Migration to Yathrib — Seal of the Prophets Vol. 1
Introduction
In this discourse from The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 1), Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra) details the historical events and scholarly insights surrounding Migration to Yathrib.
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 1)
Author: Hazrat Mirza Bashir Ahmad (ra)
Section: IX-Exile
Pages: Book pp. 314–315 (PDF pp. 338–339)
Navigation: Book Table of Contents | « Previous: [Second Bai‘at at ‘Aqabah – 13 Nabawī] | Next: [The Prophet of God the Almighty in the Outfit of an Immigrant] »
Historical Account
The Holy Prophetsa was shown a vision that one day he would have to leave Makkah and migrate to another place, and along with this, he was also shown the place of his migration, which was a place of orchards and springs. The full interpretation of this vision had not yet revealed itself to the Holy Prophetsa, and prior to an explanation, a prophet can also be mistaken in his interpretation of a situation. It is due to this reason that the Holy Prophetsa said:
َذَھَبَ وَھْلِیْ اِلیٰ اَنَّھَا الْیَمَامَةُ اَوْ حَ جَ رُ فَاِذَا ھِیَ مَدِیْنَةُ یَثْرَب
Meaning, “My thought led me to believe that this place would be Yamāmah or Ḥajar (which are two verdant places), but it turned out to be Yathrib.”
[Ṣaḥīḥ Bukhārī, Kitābu Manāqibil-Anṣār, Bābu Hijratin-Nabīsa]
As such, when Islām began to find popularity in Yathrib, it was then that the Holy Prophetsa understood that his place of migration would be Yathrib, and not Yamāmah or Ḥajar. After the meeting with the Anṣār had taken place and they had returned after a Bai‘at was taken in a defensive treaty and pact, the Holy Prophetsa instructed the Muslims that, “All of those who are able, should migrate to Yathrib.” Therefore, after a short time period, despite the many obstructions setup by the Quraish, a majority of the Muslims migrated,
and many homes in Makkah were abandoned. Finally, only the Holy Prophetsa, Ḥaḍrat Abū Bakrra, Ḥaḍrat ‘Alīra, their families, or those weak people who were unable to migrate, or those who the Quraish prohibited from leaving, were left behind. All of these Muḥājirīn stayed as guests in various homes belonging to the Anṣār in Madīnah, and remained as such until the Holy Prophetsa himself arrived to Madīnah and separate homes could gradually be arranged for the Muhājirīn. The people of Madīnah, who are referred to as the ‘Anṣār’ on account of their helping and giving protection to the Muhājirīn of the Holy Prophetsa, welcomed the Muhājirīn very passionately and treated them greater than their own brothers. As such, when the Holy Prophetsa migrated to Madīnah, he found all the Muhājirīn full of praise for the Anṣār.
[As-Sīratun-Nabawiyyah, By Abū Muḥammad ‘Abdul-Malik bin Hishām, pp. 332, 339, Bābu Dhikril- Muhājirīna ilal-Madīnah, Dārul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (2001) – (A summary) * Sharḥul-‘Allāmatiz-Zarqānī ‘alal-Mawāhibil-Ladunniyyah, By Muḥammad bin ‘Abdul-Bāqī Az- Zarqānī, Volume 2, pp. 89-93, Bābu Hijratil-Muṣṭafā wa Aṣḥābihī ilal-Madīnah, Dārul-Kutubil- ‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, Lebanon, First Edition (1996) – (A summary) * Tārīkhul-Khamīs, By Ḥusain bin Muḥammad bin Ḥasan Dayār Bakrī, Volume 1, p. 320, Dhikru Hijratil-Aṣḥābi ilal-Madīnah, Muwassasatu Sha‘bān, Beirut]
The Prophet of God the Almighty in the Outfit of an
Immigrant
Now we come to that magnificent occurrence through which a new era began in Islām, that is, the departure of the Holy Prophetsa from his beloved homeland and migration to Yathrib. The Islāmic Year, known as Hijrī, begun from this very revolutionary date.
When all the Muslims had migrated to Madīnah, due to their previous actions, the Quraish suspected that the exile of all the Muslims in this way will surely bring about progress. In addition to this, they were also furious that this ‘prey’ had slipped their hands. Therefore, in their own manner, they thought that such a plan should be employed as will expunge this dispensation once and for all, so that retaliation to their cruelties no longer remains a possibility. The Holy Prophetsa was still in Makkah awaiting the permission of Allāh the Exalted to migrate. The Makkans thought of this as a perfect opportunity, that all the Muslims have left and Muḥammad[sa] is as if all alone without support. Therefore, they thought, such a plan should be devised as puts an end to his life As such, with this thought, they gathered in their national place
Book Series: The Life & Character of the Seal of the Prophets (Volume 1)
Section: IX-Exile | Navigation: « Previous: [Second Bai‘at at ‘Aqabah – 13 Nabawī] | Next: [The Prophet of God the Almighty in the Outfit of an Immigrant] »