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took off his turban, tied it round his lance and took it as a banner bearing witness that the
angel of security and peace had come to imbue the whole world with justice and fairness.
6. The two Emigrants resumed their journey. It was during this time that they met Az-Zubair
at the head of a caravan returning from Syria. There was warm greeting and Az-Zubair
presented to them two white garments which they thankfully accepted.
On Monday, 8th Rabi‘ Al-Awwal, the fourteenth year of Prophethood, i.e. September 23rd. 622, the
Messenger of Allâh arrived at Quba’.
As soon as the news of Muhammad’s arrival began to spread, crowds came flocking out of Madinah .
They would come every morning and wait eagerly for his appearance until forced by the unbearable
heat of the midday sun to return. One day they had gone as usual, and after a long wait and watch
they retired to the city when a Jew, catching a glimpse of three travellers clad in white winding their
way to Madinah , shouted from the top of a hillock: “O you people of Arabia! Your grandfather has
come! He, whom you have been eagerly waiting for, has come!” The Muslims immediately rushed
holding their weapons, (to defend him). The joyful news soon spread through the city and people
marched forward to greet their noble guest.
Ibn Al-Qayyim said: “The shouts of ‘
Allâhu Akbar
’ (Allâh is Great) resounded in Banu ‘Amr bin ‘Auf.
Muhammad’s (Peace be upon him) elation correspondingly increased, but with rare sense of timing
and propriety, called a halt. Serenity enveloped him and the ñ evelation was sent down:
·
“... then verily, Allâh is his Maula (Lord, Master or Protector), and Gabriel, and the
righteous among the believers, - and furthermore, the angels - are his helpers.” [66:4]
‘Urwah bin Az-Zubair said: They received the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him), and went
with them to the right. There Banu ‘Amr bin ‘Awf hosted him. That was on Monday, Rabi‘ Al-Awwal.
He sat down silent, and
Al-Ansar
(the Helpers), who had not had the opportunity to see him before,
came in to greet him: It is said that the sun became too hot so Abu Bakr stood up to shade him
from the hot sun rays. It was really an unprecedented day in Madinah . The Jews could perceive
concretely the veracity of their Prophet Habquq, who said: ‘God has come from At-Taiman, and the
Qudus one from Faran Mount.’
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) stayed in Quba’ with Kulthum bin Al-Hadm, a hospitable chief of
the tribe of ‘Amr bin ‘Awf. Here he spent four days: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday . It
was during this period that the foundation of Quba’ Mosque was laid on the basis of pure piety. ‘Ali
hung back in Makkah for three days to return the trusts, on behalf of the Prophet (Peace be upon
him), to their respective owners. After that he started his emigration journey to catch up with him at
Quba’.
On Friday morning, the Prophet (Peace be upon him), sent for Bani An-Najjar, his maternal uncles,
to come and escort him and Abu Bakr to Madinah . He rode towards the new headquarters amidst
the cordial greetings of his Madinese followers who had lined his path. He halted at a place in the
vale of Banu Salim and there he performed his Friday prayer w ith a hundred others. Meanwhile the
tribes and families of Madinah , the new name for Yathrib and a short form of ‘The Messenger’s
Madinah
(City)’, came streaming forth, and vied with one another in inviting the noble visitor to
their homes. The girls of the Madinese used to chant beautiful verses of welcome rich in all
meanings of obedience and dutifulness to the new Messenger.
Though not wealthy, every
Ansar
(Helper) was wholeheartedly eager and anxious to receive the
Messenger in his house. It was indeed a triumphal procession. Around the camel of Muhammad
(Peace be upon him) and his immediate followers, rode the chiefs of the city in their best raiment
and in glittering armour, everyone saying: “Alight here O Messenger of Allâh, abide by us.”
Muhammad (Peace be upon him) used to answer everyone courteously and kindly: “This camel is
commanded by Allâh, wherever it stops, that will be my abode.”
The camel moved onward with slackened rein, reached the site of the Prophetic Mosque and knelt
down. He did not dismount until it rose up again, went on forward, turned back and then returned to
kneel down in the very former spot. Here, he alighted in a quarter inhabited by Banu Najjar, a tribe
related to the Prophet (Peace be upon him) from the maternal side. In fact, it was his wish to
honour his maternal uncles and live among them. The fortunate host, Abu Ayyub Al-Ansari, stepped
forward with unbounded joy for the Divine blessing appropriated to him, welcomed the Noble Guest
and solicited him to enter his house.
A few days later, there arrived the Prophet’s spouse Sawdah, his two daughters Fatimah and Umm
Kulthum, Usama bin Zaid, Umm Aiman, ‘Abdullah — son of Abu Bakr with Abu Bakr’s house-hold
including ‘Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her). Zainab was not a ble to emigrate and stayed with
her husband Abi Al-‘As till Badr Battle.
‘Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: “When the Messenger of Allâh (Peace be upon him)
arrived in Madinah , both Abu Bakr and Bilal fell ill. I used to attend to their needs. When the fever
took firm grip of Abu Bakr he used to recite verses of poetry that smacked of near death; Bilal,
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