migration of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina
Praise be to Allah, who sent His Messenger with the right guidance and the true religion to exalt it above all other religions, even if it is hated by the polytheists. Peace and blessings to the one chosen by Allah as a good messenger and warning warner for the worlds, our Prophet Muhammad, his family and companions.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ is an example and a beacon showing the way to all people. His life is filled with events that serve as lessons for his followers, inspiring them to do good deeds. One such event is the Hijra (migration) of the Prophet from Mecca to Medina.
Causes of Hijra
There were reasons for performing Hijra. Among them is the need for relocation due to known reasons and circumstances, as well as a number of reasons mentioned below. The most important of these reasons:
— Increasing hostility on the part of the Quraysh and the societies located around Mecca against the call of the Prophet ﷺ, which manifested itself in his rejection, as well as ideological and economic confrontation. It got to the point that they resorted to a criminal decision: an attempt on the life of the Prophet ﷺ in order to suspend the prophetic activity of Muhammad ﷺ. This was the reason for searching for another, more prosperous place, where heavenly instructions would be received and there would be freedom to spread it among people.
— Loss of my dearest helper and protector in Mecca. Most of the Prophet's relatives opposed the call to Islam, and only a few members of his family came to his aid, the most important of whom were his uncle Abu Talib and his wife Khadija. By the will of Allah, they were destined to leave this world in the same year. Abu Talib and Khadija were reliable support and help for the Prophet ﷺ.
- The search for a suitable environment to accept the call of the Prophet ﷺ was crowned with success when a group of residents of Medina hastened to swear allegiance to the Prophet ﷺ to accept the faith, provide refuge and provide assistance (the second oath of Aqaba in Mina).
- Keeping the prophetic message impartial so that the honor and merit of this message belongs only to Allah and His Messenger, and no one could say that the Meccans supported the Prophet ﷺ because of nationality and tribe. It was Allah's will that he and his call be accepted by a foreign society and not by his countrymen.
Brief description Hijras
When enmity and intrigues against the Prophet ﷺ intensified on the part of the Quraish, he decided to perform the hijra and began to carefully prepare for this event. Lady Aisha (may Allah be pleased with her) says: “The Messenger of Allah came to Abu Bakr and said: I have received permission to move. And he exclaimed in response: Does this mean that I will accompany you? Aisha continues: I swear by Allah, I have never seen anyone cry for joy until I saw Abu Bakr crying that day.”
The Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him) left Mecca and headed to the cave of Saur, which was located south of Mecca, and took refuge in it.
Abu Bakr instructed his son Abdullah to listen to everything that was said about them in the city and bring this information to their cave in the evening of the same day. And Asma, the daughter of Abu Bakr, had to supply them with food and everything necessary in these conditions every evening.
The Quraysh announced a reward of one hundred camels to anyone who would bring the Prophet and his companion, and the people began to search diligently. The pursuers reached the entrance to the cave. Abu Bakr said: “While in the cave with the Prophet ﷺ, I told him: O Messenger of Allah, if any of them looks at their feet, they will see us! The Prophet ﷺ replied: What can you say about two, the third of which is Allah? We left the cave while the search was still going on and no one could find us except Suraki ibn Malik bin Ju'shum, who pursued us on horseback. Then I exclaimed: This pursuit has overtaken us, O Messenger of Allah. He said to me: Do not be sad, truly Allah is with us! Allah Almighty saved the Prophet ﷺ from the machinations of the Quraysh and they could not defeat him. He reached Medina safely, and the inhabitants of the city greeted the Prophet ﷺ with love and cordiality. Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “I have never seen a more joyful and bright day than the day when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to us, and I have never seen a darker day than the day when the Messenger of Allah ﷺ died.” .
Beginning of the Muslim era
During the time elapsed from 610 to the resettlement ( Hijras) to Medina in 622, Muhammad became the recognized head of the Meccan Muslim community. The newly converted, if they came from other clans, were “adopted” by the clan of Hashim, but at the same time they became brothers-in-arms not only in the named relationship, but also in spirit. This is the origin Muslim Ummah, at first very few in number, located in the hostile environment of the Meccan clans, which, barely tolerating the Muslims, nevertheless could not destroy them, since they would have received blood enemies from the Hashemid clan.
Rich merchants, moneylenders and landowners of Mecca could not come to terms with the preaching of Muhammad, which undermined the foundations of their well-being. Muhammad condemned usury, greed, deception, and superstitions of the Meccans, warning of eternal torment to which the souls of the “unmerciful,” “weight-bearers,” “hypocrites,” and “infidels” are doomed:
...The one who sacrificed and feared and considered the most beautiful to be true, We will make the path to the easiest for him easier. And whoever was stingy and rich, and considered the most beautiful things to be lies, We will make the path to the most difficult things easier for him. And his wealth will not save him when he falls...(Quran, 92: 5-11)(1) .
The Meccans were afraid to physically eliminate Muhammad and his followers, but they could create unbearable living conditions for them. Abu Bekr, fanatically devoted to Muhammad and the cause of Islam, spent almost all of his considerable fortune on helping needy Muslims and on ransoming slaves who converted to Islam. The difficulties of existence forced some Muslims to emigrate to Ethiopia, and in 615 there were only fifty-two of them left in Mecca.
Over time, Muhammad’s enemies even achieved that a meeting of clan elders recommended that Abu Talib, the head of the Hashemids, excommunicate the troublemaker from his clan. Abu Talib did not follow this advice, guided by the right of every Arab to be under the protection of his family. In response, the Meccans in 617 excluded all Hashemids except Abu Lahab from participating in the caravan trade, which reduced them to even greater poverty. However, two years later, the same council of elders canceled the boycott, despite the machinations of Amr ibn Hisham. It was only after the death of Abu Talib in 619 (Khadija also died in the same year), when Abu Lahab took his place, that Muhammad’s position became truly dangerous. Abu Lahab could well have eventually achieved the expulsion of the Muslims.
Muhammad was forced to look for a tribe that would “adopt” his community and take Muslims under its protection. At first he tried to settle in Taif, but was met with hostility in the oasis, since the lands in Taif were owned mainly by the same Meccans. His uncle, Abbas ibn Abd Muttalib, a wealthy merchant and owner of a vineyard in Taif, came to the aid of Muhammad. He also had the right to sell water from the Zemzem well to pilgrims (he retained this privilege even after the establishment of Islam in Mecca). At that time, this uncle of the Prophet, the founder of the dynasty of Abbasid caliphs (750-1517), was not yet a Muslim and even fought on the side of the Meccans in the Battle of Badr. Abbas ibn Abd Muttalib acted as a mediator in the negotiations between Muhammad and the tribes from Yathrib. The Greeks called this oasis Yathrippa, and since Islam it has been known as Medina (city). Later, Muslims gave the name of the city a new meaning - Madinat an-Nabi ("City of the Messenger of Allah of both worlds").
At the beginning of the 7th century, Medina was an agricultural oasis with arable land, gardens and vineyards. There were five tribal settlements in the oasis: two Arab, Aus and Khazraj, and three Jewish. The pagan tribes of Yathrib were in a state of brutal internecine war, which threatened them with mutual destruction. Twice, in 620 and 622, in the desert area of Aqaba, meetings between Muhammad and his closest associates took place with representatives of these tribes. An agreement was concluded between them and Muhammad, sealed by an oath of brotherhood between Muslims, Ausites and Khazrajites. Thus, the next important step was taken on the Arabs' path to the Ummah: the Muslim community expanded into an intertribal union, and unity in spirit became dominant over unity in blood.
As a result of all these preparations, in the summer of 622, about seventy Muslims from Mecca went to Medina. Among the first settlers was Umar. Muhammad, Abu Bekr and Ali were the last to leave. By this time, the enemies of the Muslims decided to elect one representative from each Meccan clan so that they would jointly kill Muhammad. Then the Hashemids would not be able to avenge him and would inevitably be satisfied with a monetary ransom for the murdered man. Ali, who became aware of the plot, warned Muhammad. Muhammad and Abu Bekr managed to leave Mecca unnoticed. For some time they hid in the surrounding mountains:
If you do not help him, then Allah helped him. So those who did not believe drove him out when he was the second of the two. Here they were both in the cave, so he said to his companion: “Do not be sad, because Allah is with us!” And Allah sent down His peace on it and reinforced it with troops that you did not see, and made the word of those who did not believe inferior, while the word of Allah is highest: verily, Allah is mighty, wise!(Quran, 9:40)(2) .
Muhammad and Abu Bekr arrived in Medina on September 4, 622. A description of Muhammad’s appearance has been preserved, given by an eyewitness to his appearance in Yasrib: “He was a man of average height, slender, broad-shouldered; thick curly hair, a long black beard, a large head, an open forehead, black arches of eyebrows fused at the bridge of the nose, long eyelashes, more shiny eyes , hooked nose; bold, heavy gait."
Muhammad chose the place where his camel stopped. The first mosque was built here ( masjid) - a simple building next to the equally simple dwelling of the Prophet. Hours for daily prayers were set. Responsibilities imam, the leader of the Prayer, was performed by Muhammad, Abu Bekr or Umar. The first one was appointed muezzin(lit.: “to shout from the minaret”) - Abyssinian Bilal. He said adhan- call of believers to prayer. Thus, in strict accordance with the orders and prohibitions of Allah, the ritual side of Islam began to take shape.
An authentic document of that time has been preserved - the charter of the Medina Muslim community, from which it is clear that Muhammad, being the religious head of the community, at the same time, in modern terms, was also its political head. This was the innovation that was not in din al-arab. All the inhabitants of Medina, Muslims, Jews and pagans, were treated as one, and each of them enjoyed equal rights, regardless of tribal or religious affiliation. The new legislation was formed on the basis of revelations, the content of which did not always coincide with one or another custom: the person who committed the murder should not be protected by any of the tribes of the union; enmity and blood feud between members of the Medina community were not allowed; all disputes were resolved by Muhammad, guided by the supreme will of Allah. At the same time, the tribes remained independent, could communicate with each other, and enter into agreements with any other tribes outside Medina, except for the Quraish of Mecca, who were considered enemies. In general, the Muslim community sought recognition of its status equal to that of any other tribe in Arabia.
The migration of the first Muslims to Medina was called Hijras. Those Muslims who migrated with Muhammad became known as muhajirs- migrants. The title of Muhajir has since become very honorable. Later, Muslims who migrated from Muslim countries conquered by non-Muslims, such as Christians, will also be called Muhajirs. From that time on, the inhabitants of Medina who converted to Islam were called Ansars- assistants.
Sixteen years later, the epochal event of the Hijra was recognized as marking the first year of the Muslim era. According to the Arab calendar, it begins on the first day of the first month of Muharram of the lunar year, which corresponds to July 16, 622. A new calendar was introduced under Caliph Umar, at the suggestion of Ali. It must be said that before the Islamic era, the Arabs used a solar calendar. In the tenth year of the Hijri, Muhammad introduced a lunar year without intercalary days, consisting of 354 days, with the number of days in a month from 29 to 30. The Koran says about the lunar year:
Verily, the number of months with Allah is twelve months in the Scripture of Allah on the day He created the heavens and the earth. Of these, four are forbidden, this is a persistent religion: do not harm yourselves in them and fight all the polytheists, as they all fight you. And know that Allah is with the God-fearing! The insertion of days is only an increase in unbelief; Those who do not believe are mistaken in this; they allow it one year and forbid it in another, in order to harmonize with the account that Allah has forbidden. And they permit what Allah has forbidden. The evil of their deeds is painted before them, but Allah guides the infidel people!(Quran, 9:36-37)(3) .
Thus, for Muslims, the same month in each subsequent year begins a little earlier than in the previous one. For example, the month of Ramadan 1387 AH began on December 3, 1967, and since the Muslim year is 11 days shorter than the Gregorian year, the next month of Ramadan began on November 22, 1968. The Muslim months do not correspond to the seasons, but after 33 years they come full circle. Months are divided into weeks of seven days, which are indicated by numbers and do not have special names. Friday is the day of common prayer, the week begins with it, the day begins at sunset. There are special tables for converting dates from one calendar to another. But the lunar calendar is not entirely convenient in a world where states with different chronology systems actively interact. Therefore, Muslims begin to use the European Gregorian calendar specifically for everyday needs. At the same time, in Iran and Afghanistan, solar years are counted from the Hijra of Muhammad in 622. And all the main events in the history of Islam up to the 19th century are dated by Muslim historians according to the Hijri era.
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The Prophet (s.g.w.) with Abu Bakr (r.a.) reached the Sevir cave near Mecca and entered it. And at that time Iblis woke up and woke up the others.
Muhammad ran away, he said.
How do you know?
I have never fallen asleep in my life. He scattered the earth over us, so we fell asleep. And he calmly left. They shook the earth off their heads, and then saw that Hazrati Ali (r.g.) was sleeping in the house.
Where is your friend? - they asked.
“I don’t know,” answered Ali (r.g.).
Following their footsteps, they reached the cave and saw that the entrance to the cave was covered with cobwebs. And then one dove made a nest, and in the nest the chicks hatched from the eggs.
They said:
If Muhammad had entered the cave, these would not have been here.
They walked around the cave for a long time. Abu Bakr (r.g.) was very frightened. Muhammad (s.a.w.) told him:
Don't be afraid! Allah is with us.
It is no coincidence that Allah says in the Quran:
“He (Muhammad) said to his companion (Abu Bakr): “Do not mourn, for Allah is with us.”
I saw the following in the Shahnameh:
When Abu Bakr al-Siddiq was afraid of the unbelievers, the Prophet (s.a.w.) told him:
Abu Bakr (r.g.), look at this side.
Hazrati Abu Bakr (r.g.) looked and saw the sea there, and on the shore a boat ready to sail.
If they enter, then we will board this boat and sail in this direction,” said the Prophet (s.a.w.).
However, the unbelievers did not notice them; they seemed to have gone blind. Soon they left there, as if someone had driven them away. After this, the Prophet (s.g.) and Abu Bakr (r.g.) safely continued their journey to Medina.
The Almighty ordered Jibril and Mikail (peace be upon them):
I created you as brothers. And now I will make sure that one of you lives longer than the other. Let one of you give your life to the other.
But they did not agree with this, both wanted to live a long life.
And then Allah Almighty commanded:
You did not become like Ali, who became a true brother to Muhammad, because he agreed to lie in his bed, sacrificing his life. Now go protect Ali from your enemies.
Jibril and Mikail (peace be upon them) descended to earth. Jibril (a.s.) sat at the head of Ali (r.g.), and Mikail (a.s.) sat near his feet.
Not finding Muhammad (s.g.w.), the unbelievers discussed this event among themselves for three days. After this they sent a man named Surak bin Malik to Medina. This was one of the Arab heroes. He caught up with the Prophet (s.g.) and Abu Bakr (r.g.) on the way to Medina.
Seeing him, Abu Bakr (r.g.) exclaimed:
O Rasulullah! Suraka is catching up with us.
Don’t worry, said the Prophet (s.a.w.).
When there was very little left to catch up, Suraka shouted:
Hey Muhammad! Who will save you from my hands today?
The Prophet (s.a.w.) replied:
Almighty and All-Crushing Allah.
Immediately Jibril (s.g.v.) appeared and said:
O Muhammad! Allah ordered to inform you that he has given the land at your disposal, and you can do with it what you want.
The Prophet (s.a.w.) exclaimed:
Oh Earth! Grab Suraka.
The ground instantly opened up, and Suraka’s legs sank knee-deep into the ground.
Suraka began to ask for help, begging to spare him. The Prophet (s.g.w.) made a dua, and the earth released Suraka. He asked for mercy seven times and was saved. And yet he decided to kill. The eighth time, with good intentions, he sincerely repented and said:
O Muhammad! I realized that all the worlds will obey your command.
The Prophet (s.a.w.) invited him to accept Islam. However, Suraka said:
Don't ask me to do this!
The Prophet (s.a.w.) asked Suraka to turn back the Quraish who were pursuing him, and he agreed.
When Suraka returned, Abu Jahil asked him:
Hey Suraka! Haven't you found Muhammad?
No, I didn’t find it,” answered Suraka.
Hearing these words, they turned back and returned to Mecca.
In Al-Kashshaf there is the following legend from Anas ibn Malik (r.g.):
That night, by the will of Allah, one tree grew in front of the entrance to the cave. A spider came running and wove its web. Then two pigeons flew in and built a nest on the branches of a tree. After this, two Quraish approached the cave and shouted to the rest of the pursuers:
Be careful! They could be here in this cave.
However, others said that they were probably not here and walked past.
In the morning they decided to return to the cave and carefully examine everything. At the entrance to the cave, they saw that two pigeons had built a nest here. Seeing them, the birds flew away. The mushriks decided that the Prophet (s.a.w.) was not here.
It is necessary to know that after Rasulullah (s.w.w.) turned forty years old and was given prophecy, he showed so many miracles that it is impossible to count them. The miracles he showed were clear and real.
Thus, the truth of the prophetic mission of Rasulullah (s.g.w.) has been proven by many indisputable arguments. The Sahabah believed in him and became real treasure troves of knowledge and great scientists.
From the book "Anvarul Ashikyn"
In 622 from in. It is this event that is considered the starting point of the Islamic chronology.
Story
The term refers to the relocation of the Prophet Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Yathrib (the future Medina), which took place in 622. The relocation is due to the fact that Muhammad's twelve-year prophetic mission did not find widespread support in his hometown. The followers he acquired and Muhammad himself were constantly subject to ridicule and persecution.
In 615, two large groups of the former, fleeing the poverty to which they were doomed by the nobles and from bullying, moved from Mecca to Abyssinia (Ethiopia), where the Christian Negus gave them refuge. This was the first wave of the Hijras. Muhammad remained under the protection of his family, since the Hashemites at that time were led by his uncle, Abu Talib. But in 620, Abu Talib died, and Muhammad lost both moral support and protection, since the head of the family became Abu Lahab, a supporter of Muhammad’s worst enemies, who was subsequently mentioned among those condemned to hell. Abu Lahab refused to protect Muhammad, forcing him to seek refuge from persecution. The search for shelter outside Mecca led the Prophet first to Taif, but attempts at spiritual rapprochement with the inhabitants of this city were fruitless. Meanwhile, the situation in Mecca worsened: Muhammad was threatened with physical harm. His enemies from the influential Quraish conspired to kill the Prophet, and in order to ensure that the blame for the murder was evenly distributed among all the conspirators, they decided that representatives of each clan participating in the conspiracy would deal a blow to Muhammad. Help to the Prophet came from Yathrib, a city located 400 km north of Mecca.
During a secret meeting (al-Aqaba) with representatives of Yathrib, who were committing the next one, he was offered to move to their lands, where he would be accepted as a leader and capable of bringing peace and putting an end to civil strife. Muhammad accepted the proposal of the elders and advised His followers to begin the migration immediately, but secretly from the Quraish and in small groups. The Prophet himself remained in Medina to avoid suspicion and was one of the last to leave along with his closest friend. His nephew, Ali ibn Abu Talib, remained in the house, whom the conspirators, having come for Muhammad, did not touch, but rushed in pursuit of the fugitives. According to the Sira, Muhammad and Abu Bakr managed to escape from their pursuers by hiding in a cave, the entrance to which was miraculously blocked by a spider’s web. The pursuers saw the web and, deciding that the cave was uninhabited, did not inspect it. The fugitives hid in a cave for several days, and then took a roundabout route through the desert to the southern outskirts of Yathrib.
Tradition says that they arrived in Yathrib on the 12th day of Rabbi al-Awwal 622. The inhabitants of the city rushed towards Muhammad, offering him shelter. The Prophet was embarrassed by the hospitality of the townspeople and entrusted the choice to his camel. The land on which the animal stopped was immediately donated to Muhammad for the construction of a house.
Muharram marks the beginning of a new year according to the Muslim calendar. It dates from the date of the migration (in Arabic “hijra”) of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ from Mecca to Yathrib, which was later renamed Medina (“city of the Prophet ﷺ”). This migration took place in the year 622 according to the Gregorian calendar. The history of the hijra is narrated in the book “The History of the Prophets” by the venerable Sheikh Said Afandi al-Chirkawi.
When the oppression from the infidels became unbearable, the Companions complained to the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ allowed them to move and said that it was better to go to the city of Yathrib. Having received permission from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the companions in groups began to prepare for resettlement. Since the Favorite of the Almighty ﷺ pointed to Yathrib, everyone who had the opportunity headed there. Due to the obstacles caused by the Meccan unbelievers, the Muslims were forced to set out secretly, late at night.
‘Umar ﺭﺿﻲﷲﻋﻨﻪ, leaving, openly announced: “Here I am leaving. Who wants his children to be orphaned, his wife to be widowed, his mother to cry, stand in my way!” But will there be a rival for ‘Umar ibn Khattab ﺭﺿﻲﷲﻋﻨﻪ, full of iman, who is not afraid of death?! To oppose him and prevent him, one had to not know his saber.
All muhajirs (1 ) moved to Medina, but the Favorite of Allah ﷺ remained among the pagans. Until permission from the Almighty was received, he, along with Abu Bakr ﺭﺿﻲﷲﻋﻨﻪ and ‘Ali ﺭﺿﻲﷲﻋﻨﻪ, remained in Mecca.
Angel Jibril ﺭﺿﻲﷲﻋﻨﻪ arrived to the Prophet ﷺ to inform him of the insidious plan of the Quraysh, and advised him to put ‘Ali ﺭﺿﻲﷲﻋﻨﻪ in his bed at night. He conveyed to him Allah's permission for resettlement (hijra), ordered him to go to Abu Bakr ﺭﺿﻲﷲﻋﻨﻪ and prepare to leave that night.
Everyone wanted the Favorite of the Lord ﷺ to stay with him. The Messenger ﷺ, without singling out anyone, answered in such a way that everyone was satisfied. “Allah commanded the camel, let it go where it is commanded,” he said. The camel with Ahmad ﷺ on its back went forward and stopped, kneeling down, at the site of the future mosque. Then the camel got up from this place, walked further and also stopped at the house of Abu Ayub. After this he stood up again and returned to where he had stayed before and settled there. He looked around and began to purr. The Prophet ﷺ said that this was the place of his dwelling and dismounted. He expressed a desire to build a mosque here. The plot was offered to him for free, but the Prophet ﷺ did not agree to accept the gift. The owners of this land were two orphans, whom the son of Zararat took care of. The favorite of the Almighty ﷺ gave ten dinars to the orphans and began laying the foundation of the mosque.
According to the version given in the book “Is'afu Rraghibin”, construction began at the end of the month of Rabi al-Awwal, and ended the next year in the month of Safar. The Prophet ﷺ himself took part in the construction; he carried stones along with his companions. While others carried one brick at a time, Ammar always took two. Two rooms were also built next to the mosque - for Savda and ‘Aisha. Until the completion of the construction of the mosque and rooms, Abub ﷺ lived in the house of Abu Ayub.