The Prophet's emigration to Yathrib
- Updated On Sunday, 27 July 2014
- Written by Allamah Qurashi
- Editor Faisal Shaheen
- Supervisor Sayyed Roohullah Musavi
- Published on Wednesday, 07 May 2014
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- Hits: Please explain the process that led to the emigration of the prophet to Yathrib. How did the people of Yathrib receive the Prophet and the Muslims in general?
The first meeting (The first homage of al-Aqabah) The Prophet (a.s.) visited the tribes propagating his mission publicly. When he was in al-Aqabah, he met some men from the tribe of al-Khazraj who were followers of the Jews. He showed them Islam, its principles and values and recited to them some verses from the Holy Qur'an. The recitation penetrated deep into their hearts. What made them believe was that the Jews they lived with often propagated about the approaching advent of a new prophet. When Prophet Muhammad (a.s.) invited these men to Islam, they said to each other: "O men, he is the prophet that the Jews have promised you of. Let them not precede you to him!" They responded to the Prophet (a.s.) and announced their faith. Those men went back to their country. They announced their faith in Islam and began propagating it. They were twelve men in total. Sending Mus'ab as a deputy to Medina The people of Medina sent a delegation to the Prophet (a.s.) asking him to send them a religious instructor to teach them the teachings and rulings of Islam. The Prophet (a.s.) chose Mus'ab bin Umayr, who was from the best Muslim youth in virtue and jurisprudence as he was from the politest, most well-behaved, and most handsome youth of Quraysh, as his deputy to the people of Medina. Mus'ab was so successful that he was the first deputy in Islam to be successful in his task. The second homage of al-Aqabah Mus'ab returned to Mecca carrying with him the good news of the spread of Islam in Medina. He also brought news of the response of the al-Aws and al-Khazraj to Islam and their devotedness to defend it with all material and moral abilities. The Prophet (a.s.) was so delighted and happy, and so were the Muslims in Mecca who suffered so much persecution and oppression there. The Muslims of Medina sent a delegation headed by al-Bara' bin Ma'rur and Ka'b bin Malik, to meet with the Prophet (a.s.) in Mecca. The delegation met with the Prophet (a.s.) in the mosque and offered to him their absolute reverence. They also conveyed to him the longing of the people of Medina to get the honor of receiving the Prophet (a.s.) in their town. The Prophet (a.s.) agreed with the delegation of Medina that he would meet with the people of Medina during the days of Tashriq.1 A group of seventy men and two women, from the Muslims of Medina came to perform the hajj. They concealed the matter for fear of the polytheists of Quraysh. They waited until a third of the night had elapsed, after which all seventy-two persons sneaked away to al-Aqabah and had the honor of meeting the Prophet (a.s.) there. The Prophet (a.s.) welcomed them and recited some verses from the Qur'an. Then all paid homage to the prophet. This homage was called "the homage of ar-Radhwan". When the people of Quraysh came to know about the homage of the people of Medina to the Prophet (a.s.) and their promise to protect him and defend his religion, they felt great fear and became worried. The people of Quraysh were certain of the homage of the people of Medina to the Prophet (a.s.), and so they followed after them. To their fortune, they could only reach Sa'd bin Ubadah in Athakhir (a place near Mecca) and al-Munthir bin Amr who both were from the chiefs (nominated over the people of Medina). While al-Munthir, ewas able to escape, Sa'd was taken captive, his hands were tied to his neck with the ropes of his mount. They brought him back to Mecca while beating him and drawing him by his hair. Muslims' emigration to Medina After the homage of al-Aqabah, Yathrib became a strong center For the Muslims, for the Ansar (the Muslims of Medina) undertook their protection and defense. The Muslims of Mecca, after suffering much from Quraysh, asked permission to emigrate to Yathrib, and the Prophet (a.s.) permitted them. The Prophet (a.s.) encouraged Muslims to emigrate to Yathrib (Medina) saying to them "Allah the Almighty has made to you brothers and an abode that you shall be safe in it (there)." Muslims began emigrating to Yathrib secretly 2 for fear of the oppression of Quraysh. The Ansar (Muslims of Yathrib) received and welcomed the Muhajireen (emigrants) and offered them the hospitality of their houses and they spent on them. The Prophet's emigration to Yathrib The Prophet (a.s.) was assured as to the homage of the Ansar. Yathrib became the impregnable, inaccessible fort of Islam. The Prophet (a.s.) decided to emigrate to it and this was one of the most important events in the history of Islam. When the news of the Prophet's intention to leave Mecca to Yathrib reached the people of Quraysh, they became very worried and upset. They used to harm the Prophet (a.s.) with every means available. Therefore, they thought that if he left their country, he might come back to them with an army that they would be unable to repel. The chiefs of Quraysh called each other to a meeting to discus the situation and finally they decided to take from every tribe a brave young man. They decided to go together and strike the Prophet down by their swords thus his blood (murder) shall be divided among all the Tribes. Following this, the Bani Abd Manaf (the Hashemites) would be unable to fight against all of their people. 3 The men, who would carry out this crime, were chosen and the time of the attack against the Prophet's house was appointed. However, the Divine Will disappointed them. Allah the Almighty instructed His messenger to leave Mecca and emigrate to Yathrib. Allah informed the Prophet (a.s.) of the plot of the polytheists to assassinate him. On that night, the chosen men surrounded the Prophet's house waiting for the dawn to let their swords dive into the Prophet's flesh. The Prophet (a.s.) informed Imam Ali (a.s.) about what the Quraysh had plotted. He asked him to don his (the Prophet) green garment and sleep in his (the Prophet) bed that night to make the would be assassins believe that he was the Prophet (a.s.). As an escape was already planned, the delay would enable Abu Bakr and the Holy Prophet a head start, protecting the Prophet (a.s.) from a killing. Imam Ali (a.s.) received the Prophet's order with delight and pleasure. The Prophet (a.s.) went out of his house under the cover of night and nobody could see him with the help and power of Allah. When the light of morning came, the men attacked Imam Ali (a.s.) thinking that he was the Prophet (a.s.). Imam Ali (a.s.) drew his sword towards them and they were terribly surprised. They shouted at him: "Where is Muhammad?" He said to them: "Have you made me a guard on him?" They retreated taking with them disappointment and loss whereas the Prophet (a.s.) had slipped away safely, moving toward Medina. Allah then revealed to His messenger while he was moving towards Medina (Yathrib) this verse about Ali, (And among people is he who sells himself to seek the pleasure of Allah)..4 The Quraysh offered one hundred camels for whoever would arrest the Prophet (a.s.) during his journey to Yathrib. The Prophet (a.s.) headed for Yathrib after he was saved from the villains of Quraysh. Abu Bakr was with him. They remained in the cave of Thour1 for three days. Allah the Almighty sent a couple of pigeons to lay eggs at the bottom of the opening of the cave and a spider to spin its cobweb on the opening. The men of Quraysh wasted no minute in chasing the Prophet (a.s.). They, headed by Suraqa bin Malik who was an expert tracer, and reached the cave. When Suraqa saw the eggs of the pigeons and cobweb, he said to his companions that if anyone entered the cave the eggs and the cobweb would be damaged. They looked everywhere, but they could not find the Prophet (a.s.). When the men of Quraysh was desperate of finding the messenger of Allah and went back to Mecca. The Prophet (a.s.) and Abu Bakr then set out toward Yathrib. Yathrib receives the Prophet The news got to the people of Yathrib that the messenger of Allah had emigrated towards them. The masses longingly hurried to receive and welcome him. The Prophet (a.s.) lived in the house of Abu Ayyoob Khalid bin Zayd until (a.s.) he built a house near the mosque with adobes and roofed it with palm trucks and fronds 5 and moved into it. The population of Yathrib Most of the inhabitants of Yathrib, which the Prophet (a.s.) took as the capital of his state, responded by embracing Islam. However, they were not the same in their beliefs. There were true believers, hesitant Muslims, and a group of hypocrites who were apparently Muslims whereas their hearts were full of disbelief and grudge against Islam. In Medina, as well, there were the Jews who were the most dangerous enemies to Islam. No plot was prepared against Islam except that they supplied it with arms and money. Most of the inhabitants of Medina were from the tribes of al-Aws and al-Khazraj. Many wars had broken out between them, but the Prophet (a.s.) put an end to their enmity and made them as brothers to each other.
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References: 1 Three days following the Day of Immolation during the hajj. 2 Nihayat al-Irab, vol. 6 p. 322, Tareekh at-Tabari, vol. 2 p. 342. 3 As-Seera an-Nabawiyyah by ibn Hisham, vol. 2 p. 126. 4 Usd al-Ghabah, vol. 4 p. 25, Noor al-Absar, p. 77, Tafsir ar-Razi, vol. 5 p. 223, Musnad of Ahmed bin Hanbal, vol. 1 p. 348, Tareekh Baghdad, vol. 13 p. 191, Mustadrak al-Hakim, vol. 3 p. 4, Tabaqat ibn Sa.d, vol. 8 p. 35. 5 As-Seera an-Nabawiyyah by ibn Hisham, vol. 2 p. 141.