The Quraish Realise that the Holy Prophet (sa) and his Companion have Departed
Meanwhile, the Quraish in Mecca had been waiting outside of the Holy Prophet (sa) home. A person passed by and asked why they were standing there. When they told him, the man informed them that he had seen Muhammad (sa) walking through the streets. They mocked the man and said that they had been keeping watch, and that he was inside, sleeping in his bed. As the night passed, they stormed in according to their plan, but when they pulled the blanket off, they realised that the person sleeping was actually Hazrat Ali (ra). They asked him where Muhammad (sa) was, to which he replied that he did not know. When they heard this, the disbelievers scolded and beat Hazrat Ali (ra) and after holding him captive for some time, they let him go.
According to this narration, after scolding and beating Hazrat Ali (ra), they left in a state of great anger and began searching the streets and homes of Mecca for the Holy Prophet (sa).
(Tarikh al-Khamees, Vol. 2, p. 10, Dhikr Khurujahusa ma‘a Abi Bakr min Makkah, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2009)
They also went to Hazrat Abu Bakr’s (ra) home, where they met Hazrat Asma (ra). Abu Jahl stepped forward and asked where her father Abu Bakr (ra) was. She replied that she did not know where he was. Upon this, the evil natured Abu Jahl raised his hand and slapped her across the face so hard that her earring broke and fell, and in their state of rage, they all left.
(Al-Sirat al-Nabawiyyah, Ibn Hisham, p. 344, Dikr Hijrat-e-Rasul, Dar-ul-Kutub al-Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001)