when the Messenger of Allah (S) came to Medina, first he halted at Quba with the tribe of Amr bin Auf. Abu Bakr said: “O Prophet, please proceed to Medina as the people are waiting for you.” The Prophet replied: “I will not enter Medina till my brother, Ali and my daughter, Fatima do not arrive.”
As much Abu Bakr insisted as much the Prophet declined. At last Abu Bakr left the Prophet in Quba and proceeded to Medina. The Holy Prophet (S) sent a communication to Imam Ali (a.s.) through Abu Waqid Lubni to join him as soon as possible. When Imam Ali (a.s.) received this communication, he prepared to migrate and told the weak believers to leave Mecca quietly with minimum luggage and gather at Zituwa at night.
And he took with him Fatima Zahra, his mother, Fatima binte Asad and Fatima binte Zubair bin Abdul Muttalib and set out from Mecca. Some have narrated that the daughter of Zubair named Ziya-a and Ayman son of Umm Ayman, a freed slave of the Holy Prophet (S) and Abu Waqid set out with Amirul Momineen (a.s.).
Abu Waqid began to drive the camels of the ladies fast. Imam Ali (a.s.) said: “O Abu Waqid, be gentle to the ladies and drive their camels slowly as ladies are delicate and weak.” Abu Waqid said: “I fear that the idolaters of Mecca may come out in our pursuit. The Imam said: “Don’t worry, because the Holy Prophet (S) has told me that they will cause me no harm.” Thus Abu Waqid drove the ladies’ camels and Imam Ali (a.s.) was reciting a war poem:
Other than Allah there is no deity and helper. So don’t worry about anyone else. Because the Almighty Allah is caretaker of all your affairs.
When Imam Ali (a.s.) reached near the desert, ten armed riders of Quraish came to him and one of them was Jina, slave of Harith bin Umayyah. He was very daring. When Amirul Momineen (a.s.) saw him, he told Ayman and Abu Waqid to make the camels sit and make the ladies alight from the camels. Then he pulled out the sword and turned to the idolaters.
They said: “Do you think you will be able to take the women? Bring them back.” Imam Ali (a.s.) said: “What will you do if I don’t?” They said: “We will break your head.” Saying this, they moved to the ladies’ camel. Amirul Momineen (a.s.) scolded them and Jina attacked him. The Imam deflected his blow and attacked him on his shoulder and he fell down dead. Then Imam Ali (a.s.) sat on the horse and leaped on the group like a hungry lion, reciting the following war poem:
Give way to one who fights Jihad in the way of Allah. By Allah, I am not frightened of anyone else, except for One God.
At last the idolater turned saying: “O son of Abu Talib, let us go, we have no concern with you.” Imam Ali (a.s.) said: “Now I go to Medina openly to meet my brother, the Messenger of Allah (S). One who wants to irrigate the earth with his blood should come near to me.”