In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Treasures of the Prophetic Biography (Seerah).
Allah is the Third of the Two.
Al-Bukhari recorded
on the authority of Anas (may Allah be pleased with him),
from Abu Bakr (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
"I was with the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the cave,
and when I raised my head,
I suddenly saw the feet of the pursuers.
I said, 'O Prophet of Allah,
if one of them were only to cast his eyes down, he would see us.'
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
'Be quiet, O Abu Bakr!
What of two,
when Allah is their third?'"
And in another narration:
"'What do you think, O Abu Bakr, of two
when Allah is their third?'"
When Quraysh relented in their active pursuit,
the Prophet (peace be upon him) prepared
to depart from the cave
and head toward Medina.
That was because 'Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr
used to bring them news,
and the Prophet (peace be upon him) had hired
a paid guide,
namely 'Abdullah ibn Urayqit.
He served as a guide for the Prophet (peace be upon him)
and Abu Bakr.
He was a disbeliever,
yet despite this, the Prophet (peace be upon him) enlisted his help.
From this, the scholars derived the ruling
that it is permissible to seek the assistance of a non-Muslim
when there is a need for it.
The Prophet (peace be upon him)
had entrusted 'Abdullah ibn Urayqit
with the two riding camels
and arranged to meet him at the Cave of Thawr
after three nights.
The Prophet (peace be upon him)
placed his trust in him despite his disbelief,
though he could easily have informed Quraysh
of the whereabouts of the Prophet (peace be upon him)
and Abu Bakr
and collected the bounty of a hundred camels.
Yet he only entrusted him with the task
because he was a man of integrity.
When the eve of Monday arrived,
'Abdullah ibn Urayqit brought them the two mounts.
They belonged to Abu Bakr,
so Abu Bakr said to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him):
"May my father and mother be ransomed for you, O Messenger of Allah!
Take one of these two riding camels"—
meaning as a gift for him—
and he presented the better of the two to him.
But the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"[Only] for its price."
Asma' bint Abi Bakr brought them
their travel provisions,
but she had forgotten to make a strap for the leather bag—
that is, something with which to tie it.
When they were about to set out,
she went to hang the provisions bag,
only to find it had no strap.
So she split her waist-belt into two pieces;
with one of them she tied the provisions bag,
and with the other she fastened her waist.
Because of this, she was given the title Dhat an-Nitaqayn ("She of the Two Waist-belts").
The nitaq is a girdle tied around the waist.
Al-Bukhari recorded
on the authority of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him), who said:
"We traveled through the night and into the next day,
until the sun reached its zenith at noon
and the road became completely deserted,
with no one passing by.
Then a high rock appeared before us that cast a shade
upon which the sun had not yet fallen.
So we halted beside it,
and I leveled a spot with my own hands for the Prophet (peace be upon him)
to sleep upon,
spread a fur rug over it,
and said:
'Sleep, O Messenger of Allah,
while I sweep and guard the area around you.'
So he went to sleep,
and I went out to watch over the surroundings.
Suddenly, I saw a shepherd approaching the rock,
seeking from it the very shade we sought.
I asked him,
'To whom do you belong, young man?'
He replied,
'To a man from the people of Medina'—or 'Mecca.'
I asked,
'Is there any milk in your sheep?'
He said, 'Yes.'
I asked,
'Will you milk some for us?'
He said, 'Yes.'
He took hold of a sheep,
and I said,
'Dust the udder clean of dirt, hair, and debris.'
He milked a small quantity of fresh milk into a wooden cup.
I had a leather water-skin that I carried for the Prophet (peace be upon him)
for his refreshment,
from which he could drink and perform ablution.
I returned to the Prophet (peace be upon him),
but I disliked waking him,
and arrived just as he woke up.
I poured water over the vessel of milk
until its bottom cooled down,
and I said,
'Drink, O Messenger of Allah.'
He drank until I was completely satisfied.
Then he said,
'Is it not time to depart?'
I said, 'Yes indeed.'
He said:
And so we set out."
Treasures of the Prophetic Biography (Seerah).
Suraqah ibn Malik
in pursuit of the reward.
A man named Suraqah ibn Malik ibn Ju'shum
pursued the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr,
and Suraqah himself recounts his story.
He said:
"While I was sitting in one of the gatherings of my people, the Banu Mudlij,
a man from among them came along,
stood before us as we sat,
and said:
'O Suraqah!
I have just spotted silhouettes along the coastal road;
I believe they are Muhammad and his companions.'
Suraqah said:
I realized that it was indeed them,
but I said to him:
'They are not them;
rather, you only saw so-and-so and so-and-so,
who set out before our very eyes.'
I then lingered in the gathering for a while before getting up.
I went home and ordered my slave-girl to lead my horse behind a hill
and hold it ready for me.
I took my spear,
slipped out from the back of the house,
trailing the lower iron tip along the ground
and keeping its upper blade lowered,
until I reached my horse and mounted it.
Then I paused, reached my hand into my quiver,
drew out the divining arrows,
and consulted them:
whether I should harm them or not.
The arrow came out with the result I disliked.
He said:
Yet I mounted my horse and defied the divining arrows.
When I drew close to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr,
I could hear the recitation of the Prophet (peace be upon him),
who was not looking back at all,
whereas Abu Bakr was looking back repeatedly.
He said:
Suddenly, the forelegs of my horse sank into the ground
up to its knees,
and I fell off it.
I then rebuked it, and it struggled to stand,
but could hardly pull its forelegs out.
When it finally stood upright,
a cloud of dust rose into the sky from the tracks of its forelegs like thick smoke.
I consulted the divining arrows a second time,
and again the result came out with what I disliked.
So I called out to them offering a pledge of safety,
and they halted.
I rode my horse until I reached them,
and it was firmly impressed upon my heart—when I suffered what I did of being barred from reaching them
and seeing how my horse had been restrained—
that the cause of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) would inevitably prevail.
I said to him,
'Your people have placed a bounty upon your head,'
and I offered him provisions and gear,
but they took nothing from me,
nor did they ask me for anything,
except that he said:
'Keep our whereabouts secret.'
I then asked him to write a document granting me security,
so he instructed 'Amir ibn Fuhayrah,
who wrote it for me on a piece of leather.
Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) went on his way."
Suraqah ibn Malik turned back,
and finding people still actively searching,
he began telling them:
"I have already checked the news for you along this route;
I have spared you the search here."
Glory be to Allah!
At the beginning of the journey,
he was eager to kill them both
and claim the reward;
yet by the end of the day,
he was actively defending them
and concealing their trail.
This was entirely from Allah, the Blessed and Exalted,
showing how He protects His Prophet (peace be upon him).
Treasures of the Prophetic biography (Seerah).
The tent of Umm Ma'bad.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, passed by
during that journey
until he reached the tent of a woman
known as Umm Ma'bad.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, asked her,
along with Abu Bakr,
"Do you have anything?"
She replied,
"By Allah, we have nothing; the drought has exhausted what we had."
It was a year of severe famine.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, looked
at a sheep in the corner of the tent
and asked,
"What is this sheep, Umm Ma'bad?"
She said,
"A sheep too weak and exhausted to follow the flock."
He asked,
"Does it have any milk?"
She replied,
"It is far too exhausted for that."
He said,
"Do you permit me to milk it?"
She replied,
"Yes, may my father and mother be sacrificed for you;
if you see any milk in it, then milk it."
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, then wiped
its udder with his hand,
invoked the name of Allah, and prayed.
The sheep relaxed its legs and its milk flowed abundantly.
He called for a vessel of hers,
and milked into it until it was covered in foam.
He gave her to drink, and she drank until she was satisfied.
He gave his companions, Abu Bakr and 'Amir, to drink,
as well as 'Abdullah Ibn Urayqit,
until they were all satisfied.
Then he drank.
He milked it a second time until he filled the vessel,
then left it with her and departed, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
After that, the husband of Umm Ma'bad returned,
driving lean goats that had no milk.
When he saw the milk, he was astonished
and asked,
"Where did you get this from, when the sheep is barren
and there is no milch animal in the house?"
She replied,
"No, by Allah,
except that a blessed man passed by us."
She told him what had happened.
Her husband said,
"By Allah, I believe this is the man of Quraysh whom they are seeking.
Describe him to me, Umm Ma'bad."
She described him with various attributes,
and he said to her,
"By Allah, this is the one the people of Makkah are searching for."
I heard verses said to be from the Jinn:
May Allah reward,
May Allah, Lord of the Throne, reward with the best of rewards
two companions who stayed in the tent of Umm Ma'bad.
They brought blessings when they arrived and departed with them.
Successful is he who becomes a companion of Muhammad.
May the people of the tribe of Qays be rewarded for what Allah has bestowed upon you
of deeds that cannot be repaid, and for your nobility.
May the sons of Ka'b be congratulated for the place of their woman,
and her seat which is a station for the believers.
Ask your sister about her sheep and her vessel,
for if you ask the sheep, it will bear witness.
On Monday,
the eighth of Rabi' al-Awwal,
in the fourteenth year
of the Prophet's mission, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
he arrived at Quba'.
'Urwah Ibn al-Zubayr said:
The Muslims in Madinah heard
of the departure of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
from Makkah.
They would go out every morning to the Harrah (lava fields),
waiting for him until the heat of midday drove them back.
One day, after waiting for a long time, they turned back.
When they had retreated to their homes,
a man from the Jews climbed one of their fortresses
and caught sight of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and his companions, dressed in white,
shimmering in the mirage.
The Jew could not help
but call out at the top of his voice,
"O people of the Arabs!
This is your leader whom you have been waiting for!"
The Muslims rushed to take up their weapons
and went out to meet the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
He turned with them to the right
until he settled among the Banu 'Amr Ibn 'Awf.
This was on a Monday in the month of Rabi' al-Awwal.
Abu Bakr stood up for the people,
while the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, sat in silence.
The Ansar who arrived,
those who had not seen the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, before,
began coming to Abu Bakr,
thinking he was the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
When the sun began to beat down on the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Abu Bakr came forward
and shaded the Prophet of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
with his cloak.
Then the people realized that this was the Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
'Ali Ibn Abi Talib remained behind
for three days to return the trusts
on behalf of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
then he migrated on foot.
The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, stayed in Quba'
for four days, according to the most well-known account:
Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, and Thursday.
He, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, founded the Quba' Mosque
and prayed in it;
it is the first mosque founded upon piety.
When the fifth day came, which was Friday,
the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, rode out by the command of Allah,
with Abu Bakr riding behind him.
He sent for the Banu al-Najjar,
who were the maternal uncles of his grandfather, 'Abd al-Muttalib.
They came, girded with their swords.
He traveled toward Madinah,
and the time for Friday prayer overtook him in a village of the Banu Salim Ibn 'Awf.
He performed the Friday prayer with them in the mosque located in the valley.
This was the first Friday prayer the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, performed in Madinah.
After he performed the Friday prayer,
he set off into the heart of Madinah.
He would not pass by any of the houses of the Ansar
without them taking hold of his camel's halter,
saying to him,
"O Messenger of Allah,
come to where there is number, equipment,
weapons, and protection."
He would say to them,
"Leave her path,
for she is commanded."
She continued to walk with him
until she reached the site of the Prophet's Mosque,
where she knelt down.
He did not dismount
until she rose and walked a little further,
then turned back and returned,
kneeling in her original spot.
Then the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, dismounted
among the Banu al-Najjar.
This was by the grace of Allah for him,
for he loved to stay with his maternal uncles
to honor them by doing so.
This is part of maintaining family ties.
People began speaking to
the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
about staying with them.
Each one of them would come
to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and say,
"O Messenger of Allah,
stay with me,
dwell with me."
Abu Ayyub al-Ansari stood up,
took the Prophet's luggage, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and entered his house with it.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, turned to him
and said,
"A man is with his luggage."
As'ad Ibn Zurarah came
and took the reins of the Prophet's camel, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
saying,
"The camel is with me."
After some days,
the wife of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
Sawdah,
and his daughters Fatimah and Umm Kulthum arrived,
as well as Usamah Ibn Zayd
and Umm Ayman.
All of them
traveled with 'Abdullah Ibn Abi Bakr,
and with him were also the children of Abu Bakr
al-Siddiq.
Zaynab, the daughter of the Prophet,
peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, remained
with Abu al-'As Ibn al-Rabi'.
She was unable to migrate with him
because he was still following the religion of his people.
Treasures of the Seerah.
Building the Prophet's Mosque.
After the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, had settled,
he began building the Prophet's Mosque
in the place where the she-camel had knelt.
The land belonged to two orphan boys,
so he purchased it.
The Muslims built the mosque,
and the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, participated
in the construction with his own noble hands, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
He would say while building with them:
"O Allah, there is no life but the life of the Hereafter,
so forgive the Ansar and the Muhajirun."
The Ansar would work with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
They would say,
"Should we sit idle while the Prophet works?"
That was our misguided effort.
In that location, there were
graves of the polytheists.
There were also ruins and palm trees.
The Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, ordered the graves to be exhumed.
The ruins were leveled.
And the palm trees were cut down.
They were then arranged along the qibla of the mosque.
The qibla at that time was
toward Bayt al-Maqdis.
The Prophet, peace be upon him, had not yet been commanded
to turn toward Makkah.
Houses were built beside this mosque,
which were the chambers,
the homes of his wives, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
Once the construction was complete,
he, peace be upon him, moved into those houses.
Treasures of the Prophetic biography.