THE QURAISH'S plan to kill Muhammad at night, because they feared he would emigrate to Medinah and gather strength there, along with all the disaster that might befall Mecca and their trade with Syam as a result, news of it had already reached Muhammad. Indeed no one doubted that Muhammad would seize the opportunity to emigrate. But because he was so firmly able to keep this secret, no one knew of it, not even Abu Bakr, the man who had once prepared two riding camels when he asked the Prophet's permission to emigrate, which was then postponed, knew only a little of the matter. Muhammad himself indeed still remained in Mecca when he already knew of the Quraish's plan, and when there were no more Muslims remaining there except a small number. As he was awaiting God's command that would reveal to him that he should emigrate, it was then that he went to Abu Bakr's house and told him that Allah had permitted him to emigrate. He asked Abu Bakr to accompany him in his emigration, which Abu Bakr then gladly accepted.
Here begins the most brilliant and beautiful story that mankind has ever known in the history of a pursuit filled with peril, for the sake of truth, conviction and faith. Before this, Abu Bakr had indeed already prepared his two camels, entrusting their care to Abdullah b. Uraiqiz until the time they would be needed. As the two men made ready to leave Mecca, they were fully certain that the Quraish would surely follow their trail. For this reason Muhammad decided to take a different route from the usual one, and also to set out at a time other than the usual.
The young men whom the Quraish had already prepared to kill him that night had already surrounded his house, for they feared he would flee. On that night of the emigration, Muhammad also whispered to Ali b. Abi Talib that he should wear his green cloak from Hadramaut and lie down in his bed. He asked him to remain in Mecca afterward for a while, to settle the trust items that people had left in his keeping. Meanwhile, the young men the Quraish had prepared peered through a gap toward the Prophet's bed. They saw a form lying there and were satisfied that he had not fled.
But, as the night grew late, without their knowledge Muhammad had already gone out toward Abu Bakr's house. The two men then went out through the back door window, and set off southward toward the cave of Thaur. That the two of them would take a route to the right was beyond anyone's expectation.
No one knew of their hiding place in the cave except Abdullah b. Abu Bakr, and his two daughters Aisyah and Asma, along with their servant 'Amir b. Fuhaira. Abdullah's task each day was to remain among the Quraish, listening in on their plotting against Muhammad, which he would then report at night to the Prophet and his father. 'Amir's task, meanwhile, was to herd Abu Bakr's goats; in the evening they would be rested, and then they would milk them and prepare the meat. Whenever Abdullah b. Abi Bakr went back out from their place, 'Amir would come following him with his goats to erase his tracks.
The two men remained in the cave for three days. Meanwhile the Quraish side made great efforts to search for them, sparing no exertion. And no wonder. They saw grave danger threatening them should they fail to catch up with Muhammad and prevent him from making contact with the Yathrib side. All the while the two men were in the cave, Muhammad never ceased to invoke the name of Allah. To Him he entrusted his fate, and indeed to Him all matters would return. Meanwhile Abu Bakr strained his ears. He wanted to know whether those tracking their trail had already succeeded.
Then the young men of the Quraish - one chosen from each group - came. They carried swords and staves, roaming about searching in every direction. Not far from the cave of Thaur they encountered a shepherd, whom they then questioned.
"They might indeed be in that cave, but I did not see anyone heading that way."
Hearing the shepherd's answer, Abu Bakr broke into a sweat. He feared they would rush into the cave. He held his breath, motionless, and simply entrusted his fate to God. Then the Quraish men came climbing up to the cave, but then some of them came back down.
"Why did you not look inside the cave?" his companions asked.
"There is a spider's web there, which has indeed been there since before Muhammad was born," he answered. "I saw two wild doves at the mouth of the cave. So I knew there was no one there.
Muhammad prayed all the more earnestly, and Abu Bakr grew all the more afraid. He drew close to his companion, and Muhammad whispered in his ear:
"Do not grieve. God is with us."
In the books of hadith there is also a source stating that when Abu Bakr sensed that those searching had drawn near, he said in a whisper:
"If any of them looks down, he will surely see us."
"Abu Bakr, if you think we are only two, the third is God," said Muhammad.
The Quraish grew ever more certain that there was no one in that cave when they saw a tree branch hanging drooped over the mouth of the cave. There was no way anyone could enter without pushing those branches aside. It was then that they turned back. The two men in hiding heard their call to return to where they had come from. Abu Bakr's trust and faith in Allah and His Messenger grew all the greater. "Alhamdulillah, Allahu akbar!" Muhammad then said.
A spider's web, two wild doves and a tree. These are the miracles told in the books of the Prophet's biography regarding the matter of the hiding place in the cave of Thaur. And the essence of the miracle is that none of these things had been there before. But after the Prophet and his companion hid in the cave, the spider quickly wove its web to conceal the man inside the cave from sight. Two wild doves also came and laid eggs at the entrance. A tree, too, grew in a place where none had grown before. Regarding this miracle Dermenghem says:
"These three events alone are the miracles told by authentic Islamic history: the spider's web, the alighting of the doves and the growth of the trees. And the like of these three wonders occurs every day upon the face of the earth."
But a miracle such as this is not mentioned in the Sirat of Ibn Hisyam when it touches upon the story of the cave. At most this historian mentions the following:
"The two of them made for a cave on Mount Thaur - a mountain below Mecca - and entered it. Abu Bakr asked his son Abdullah to listen to what people were saying about them during the day, and then in the evening to return and bring news of what had happened that day. 'Amir b. Fuhaira, meanwhile, was to herd his goats during the day and bring them back to rest when he returned to the cave in the evening. At that time, when evening came, Asma would come bringing food suitable for them ... The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, remained in the cave for three days and three nights. When he went missing, the Quraish offered a hundred camels to whoever could bring him back to them. Abdullah b. Abi Bakr, during the day, stayed among the Quraish listening to their plotting and what they said about the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and Abu Bakr, and in the evening he would return and bring them the news.
'Amir b. Fuhaira - Abu Bakr's servant - at that time herded his flock among the shepherds of Mecca; in the evening Abu Bakr's goats would be rested, and they would then milk them and prepare the meat. When in the morning Abdullah b. Abi Bakr set out from that place toward Mecca, 'Amir b. Fuhaira would follow his tracks bringing the goats so that the tracks would be erased. After three days had passed and people had begun to calm down, feeling safe, the hired man came bringing the two men's camels along with his own camel... and so on."
So Ibn Hisyam explains regarding the story of the cave, which we have quoted up to the moment Muhammad and his companion left that place.
Regarding the Quraish's pursuit of Muhammad in order to kill him, and regarding this story of the cave, God's word came down as follows:
"And [remember] when the disbelievers (the Quraish) plotted against you, to seize you, or to kill you, or to drive you out. They planned, and Allah planned as well. And Allah is the best of planners." (Qur'an, 8: 30)
"If you do not help him - it was already Allah who helped him when he was driven out by the disbelievers (the Quraish). He was the second of the two, when they were both in the cave. He said to his companion, 'Do not grieve; God is with us!' Then God sent down His tranquillity upon him and supported him with forces you did not see. And God made the call of the disbelievers the lowest, while the word of Allah is the highest. And Allah is Mighty and Wise." (Qur'an, 9: 40)
On the third day, once the two of them had learned that people had grown calm again about their affair, the hired man came bringing the two men's camels along with his own camel. Asma, Abu Bakr's daughter, also came bringing food. Since when they were about to set out there was nothing they could use to hang the food and drink on the saddlebags, Asma tore her belt in two, using one half to hang the food and tying the other half around herself. Because of this she was given the name "dhat'n-nitaqain" (she of the two belts).
They set out. Each man rode his own camel, carrying provisions of food. Abu Bakr carried five thousand dirhams, which was the whole of his wealth. They had hidden in that cave with the utmost care. Because they knew the Quraish side was pursuing them most persistently and cautiously, on the journey to Yathrib they took a route not usually travelled by people. Abdullah b. 'Uraiqit - of Banu Du'il - as their guide, led them most carefully southward below Mecca, then toward Tihama near the coast of the Red Sea. Because they took a route not usually travelled, he led them to the north across that coast, keeping somewhat away from it, taking the path least travelled by people.
The two men, together with their guide, travelled all through the night and remained mounted during the day as well. They no longer cared about hardship, no longer knew fatigue. Indeed, what hardship could they fear more than the Quraish's actions, which would hinder them from reaching the goal they sought to reach for the sake of Allah's path and the truth! Indeed, Muhammad himself never once doubted that God would help him, but "do not cast yourselves into ruin." Allah helps His servant so long as the servant helps himself and helps others. They had passed safely so far, while in the cave.
But what the Quraish offered to whoever could bring the two of them back, or could point to their location, was surely enough to draw the heart of anyone attracted only by material gain, even if it were to be obtained through wrongdoing. All the more so if we remember that the Quraish Arabs had indeed already regarded Muhammad as their enemy. In their hearts there lay a treacherous nature, by which killing an unarmed man and attacking a side unable to defend itself was not considered a disgraceful thing. So the two men had to be truly vigilant, had to keep their eyes open, their ears alert, and remain fully aware at all times.
The two men's suspicion did not prove wrong. Someone had already come to the Quraish bringing news that he had seen a group of three men riding by on camels.
They were certain this was Muhammad and some of his companions. At that time Suraqa b. Malik b. Ju'syum was present.
"Ah, that is the family of so-and-so," he said, meaning to mislead the man, for he himself wished to obtain the reward of a hundred camels. For a while he still remained with those people. But then he soon went home. He prepared his weapon and had someone bring his horse out into the middle of the wadi so that when he set out he would not be seen by anyone. He then mounted his horse and spurred it in the direction the man had just described.
Meanwhile Muhammad and his two companions had already rested in the shade of a large rock, simply to rest and shake off their fatigue while eating and drinking, and simply to regain their energy and fresh strength.
The sun had already begun to slant, and Muhammad and Abu Bakr had also begun to think of mounting their camels again, seeing that the distance between them and Suraqa had grown ever closer. And before that, Suraqa's horse had already stumbled twice from being pushed too hard. But once the rider saw that he had nearly succeeded and was catching up with the two men - and would then bring them back to Mecca or kill them should they try to resist - he forgot that his horse had already stumbled twice, for it felt as though the moment of victory was already in his hand. But the horse stumbled once more, very hard, so that its rider was thrown from the animal's back and fell, staggering, together with his weapon. Suraqa then took this as a bad omen and believed that the deity had forbidden him from pursuing his target, and that he would be in great danger should he try a fourth time. At that point he stopped and only called out:
"I am Suraqa bin Ju'syum! Wait, I wish to speak. By Allah, do not be suspicious of me. I will not do anything that will harm you."
After the two men stopped and looked at him, he asked Muhammad to write him a letter as proof for both sides. At the Prophet's request, Abu Bakr then wrote that letter on a bone or a piece of pottery, which he then threw to Suraqa.
Once Suraqa had picked up the letter he turned back home. Now, should anyone wish to pursue the Great Emigrant, he would throw them off the trail, after having pursued him himself just before.
Muhammad and his companion now set out again through the interior of Tihama, in the scorching heat baked by the desert sand. They crossed rocky outcrops and steep ravines. And often, too, they found nothing to shelter them from the blaze of the midday heat, no place of refuge from the harshness of the nature around them, no security from what they feared or from what might suddenly attack them, other than steadfastness of heart and faith so deep in God. Their conviction was very great in the truth that God had given to His Messenger.
For seven days continuously they remained in that same condition. Resting under the burning heat of the dry season and travelling again all through the night, crossing an ocean of desert. Only because of the calm within their hearts toward God, and the twinkling of the stars glittering in the darkness of the night, did their hearts and feelings feel more secure.
When the two men had entered the territory of the Banu Sahm tribe, and Buraida, the head of that tribe, came out to welcome them, only then did the anxiety in their hearts begin to fade. They were now fully certain of the presence of God's help.
The distance between them and Yathrib was now very close. During their truly exhausting journey, news of the emigration of the Prophet and his companion, who would join the others, had already spread in Yathrib. The people of that city already knew how much hardship these two men had suffered from the Quraish's relentless pursuit. For this reason all the Muslims remained in that place awaiting the arrival of the Messenger of Allah, their hearts filled with longing, eager to see him, eager to hear him speak. Many among them had never yet seen him, though they had already heard about his character and knew of the charm of his speech and the firmness of his convictions. All this made them long deeply to meet him, to see him. One could well imagine how deeply their hearts were stirred, learning that the leading men of Yathrib, who had not yet seen Muhammad before, had already become his followers merely from hearing about him from his companions, the Muslims who strove earnestly in spreading Islam and loved the Messenger of Allah so dearly.
Sa'id b. Zurara and Mush'ab b. 'Umair were sitting in one of the gardens of Banu Zafar. Several people who had already embraced Islam had also gathered there. This news then reached Sa'd b. Mu'adh and 'Usaid b. Hudzair, who at that time were the leaders of their respective groups.
"Go meet those two men," Said said to 'Usaid, "who have come to our land with the intention of letting the lowly ones among us belittle our family. Rebuke them and stop them. Actually Said b. Zurara is still my cousin on my mother's side, so I cannot go to him myself."
So 'Usaid went to rebuke the two men. But Mush'ab answered:
"Will you sit down first and listen?" he said. "If you agree with this you may accept it, but if you dislike it, will you leave us be?"
"That is fair of you," said 'Usaid, thrusting his spear into the ground. He sat down with them and listened to Mush'ab's explanation, and it turned out that he then became a Muslim himself. When he returned to Sa'd, his face was no longer as it had been when he set out. This made Sa'd angry. He himself then went to meet the two men. But as it turned out, he fared the same as his friend.
Because of the effect of this event, Sa'd then went to his people and said to them:
"O Banu 'Abd'l-Ashhal. What do you know of me among yourselves?"
"Our leader, the closest to us, of praiseworthy judgement and experience," they answered.
"Then your words, whether from woman or man, are sacred to me so long as you believe in Allah and His Messenger."
From that time the whole tribe of 'Abd'l-Ashhal, men and women, entered Islam.
The spread of Islam in Yathrib and the boldness of the Muslims in that city before the Prophet's emigration there were entirely beyond the expectation of the Muslims of Mecca. Several young Muslims, without hesitation, made a mockery of the idols of the polytheists there. A man named 'Amr bin'l-Jamuh had an idol made of wood which he named Manat, placed within his household grounds as was customarily done by nobles. This 'Amr was a leader of Banu Salima and himself of their nobility. After the young men of his own group entered Islam, at night they went to the idol, carried it off and thrust its head into a hole that the people of Yathrib normally used as a latrine.
When in the morning the idol was found missing, 'Amr searched for it until he found it again, then washed and cleaned it and placed it back in its original spot, while accusing and threatening others. But the young men repeated their prank on 'Amr's Manat, and every day he had to wash and clean it again. Once he had grown thoroughly annoyed by it, he took his sword and hung it on the idol, saying: "If you are truly of any use, then defend yourself, and here is a sword to help you."
But the very next day it had gone missing again, and he found it only later in a well, mixed in with a dog's carcass. His sword was gone entirely.
After some of the leading men of his community spoke with him, and after seeing with his own eyes just how misguided a life in shirk and paganism truly was, one that in essence would cast a person's soul into an abyss no longer fitting for a human being, he too entered Islam.
Seeing that Islam had already reached such a lofty standing in Yathrib, it would be easy indeed for anyone to judge how intensely the people of that city longed to welcome Muhammad's arrival, once they learned that he had already emigrated from Mecca. Every day, after the Fajr prayer, they would go out of the city, waiting for his arrival right up until the sun set, during those hot days of the month of July.
Meanwhile he had already reached Quba' - two farsakhs' distance from Medinah. He stayed there for four days, accompanied by Abu Bakr. During those four days he built the mosque of Quba'. Meanwhile Ali b. Abi-Talib also arrived there, having returned the trust items - which had been left with Muhammad - to their owners in Mecca. After that he himself left Mecca, making his own journey to Yathrib on foot. He travelled by night and hid by day. He bore this exhausting struggle for two full weeks, in order to catch up with his brothers in faith.
While the Muslims of Yathrib were one day waiting as usual, suddenly a Jew who had already learned what they were doing came shouting to them.
"O Banu Qaila, here comes your friend!"
That day was a Friday, and Muhammad held the Friday prayer in Medinah. It was there, into the mosque located in the belly of Wadi Ranuna, that the Muslims came, each striving to see him and to draw close to him. They wished to satisfy their hearts toward the man they had never yet seen, hearts already filled with love and the embrace of faith in his mission, whose name was already mentioned in every prayer.
The leading men of Medinah offered for him to stay with them, with every provision and preparation ready. But he asked to be excused from them. He returned to his she-camel, fastened her reins, and then set off along the streets of Yathrib, amid the Muslims who crowded around to welcome him and made way for him all along the path he passed. The entire population of Yathrib, both Jews and pagans, witnessed the vibrant new life stirring in their city, witnessed the arrival of a newcomer, a great man who had united Aus and Khazraj, who had for so long been hostile to one another, warring with one another. It never crossed their minds - at this moment, this moment of historic transition that would determine their new destiny - that it would bring splendour and greatness to their city, and would live on for as long as this history unfolds.
He let the camel walk on. Upon reaching a date-drying ground belonging to two orphans of Banu'n-Najjar, the camel knelt down (stopped). It was then that the Messenger dismounted and asked:
"To whom does this place belong?" he asked.
"It belongs to Sahl and Suhail b. 'Amr," answered Ma'adh b. 'Afra'. He was the guardian of the two orphans. He would discuss the matter with the two boys so that they would be satisfied. He asked Muhammad that a mosque be built on that spot.
Muhammad granted that request, and asked also that a mosque and his residence be built there.
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