Seerah / Hijrah
The Hijrah to Madinah
- Date
- 622 CE (1 AH) · established
- Location
- Makkah → Cave of Thawr → Madinah
- People
- Abu Bakr (RA), Asma' bint Abi Bakr (RA), Suraqa ibn Malik
Aisha (RA) gives the detailed account in Sahih al-Bukhari: the planning, the three nights in the Cave of Thawr, and the journey. Abu Bakr (RA) recalls the Prophet ﷺ saying 'What do you think of two, the third of whom is Allah?' — see also 9:40.
As it was narrated
The story, in the words of those who were there
Read slowly. These are the Companions' own words, from the verified hadith collections.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ، حَدَّثَنَا هَمَّامٌ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قُلْتُ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَنَا فِي الْغَارِ لَوْ أَنَّ أَحَدَهُمْ نَظَرَ تَحْتَ قَدَمَيْهِ لأَبْصَرَنَا. فَقَالَ " مَا ظَنُّكَ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ بِاثْنَيْنِ اللَّهُ ثَالِثُهُمَا ".
Narrated Abu Bakr:I said to the Prophet (ﷺ) while I was in the Cave. "If any of them should look under his feet, he would see us." He said, "O Abu Bakr! What do you think of two (persons) the third of whom is Allah?
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ عُقَيْلٍ، قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ فَأَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَتْ لَمْ أَعْقِلْ أَبَوَىَّ قَطُّ إِلاَّ وَهُمَا يَدِينَانِ الدِّينَ، وَلَمْ يَمُرَّ عَلَيْنَا يَوْمٌ إِلاَّ يَأْتِينَا فِيهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم طَرَفَىِ النَّهَارِ بُكْرَةً وَعَشِيَّةً، فَلَمَّا ا…
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 Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) 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-Ghimad, 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 shoul…
قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ وَأَخْبَرَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَالِكٍ الْمُدْلِجِيُّ ـ وَهْوَ ابْنُ أَخِي سُرَاقَةَ بْنِ مَالِكِ بْنِ جُعْشُمٍ ـ أَنَّ أَبَاهُ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ، سَمِعَ سُرَاقَةَ بْنَ جُعْشُمٍ، يَقُولُ جَاءَنَا رُسُلُ كُفَّارِ قُرَيْشٍ يَجْعَلُونَ فِي رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَبِي بَكْرٍ دِيَةَ كُلِّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا، مَنْ قَتَلَهُ أَوْ أَسَرَهُ، فَبَيْنَمَا أَنَا جَالِسٌ فِي مَجْلِسٍ مِنْ…
The nephew of Suraqa bin Ju'shum said that his father informed him that he heard Suraqa bin Ju'shum saying, "The messengers of the heathens of Quraish came to us declaring that they had assigned for the persons who would kill or arrest Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) 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 added, "I too realized that it must have been they. But I said 'No, it is not they, but you have seen so-and-so, a…
What Allah revealed
إِلَّا تَنصُرُوهُ فَقَدۡ نَصَرَهُ ٱللَّهُ إِذۡ أَخۡرَجَهُ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ثَانِيَ ٱثۡنَيۡنِ إِذۡ هُمَا فِي ٱلۡغَارِ إِذۡ يَقُولُ لِصَٰحِبِهِۦ لَا تَحۡزَنۡ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ مَعَنَاۖ فَأَنزَلَ ٱللَّهُ سَكِينَتَهُۥ عَلَيۡهِ وَأَيَّدَهُۥ بِجُنُودٖ لَّمۡ تَرَوۡهَا وَجَعَلَ كَلِمَةَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُواْ ٱلسُّفۡلَىٰۗ وَكَلِمَةُ ٱللَّهِ هِيَ ٱلۡعُلۡيَاۗ وَٱللَّهُ عَزِيزٌ حَكِيمٌ
If you do not aid the Prophet - Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion, "Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us." And Allah sent down his tranquillity upon him and supported him with angels you did not see and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allah - that is the highest. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise
Lessons
- Careful planning and full reliance on Allah go together.
- When fear is close, remember who is with you.
Lessons are editorial reflections drawn from the event and its sources.
Pause for a moment
Which moment of your own life does this remind you of? Sit with it for a minute, then send salawat on the one who lived it ﷺ.
Send salawat ﷺBibliography
- Sahih al-Bukhari 3905 (Aisha), 3653 (Abu Bakr), 3906 (Suraqa) · primary source
- Ibn Hisham, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (further reading)
- Ibn Kathir, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (further reading)
- Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum (further reading)