Hijirah to Medinah – JSS2 Islamic Studies Lesson Note (Second Term)

The Hijrah is the migration of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his followers from Makkah to Madinah in 622 CE.

What are the key terms in this topic?

Behavioural objectives

1. Explain why the Quraysh leaders opposed Islam and how they persecuted Muslims.
2. Describe the meetings and pledges at Aqabah that led to the Hijrah.
3. Narrate how the Prophet escaped from Makkah and travelled to Madinah.
4. State the first actions the Prophet took in Madinah.
5. State the importance of the Hijrah and the lessons it teaches.

What was life like in Makkah before the Hijrah?

Before the Hijrah, the Prophet and the early Muslims faced opposition and persecution in Makkah.

Why did the Quraysh leaders oppose Islam?

• Economic concerns: the Kaaba held many idols, and pilgrims who came to worship them brought trade to Makkah. The leaders feared Islam would harm their business.
• Social status: many leaders held high positions. They feared losing power because Islam teaches that all people are equal.
• Tribal pride: some refused to follow Muhammad because they had known him as an ordinary member of their community.

How did the Quraysh persecute Muslims?

• Mockery and insults: they called the Prophet “madman”, “poet” or “sorcerer”.
• Physical abuse: many Muslims were beaten, tortured or forced to lie on hot desert sand at midday.
• Economic boycott: for three years the Quraysh refused to buy from, sell to or marry the Prophet’s clan (Banu Hashim). This caused extreme hardship.
• Murder attempts: they tried several times to kill the Prophet.

Which Muslims migrated to Abyssinia?

• When: some Muslims migrated to Abyssinia (modern Ethiopia) around 615 CE to escape persecution.
• Who protected them: the Christian king, known as the Negus, gave them protection.
• Result: he refused to return them to the Quraysh, even when offered valuable gifts.

How did the invitation from Madinah come?

The invitation came from the people of Yathrib, who met the Prophet at Aqabah during three Hajj seasons.

What happened at the first meeting at Aqabah?

• Who came: six men from the tribes of Aws and Khazraj met the Prophet during Hajj, in the 11th year of prophethood.
• Why they came: they had heard from the Jewish tribes of Yathrib that a prophet was expected.
• Result: they accepted Islam and promised to spread the message in Yathrib.

What was the First Pledge of Aqabah?

The First Pledge of Aqabah was the promise of allegiance made by twelve men from Yathrib the following year.

• Worship: worship Allah alone.
• Theft: do not steal.
• Adultery: do not commit adultery.
• Children: do not kill their children.
• Lying: do not lie.
• Obedience: obey the Prophet in what is good.
• Teacher sent: the Prophet sent Mus’ab ibn Umayr with them to teach Islam in Yathrib.

What was the Second Pledge of Aqabah?

The Second Pledge of Aqabah was the secret pledge made by 73 men and 2 women from Yathrib in the 13th year of prophethood.

• Protection: protect the Prophet as they would protect their own families.
• Support: support him against any enemy.
• Loyalty: follow him in prosperity and in hardship.
• Result: this pledge opened the way for the Hijrah to Yathrib.

How do the three meetings compare?

Why did the Prophet leave Makkah in secret?

The Prophet left in secret because the Quraysh planned to kill him.

How did the Muslims leave Makkah?

• Permission: after the Second Pledge, Allah gave the Prophet permission to migrate.
• Method: the companions left in small groups so as not to attract attention.
• Timing: within about two months, almost all Muslims had left.
• Those who stayed: the Prophet, Abu Bakr, Ali, some family members, and Muslims who were too weak or had been held back.

What was the plot to kill the Prophet?

The Quraysh feared the Prophet would build a base in Yathrib and return to threaten Makkah.

1. Their leaders met in Dar al-Nadwah, their council house, and decided to kill him.
2. They chose one young man from each tribe.
3. All of them would strike together with swords.
4. The guilt would be shared, so the Prophet’s clan could not take revenge on one tribe.
5. Allah told the Prophet of the plot through Angel Jibreel (Gabriel) and commanded him to leave.

How did the Prophet travel from Makkah to Madinah?

The Prophet travelled with Abu Bakr, hiding first in the Cave of Thawr before taking the road to Madinah.

What preparations were made?

• The plan: the Prophet asked Ali to sleep in his bed to fool the assassins, while he escaped with Abu Bakr.
• Provisions and guide: Abu Bakr prepared provisions and hired Abdullah ibn Urayqit, a non-Muslim but trustworthy guide.
• Hiding place: instead of going north towards Madinah, they went south to hide in the Cave of Thawr.

What happened on the night of the migration?

1. The assassins waited outside the Prophet’s house.
2. The Prophet came out, threw dust on their heads and recited verses of Surah Yasin (36:9). According to the Seerah, they did not see him.
3. He went to Abu Bakr’s house, and they left Makkah in the dark.
4. In the morning the assassins rushed in and found Ali, not the Prophet.

What happened in the Cave of Thawr?

The Prophet and Abu Bakr hid in the Cave of Thawr for three nights.

• Close call: Quraysh search parties came so near that Abu Bakr could see their feet. He whispered, “If one of them looks down at his feet, he will see us!”
• The Prophet’s reply: “What do you think of two people with whom Allah is the third?” This is mentioned in the Quran (9:40).
• Signs of protection: traditional accounts say a spider spun a web over the entrance, pigeons nested there, and a tree grew by it. The pursuers concluded nobody had entered.
• Abdullah, Abu Bakr’s son: he listened to Quraysh plans by day and brought news to the cave at night.
• Asma, Abu Bakr’s daughter: she brought food to the cave.
• Amir ibn Fuhayrah, Abu Bakr’s shepherd: he brought sheep for milk, and their tracks covered the footprints.

What happened on the road to Madinah?

After three days, when the search had died down, they set out for Madinah.

• Changed route: they took an unusual coastal route instead of the direct northern path, to avoid pursuers.
• Suraqah ibn Malik: he heard of the reward of 100 camels and tracked them down. His horse’s legs sank into the sand each time he came close.
• Suraqah’s outcome: after the third time, he saw this as divine protection and asked forgiveness. The Prophet forgave him.
• Prediction: the Prophet said Suraqah would one day wear the bracelets of the Persian emperor Khosrow. This came true in the caliphate of Umar.
• Umm Ma’bad’s tent: they stopped at the tent of an old woman. Her weak goat gave no milk until the Prophet touched its udder, and then it gave plenty.
• Result at the tent: this miracle led Umm Ma’bad’s household to Islam.

What happened when the Prophet arrived in Madinah?

The Prophet reached Quba first, then entered Madinah to a warm welcome and began building the first Muslim community.

What did the Prophet do at Quba?

• First mosque: he built the first mosque in Islam at Quba. The Quran praises it as “founded on righteousness” (9:108).
• Waiting for Ali: he waited for Ali, who had stayed in Makkah to return the valuables people had kept with the Prophet.
• First Friday prayer: he led it in the valley of Ranuna on the day he left Quba for Madinah.

How was the Prophet welcomed into Madinah?

• Warm welcome: the people came out singing, “The full moon has risen upon us, From the valley of Wada, Thanks is due upon us, As long as a caller calls to Allah.”
• Competing invitations: every family wanted to host him. To avoid disappointing anyone, he said, “Let the camel proceed freely, for it is commanded (by Allah).”
• The camel’s stop: it knelt on land owned by two orphans. This became the site of Masjid al-Nabawi and the Prophet’s home.

What were the Prophet’s first actions in Madinah?

The Prophet took three main steps: building the mosque, creating the brotherhood system and making the Madinah constitution.

1. Building Masjid al-Nabawi: it served as a place of worship, a school, a community centre and a seat of government.
2. Brotherhood system: he paired each Muhajir with an Ansar. The Ansar shared wealth and homes, and at first even offered a share of inheritance.
3. Constitution (Sahifah al-Madinah): it was an agreement with the Jews and other groups of Madinah.

What did the constitution say?

• One community: it recognised Madinah as a single community.
• Religious freedom: it guaranteed freedom of religion to the Jews.
• Defence: it set rules for mutual defence.
• Judge: it made the Prophet the final judge in disputes.

Why is the Hijrah important?

The Hijrah is important because it began the Islamic calendar and the first Muslim state.

• Islamic calendar: Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second caliph, began the calendar from the year of the Hijrah (622 CE).
• First Islamic state: in Madinah, Muslims could practise freely and build a society on Islamic principles.
• Spread of Islam: from Madinah, Islam spread across Arabia and then to the world.
• Test of faith: the Muhajirun left homes, wealth and sometimes families for Allah.
• Strategic planning: the Prophet used careful planning and also trusted Allah’s help.
• Spiritual meaning: the move stands for a change from darkness to light, and from oppression to freedom.

What lessons does the Hijrah teach?

• Faith requires sacrifice: the early Muslims gave up comfort, wealth and homeland.
• Trust in Allah with action: the Prophet trusted Allah and also made careful plans.
• Value of good companions: Abu Bakr’s support was very important.
• Patience in hardship: the Prophet stayed calm despite danger.
• Building community: the mosque, brotherhood and constitution united the people.
• Turning points: positive changes in our own lives can be personal “hijrahs”.
• Migration from sin to virtue: the Prophet said, “A Muslim is one from whose tongue and hand other Muslims are safe, and a Muhajir (migrant) is one who migrates from what Allah has forbidden.”

Evaluation

1. Give three reasons why the Quraysh leaders opposed Islam.
2. What did the people of Yathrib promise in the First Pledge of Aqabah?
3. Why did Ali sleep in the Prophet’s bed on the night of the migration?
4. Name the three steps the Prophet took in Madinah after settling there.
5. State two lessons we learn from the Hijrah.

Assignment

Write a short account of the Prophet’s stay in the Cave of Thawr, mentioning the help he received from Abu Bakr’s family.