The Last Prophet of Allah
by Ghulam Nabi Muslim
Hijrat — Flight to Madina
Thirteen years had passed in misery and pain, but the Meccans grew more fierce and cruel in their treatment of the Muslims. In the meantime, a large number of the inhabitants of Yasrab (Madina) had embraced Islam. They invited the Holy Prophet [Muhammad (pbuh)] and his companions to come over to Madina. The Prophet of Allah at once accepted the invitation and advised the Muslims to escape to Medina.
The Meccans would not let the Muslims carry their property with them. Some lost their children and wives also. But the Muslims loved their faith more than anything else. They left their houses, property and business in Mecca, and in many cases travelled about 300 miles to Medina on foot.
But the Prophet did not leave till his companions were gone. He detained his lifelong friend and companion, Abu Bakr, to go with him. When the Meccans found the Prophet alone, they decided to murder him at night. They surrounded his house and waited for him to come out. On the other hand, the Prophet left for Madina the same night along with Abu Bakr. They hid themselves in a cave called Saur and stayed there for three days. They were served with food by Abdullah, son of Abu Bakr, and his servant. The Meccans searched for them and announced a reward of a hundred camels to catch them alive. But they failed in their evil designs. After three days, they both rode to Madina and reached Quba, a suburb of Madina. Here he stayed for fourteen days and built a mosque — the first in the history of Islam.