Arabian Tongue Institute Blog (Hijrah of the Prophet)

Hijrah of the Prophet

When the Persecution by Quraish grew fiercer and the sufferings of the Prophet's disciples became unbearable.

Prophet Muhammad migrated to Madinah with his close friend Abu Bakr after staying in Makkah for thirteen years calling people to embrace Islam and to believe in one God. The Migration of our beloved and great Prophet Muhamma, was neither for money nor for fame but rather in obedience to the orders of Allah and relying on Him. Neither the great number of the blasphemers nor the danger of the trip stopped them from migrating because all they wanted was to obey God.

Allah chose Madinah as the land of Hijrah. The prophet saw in a dream that he was immigrating to that city. It was narrated from Abu Musa that the Prophet (peace upon him) said: “I saw in a dream that I was emigrating from Makkah to a land in which there are date palms, and I thought that it was Al-Yamamah or Hajar, but it turned out to be Madinah, Yathrib.” (Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

The blasphemers of the tribe of Quraysh held a meeting in Dar an-Nadwahand submitted to the opinion of Amr Ibn Hisham (Abu Jahl) and collectively conspired to kill Prophet Muhammad, In order to avoid revenge from the family of the Prophet, they decided to spread his blood among the tribes. So they schemed to have one man from every tribe strike the Prophet with their swords all at once, thus it would be hard to seek revenge from all the tribes. Angel Jibril peace be upon him descended and informed the Prophet about Quraysh’s scheme of killing him and ordered him not to sleep in his regular sleeping place.Jibril also conveyed to him Allah’s permission to migrate. The Prophet ordered his cousin Ali Ibn Abi Talib to sleep in his place and to cover himself with the Prophet’s green shawl and to return the belongings of the people which they had kept with the Prophet for safe keeping, Ali obeyed the order. By that time the blasphemers had already gathered at the Prophet’s door.

Prophet Muhammad, and Abu-Bakr went to the cave of Thawr to get out of sight. Allah ordered a tree to grow at the mouth of the cave to cover it and two wild pigeons were ordered to sit in front of the cave one of which laid eggs. A spider was inspired to weave a web at the mouth of the cave. When the men of Quraysh came holding their staffs and swords, they stood by the cave and looked around and they saw the pigeons with their eggs and the spider web. They figured that if the Prophet and his companion had entered the cave they would have destroyed the eggs and the web, so they turned back and left defeated. What they did not know is that they were forty cubits away from the Prophet and his companion.

Allah said in the holy Quran in Surah at-Tawbah, Verse 40:   "It does not matter˺ if you do not support him, for Allah did in fact support him when the disbelievers drove him out ˹of Mecca˺ and he was only one of two. While they both were in the cave, he reassured his companion, 'Do not worry; Allah is certainly with us.' So Allah sent down His serenity upon the Prophet, supported him with forces you ˹believers˺ did not see, and made the word of the disbelievers lowest, while the Word of Allah is supreme. And Allah is Almighty, All-Wise."

The Prophet arrived at Madinah to start a new era rich of Islamic Knowledge and good manners. He was capable by his guidance, instructions, and directives to unite the believers as if they all had the heart of a single man; particularly during the hard times. Moreover, he guided them to perform the obligations and to refrain from the prohibitions. He also taught them to love for their brothers what they love for themselves, advised them to have mercy among each other, and to help each other.