Although Ali was in the Prophet’s bed, the Prophet himself was still in the house surrounded by the assassins. The Prophet came out of his house and took a handful of dust which he sprinkled above the young boys’ heads while reciting the following verse: “I have placed a barrier in front of them and a barrier behind them. I have covered them so they cannot see.” (39: 9).

The youths did not see the Prophet leave. He went swiftly to Abu Bakr and together they travelled, not toward Yathrib, but in the opposite direction toward Yemen. Before dawn, they had covered a distance of about five miles, and then they took refuge in a cave on Mount Thawr.

Unaware of the Prophet’s escape, the would-be assassins continued to wait for him to come out of his house. Only at dawn when Ali woke and came out did they realise that they had been tricked. They interrogated Ali about the Prophet’s whereabouts, but he pleaded ignorance. They then dragged him to the Ka’bah and kept him captive there, but he divulged nothing. Then they rushed to Abu Bakr’s house and found that he had also disappeared. However, they did find his daughter, Asmaa, who refused to tell them anything. Her calm defiance enraged them, and a furious Abu Jahl slapped her so hard that an ear-ring flew from her ear.

The Quraysh began searching for the Prophet and Abu Bakr and annoucned that there was a reward of one hundred camels for each fugitive brought back dead or alive.