12.4 The Long Journey to Yathrib After three days when they learnt that the search had petered out, the Messenger and his party started out for Yathrib. Asma, the daughter of Abu Bakr, came to them bringing food for the journey. When they were about to start she could find nothing to tie it to their saddles with and so she undid her waistband, tore it in two, wore half and tied the food with the other half. Mohamed smiled and said, " "She of the two waistbands." And ever after the Muslims knew her by that name. A guide from the Banul-Duwil came with three camels. They still had to be very careful for the prize Quraysh had offered would tempt many. The guide led them southwards first, towards Tihama by the edge of the Red Sea. When they reached a less-frequented route, the guide then led them northwards, going parallel to the sea but at some distance from it. They rode all the night and most of the day, traveling on in the burning desert heat amid gleaming sand and hard, hot rock. They would rest at noon, the worst part of the part of the day for travel, then with the cool of late afternoon they would start out again. It was a hard, slow journey but with faith and patience they persevered.