Story of Hijrah (Migration): Imam Ali Sleeps In Prophet's Bed - Our Prophet 5 - Road To Medina

Let us now go back to Imam 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, 'alayhi as-salam. So, the Prophet manages to escape safely. The Imam was now sleeping in the Prophet's place. The Prophet did not really have a bed that he would sleep on. The Prophet was humble. He would sleep on the floor. But he had a designated place where he would sleep in his house. So Imam 'Ali, 'alayhi as-salam, goes to that place and he would sleep in the Prophet's place.

Now, the Prophet would sleep alone in those years. Why? Because, Lady Khadija, 'alayha as-salam, had already passed away. So, the Prophet, you know, he would sleep by himself in that place. At this time, the Prophet was not married. He did not have a wife who was with him in the room. So, the Prophet's place was known. He would sleep there every night.

Imam 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, 'alayhi as-salam, goes to the Prophet's place, he is wearing the Prophet's garment and he is sleeping there. These 15 men, they come, they take a peek. They peek in to make sure the Prophet is there. So, they see, yeah, a person is lying down, it is dark, they could not really see who this person is. But he was wearing the Prophet's garment in the Prophet's place. So yes, nothing unusual here. The Prophet sleeps there every night.

Now, when they became certain that this is the Prophet, when they were able to discern his garment, they carried out their nightly tradition of doing what? Stoning the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi. On many nights during these last three years, after the Sha'b of Abu Talib, the pagans would come to the house of the Prophet, and they would take stones and hurl it at the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi. Yes, this is some part of the Prophet's history that we are not really told. The Prophet had to struggle from this, and he would not say anything. He would not do anything.

Yes, they would bruise the Prophet. Now with his garments, he would protect himself. But it still hurts rocks being hurled at you. Just imagine, imagine the level of harassment. So, when they started this tradition of hitting the Prophet, Imam 'Ali was there. The ahadith states, when they hit that body, thinking it was the Prophet, they hit Imam 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, 'alayhi as-salam. Imam 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, 'alayhi as-salam, groaned in pain, whereas the Prophet would not say, we would not make any sounds when they would hit him.

Scholars analyse this. Why? Imam Ali is patient. He is a very patient man. And, you know just a few rocks hurled at him are not going to make him cry. Why did he cry? He was happy. He was smiling that night, to be sacrificing his life for the Prophet. When he got hit by the stones, the Hadith says he started crying, even with a voice, he started groaning. Why?

He felt what the Prophet had to go through every night. So, he cried for the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi. This is what you go every night through. So, he knew the Prophet was harassed, but when you go through that experience yourself, and you just imagine the greatest creation of God going through this every night! That made Imam 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, 'alayhi as-salam, cry. He could not hold back his tears.

So, the Imam, 'alayhi as-salam, is very saddened to remember how the Prophet would be harassed every night like that. So now Imam 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, 'alayhi as-salam, is lying down, waiting for their attack any minute. This is now at night, dawn has not come yet. Something amazing happens.

Sunnis have narrated this in their books, so have Shi'as narrated in these books. For example, you have Ibn al-Atheer, he has narrated this. Ghazali, he has narrated this. As Imam 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, 'alayhi as-salam, is lying down waiting for their attack. Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, speaks to two of his greatest angels, Jibra'il and Mika'il. Allah reveals to them, Allah tells them, I have made you brothers, Jibra'il and Mika'il. You are brothers. I have assigned you as brothers. And I have made the life of one of you longer than the life of the other. Which one of you is willing to give that longer life to the other one?

I have made you as brothers. One of you will live longer. Now I want to see you, if you are willing to sacrifice, which one of you is willing to take the shorter life and give the longer life to your brother? Both angels said, O Allah, we prefer to have the longer life. Both angels said. That they are great angels. And the desire to live longer, it is a good desire. It is okay. They did not do anything wrong. But they said, we prefer to have the longer life.

Sunnis have narrated this. At that point, Allah, Subhana wa Ta'ala, tells them, could not you be like, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, 'alayhi as-salam? I made him the brother of the Prophet. I assigned him as the brother of my Messenger. And he is willing to give up his life for the Prophet, salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi! Go down to earth and protect him.

Jibra'il and Mika'il, they come down to the earth. They go to Amir ul-Mu'minin, 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, he is sleeping in the Prophet's bed. And they, the Hadith says, the Sunni hadith says Jibra'il goes at the head of Imam 'Ali ibn Abi Talib, protecting him from that side. And Mika'il is now at the feet of Amir ul-Mu'minin, 'alayhi as-salam. And Jibra'il tells Imam 'Ali, he tells him, oh, son of Abu Talib, how lucky are you? Who is like you such that God praises you to the angels. This is Amir ul-Mu'minin, 'alayhi as-salam. And this is, as I said, not just Shi'a sources. We have Sunni sources that have narrated this incident. This is the sacrifice of Amir ul-Mu'minin, 'alayhi as-salam.

Now, at dawn, right before daybreak, they said, let us now start the attack. So, they go into the room. They are now running towards they think it is still the Prophet. They run towards him. He was now covered with the cloak. They start beating, you know, Imam 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib, 'alayhi as-salam, and they remove the cloak from him. As soon as they remove the cloak, they are now shocked. They see a different person. Imam 'Ali Ibni Abi Talib, jumps out of his bed.

Now, at the forefront of those 15 evil men was Khalid Ibn Walid. He was leading them, and he is carrying his sword in his hand. Imam 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib, alayhi as-salam, jumps out of his bed. He takes the hands of Khalid Ibn al-Walid, he twists his hand and he takes the sword from him. And, when they see their warrior, Khalid, their big warrior, humiliated like that by a 23 year old young man, they get so frightened, like sheep, they just start leaving the room. Yes, that is the historical description of the Hadith, like sheep, they start leaving the room.

So, once they gain their composure, they see this is not the Prophet, this is Imam 'Ali. They tell him, are you 'Ali son of Abu Talib? He says, yes! I am 'Ali, son of Abu Talib. They tell him, Where is your companion? Meaning, the Prophet,salla Allahu 'alayhi wa alihi. He says, I do not know. He has left. They are in utter shock. Imam 'Ali Ibn Abi Talib, 'alayhi as-salam, completely demoralizes them. Because they were so ecstatic that tonight it will be over. That is it!

Now a 23-year-old young man humiliates them like that and their leader Khalid Ibn al-Walid, he humiliates them like that. They were just shocked, absolutely shocked, not knowing what to do. So, they go to their elders of Makkah, Makkan Quraysh, and they tell him, look, our assassination plot has been foiled by a 23 year old young man and he [Muhammad] is nowhere to be found.