The correct answer to this question is that He migrated to Madina.The date of 24th September 622 AD marks one of the most pivotal turning points in the history of the world. This event, known as the Hijrah, represents the... Read More
The correct answer to this question is that He migrated to Madina.The date of 24th September 622 AD marks one of the most pivotal turning points in the history of the world. This event, known as the Hijrah, represents the migration of Prophet Muhammad (SAW) from his birthplace, Makkah, to the city of Yathrib, which was subsequently renamed Madinat al-Nabi (The City of the Prophet) or simply Madina. While the journey itself spanned several days, 24th September is historically significant as the date the Prophet (SAW) reached the outskirts of Madina, specifically arriving at Quba.
The decision to migrate was not a matter of choice but a response to over a decade of intensifying persecution in Makkah. For thirteen years, the early Muslim community faced social boycotts, physical torture, and economic sanctions. By 622 AD, the situation reached a breaking point when the leaders of the Quraysh conspired to assassinate the Prophet (SAW) in his home. It was during this perilous night that the Divine instruction to migrate was received. Leaving his cousin, Ali ibn Abi Talib (RA), in his bed to return entrusted properties to their owners, the Prophet (SAW) set out into the desert under the cover of darkness.
Accompanied by his closest companion, Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (RA), the Prophet (SAW) did not take the standard caravan route to the north. Instead, they moved south to hide in the Cave of Thawr to elude the Makkan search parties who had placed a massive bounty on their heads. They remained in this cave for three days. History records the miraculous nature of their protection, where a spider’s web and a nesting bird at the cave’s entrance led the pursuers to believe the cave was undisturbed.
Once the immediate danger passed, they began their trek across the harsh Arabian desert guided by Abdullah ibn Urayqit. The journey was fraught with danger, including the famous encounter with Suraqa bin Malik, a bounty hunter whose horse repeatedly stumbled, eventually leading him to seek forgiveness and realize the divine protection surrounding the travelers.
On the 8th of Rabi' al-Awwal (corresponding to 24th September 622 AD), the Prophet (SAW) reached Quba, a village located just a few miles south of Madina’s center. This was the moment the long years of Makkan oppression effectively ended and a new era of statehood began. During his short stay in Quba, the Prophet (SAW) laid the foundation stone of the Quba Mosque, the first mosque ever built in Islam.
Shortly after, he entered the heart of Madina, where he was greeted with the famous songs of welcome by the Ansar (the Helpers). This migration did not merely signify a change of location; it was the birth of the first Islamic state. It led to the drafting of the Constitution of Madina, which established a sophisticated socio-political system ensuring rights for Muslims, Jews, and other tribes alike.
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