he was awake. I asked him to drink, and he did so until I was content. I then
asked, 'Should we continue with the travel?' And we left again, our pursuers still
after us.
"But the only one ofthem to catch up with us was Smqa b. Mdik b. Ju'sham,
riding a horse. I asked, '0 Messenger of God, are our pursuers catching up?' 'Do
not be worried, God is with us,' he replied.
"He caught up with us until there was only a spear's throw or two - or the
words may have been two or three spear-throws - and I said, '0 Messenger of
God, this pursuer is gaining on us!' And I wept. He asked, 'Why are you crying?'
I replied, 'It's not for me I'm crying, but for you!'
"The Messenger of God (SAAS) said a prayer about him, saying, '0 Lord,
protect us from him, as You wish.' The legs of his horse then sank down to its
belly in firm ground and he fell off, saying, '0 Muhammad, I know this is your
work; say a prayer to God for me to save me from my plight! I swear I will mis-
lead the pursuers behind me. This is my quiver; take an arrow from it, for you
will pass by my camels and sheep at so-and-so, and you can take of them what-
ever you want.'
"The Messenger of God (SAAS) replied, 'I don't need them.' But he did say
a prayer for him and he was released and returned to his people.
"The Messenger of God (SAAS) and I went further on and eventually
reached Medina where people came out to meet him. They appeared on the
roads and roofs and servants and young people thronged the streets, saying,
'God is Great! The Messenger of God (SAAS) has wme! Muhammad is here!'
"The people vied for the honour of having him stay with them. The
Messenger of God (SAAS) therefore said, 'Tonight I will stay with the Banii
al-Najjsr who are related by blood to 'Ahd al-Mugalih, to honour them.' Next
morning he was where he had been ordered to be.'
Al-Bars' said, "The first of the Emigrants to wme to us was Mus'ab h.
Wmayr, a brother of the 'Ahd al-Dar. Then came Ibn Umm Maktnm, the blind,
one of the Banii Fihr, followed by Wmar b. al-Khatnb, along with 20 riders. We
asked them what had happened to the Messenger of God (SAAS), and they
replied that he was coming later. And eventually he and Abii Bakr did arrive."
Al-Bar%] went on, ILThe Messenger of God (SAAS) did not arrive until after
I had recited chapters from al-mufaaaal."
The compilers of both sahih collections include this account, from I~r%~il,
without the comment of al-Bars', that is, "The first of the Emigrants". Muslim
is alone in giving this, and he related it through Is~'i1.
Ibn Ishsq stated, "The Messenger of God (SAAS) stayed for three nights in the
cave along with Abti Bakr. Having lost knowledge of his whereabouts Quraysh
offered a price of 100 camels to anyone who would return him. After the three
nights, when the hue and cry had diminished, the man they had hued brought
them their camels along with one for himself. Abii Bakr's daughter Asmz' also