Commencing in late June of the year 622 and persisting throughout the arduous summer months, the Hijrah unfolded under conditions of significant duress. Despite these hardships, the Muslims undertook a remarkable journey, traversing approximately five hundred kilometers within a ten-day timeframe (the distance between Mecca and Medina is 454 kilometers, a journey achievable by automobile in 4 hours and 20 minutes today). Undertaking such a challenging journey was no simple feat. Yathrib was in a strategic location, offering the potential for political and economic development that could be detrimental to the Quraysh. Caravans traveling north to Syria, Palestine, and Iraq had to pass through this city. Therefore, the Meccan polytheists could not accept the possibility of our beloved Prophet (saw) and the Muslims gaining strength there. They closely monitored those who intended to emigrate and tried to prevent them by causing various difficulties, such as separating husbands and wives using the ties of social cohesion, taking away their children, refusing to pay their debts, and confiscating their property. Several Muslims, including Hisham ibn al-As and Ayyash ibn Abi Rabi‘a (it was only in the 7th year of the Hijrah that they were able to escape from the polytheists and go to Medina), faced imprisonment. Only ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab demonstrated the fortitude to emigrate publicly in the face of such a hostile environment.
Concurrently, the polytheists harbored concerns regarding the potential emigration of the Prophet Muhammad (saw) to Yathrib. Such realization of their fears would elevate the Prophet’s power to a point that they would not be able to curtail. This time, our beloved Prophet was not content with sending his followers to a safe place, as he had done during the migration to Abyssinia, but he intended to personally lead the Muslims in Yathrib. However, the divine permission from Allah (swt) had not been granted yet.
By September 622, there were no Muslims left in Mecca except the Prophet Muhammad, Abu Bakr, their families, his uncle’s son Ali, a limited number of individuals unable to emigrate, and those forcibly prevented from doing so. This development caused considerable anxiety among the Quraysh polytheists. The question that loomed large was whether the Prophet would remain in Mecca or choose to depart. Finally, before their fears were realized, the Meccan polytheists convened at the Dar al-Nadwa. Members of the Banu Hashim clan, to which the Prophet (saw) belonged, were excluded from this critical assembly. The discourse centered on potential courses of action, with proposals ranging from exile to imprisonment. Ultimately, with the proposal of Abu Jahl, they decided to eliminate the Prophet (saw) at night through an assassination. In order to mitigate the potential for a retaliatory blood feud from the Banu Hashim clan, the Meccan polytheists devised a strategy. The assassination would not be undertaken by a single individual, but rather by a group of people from each tribe.
Informed of the assassination plot through trusted sources, our beloved Prophet (saw) promptly initiated action upon receiving the revelation authorizing the Hijrah (Isra, 17:80). He first went to Abu Bakr’s house. He discussed the situation with him and together they began to prepare for the Hijrah. They made an agreement with Abdullah bin Uraiqid, a polytheist but a trustworthy person, to act as a guide. Abu Bakr entrusted him with the two camels he had prepared for the Hijrah, and they agreed to meet him at the foot of Mount Thawr in three days. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) entrusted his cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib, with a twofold mission: to ensure that the Prophet’s departure remained undetected by the polytheists and to return any entrusted possessions to their rightful owners. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) and Abu Bakr embarked on their journey at midnight. They deviated from the expected northerly route towards Yathrib, instead seeking refuge in a cave located on Mount Thawr, approximately four kilometers south of Mecca.
In adherence to the assassination plot devised at the Dar al-Nadwa, the Meccan polytheists arrived at the Prophet’s residence that night. However, to their astonishment, they encountered Ali ibn Abi Talib instead. Pressing Ali for the Prophet’s whereabouts, their inquiries proved fruitless. Subsequently, they released Ali, perhaps hoping he might lead them to the Prophet. Unfazed, Ali remained steadfast in his mission, meticulously returning entrusted possessions to their owners as instructed by the Prophet.
The polytheists then proceeded to Abu Bakr’s residence, seeking information from his daughter, Asma. Despite resorting to violence, they were unable to extract any useful information from Asma. Faced with the Prophet’s absence from Mecca, the polytheists grasped the reality of his departure and dispatched messengers to search the surrounding regions. They proclaimed a hefty reward of one hundred camels for anyone who could locate the Prophet and provide information on his whereabouts. Thus, they started a comprehensive manhunt.
Instead of setting out for Yathrib, our beloved Prophet (saw) and Abu Bakr hid in the cave of Thawr as they had planned. This was a place where Abu Bakr’s freed slave, Amir ibn Fuhayra, usually grazed his sheep. Their stay in the cave lasted for three days. During this period, Abu Bakr’s son, Abd Allah, kept them informed of developments in Mecca through nightly visits. Amir ibn Fuhayra also grazed his sheep in this area, brought them close to the cave, and delivered milk to them. As the situation in Mecca eased, they emerged from the cave, accompanied by Abu Bakr’s freed slave and their guide, Abdullah bin Uraiqid, to embark on the next leg of their journey. In order to avoid any danger, they charted a divergent course, opting for arduous mountain passes and desolate expanses of desert rather than the well-trodden and bustling trade routes. Their journey ended in success on September 20, 622, with their arrival at the settlement of Quba, nestled at the edge of the Medina oasis. Before entering Yathrib, they stayed here for a while and assessed the situation. The Prophet Muhammad (saw) contacted his paternal uncles, the Banu Najjar clan of Khazraj within Yathrib. He determined that entering the city under their protection would be most prudent. The news was conveyed to the Banu Najjar, and they took the necessary precautions to protect him and came to Quba. In the meantime, about three days passed. Ali ibn Abi Talib, tasked with returning entrusted properties to their owners in Mecca, rejoined them in Quba during this time.
On Rabi’ al-Awwal 12, 1 / September 24, 622, Friday, our beloved Prophet (saw) along with his companions departed Quba for Yathrib. They performed the first Friday prayer in the Ranuna Valley on the way. Upon reaching Yathrib, the Prophet (saw) was received with immense joy by the Muslim community. Despite numerous offers of hospitality from the Muslims of Yathrib, he opted to reside at the house of Abu Ayyub, one of his relatives from the Banu Najjar clan. Following the Prophet’s arrival, Yathrib gradually transitioned to being known as “Medina al-Nabi” (City of the Prophet), eventually shortened to “Medina”.
