But the Prophet (r) was warned of their wicked plan by the All-Knowing God and thus,
had asked ‘Ali instead to lie on his bed and wrap himself in his mantle, assuring him that no
harm would come to him.
The shrewd and determined gang stood outside the Prophet’s house with scimitars, pre-
pared to attack the Prophet (r) as he emerged. When Muhammed (r) came out, he threw
a handful of dust. God instantly obscured their eyesight and the Prophet (r) went through
their ranks, sprinkling the dust over their heads and reciting the Soorah Ya Sin:
"And we have set a bar before them and a bar behind them, and (thus) have covered
them so that they see not.” [Qur'an 36:9]
He passed right through them but nobody was able to see him. Then, there came a man
who asked them, “What are you waiting for?” When they replied that they were waiting for
Muhammed, he said, “May God confound you! He has already gone away.” They peeped
through the chink of the door and saw ‘Ali sleeping on the bed wrapped in the Prophet’s
mantle. They had mistaken him for the Prophet (r) and decided to wait till morning when
‘Ali got up from the bed. All of them were abashed by the incident. (Ibn Hisham, Vol. Pp.
480-83)