Laylat al-Mabit: Difference between revisions

'''Laylat al-Mabīt''' (Arabic: {{iarabic|لیلة المبیت}}) is the title of the night in which the [[Prophet (s)]] emigrated from [[Mecca]] to [[Medina]], and because of the decision of [[Quraysh]] to assassinate the Prophet (s), [[Imam 'Ali (a)]] slept in his bed, so the assassins will not notice his absence. The [[verse]] 207 of [[Sura al-Baqara]] is revealed about the sacrifice of Imam 'Ali (a) for saving the life of the Prophet (s).

After the demise of [[Abu Talib]], [[Quraysh]] polytheists intensified the harassment of Muslims. As the life of Muslims was in danger, [[the Prophet (s)]] ordered Muslims to emigrate to Yathrib. The Prophet (s) had recently made [[Pledge of 'Aqaba|an allegiance with the people of Yathrib]], so the Muslims were safe there. The Muslims started to emigrate to Yathrib covertly in small groups.<ref>Ibn Hisham, ''Sira l-nabawiyya'', vol.1 p.480</ref>

Heads of Quraysh gathered in [[Dar al-Nadwa]] to decide about their encounter with the Prophet (s); at last, with the propose of [[Abu Jahl]], it was decided that chosen brave man from every tribe attack the Prophet (s) together and assassinate him in his home, so all the tribes have part in the assassination of the Prophet (s) and [[Banu Hashim]], who were his family and his avengers, could not fight all the tribes and have to accept the blood money.<ref>Tabrisi, ''I'lam al-wara'', p.88</ref>

After the decision of Quraysh to assassinate the Prophet (s), [[Jabra'il]] (Gabriel) informed the Prophet (s) about the plan and revealed the [[verse]] 30 of [[Sura al-Anfal]] (8): "When the faithless plotted against you to take you captive, or to kill or expel you. They plotted and Allah devised, and Allah is the best of devisers", so the Prophet (s) decided to emigrate to [[Yathrib]].<ref>Halabi, ''Sira'', vol.2 p.32</ref> While he was leaving, he recited: "And We have put a barrier before them and a barrier behind them, then We have blind-folded them, so they do not see" (Quran 36:9), so the polytheists could not see him.<ref>Subhani, ''Furugh abadiyyat'', vol.1 p.420</ref>

==Emigration to Yathrib==

In the night of [[Rabi' I 1]], [[the Prophet (s)]] told [[Imam 'Ali (a)]]: "the angel descended to me and informed me that Quraysh polytheists are united to kill me, and he recommended me from my God to emigrate from my tribe, and go to the [[Thawr cave]] tonight, and he ordered me to order you to sleep in my bed so my trace will become hidden by that; so what do you say and what will you do?", so 'Ali (a) said: "will you be safe by my sleeping there?", the Prophet (s) said: "yes", so Imam 'Ali (a) smiled and bowed down to perform [[al-sajda al-shukr]] out of happiness, then said: "go as you are ordered, may my ears, eyes, and the very heart be sacrificed for you, order me as you wish, I am like your assistant, I will do it as you want, and my success is only by [[Allah]]."<ref>Majlisi, ''Bihar al-anwar'', vol.19 p.60</ref> the Prophet (s) said: "sleep in my bed, and put on my clothes, and I inform you that Allah tests his friends according to their faith and their rank in His religion, so the most hardly tested people are the prophets, then their successors, etc., so He is testing you and is testing me with you, like He tested His friend [[Ibrahim (a)]], and [[Isma'il (a)]] (when Ibrahim was commanded to slaughter Isma'il), so be patient, be patient, for 'indeed Allah's mercy is close to the virtuous'" then embraced Imam 'Ali (a) and both cried, then they separated.<ref>Tusi, ''Amali'', p.466</ref>

In the morning when they attacked the house with drawn swords, saw Imam 'Ali (a) in the bed of the Prophet (s), they said: "where is Muhammad?" Imam 'Ali (a) said: "were you entrusted him to me that you are asking me about him? Were not you saying that you will expel him from your land?" They attacked Imam 'Ali (a) and beat him saying: "you were tricking us for the night!" Then they started to search for the Prophet (s).<ref>Majlisi, ''Bihar al-anwar'', vol.19 p.92</ref>

There is also another report: when the sun started to rise they feared to be exposed by the morning so they attacked, at the time the houses in [[Mecca]] did not have doors and only curtains were used, when Imam 'Ali (a) saw them drawn their swords and are coming to him, and [[Khalid b. al-Walid]] is leading them, Imam 'Ali (a) jumped to him, took his sword and broke his hand, so Khalid started to jump up and down and yelling like a camel, the others were still on the stairs when Imam 'Ali (a) went to them with the sword, they fled from him like a herd of sheep and went to the roof, and suddenly they discovered that this is 'Ali, "are you 'Ali?" they asked, "I am 'Ali" he replied, they said: "we do not intend you, where is Muhammad?", "I do not know" Imam 'Ali (a) said. So they get on their horses and camels and went after the Prophet (s).<ref>Tusi, ''Amali'', p.466-467; Majlisi, ''Bihar al-anwar'', vol.19 p.58-63</ref>

As [[Shi'a]] and [[Sunni]] scholars have narrated, the verse 207 of [[Sura al-Baqara]] is revealed about the night and the sacrifice of Imam 'Ali (a) for the Prophet (s).<ref>Tabataba'i, ''al-Mizan'', vol.2 p.135; Hakim al-Nishaburi, ''al-Mustadrak'', vol.3 p.5; Shaybani, ''Fada'il al-sahaba'', vol.2 p.484; 'Ayyashi, ''Tafsir'', vol.1 p.101; Zarkashi, ''al-Burhan'', vol.1 p.206</ref>

|{{arabic|وَمِنَ النّاسِ مَن يَشري نَفسَهُ ابتِغاءَ مَرضاتِ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهُ رَءوفٌ بِالعِبادِ}}

  |source = Quran 2:207

The Prophet (s) said: "Allah told [[Jabra'il]] and [[Mika'il]]: 'I have made you two brothers and made the life of one of you shorter than the other, which one of you would prefer his brother (to live longer)?' both of them disliked the death, then Allah told them: 'are not you like My friend, 'Ali b. Abi Talib?, I made him brother with My Prophet, and he preferred him to live, then slept in his bed, sacrificing his life for him, both of you descend to the earth, and protect him from his enemies' then Jabra'il descended to top of his head and Mika'il descended to down of his feet, and Jabra'il said: 'good for someone like you, O the son of Abu Talib, that Allah is proud in you in front of the angles.'"<ref>Saduq, ''Amali'', p.469; Fakhr Razi, ''Mafatih al-ghayb'', vol.5 p.174; Haskani, ''Shawahid'', vol.1 p.123</ref>

{{notes}}

* Hakim al-Nishaburi, Muhammad b. 'Abd Allah al-. ''Al-Mustadrak 'ala al-Sahihayn''.  Beirut: Dar al-Kutub al-'Ilmiyya