The pledges of 'Aqaba
Over two consecutive years, delegations from the Aws and Khazraj tribes of Yathrib met the Prophet ﷺ at 'Aqaba near Mecca during pilgrimage season. In the second pledge, seventy-three men and two women committed to defend him as they would defend their own families if he came to their city.
The plot against the Prophet ﷺ
The Quraysh leadership, alarmed by the growing Madinan support, agreed on a plan: a young man from each clan would join in striking the Prophet ﷺ together so that no single clan could be held responsible for his death, defusing potential blood-feud. The plan is referenced in Surah Al-Anfal: 'And [remember] when those who disbelieved plotted against you to restrain you or kill you or evict you...' (Quran 8:30).
The escape and the Cave of Thawr
On the night of the planned attack, Ali ibn Abi Talib slept in the Prophet's bed in his place, while the Prophet ﷺ slipped out with Abu Bakr. They hid in a cave on Mount Thawr for three nights while the Quraysh searched. The Quran preserves Abu Bakr's anxiety and the Prophet's calm: 'Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us.' (Quran 9:40).
The journey to Madinah
Once the search subsided, the two travelled north by an indirect route, avoiding the main road, with a guide. The pursuit by the Quraysh fighter Suraqa ibn Malik — promised a hundred camels for capturing the Prophet ﷺ — ended when his horse stumbled repeatedly and he turned back; he later became Muslim and the Prophet ﷺ recalled the incident kindly.
Arrival in Quba and Madinah
The Prophet ﷺ first arrived at Quba on the outskirts of Madinah, where he established the first masjid in Islam. He then entered Madinah itself to a reception of Ansar (the Madinan supporters) singing welcome verses. He let his she-camel walk freely; where it knelt, the main masjid of Madinah was built. The pieces of land were purchased from two orphans, with their consent.
The Hijri calendar
Years later, during the caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab, the Muslims agreed to set the start of their new calendar at the year of the Hijra — not the year of the Prophet's birth, not the year of his first revelation, not the year of his passing. The year a community of believers established a polity where they could practice their faith openly was, in Umar's view, the right starting point of Muslim time.
Reflection
The Hijra was not a flight; it was a planned migration to a city ready to receive the message. From the Prophet's calm in the cave to the orderly purchase of land for the first masjid, the entire event shows leadership organised under threat — and a community in Madinah ready to build something new.
Primary sources
- Surah Al-Anfal (Quran 8:30)
- Surah At-Tawbah (Quran 9:40)
- Sahih Bukhari (multiple narrations on the Hijra)
- Ibn Hisham, As-Sirah an-Nabawiyyah