On the night of the Hijrah — the night the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ left Makkah for Madinah — the Quraysh had gathered outside his house to kill him. They intended to wait until dawn and then enter together, making it impossible to identify which tribe’s member had delivered the killing blow, thereby distributing the blood guilt and avoiding tribal retribution. The Prophet ﷺ was informed by Allah ﷻ of their plan and instructed to leave. He did. But someone had to remain in his bed — had to sleep there, visible through the window, so that the Quraysh would believe the Prophet ﷺ was still inside and would wait. That person was Sayyiduna Ali ibn Abi Talib رضي الله عنه.
The Decision
When the Prophet ﷺ informed Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه of the plan and asked him to sleep in his bed, Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه asked one question: would the Prophet ﷺ be safe? The Prophet ﷺ told him that Allah ﷻ had guaranteed his safety. Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه lay down in the Prophet’s bed, covered himself with the Prophet’s green cloak, and waited. Outside the house, armed men waited to kill whoever emerged. He slept, or lay still, through the night — understanding that when the Quraysh discovered the ruse, they might kill him out of rage. He did not waver.
The Quranic Response
The classical exegetes — including Imam Ibn Kathir رحمه الله — understood Surat al-Baqarah 2:207 as revealed in connection with this night: “And among men is one who sells his soul seeking the pleasure of Allah — and Allah is Kind to His servants.” Imam Ibn Kathir رحمه الله, among others, cited the narration that this verse refers to Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه on the night of the Hijrah — the man who sold his soul, placed it in the hands of the Quraysh if they chose to take it, in order to protect the Prophet ﷺ.
What the Morning Revealed
When the Quraysh entered the house at dawn and found Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه in the bed rather than the Prophet ﷺ, they were furious. They asked him where the Prophet ﷺ had gone. He told them he did not know. They beat him and took him briefly to the Kabah before releasing him. He had survived. He had protected the Prophet ﷺ with his body, with his willingness to die — and the one he had protected had already reached safety.
The Character It Reveals
This act — sleeping in the Prophet’s bed, facing assassination, asking only whether the Prophet ﷺ would be safe — reveals the character of Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه more precisely than any description could. He did not calculate the odds. He did not negotiate a safer arrangement. He lay in the bed and rested. This is the man the Prophet ﷺ had declared the gate of his city of knowledge, the man whose love Allah ﷻ affirmed at Ghadir Khumm, the man whose station Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal رحمه الله described in terms of virtue narrations unmatched by any other companion.
Explore this theme in depth in The Deeper Link.
Why did Sayyiduna Ali sleep in the Prophet’s bed on the night of the Hijrah?
To deceive the Quraysh assassins into believing the Prophet ﷺ was still in the house, giving him time to escape safely. The Prophet ﷺ asked him to do this, told him that Allah ﷻ had guaranteed his own safety, and Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه agreed without hesitation — lying in the bed with the knowledge that the men outside intended to kill whoever emerged.
What Quranic verse do classical scholars connect to this night?
Imam Ibn Kathir رحمه الله and other classical exegetes connected Surat al-Baqarah 2:207 — “And among men is one who sells his soul seeking the pleasure of Allah” — to Sayyiduna Ali’s رضي الله عنه act of lying in the Prophet’s bed, offering his life for the safety of the Prophet ﷺ.
What happened when the Quraysh discovered the plan?
They found Sayyiduna Ali رضي الله عنه in the bed and realised the Prophet ﷺ had already escaped. They beat him and took him briefly to the Kabah before releasing him. He had carried out his role — protecting the Prophet ﷺ by making himself the target — and survived to continue his place beside the Prophet ﷺ in the most consequential mission in human history.