The emigration of the Muslims to Yathrib after the pledge

After the Second Pledge of Aqaba, the Prophet gave the Muslims leave to emigrate to Yathrib, and they went out in groups. The Prophet, Abu Bakr and Ali stayed in Mecca by his command, along with those whom the polytheists held back by force. ¹

The polytheists stood between the emigrants and their going out. The in-laws of Abu Salama took his wife Umm Salama from him, and the Banu Abi Salama pulled the boy until they dislocated his arm. Abu Salama went alone to Medina, and Umm Salama stayed for about a year, going out every morning to al-Abtah weeping, until one of her kin took pity on her and she got back her son and went out to Medina alone, until Uthman ibn Talha (may God be pleased with him) met her and brought her to Quba. ^{2 3}

When Suhayb wanted to emigrate, the unbelievers of Quraysh told him that he had come to them a pauper, grown rich among them, and now wanted to leave with his wealth and his life. He said: "Do you think that if I give you my wealth you will let me go?" They said yes, so he gave them his wealth. The Prophet said: "Suhayb has profited, Suhayb has profited." ³

Umar ibn al-Khattab, Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi'a and Hisham ibn al-As agreed to set out together. Hisham was held back. Umar and Ayyash reached Quba, and Abu Jahl and his brother al-Harith came to Ayyash and told him that his mother had vowed not to shade herself until she saw him. He went out with them on Umar's camel, and when they were in the open country, they tied him up and brought him into Mecca in the daytime, bound. ³ When the Prophet wanted to free them, al-Walid ibn al-Walid went to Mecca in secret and released them from their shackles. ^{3 4}

Abu Bakr had prepared for the emigration. The Prophet said to him: "Wait, for I hope to be given leave." Abu Bakr said: "Do you hope for that?" He said yes, so Abu Bakr held himself back for the Prophet to accompany him, and he fed two she-camels in his care on the leaves of the samur tree for four months. ^{1 5}

• The book relates the stories of deliverance from Ibn Hisham, and in some details the accounts differ; the book sets out what it judged most likely.