Migration to Madina

Second of the two

Hijrat. In 622 C.E. at the invitation of the people of Yathrib, it was decided by the Holy Prophet that the Muslims should migrate from Makkah to Yathrib. In the name of religion the Muslims were to leave their homes and hearths, and begin a new life in another city. The Muslims were to leave for Yathrib in batches.

Abu Bakr's preparations. Abu Bakr sought permission to migrate to Yathrib, but the Holy Prophet bade him wait, for it was possible that he might have a companion. Abu Bakr took this hint to imply that he was to accompany the Holy Prophet. Had at Abu Bakr felt happy and honored at the prospect of being a companion of the Holy Prophet on the journey to Yathrib. He bought two camels, and made other preparations for the journey.

The call to migrate. The Quraish of Makkah made a plot to murder the Holy Prophet. Allah frustrated their design. One hot afternoon, the Holy Prophet called at the house of Abu Bakr, and gave him the tidings that the time for their migration had arrived. Allah had given the order: Make war on the persecutors Till persecution is no more, And religion is for Allah only. At night in the cover of darkness, the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr left Makkah, but they did not take the road to Yathrib. They moved in the opposite direction, and took refuge in a cave in Mount Thaur some five miles south of Makkah.

In the cave of Mt. Thaur. When the Quraish came to know that the Holy Prophet had left Makkah they were much disturbed. They offered a reward of a hundred she camels to any one who found the Holy Prophet, and brought him back to Makkah. During the day, Abdullah the son of Abu Bakr would listen to the plans and talks of the Quraish, and at night he would carry the news to the fugitives in the cave. Asma the daughter of Abu Bakr brought them meals every day. Aamir a servant of Abu Bakr would bring a flock of goats to the mouth of the cave every night where they were milked.

Second of the two. The Quraish sent search parties in all directions. One party came dangerously close to the entrance to the cave. Abu Bakr had a feeling of great uneasiness at the impending dancer The Holy Prophet consoled him, and said "Fear not, for Allah is with us. " And verily Allah was with them. Miraculously a spider wove its nest at the entrance to the cave, and seeing the nest the search party turned away after it had reached the very mouth of the cave. This event is referred to in the Holy Quran in the following terms: "He being the second of the two When they were in the cave, And when Muhammad said to his companion, 'Grieve not, surely God is with us'. Then God came to their help. And protected them with an army Which they saw not." {9:40}

Journey to Yath'rib. The Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr remained in the cave for three days and three nights. By this time the Quraish gave up the search in despair, and the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr decided to proceed to Yathrib. The servant of Abu Bakr brought two camels for them to ride upon for the journey. Asma the daughter of Abu Bakr brought a bag of provisions. She had forgotten to bring a string to tie the bag. She tore her girdle and tied the bag with it. For this ingenuity, the Holy Prophet conferred on her the title 'She of the Girdle." The party consisting of the Holy Prophet, Abu Bakr, a servant of Abu Bakr, and a guide set of by a circuitous route to Yathrib by way of Tihama on the coast of the Red Sea.

Account of Asma. Asma has related that when the Holy Prophet and her father left for Yathrib and she returned to Makkah, a party of the Quraish headed by Abu Jahl called at their house and made inquiries regarding the whereabouts of Abu Bakr. When Asma told them that she was unaware of the whereabouts of her father, Abu Jahl slapped her so violently on the face that her earring flew off. She has also related that Abu Bakr took all the available money with him. Abu Qabafa the father of Abu Bakr who had lost his eye sight said that Abu Bakr had not done well in taking with him all the money, and not leaving anything for the family. Asma took some pebbles, and put them in a niche where Abu Bakr used to keep money. She covered the pebbles with a piece of cloth, and leading her grandfather to the niche said, "Put your hand on the money, grandfather." Abu Qahafa did so, and felt satisfied that Abu Bakr had left ample money for the family.

The Road to Yathrib

The party. The party that book the road to Yathrib consisted of four persons. The Holy Prophet and the guide Abdullah b. Ariqat rode on one camel. Abu Bakr and his servant Ibn Fuhayra rode on another camel. The party struck off by a track considerably to the left of the common road. Hurrying westward, the party soon gained the vicinity of the sea shore. The party traveled during the night, and spent the day resting in some sheltered place. They traveled through unfrequented ways. It was an arduous, and nerve racking journey. They were haunted by the fear of the pursuit of the Quraish, but they were upheld by the faith that God would protect them.

Suraqah b Malik. The Quraish had offered a reward of one hundred she camels to any one who could pursue and apprehend the Holy Prophet and his companion. Suraqah b Malik an expert horseman scoured the country side in search of the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr. It was reported to him that four men had been seen moving to the west along the sea shore. Suraqah felt convinced that these four men must be the Holy Prophet and his party. He pursued the party. After some fast riding he came to within seeing distance. He felt happy that these were the men he was in search of. At this stage his horse stumbled and he fell on the ground. He resorted to divination through arrows, and the oracle did not favor his advance. Ignoring the oracle he remounted the horse and galloped fast until he came within talking distance of the Holy Prophet and his party. Seeing Suraqah, Abu Bakr felt uneasy. The Holy Prophet counseled him not to worry, for God was with them. At this stage the horse of Suraqah stumbled again. He resorted to divination, and once again the verdict was unfavorable. Suraqah now felt that some supernatural power protected the Holy Prophet and his party and it would be futile to contend against supernatural powers. He remounted the horse and galloped again When he came close to the party, he shouted that he was not coming as a pursuer; he was coming as a friend. He said that he wanted that a certificate of immunity should be granted to him. Suraqah approached the party and the Holy Prophet asked Abu Bakr to write for Suraqah a document of immunity. With this document, Suraqah returned to Makkah. In the way he met some other persons who were in pursuit of the Holy Prophet and his party. He made them turn back saying that the party had not gone that way. Suraqah presented this document at the time of the conquest of Makkah, and he was duly rewarded. He was also converted to Islam, and he regarded this conversion as the greatest reward.

Umm Ma'bad. After the encounter with Suraqah the party reached the encampment of Umm Ma bad. Umm Ma'bad was a gracious old lady. She welcomed the party. Her flock was in the pasture, and with her was a goat which was dry. She therefore regretted that she was not in a position to offer them any milk. Taking the name of Allah, the Holy Prophet touched the udders of the goat, and plenty of milk cowed therefrom which was not only sufficient for the guests, but considerable quantity was left for the hostess as well. Umm Ma'bad wondered at the miracle. She wanted the party to stay for the night with her, but they thanked her saying that they had a long way to go and they had to travel during the night.

Zubayr. When the party were two or three stages from Madina, they came to the main road. Now they were out of the danger of pursuit. Here they met a caravan from Syria led by Zubayr. Zubayr presented the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr some garments that he had brought with them to Syria. He told them that the people of Yathrib were keenly awaiting their arrival.

Life at Madina

Quba. When the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr reached in the neighborhood of Madina their first stop was at Quba, a suburb of Madina. As they arrived at Quba the people crowded round them. As the people had not seen them before, it was difficult for them to know as to who out of the two was the Holy Prophet. Seeing this predicament of the people, Abu Bakr stood up and shielded the Holy Prophet with his mantle. Thereupon the people came to know who was the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr stayed at Quba for a few days, and then they proceeded to Yathrib which was named Madinat-un-Nabi or Madina in the honor of the arrival of the Holy Prophet.

Reception at Madina. At Madina the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr were given a royal welcome. The maidens of Madina mounted on the roof tops of their houses and sang: "From the hill tops of the south, The full moon cloth arise, With what a lovely call, Unto God doth he call, And we thank him for it all. O you sent by Allah the Rahman We bow to thy demand."

The change. The world of Madina was quite different from the world of Makkah. At Makkah the Muslims were a persecuted people, at Madina they were the masters of their destiny. The life at Madina was a great break with the past. The days of trial, tribulations and tortures were now over, the Muslims were now set on the path of fulfillment. They were now poised to build a new commonwealth and a new ideal society.

Construction of the mosque. The first thing that the Holy Prophet called upon the Muslims to do at Madina was to build a mosque which was to be the prayer house as well as the community center. The owner of the plot of land selected for the purpose of building the mosque insisted on donating the land free. The Holy Prophet, however, paid the price at the market rate, and this price was paid by Abu Bakr. All the Muslims including the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr participated in the construction of the mosque. As the Muslims labored, they chanted: "There is no life, but the life of the next world, O God have mercy on the Muhajreen and the Ansar."

Within a few months the mosque was completed. It was square in form each side measuring fifty yards. It faced towards the north, and had three gates on each of the remaining three sides. Adjoining the mosque, apartments were constructed for the household of the Holy Prophet, and for some of the companions, including Abu Bakr. The mosque was a monument of simplicity. The walls were made of mud bricks, and the roofs were supported by trunks of palm trees. The apartments for the houses of the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr were simple structures, and blankets of camel hair were hung at the doors. The courtyard in each case was hardly six to seven paces in length, and the length of the rooms did not extend beyond ten paces.

Rehabilitation of the Muhajireen. To rehabilitate the migrants from Makkah in the society of Madina, the Holy Prophet established a fraternity among the Muslims of Makkah and those of Madina whereunder each migrant was paired with an Ansar of corresponding status. The brotherhood thus established was unique in the annals of mankind. So strong and cordial were these bonds that they even surpassed the relationship of blood. In this roll of brotherhood, Abu Bakr was paired with Khaarij ah bin Zaid Ansari. Abu Bakr's relationship with his brother-in-Islam was most cordial which was further strengthened when Abu Bakr married Habiba, a daughter of Khaarijah.

Sukh. Khaarijah had his house at Sukh, a suburb of Madina. Abu Bakr also settled at Sukh. When the family of Abu Bakr came from Makkah they were lodged in the apartments adjoining the Prophet's mosque at Madina. Abu Bakr visited them frequently but he continued to have his personal residence at Sukh. He usually walked from Sukh to Madina on foot. Sometimes he rode on a horse.

Change in climate. The climate of Makkah was dry, but the climate of Madina was damp. That adversely affected the health of the emigrants. On arrival at Madina most of the emigrants fell sick. Abu Bakr also suffered from fever for several days. During his sickness he was attended to by Khaarijah and his family.

Trade in Madina. At Makkah, Abu Bakr was a trader in cloth. He started the same business at Madina. He was a wholesaler. He had his store at Sukh, and from there cloth was supplied to the market at Madina. Abu Bakr was a shrewd businessman, and we have reasons to hold that his business flourished at Madina in the same way as it did at Makkah. From the accounts, that have come down to us, it appears that at the time of his conversion to Islam Abu Bakr had an amount of 40,000 Dirhams, and that at the time of his death he left no money. These accounts tend to give the impression that after conversion to Islam, Abu Bakr did not attend to business, and subsisted all the years from 610 to 634 C.E. on the original amount of 40,000 Dirhams. That is not the correct position. As a matter of fact, Abu Bakr remained active in business throughout his life. It is related that even alter he had been elected as a Caliph he took the cloth to the market for disposal. At the insistence of Umar, and Abu Ubaida he suspended his business activities and accepted a meager allowance from the treasury. This shows that up to the time of his election as the Caliph, Abu Bakr remained active in business.

Abu Bakr as the Chief Counselor. After attending to business it was the wont of Abu Bakr to spend his spare time in the company of the Holy Prophet. Abu Bakr always acted as the 'Second of the Two'. He was the Chief Counselor of the Holy Prophet. The Holy Prophet consulted Abu Bakr on all important matters, and the advice tendered by him was usually accepted. The Holy Prophet used to say that Abu Bakr was the best counselor. At meetings Abu Bakr was always assigned a special place to the right of the Holy Prophet.

Abu Bakr and Finhas the Jew

The Jews of Madina. In Madina there was a considerable number of Jews They were wealthy, controlled the trade, and commanded great influence. The Holy Prophet followed the policy of 'live and let live'. He accordingly entered into a treaty with the Jews. According to the terms of the treaty the Jews were to enjoy religious freedom and there was to be no interference in religious affairs. The Muslims and the Jews were to be on friendly terms, and were to help each other in the promotion of objects of mutual interest. It was stipulated that Muslims and the Jews would help each other in case of an attack by an enemy. No party was to give protection to the Quraish, and in case the Quraish invaded Madina, both the Muslims and the Jews were to join hands in the defense of the city.

Betrayal of the Jews. The Jews knew that in their holy books there were references to the advent of a prophet in Arabia. They were however under the impression that the prophet would rise from their midst. When the Holy Prophet rose from the ranks of the Quraish in Makkah, the Jews recognized in him all the signs of prophethood foretold in their sacred books. When the Holy Prophet came to Madina the Jews thought that he would be subservient to them and would acknowledge their supremacy. When the Holy Prophet followed an independent policy, the Jews followed the policy of betrayal and embarked on a campaign of ridicule.

Abu Bakr and Finhas the Jew. One day Abu Bakr came across Finhas, one of the Jewish rabbis. Abu Bakr invited him to Islam, but Finhas ridiculed the offer. The Holy Prophet had enjoined on the Muslims to spend in the way of Allah, and according to the Holy Quran this was to be a loan against God repayable manifold the original amount. The Muslims were forbidden to charge interest. According to the religion of the Jews, interest was permissible. In this context Finhas argued: "We are rich, but your Allah is poor for He asks loan of us. Had He been independent of us He would not have given us interest, which He has denied to you."

The blasphemy

Abu Bakr felt outraged at this blasphemy. In a fit of anger Abu Bakr slapped him in the face and said: "Were it not for the treaty between the Muslims and the Jews, I would have cut off your head, you enemy of Allah." Finhas went to the Holy Prophet and complained that Abu Bakr had struck him on the face. When put to explanation, Abu Bakr said, "This enemy of Allah spoke blasphemy. He alleged that Allah was poor and they were rich. At such insolence against Allah I could not control myself, and I hit him."

Revelation of the Holy Quran. Finhas denied the charge leveled against him by Abu Bakr. A revelation, however, confirmed what Abu Bakr had alleged. According to the revelation it was said that Allah had heard the speech of those who had said that Allah was poor and they were rich. About Abu Bakr's anger, the following verses were revealed: "And you will certainly hear from those Who received the Book before you and from the polytheists much that is wrong, But if you preserve and fear God, That is the steadfastness of things."

Expedition of Ubayda Bin Al-Harith

Expedition of Ubayda bin al-Harith. In 622 C.E., the first year of the Hegira the Holy Prophet sent an expedition against the Quraish under Ubayda bin al-Harith. The Muslim force consisted of eighty persons including Abu Bakr. The Muslim force encountered the Quraish led by Ikrama bin Abu Jahl at some distance from Madina on the way to Makkah. Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas from the Muslim ranks fired an arrow shot against the Quraish. It was the first arrow shot in the cause of Islam. The Quraish did not choose to fight. They increased their speed, and escaped to Makkah.

Verses composed by Abu Bakr. The following verses composed by Abu Bakr on the occasion of the raid are on record:

"Could you not sleep because of the specter of Salma in sandy valleys,
And the important event that happened in the tribe?
You see that neither admonition nor a prophet's call
Can save some of Lu'ayy from unbelief;
A truthful prophet came to them,
And they gave him the lie,
And said 'You shall not live among us.'
When we called them to the truth they turned their backs,
They howled like bitches driven back panting to their lairs;
With how many of them have we ties of kinship,
Yet to abandon piety did not weigh upon them;
If they turn back from their unbelief and disobedience (For the good and lawful is not like the abominable);
If they follow their idolatry and error
God's punishment on them will not tarry.
We are men of Ghalib's highest stock
From which nobility comes through many branches;
I swear by the Lord of camels urged on at even by singing,
Their feet protected by old leather thongs,
Like the red-backed deer that haunt Makkah
Going down to the well's slimy cistern;
I swear and I am no perjurer,
If they do not quickly repent of their error,
A valiant band will descend on them,
Which will leave women husbandless,
It will leave dead men, with vultures wheeling round.
It will not spare the infidels as Ibn Harith did.
Give the Banu Sahm with you a message
And every infidel who is trying to do evil;
If you assail my honor in your evil opinion
I will not assail yours."

Ayesha's Marriage to the Holy Prophet

Marriage of Ayesha. When the Muslims were duly settled in Madina, and the families of the Holy Prophet and Abu Bakr had come to Madina, it was decided that the formal ceremony of the marriage of Ayesha the daughter of Abu Bakr to the Holy Prophet should be performed. Ayesha was now of age. The crisis of Islam was over. The Holy Prophet was no longer a persecuted person; he was now the ruler of Madina. The Holy Prophet needed a young lady by his side whom he could love. One day early in 623 C.E., the Holy Prophet accompanied by his companions went to the house of Abu Bakr at Sukh to seek the hand of Ayesha in marriage.

Ayesha's account of marriage. Ayesha has left an account of the wedding day in the following terms: "The Prophet of Allah came to our house where many of the companions were waiting. My mother brought me sitting in a litter on two poles. She made me descend; then she smoothened my hair, and washed my face with water. Then she led me to the door of the house where she stopped until I regained my composure. Then she took me to where the Prophet of God was sitting in our house, and made me sit near him saying, 'These are your people. May God bless them through you, and you through them'. The people then left, and the Prophet consummated the marriage while in our house."

After the marriage. After the marriage, Ayesha was assigned a separate quarter adjoining the mosque. Ayesha was handsome, intelligent and eloquent, and the Holy Prophet loved her intensely. The marriage brought Abu Bakr still closer to the Holy Prophet. There is a tradition that once a companion asked the Holy Prophet whom did he love most, and he said 'Ayesha'. 'And whom do you love next' asked the companion, and the Holy Prophet said 'Her father Abu Bakr'.

Jealousy against Ayesha. On account of the Holy Prophet's love for Ayesha many persons got jealous of her. One day one of the other wives of the Holy Prophet complained in strong terms against the favor shown to Ayesha. The Holy Prophet wanted Ayesha to hear the complaint and reply thereto. Ayesha replied with such force and eloquence that she won her case, Thereupon the Holy Prophet said "Do you see how eloquent Ayesha is, and what great force is in her arguments. She is after all the daughter of Abu Bakr. No wonder for her qualities she deserves to be loved."

Fatima and Ayesha. One day Fatima the daughter of the Holy Prophet at the instance of the other wives of the Holy Prophet complained against the preferential treatment accorded to Ayesha. The Holy Prophet merely smiled and said, "My dear, wont you love the person whom your father loves?"