The Prophet's Trip to Madinah: An Account of Belief, Adversity, and Success
Imagine abandoning your family, your house, your money, and everything else for the sake of your convictions. During the Hijrah (Migration) from Makkah to Madinah, one of the most important trips in Islamic history, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and the early Muslims did just that.
This was more than just a journey; it was a bold escape from persecution, a leap of faith, and the start of a new era for Islam. Let's explore this amazing tale of peril, healing, and eventual triumph.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) left Makkah, but why?
Despite fierce opposition, the Prophet (ﷺ) taught Islam in Makkah for 13 years. Makkah's strong tribe, the Quraysh, made every effort to thwart him:They stopped feeding and trading with Muslims as a result of their boycott. They subjected believers like Sumayyah (RA) and Bilal (RA) to torture. After failing to silence the Prophet (ﷺ), they even planned to have him killed.
Allah gave the Muslims a means of escape when the persecution got intolerable: they moved to Yathrib, which was later renamed Madinah. It was time to leave after a group from Yathrib had already met the Prophet (ﷺ) and promised their support.
The Great Escape: A Night of Divine Protection and Peril
The leaders of the Quraysh were adamant about stopping the Prophet (ﷺ). To ensure that no one family could be held responsible for his death, they organized a mass assassination in which a man from each tribe would attack him simultaneously.Allah, however, had other ideas.
1. The Decoy: Ali's (RA) Valiant Offering
Ali (RA), his young cousin, was instructed by the Prophet (ﷺ) to sleep in his bed while wearing his green cloak.
The assassins discovered Ali (RA) buying valuable time for the Prophet (ﷺ) to flee when they broke in at dawn.
2. The Secret Departure with Abu Bakr (RA)
The Prophet (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr (RA) slipped out of Makkah at night. They avoided the main roads, heading south toward the Cave of Thawr, a hidden spot in the mountains.
3. The Amazing Event in the Cave
The Quraysh sent out teams of bloodhounds and huge bounty hunters (1000 camels!) for anyone who captured them. The hunters once stood directly outside the cave. Abu Bakr (RA) whispered, “If they look down, they’ll see us!”
On the other hand, the Prophet (peace be upon him) calmly responded, "What do you think of two people whose third is Allah?" A spider spun a thick web across the cave’s entrance, and a dove nested there, making it seem untouched. The search party passed by, clueless.
The Chase: Suraqah’s Change of Heart
A bounty hunter named Suraqah ibn Malik raced after them on horseback, eager for the reward. But something surreal happened:
His horse kept sinking into the sand as if an invisible force stopped him. Suraqah realized after the third attempt that this was no ordinary escape; Allah had protected it. He pleaded with the Prophet to forgive him, and the Prophet even prophesied that Suraqah would one day wear the bracelets of the Persian king (which later came to pass!).
The Trip to Madinah: A Friendly Welcome Is Expected
They spent three days in the cave before starting the ten-day journey to Madinah. Along the route:A Bedouin woman named Umm Maabad extended hospitality to them. The travelers were fed when her feeble sheep miraculously produced an abundance of milk.
Madinah was a hive of activity as word spread that the Prophet (peace pe upon him) was on the way.
Quba's arrival and the first mosque
They made a stop in Quba before going into Madinah, where:
The first mosque in Islam, the Masjid Quba, was constructed by the Prophet (peace pe upon him). Ali (RA), who had walked barefoot through the desert, was finally reunited with them.
Arriving in Madinah: A Festivity of Hope
The people of Madinah burst into song as the Prophet (PBUH) finally arrived."Alayna Tala 'al-Badru..."
"Overhead, the full moon has risen."
He built Masjid an-Nabawi, the center of the new Muslim community, where his camel knelt after he allowed it to roam freely.
Why Everything Was Changed by the Hijrah
This was a revolution, not merely a migration. This is the reason: This is where the Islamic calendar starts. The Muslim lunar calendar's first year is marked by the Hijrah. Islamic society was modeled after Madinah, the First Muslim State. The Brotherhood Residents of Ansar and Muhajiroun shared their homes and wealth with Muhajiroun, the migrants, in a unique show of solidarity. Islam's Globalization from Madinah, Islam spread throughout the world.
What Does the Hijrah Teach Us?
It takes sacrifice to have true faith. For Islam, the early Muslims sacrificed everything. Have faith in Allah's plan. Even in the direst circumstances, divine assistance shows up. Power comes from unity. The Ansar and Muhajiroun’s brotherhood built a strong community. The Hijrah wasn’t just a journey from one city to another; it was the birth of a new era. And we are still motivated by its teachings today.
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