In order that I might not be caught unawares I had posted...

In order that I might not be caught unawares I had posted sentries at different points of the highways, so that they might inform me as and when they saw dust raised by the march of the army of Islam, or observed the signs of their standards. One day one of my slaves came all of a sudden, gave the alarm and informed me about the advance of the army of Islam. On that very day I, accompanied by my wife and children, proceeded to Syria, which was the centre of Christianity in the East.

My sister, the daughter of Hatim, remained with the tribe and was arrested. After her being transferred to Madina my sister was kept under detention in a house near the Masjidun Nabi where all other prisoners were also accommodated. She has related her story thus: One day, while the Prophet was going to offer prayers in the mosque, he chanced to pass by the house where the prisoners had been accommodated.

I availed of the opportunity and standing opposite the Prophet said to him: "O Prophet of Allah! My father is dead and my guardian has disappeared. Do me a favour. Allah will do favour to you.' The Prophet asked me: "Who was your guardian? " I replied: "My brother Adyy bin Hatim". The Prophet said: "Is he the same person who ran away from Allah and His Prophet to Syria?" Then he proceeded to the mosque.

On the following day also the same conversation took place between me and the Prophet but it did not produce any result. On the third day I had lost all hope of any such conversation with the Prophet proving fruitful. However, while the Prophet was passing from the same spot I saw a man coming after him. He made a sign to me to get up and repeat the same words which I had spoken on the previous day. The sign made by that man revived my hopes.

I, therefore got up and repeated the aforesaid sentence before the Prophet for the third time. He replied: "Don't be in a hurry to go. I have decided to return you to your place with a reliable person; but for the present the arrangements for your journey are not complete". My sister says that the man who was walking behind the Prophet and had made a sign to her to repeat her words before the Prophet, was Ali, the son of Abu Talib.

One day a caravan which contained some of our kinsmen also, was going from Madina to Syria. My sister requested the Prophet to permit her to go to Syria with that caravan and join her brother. The Prophet acceded to her request and managed all the facilities for her journey.