Life-of-Muhammad

162Life of Muhammad saMedina, his relations had sold all his property. Therewas no house left which the Prophet sa could call hisown. Accordingly the Prophet sa said, "I will stop at HanifBani Kinana." This was an open space. The Quraish andthe Kinana once assembled there and swore that unlessthe Banu Hashim and the Banu ‘Abdul Muttalib handedover the Prophet sa to them to deal with him as theyliked, they would have no dealings with the two tribes.They would neither sell anything to them nor buyanything from them. It was after this solemn declarationthat the Prophet sa , his uncle Abu Talib, his family andfollowers, had to take refuge in the valley of Abu Taliband suffer a severe blockade and boycott lasting forthree years.The place which the Prophet sa chose for his stay was,therefore, full of significance. The Meccans had onceassembled there and taken the oath that unless theProphet sa was made over to them, they would not be atpeace with his tribe. Now the Prophet sa had come to thesame spot. It was as though he had come to tell theMeccans: "You wanted me here, so here I am. But not inthe way you wanted. You wanted me as your victim, onecompletely at your mercy. But I am here in power. Notonly my own people, but the whole of Arabia is now withme. You wanted my people to hand me over to you.Instead of that, they have handed you over to me." Thisday of victory was a Monday. The day on which theProphet sa and Abu Bakr ra left the cave of Thaur for theirjourney to Medina was also a Monday. On that day,standing on the hill of Thaur, the Prophet sa turned toMecca and said, 'Mecca! you are dearer to me than anyother place but your people would not let me live here.'When the Prophet sa entered Mecca, mounted on hiscamel, Abu Bakr ra walked with him holding a stirrup. Ashe walked along, Abu Bakr ra recited verses from theSurah, Al-Fath in which the conquest of Mecca hadbeen foretold years before.