُوكَ ۚ وَيَمْكُرُونَ وَيَمْكُرُ اللَّهُ ۖ وَاللَّهُ خَيْرُ الْمَاكِرِينَ»
“And remember, O Messenger, the time when the disbelievers were scheming against you, so that they might imprison you, kill you, or expel you. They were scheming, and Allah was also scheming, and Allah is the best of schemers.”
Virtues and properties of Surah Ya-Sin:
If frightened people mention the first three verses of Surah Ya-Sin, following the example of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, they will attain safety. Accordingly, Harith ibn Usamah narrated in his Musnad from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ that he ﷺ mentioned among the virtues of Surah Ya-Sin that if a frightened person recites it, he will attain safety; if a hungry person recites it, he will be granted sustenance; if a naked person recites it, he will be granted clothing; if a thirsty person recites it, he will be granted water; and if a sick person recites it, he will be cured. The Noble Messenger ﷺ went on to mention many of its properties. Allah Almighty also revealed this verse in the Holy Quran:
«أَمْ يَقُولُونَ شَاعِرٌ نَّتَرَبَّصُ بِهِ رَيْبَ الْمَنُونِ ۔ قُلْ تَرَبَّصُوا فَإِنِّي مَعَكُم مِّنَ الْمُتَرَبِّصِينَ»
“(O Messenger) do they say about you that he is a poet? We are awaiting the vicissitudes of time concerning him. Say: Wait, I too am waiting along with you.”
Ibn Ishaq says that after this, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was permitted to migrate.
Takhrij al-Hadith:
اسناده ضعيف۔
Its chain is not authentic (sahih) in any way; every one of its chains contains some weak (da’if) narrator.
It has also been quoted by Safi al-Rahman Mubarakpuri in al-Raheeq al-Makhtum, pages 223 to 229.
