to Medina, for it lies in the direction of Yemen, whereas Medina lies in the direction of Syria. Rather, they hid there for three days so that the polytheists would lose track of them and not know where they had gone. The polytheists were pursuing them and had offered, for each of them, a reward equivalent to his blood money to anyone who brought him in. They sought to prevent the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—from reaching his Companions in Medina and from leaving Mecca. Indeed, when they failed to kill him, they sought to confine him in Mecca. Had he taken the road immediately, they would have caught up with him. It was for this reason that he remained in the cave for three days. Thus, if someone travelling from Mecca to Medina wished to go to the cave and then return, this would not be recommended; rather, it would be disliked.

During the emigration, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—took the coastal route, which is long and circuitous. On his ‘umrah pilgrimages and his Hajj, however, he took the middle route, which is a shorter way to Mecca. He took the coastal route during the emigration because it was less likely to be where the polytheists would look for him. The middle route was a shorter way to Medina, so they would suppose that he had taken it. Similarly, when he intended to undertake a military expedition, he would conceal his destination by indicating another.

After dividing the spoils of Hunayn at al-Ji‘rānah, he—may Allah bless him and his family and grant him peace—performed ‘umrah from there. When the polytheists barred him from Mecca, he left the state of ihrām at al-Hudaybiyyah, having entered ihrām for ‘umrah at Dhū al-Hulayfah, the designated point for entering ihrām for those coming from Medina. When he performed ‘Umrat al-Qadiyyah the following year, he again began his ‘umrah at Dhū al-Hulayfah. He did not enter the Kaaba during any of his ‘umrah pilgrimages or his Hajj; he entered it only in the year of the conquest. There were images depicted inside it, and he did not enter it until