The Prophet’s Permission to Migrate and Abu Bakr’s Companionship
When God granted the Prophet Muhammad ď·ş permission to migrate to Yathrib, he informed Abu Bakr of the plan and told him that the journey was about to begin.
Abu Bakr immediately asked the Prophet ď·ş for permission to accompany him on this historic journey. The Prophet ď·ş accepted, and Abu Bakr began preparing everything needed for the migration.
The Prophet ď·ş instructed Ali ibn Abi Talib to sleep in his place on the night of departure, so that those waiting outside would believe that Muhammad ď·ş was still resting in his bed. Ali was also entrusted with returning the belongings and deposits that people had left with the Prophet ď·ş.
Before leaving his house, the Prophet ď·ş threw dust toward the young men who were surrounding it and recited words meaning that they would not be able to see him. A moment of concealment occurred, allowing him to leave safely without being noticed.
Abu Bakr’s Preparation for the Historic Journey
Abu Bakr had carefully prepared for this difficult and dangerous journey. True to his character, he dedicated everything he possessed to supporting the Prophet ď·ş and the success of the migration.
He prepared two riding camels and entrusted them to Abdullah ibn Uraiqit, who would guide the two travelers on their long journey.
Abu Bakr also risked his own life by accompanying the Prophet ď·ş, knowing that Quraysh would pursue them and attempt to capture them.
He arranged a detailed support system:
He instructed his son Abdullah to listen during the day to what Quraysh were saying about the Prophet ď·ş and his companion, then bring them news at night.
He instructed his servant Amir ibn Fuhayrah to graze sheep during the day and bring them at night to the cave where the Prophet ď·ş and Abu Bakr were hiding, providing them with milk.
He assigned his daughter Asma’ to bring food and supplies to them every evening.
He carried his wealth with him so that it could support the two companions during their long and uncertain journey.
The Secret Departure from Mecca
Ibn Hisham described the beginning of the journey by mentioning that the Prophet ď·ş secretly went to Abu Bakr’s house before their departure.
This careful planning and Abu Bakr’s complete dedication played a major role in the success of the
migration, which would later mark the beginning of a new era in Islamic history.
The Secret Departure to the Cave of Thawr
After leaving Abu Bakr’s house, the Prophet Muhammad ď·ş and his companion departed through a hidden opening at the back of the house. They headed toward Mount Thawr, located south of Mecca, where they entered a cave and concealed themselves.
It is reported that when the Prophet ď·ş left Mecca and mounted his riding animal, he looked back at the city and said:
“By God, you are the best land of God and the most beloved land of God to God. Had I not been forced to leave you, I would not have departed.”
These words reflected the Prophet’s deep love for Mecca despite the suffering he had endured there.
Quraysh’s Pursuit and the Search for the Prophet ď·ş
As for Quraysh, they soon discovered that Muhammad ď·ş had escaped from Mecca. They realized that he was most likely heading toward Yathrib and announced a reward of one hundred camels for anyone who could capture him, alive or dead.
Driven by this enormous reward and their hostility toward the Prophet ď·ş, young men from Quraysh spread across the roads between Mecca and Medina searching for him.
Their search eventually led them to the Cave of Thawr, where the Prophet ď·ş and Abu Bakr were hiding. They came so close that if one of them had looked down beneath his feet, he would have seen them.
At that moment, Abu Bakr felt fear—not for himself, but for the Prophet ď·ş and the future of the message he carried.
The Prophet ď·ş reassured him and comforted him, a moment recorded in the Qur’an:
The Journey Toward Yathrib
After Quraysh lost hope and assumed that the Prophet ď·ş had already reached Yathrib, he and Abu Bakr left the cave.
At the appointed time, Abdullah ibn Uraiqit arrived with the riding animals that had been prepared earlier. The two companions mounted their camels, and Abdullah guided them along a less-traveled route near the coast of the Red Sea to avoid the search parties of Quraysh.
The People of Yathrib Await the Prophet ď·ş
The people of Yathrib had already learned that the Prophet Muhammad ď·ş had set out toward their city, and they eagerly awaited his arrival.
They did not know that he had stopped at the Cave of Thawr, so when the expected time for the journey from Mecca to Yathrib passed without his arrival, anxiety and concern began to spread among the Muslims of Yathrib.
They climbed to the highest places surrounding the city, looking into the distance and hoping to see the caravan of the Prophet ď·ş approaching.
Finally, the awaited moment arrived. The Prophet ď·ş appeared, and the people of Yathrib welcomed him with immense joy and longing. They greeted him with the famous verses:
The Prophet’s Arrival at Quba
The Prophet ď·ş entered Yathrib on the twelfth of Rabi‘ al-Awwal.
Before entering the city, he first stopped at Quba, where he remained for several days and established the famous Quba Mosque, which became one of the earliest mosques in Islam.
Ali ibn Abi Talib later joined the Prophet ď·ş at Quba after completing his important task of returning the belongings and deposits that people had entrusted to the Prophet ď·ş in Mecca.
He then entered Yathrib as part of the Prophet’s migration procession.
Yathrib Becomes Medina
From that historic day onward, Yathrib became known as Al-Madinah (Medina), the city that would become the center of the emerging Muslim community.
The arrival of the Prophet ď·ş marked the beginning of a new chapter in Islamic history. After years of persecution in Mecca, Muslims now had a homeland where they could practice their faith freely and build a new society based on the principles of Islam.
