Volume 5, Book 58, Number 245:
Narrated ‘Aisha:
(the wife of the Prophet) I never remembered my parents believing in any religion other than the
true religion (i.e. Islam), and (I don’t remember) a single day passing without our being visited by Al –
lah’s Apostle in the morning and in the evening. When the Muslims were put to test (i.e. troubled by
the pagans), Abu Bakr set out migrating to the land of Ethiopia, and when he reached Bark-al-Ghi –
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mad, Ibn Ad-Daghina, the chief of the tribe of Qara, met him and said, “O Abu Bakr! Where are you
going?” Abu Bakr replied, “My people have turned me out (of my country), so I want to wander on
the earth and worship my Lord.” Ibn Ad-Daghina said, “O Abu Bakr! A man like you should not leave
his home-land, nor should he be driven out, because you help the destitute, earn their livings, and
you keep good relations with your Kith and kin, help the weak and poor, entertain guests generously,
and help the calamity-stricken persons. Therefore I am your protector. Go back and worship your
Lord in your town.”
So Abu Bakr returned and Ibn Ad-Daghina accompanied him. In the evening Ibn Ad-Daghina vis –
ited the nobles of Quraish and said to them. “A man like Abu Bakr should not leave his homeland,
nor should he be driven out. Do you (i.e. Quraish) drive out a man who helps the destitute, earns
their living, keeps good relations with his Kith and kin, helps the weak and poor, entertains guests
generously and helps the calamity-stricken persons?” So the people of Quraish could not refuse Ibn
Ad-Daghina’s protection, and they said to Ibn Ad-Daghina, “Let Abu Bakr worship his Lord in his
house. He can pray and recite there whatever he likes, but he should not hurt us with it, and should
not do it publicly, because we are afraid that he may affect our women and children.” Ibn Ad-Dagh –
ina told Abu Bakr of all that. Abu Bakr stayed in that state, worshipping his Lord in his house. He did
not pray publicly, nor did he recite Quran outside his house.
Then a thought occurred to Abu Bakr to build a mosque in front of his house, and there he used to
pray and recite the Quran. The women and children of the pagans began to gather around him in
great number. They used to wonder at him and look at him. Abu Bakr was a man who used to weep
too much, and he could not help weeping on reciting the Quran. That situation scared the nobles of
the pagans of Quraish, so they sent for Ibn Ad-Daghina. When he came to them, they said, “We ac –
cepted your protection of Abu Bakr on condition that he should worship his Lord in his house, but he
has violated the conditions and he has built a mosque in front of his house where he prays and re –
cites the Quran publicly. We are now afraid that he may affect our women and children unfavor –
ably. So, prevent him from that. If he likes to confine the worship of his Lord to his house, he may do
so, but if he insists on doing that openly, ask him to release you from your obligation to protect him,
for we dislike to break our pact with you, but we deny Abu Bakr the right to announce his act pub –
licly.” Ibn Ad-Daghina went to Abu- Bakr and said, (“O Abu Bakr!) You know well what contract I
have made on your behalf; now, you are either to abide by it, or else release me from my obligation
of protecting you, because I do not want the ‘Arabs hear that my people have dishonored a contract I
have made on behalf of another man.” Abu Bakr replied, “I release you from your pact to protect me,
and am pleased with the protection from Allah.”
At that time the Prophet was in Mecca, and he said to the Muslims, “In a dream I have been shown
your migration place, a land of date palm trees, between two mountains, the two stony tracts.” So,
some people migrated to Medina, and most of those people who had previously migrated to the land
of Ethiopia, returned to Medina. Abu Bakr also prepared to leave for Medina, but Allah’s Apostle said
to him, “Wait for a while, because I hope that I will be allowed to migrate also.” Abu Bakr said, “Do
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you indeed expect this? Let my father be sacrificed for you!” The Prophet said, “Yes.” So Abu Bakr did
not migrate for the sake of Allah’s Apostle in order to accompany him. He fed two she-camels he
possessed with the leaves of As-Samur tree that fell on being struck by a stick for four months.
One day, while we were sitting in Abu Bakr’s house at noon, someone said to Abu Bakr, “This is Al –
lah’s Apostle with his head covered coming at a time at which he never used to visit us before.” Abu
Bakr said, “May my parents be sacrificed for him. By Allah, he has not come at this hour except for a
great necessity.” So Allah’s Apostle came and asked permission to enter, and he was allowed to enter.
When he entered, he said to Abu Bakr. “Tell everyone who is present with you to go away.” Abu Bakr
replied, “There are none but your family. May my father be sacrificed for you, O Allah’s Apostle!” The
Prophet said, “i have been given permission to migrate.” Abu Bakr said, “Shall I accompany you? May
my father be sacrificed for you, O Allah’s Apostle!” Allah’s Apostle said, “Yes.” Abu Bakr said, “O Al –
lah’s Apostle! May my father be sacrificed for you, take one of these two she-camels of mine.” Allah’s
Apostle replied, “(I will accept it) with payment.” So we prepared the baggage quickly and put some
journey food in a leather bag for them. Asma, Abu Bakr’s daughter, cut a piece from her waist belt
and tied the mouth of the leather bag with it, and for that reason she was named Dhat-un-Nitaqain
(i.e. the owner of two belts).
Then Allah’s Apostle and Abu Bakr reached a cave on the mountain of Thaur and stayed there for
three nights. ‘Abdullah bin Abi Bakr who was intelligent and a sagacious youth, used to stay (with
them) aver night. He used to leave them before day break so that in the morning he would be with
Quraish as if he had spent the night in Mecca. He would keep in mind any plot made against them,
and when it became dark he would (go and) inform them of it. ‘Amir bin Fuhaira, the freed slave of
Abu Bakr, used to bring the milch sheep (of his master, Abu Bakr) to them a little while after night –
fall in order to rest the sheep there. So they always had fresh milk at night, the milk of their sheep,
and the milk which they warmed by throwing heated stones in it. ‘Amir bin Fuhaira would then call
the herd away when it was still dark (before daybreak). He did the same in each of those three
nights. Allah’s Apostle and Abu Bakr had hired a man from the tribe of Bani Ad-Dail from the family
of Bani Abd bin Adi as an expert guide, and he was in alliance with the family of Al-‘As bin Wail As-
Sahmi and he was on the religion of the infidels of Quraish. The Prophet and Abu Bakr trusted him
and gave him their two she-camels and took his promise to bring their two she camels to the cave of
the mountain of Thaur in the morning after three nights later. And (when they set out), ‘Amir bin
Fuhaira and the guide went along with them and the guide led them along the sea-shore.
The nephew of Suraqa bin Ju’sham said that his father informed him that he heard Suraqa bin
Ju’sham saying, “The messengers of the heathens of Quraish came to us declaring that they had as –
signed for the persons why would kill or arrest Allah’s Apostle and Abu Bakr, a reward equal to their
bloodmoney. While I was sitting in one of the gatherings of my tribe. Bani Mudlij, a man from them
came to us and stood up while we were sitting, and said, “O Suraqa! No doubt, I have just seen some
people far away on the seashore, and I think they are Muhammad and his companions.” Suraqa ad –
ded, “I too realized that it must have been they. But I said ‘No, it is not they, but you have seen so-
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and-so, and so-and-so whom we saw set out.’ I stayed in the gathering for a while and then got up
and left for my home. and ordered my slave-girl to get my horse which was behind a hillock, and
keep it ready for me.
Then I took my spear and left by the back door of my house dragging the lower end of the spear
on the ground and keeping it low. Then I reached my horse, mounted it and made it gallop. When I
approached them (i.e. Muhammad and Abu Bakr), my horse stumbled and I fell down from it, Then I
stood up, got hold of my quiver and took out the divining arrows and drew lots as to whether I
should harm them (i.e. the Prophet and Abu Bakr) or not, and the lot which I disliked came out. But I
remounted my horse and let it gallop, giving no importance to the divining arrows. When I heard
the recitation of the Quran by Allah’s Apostle who did not look hither and thither while Abu Bakr
was doing it often, suddenly the forelegs of my horse sank into the ground up to the knees, and I fell
down from it. Then I rebuked it and it got up but could hardly take out its forelegs from the ground,
and when it stood up straight again, its fore-legs caused dust to rise up in the sky like smoke. Then
again I drew lots with the divining arrows, and the lot which I disliked, came out. So I called upon
them to feel secure. They stopped, and I remounted my horse and went to them. When I saw how I
had been hampered from harming them, it came to my mind that the cause of Allah’s Apostle (i.e. Is –
lam) will become victorious. So I said to him, “Your people have assigned a reward equal to the
bloodmoney for your head.” Then I told them all the plans the people of Mecca had made concerning
them. Then I offered them some journey food and goods but they refused to take anything and did
not ask for anything, but the Prophet said, “Do not tell others about us.” Then I requested him to write
for me a statement of security and peace. He ordered ‘Amr bin Fuhaira who wrote it for me on a
parchment, and then Allah’s Apostle proceeded on his way.
Narrated ‘Urwa bin Az-Zubair: Allah’s Apostle met Az-Zubair in a caravan of Muslim merchants
who were returning from Sham. Az-Zubair provided Allah’s Apostle and Abu Bakr with white
clothes to wear. When the Muslims of Medina heard the news of the departure of Allah’s Apostle
from Mecca (towards Medina), they started going to the Harra every morning . They would wait for
him till the heat of the noon forced them to return. One day, after waiting for a long while, they re –
turned home, and when they went into their houses, a Jew climbed up the roof of one of the forts of
his people to look for some thing, and he saw Allah’s Apostle and his companions dressed in white
clothes, emerging out of the desert mirage.
The Jew could not help shouting at the top of his voice, “O you ‘Arabs! Here is your great man
whom you have been waiting for!” So all the Muslims rushed to their arms and received Allah’s
Apostle on the summit of Harra. The Prophet turned with them to the right and alighted at the quar –
ters of Bani ‘Amr bin ‘Auf, and this was on Monday in the month of Rabi-ul-Awal. Abu Bakr stood
up, receiving the people while Allah’s Apostle sat down and kept silent. Some of the Ansar who came
and had not seen Allah’s Apostle before, began greeting Abu Bakr, but when the sunshine fell on Al –
lah’s Apostle and Abu Bakr came forward and shaded him with his sheet only then the people came
to know Allah’s Apostle. Allah’s Apostle stayed with Bani ‘Amr bin ‘Auf for ten nights and established
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the mosque (mosque of Quba) which was founded on piety. Allah’s Apostle prayed in it and then
mounted his she-camel and proceeded on, accompanied by the people till his she-camel knelt down
at (the place of) the Mosque of Allah’s Apostle at Medina. Some Muslims used to pray there in those
days, and that place was a yard for drying dates belonging to Suhail and Sahl, the orphan boys who
were under the guardianship of ‘Asad bin Zurara. When his she-camel knelt down, Allah’s Apostle
said, “This place, Allah willing, will be our abiding place.” Allah’s Apostle then called the two boys
and told them to suggest a price for that yard so that he might take it as a mosque. The two boys said,
“No, but we will give it as a gift, O Allah’s Apostle!” Allah’s Apostle then built a mosque there. The
Prophet himself started carrying unburnt bricks for its building and while doing so, he was saying
“This load is better than the load of Khaibar, for it is more pious in the Sight of Allah and purer and
better rewardable.” He was also saying, “O Allah! The actual reward is the reward in the Hereafter, so
bestow Your Mercy on the Ansar and the Emigrants.” Thus the Prophet recited (by way of proverb)
the poem of some Muslim poet whose name is unknown to me.
(Ibn Shibab said, “In the Hadiths it does not occur that Allah’s Apostle recited a complete poetic
verse other than this one.”)