Precautions Taken after the Return of the Delegations

In any case, these people returned to their tribes and said that there are very few people in Medina at this time and incited them to launch an attack. But on the other hand, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) was not unaware of this. After these delegations returned from Medina, he appointed guards to continuously keep watch at every post of Medina. Hazrat Ali (ra), Hazrat Zubair (ra), Hazrat Talhah (ra) and Hazrat Abdullah (ra) bin Mas‘ud were appointed for this task. In one narration, Hazrat Saad (ra) bin Abi Waqas and Hazrat Abdur Rahman (ra) bin Auf are also mentioned to have been appointed to keep watch.

Aside from this, Hazrat Abu Bakr (ra) instructed all the people of Medina to gather in the mosque. He then said to them, “All the people of the land have become disbelievers, and their delegations have left having seen your small numbers. You do not know if they will attack you during the day or the night. Their closest group among them is only one bareed away.” One bareed is equivalent to 12 miles. “Some among them desired for us to accept their terms and to accommodate them, but we refused this and rejected their terms. Therefore, you must prepare to fight.”