VI- Prophet's Biography

Lesson 94
Immigration to Al-Madînah

[30] The Hijrah of Allah’s Messenger (SAWS) and his companion Abu-Bakr As-Siddîq (R.A.)

When disbelievers of Quraysh knew that Allah's Prophet (SAWS) had got followers and supporters from other tribes, and when they saw the immigration of his companions towards those supporters who pledged their allegiance to defend him till death, their leaders and chiefs gathered in Dar An-Nadwah, a house built by Qusayy ibn Kilâb, where they used to meet when important matters faced them. They gathered to discuss what to do with the Prophet (SAWS).

One of them said; "Let us put him chained in prison until he dies", another said "expel him and exile him out of our land, "whereas one of their chiefs said " Not this nor that are good ideas, because if we imprison him, the news will spread, and his companions will come and rescue him; and if we exile him, we could not ensure that he may win the hearts of those to whom he resorts by his sweet words and good speech. They may follow him and he will come back to you with them.  "The tyrant Abu-Jahl said: "I see that we choose a strong young man from each tribe; then those young men would strike him as if they were one man, so that his blood will be scattered among all tribes, and Banu Manaf cannot fight all tribes ".

 They liked this idea, and they all agreed and appointed the young men and fixed the night at which they would carry out this mission, but Allah informed His Prophet (SAWS) of what his enemies intend to do, and gave him permission to immigrate to Yathreb (Al-Madînah). So he went to Abu-Bakr (R.A.), told him the news and Abu-Bakr was permitted to accompany him. They agreed to prepare the two camels which Abu-Bakr had arranged for this trip. They chose a guide to lead them to the shortest route, and they appointed the same night which Quraysh had chosen. 

At that night, the Prophet (SAWS) asked his cousin `Ali ibn Abu-Tâlib to sleep in his bed and to use his cover, so that no one will know that the Prophet had left his home. Then he went out, while Quraysh young men were gathering at his door, and he was reading Sûrah (Yâ-Sîn). The moment he approached them he was reading: "(then We enveloped them, so they do not behold (the Truth)" (TMQ, Yâ-Sîn: 9)). He repeated it several times until Allah made them fall asleep, so they lost their vision and could neither see nor feel him.  He went to Abu-Bakr's house and went out together through a skylight in the rear of the house. They went southward of Makkah, towards Mountain “Thawr” and entered its cave. 

Quraysh young men waited the Prophet (SAWS) to come out until the morning. When Quraysh knew that their young men were just guarding `Ali ibn Abu-Tâlib and not Muhammad (SAWS), their emotions flared up and they were confused, then sent their men to follow him and search in all directions. They allocated one hundred camels to the one who could bring him, so tracers went after the prophet (SAWS) and Abu Bakr. Some of them reached the small caveso that, if one paid a little attention, he could see who was there. 

Abu-Bakr (R.A.) was very sad then, thinking that they could find them, but the Prophet (SAWS) said: “Grieve not; surely Allah is with us. (TMQ, At-Tawbah: 40)". Yet, Allah diverted their sights and insights from them so that they did not look inside the cave. On the contrary, their tyrant Umayyah ibn Khalaf assured that they could not have been hiding there because of a cobweb and nesting of pigeons at its entrance. 

The Prophet (SAWS) and his companion stayed in the cave for three nights until Quraysh stopped searching for them. `Abdullâh ibn Abu-Bakr used to spend the night with them and go to Quraysh in the morning so he could listen to their news about the Prophet and his companion, then return to them each night with what he had heard. Asmâ' bint Abu-Bakr brought them food each night. `Abdullâh ibn Abu-Bakr commanded his slave to pasture the cattle and bring them to the cave, to erase Asmâ's and his footsteps.

 In the morning of the third night spent in the cave, which was Monday's morning, of the first week of Rabî` Al-Awwal in the year of Hijrah ( it was 53 years after the birth of the Prophet (SAWS) and 13 years after his Prophethood), `Âmir ibn Fuhayrah (Abu-Bakr's servant) brought them two riding camels, together with `Abdullâh ibn Urayqit whom they hired to guide them. They rode, and Abu-Bakr asked `Âmir ibn Fuhayrah to follow and serve them. Then the guide led them southwards of  Makkah, then  along the seashore (northwards).

 While they were on their way, Surâqah ibn Mâlik Al-Mudlajyfollowed them after he had heard, in one of Quraysh assemblies, somebody saying ;"I have seen some figures along the seashore, yet I think they were Muhammad and his companions." When he got near them, his horse stumbled and he fell down. He rode again until he heard the Prophet  recitating the Qur'an. The Prophet (SAWS) was not  turning round,  while Abu-Bakr was repeatedly turning round to watch. The feet of Surâqah’s horse sank into the ground and he fell down. The horse could not rise until Surâqah asked the Prophet (SAWS) for help, especially when he saw dust rising as smoke under the horse feet., getting out of the ground. So he was very frightened and asked for help.  The Prophet (SAWS) and his companions stopped until he came and offered them supplies, but they did not accept any. Instead they said, "keep the matter secret." He asked them for a securiing letter, so Abu-Bakr wrote it according to the Prophet (SAWS) instructions, and Surâqah went back from where he came, keeping the secret. Surâqah told Abu-Jahl about it later. Surâqah embraced Islam on the day of Makkah conquest and he was a very good Muslim.

 The Prophet and his companion continued their trip until they reached Qubâ' , in the outskirts Al-Madînah, on Monday 12^th of the month of  Rabî` Al-Awwal. The  Prophet stayed at banu `Âmir ibn `Awf, and Abu-Bakr stayed at As-Sunh (a suburb of Al-Madînah) at Khârijah ibn Zayd. The Prophet stayed in Qubâ' for several nights, during which he built the mosque, which is described in the holy Qur'an as: "a mosque that was founded on piety from the first day." (TMQ, At-Tawbah: 108). The Prophet prayed therein with Al-Muhâjirîn (immigrants, name given to the Muslims of Makkah who migrated to Al-Madînah) and Al-Ansâr (supporters, a name given to the new Muslims of Al-Madînah because they gave refuge to the Prophet (SAWS). 

`Ali ibn Abu-Tâlib followed the Prophet (SAWS) to Qubâ'' after he had stayed in Makkah several days to deliver what the Prophet had in trust to their owners.

 [31] His  Coming (SAWS) to Al-Madînah

 The people of Al-Madînah, upon hearing that the Prophet (SAWS) was on his way to them, would daily come out of Al-Madînah, waiting eagerly for his arrival, until they feel the unbearable noon heat that forces them to return.

 One day, having returned to their homes, they heard someone calling at the top of his voice: O you Arabs, he whom you have been eagerly waiting for, has come!

 So they went back to welcome the Prophet (SAWS) at the back of   Al-Harrah (land at the outskirts of Al-Madîh, with black stones), before his arrival to Qubâ'.

 Later, the Prophet (SAWS) left Qub â' to Al-Madînah, surrounded by the happy Ansâr, who were holding their swords to defend him. Some were walking while others were riding. They competed to hold his camel's rein, as every one of them wanted to receive him at his own home.

 The young boys and girls, men and women also chanted:

       The 'full' moon has shone
         upon us

From beyond  the farewll pathways

We have to be thankful

Whenever someone calls us to Allah

O Messenger to us

You have come with an Ordain

That will be obeyed.

 This was on Friday, and when the prayer time came about, the Prophet (SAWS) was at the quarters of Banu Sâlim ibn `Awf, so he got down and prayed. This was the very first Friday prayer performed by the Prophet (SAWS), and it was on that date that it became obligatory, according to the most famous narrations.

 The Prophet (SAWS) then rode his camel again and went on, and whenever he passed by one of the houses of the Ansâr , they would plead with him to stay at their place, taking his camel's rein, but he would say to them: "Leave her (the she-camel); she has been commanded." The camel continued to walk until it came to the land of Banu `Adiyy ibn un-Najjâr, the maternal uncles of the Prophet (SAWS). There it knelt down in front of the house of Abu-Ayyûb Al-Ansâry. The Prophet (SAWS) then said: "this is where we will stay inshâ'-Allah". Thus he stayed at the house of Abu-Ayyûb Al-Ansâry.

 He remained there for few months, until He was able to buy the land where his camel knelt down, and there he built His Mosque.

He built the Mosque using adobe, and made it slightly higher than a man's height. The two door side frames were made of stones, the roof was made of dry palm leaves while the columns were made of the trunks of palm trees. The Prophet (SAWS) participated himself in building the Mosque to encourage everyone to participate in the work.

 Nearby, he built two rooms for his only wives at that time, `Â'ishah and Sawdah. More rooms were added later whenever he brought a new wife. After few days, he sent out for his family, and Abu-Bakr (R.A.) also sent out for his.

 So Sawdah the wife of the Prophet (SAWS) and his two daughters Fâtimah and Um-Kulthûm arrived, but his other daughter Zaynab was prevented by her husband Abu-l-`Aas ibn ur-Rubay` from immigrating. Meanwhile, `Abdullâh ibn Abu-Bakr also brought his stepmother and his two sisters `Â'ishah and Asmâ'. Asmâ' was the wife of Az-Zubayr ibn ul-`Awwâm, and she was pregnant with her son `Abdullâh, who would become the first newborn of Al-Muhâjirîn to be born in Al-Madînah.

 The Muhâjirîn then followed the Prophet (SAWS) to Al-Madînah, and only a few Muslims remained in Makkah, as they could not afford to immigrate.

When the migration to Al-Madînah was completed, the Ansâr competed among themselves to host the Muhâjirîn. Each wanted the largest share, so they resorted to draw lots as to who will host whom.

 The Prophet (SAWS) wanted to strengthen the ties between them even further, so he declared brotherhood between each one of Al-Ansâr and his guest of Al-Muhâjirîn. The Ansâr always prioritized the Muhâjirîn, even before themselves, and this was the ultimate level of brotherhood for the sake of Allah.