Seerah – Part 9
(June 11, 2021)
الحمد لله رب العالمين والصلاة والسلام على سيد المرسلين وعلى آله وأصحابه أمعين
In Madinah, there were two main tribes, the Aws and the Khazraj. Both were very powerful, they were always at war with one another, and both worshipped idols. Also in Madinah were many Jews who, unlike the Arabs at that time, knew that there was only One God, and worshipped Him. They had told the Arabs many times that a Prophet would be coming to them.
It so happened that when the time came for the pilgrimage to the Ka’bah, there were several people from Madinah going to Makkah to perform Hajj. Among them, there were six men from the tribe of Khazraj. They had heard about the Prophet Muhammad’s preaching and thought that must be the Prophet the Jews had told them about. At the time of Hajj, the Prophet (S) met them and invited them to Islam. He read them some portions of the Qur’an. The teachings of the Qur’an and the sincerity of the Prophet (S) convinced them that he was the prophet foretold in the Tawrat. All of them declared the shahadah and became Muslims. They told the Prophet (S), “Our people are most divided. May be Allah will unite them through you.” This was the beginning of a big success.
When they reached Madinah carrying Islam in their hearts, they told their relatives and friends what they had heard from the Prophet (S) and many more people became interested. People of Madinah saw that the lives of their brothers from Khazraj tribe had completely changed since they had accepted Islam. A year passed and the pilgrimage season came around again. Twelve pilgrims came to Makkah especially to meet the Prophet (S). They met him and listened to the Qur’an. They also became Muslims. The Prophet (S) took Bai’ah i.e., a formal oath or pledge from them. He asked them to promise: “To worship only one God; not to steal; not to commit adultery; not to kill their children; not to make false allegation against others; and to faithfully follow the teachings of Islam.” This pledge is called the first pledge of ‘Aqaba. ‘Aqaba is a mount near Makkah.
This time the Prophet (S) sent two companions: Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr and ‘Abdullah bin Ummi Maktum to Madinah with them. These two companions started teaching Islam to the people of Madinah. More and more people listened and became interested in Islam.
The next year 73 Muslims including two women came for pilgrimage and to meet Rasulullah (S). They were so happy to see the Prophet (S) and told him, “O Rasulullah, we have come to listen to you and obey you. We believe in you and shall always stand by you.” The Prophet (S) was pleased by this devotion and faith, and in return promised them to stand by them always, in life as well as ion death. All the members of the delegation from Madinah stretched their hands for Bai’ah (pledge) and promised: “We shall obey Rasulullah in plenty and scarcity, in ease and difficulties, in joy and sorrow. We will serve the cause of Allah under all situations.” The Prophet (S) said, “My blood is your blood. I am of you, you are of me.” They invited the Prophet (S) and other persecuted Muslims to migrate to Madinah, and promised to help them.
The Prophet (S) knew and respected their sincerity and pure faith. He honored them and called them Ansar, meaning helpers. The Muslims in Madinah were known by this name. They in fact showed in the future how correct this honor was. Even though Islam was growing in Madinah, the Muslims in Makkah were still suffering. The Prophet (S) therefore asked them to migrate to Madinah where they would be safe, and most of them took this opportunity to migrate from Makkah to Madinah. The Prophet (S) himself was not yet asked by Allah to migrate.
Despite all the suffering the Prophet (S) was not allowed to fight his enemies, for Allah had told him to forgive those who insulted him or who would not listen to his message. But the Quraish had closed their minds so utterly to the word of Allah, and grew so hard-hearted towards the Prophet (S) and his followers, that Allah gave permission to the Prophet (S) to fight those who tried to harm him or his companions.
The Quraish began to fear the Prophet (S) for they realized that he was now strong enough to fight them and had been given permission to do so by Allah. They also knew that he now had the people of Madinah to help and protect him. Seeing that the Muslims were leaving the city, they decided to kill the Prophet (S), before he, too, left Makkah to join his followers in Madinah. In this way they hoped to put an end to Islam once and for all.
Al-Hijrah
After his companions had left for Madinah, the Prophet (S) stayed in Makkah, waiting for permission from Allah to leave the city. Abu Bakr and Ali stayed with him. There were also some Muslims whom Quraish had not allowed to leave. Abu Bakr kept asking the Prophet (S) to allow him to go to Madinah, but the Messenger of Allah (S) kept saying, ‘Do not be in a hurry; it might be that Allah will give you a travelling companion.’ The leaders of Quraish assembled in the house of their ancestor, Qusayy, as was customary when they had an important decision to make. They had to find a way of getting rid of the Prophet Muhammad (S), before he was able to join his friends in Madinah.
As they were busy arguing, the Devil appeared at the door in the form of a noble and handsome old man. When they saw this elderly gentleman standing there, they asked him who he was. He said he was a Sheikh from the mountains who had heard what they meant to do and thought he might be able to help or advise them. They thought he looked like a wise man, so they invited him in.
Each leader then started to put forward ideas about what should be done, but none of them could agree about which idea was best, until Abu Jahl told them his plan. This was that each clan should provide a strong, young warrior, each of whom would be given a sword. All the young warriors would then wait outside the Prophet’s house and together attack him as he came out. In this way they would be rid of him but as the blame for killing him would fall on all the clans, the Prophet’s family would not be able to seek revenge. When he heard this, the Devil in the disguise of the old man, said, ‘That man is right; in my opinion it is the only thing to do!’ The leaders of Quraish then left to carry out their plan to murder the Prophet (S). We have in Surat al-Anfal:
“When the disbelievers plotted against you, to imprison you, or kill you, or expel you. They planned, and Allah planned, but Allah is the Best of planners.” (al-Anfal, 8:30)
Before the night fell, on which Muhammad (S) was to be killed, Jibril (AS) came to him and said, ‘Do not sleep tonight in your own bed.’ The Prophet (S) understood what was going to happen, so he told ‘Ali to lie in his bed and wrap himself in the blanket that the Prophet (S) normally used, promising that no harm would befall him. With the coming of darkness the young men of Quraish had gathered outside the Prophet’s house, waiting for him to come out.
Late at night, when the Prophet (S) came out, he saw his house surrounded by the kuffar. He recited the verse from Surat Yasin,
وَجَعَلْنَا مِنْ بَيْنِ أَيْدِيهِمْ سَدًّا وَمِنْ خَلْفِهِمْ سَدًّا فَأَغْشَيْنَاهُمْ فَهُمْ لَا يُبْصِرُونَ ()
And We placed a barrier in front of them, and a barrier behind them, and We have covered them, so they cannot see.” (Ya Seen, 36:9)
Allah made the kuffar’s eyes temporarily blind. They could not see Muhammad (S) as he left. They had waited the whole night and were furious when, in the morning, they saw ‘Ali instead of the Prophet (S) coming out of the house. They realized that their plan had failed completely.
In the meantime, the Prophet (S) went to Abu Bakr’s house and told him, ‘Allah has told me that now is the time for us to leave Makkah.’ ‘Together?’ asked Abu Bakr. ‘Together’, the Prophet (S) replied. Abu Bakr wept for joy, because now he knew that the travelling companion he had been promised was the Prophet (S) himself. Then he said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, these are the two camels which I have kept ready for this.’ And so, the two of them left for a cave in Thawr, a mountain to the south of Makkah where they intended to hide.
When they were out of the city the Prophet (S) looked back and said, ‘Of all Allah’s earth, you are the dearest place to Allah and to me and if my people had not driven me out I would never have left you.’ When Quraish found out that the Prophet (S) and his companion had gone, they set out after them, searching in every direction. Three days later they finally reached the cave where the Prophet (S) and Abu Bakr were hiding, but a strange and wonderful thing had happened. A spider had woven its web right across the entrance to the cave and a dove was nesting with
her mate nearby. As the Makkans stood in front of the cave, with only the spider’s web separating them from the fugitives, Abu Bakr began to fear for their safety. He whispered to the Prophet (S), that the enemies were very close, and if one of them turned, they would be found out. But he was comforted by the Prophet’s reply: “Do not worry, Allah is with us.”
After a few moments the search parry decided that no one could have entered the cave recently, or the spider’s web would not have been complete and the dove would not have nested there, and so they left without searching inside. Three days later the Prophet (S) and Abu Bakr thought it safe to leave the cave. Abu Bakr’s son, ‘Amir, had arranged for a guide to help them continue their journey to Madinah.
The leaders of Quraish, meanwhile, returned to Makkah and offered a reward of one hundred camels to whoever captured the Prophet (S). Among those who went in search of him was a man called Suraqah bin Malik. He was a clever tracker who trailed people by their footprints on the sand, and with the excreta of the camels and horses. He easily tracked down Muhammad (S) and Abu Bakr, but as soon as he caught sight of the two, Muhammad (S) made the following prayer, “O Allah, protect us from him by whatever means You will.” As a result, Suraqah’s horse got stuck in the sand, and nothing could take it out. The Prophet (S) and Abu Bakr were visible within range of his arrow, but as he lifted his bow to shoot them, his hands became paralyzed. He cried out, “O Muhammad, pray for me in order that my horse could get out of this mess. I promise I will retrace my steps and give up the pursuit.” After the Prophet (S) prayed for him, Suraqah’s horse freed itself from the sand. Such was the size of the reward, however, that Suraqah went back on his word and resumed pursuit of the two. As he approached Muhammad (S), the horse got stuck into the sand again. Suraqah again prayed: ‘O Prophet, if I was released again, I would surrender my arms and return to Makkah never to pursue you. I would discourage even others from pursuing you.’ Muhammad (S) prayed again, and Suraqah’s horse again freed itself. Suraqah then declared that Muhammad’s religion would prevail one day and requested Muhammad (S) to hand him a written promise that he would be honored whenever Muhammad (S) became the head of the Islamic state. On Muhammad (S)’s orders, Abu Bakr wrote the promise on a bone and handed it over to Suraqah.
Even as he began to return, Muhammad told him that he would one day wear the bracelets of Khusrow of Persia. He asked in wonderment if Muhammad (S) meant the bracelets of the Persian king. Muhammad (S) nodded in acknowledgment. Suraqah encountered several contingents of Quraish who were looking for Muhammad (S) and persuaded them to get back to Makkah as he had found no trace of the pair on the route to Madinah. The only person whom he told of his encounter was Abu Jahl, who scolded him for his cowardice.
The Prophet’s journey from Makkah is called the hijrah, or migration. It was really the first step towards the spread of Islam throughout the entire world, and Muslims begin their calendar from the year of the hijrah.
Arrival in Madinah
When the people of Madinah heard that the Prophet (S) had left Makkah and was on his way to their city, they anxiously awaited his arrival. Each morning they would go to the edge of the city to see if he were coming. Finally, on Monday, September 27, in the year 622 A.D., someone saw him in the distance and shouted to everyone, ‘Here is Muhammad! (S). The Messenger of Allah has arrived!’ All the Muslims went out to greet him, shouting, ‘Allahu Akbar’! Allah is Great! Muhammad the Messenger of Allah has arrived!’
The women and children sang songs to show how glad they were to see him. The Prophet (S) entered the city with his friend Abu Bakr. Most of The people there had not seen him before and as they gathered around they did not know which of the two was the Prophet until Abu Bakr got up to shield him with his cloak from the burning sun, and it was known that the one being shielded was the Prophet Muhammad (S).
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Resources and References:
Imam Ibn Kathir – Stories of the Prophets
Leila Azzam & Aisha Gouverneur – the Life of the Prophet Muhammad
Anwar Al-Awlaki – The Life of Muhammad (Makkan Period) & The Life of Muhammad (Medina Period): https://www.kalamullah.com/muhammad.html
Aisha Stacey – The Religion of Islam (islamreligion.com)
