Permission for Hijra

Worried, Abu Bakr asked, “O Messenger of Allah, you never come at this time. It must be something important that brings you here now?”

Looking around, the blessed Prophet noticed Aisha and Asma. “Please ask them to leave. I need to talk to you privately,” he whispered to Abu Bakr.

“O Messenger of Allah, they are my daughters,” Abu Bakr assured him, “my mother and my father would die for you. What is the matter?”

Abu Bakr and his daughters, Aisha and Asma, were disturbed by a rapid knocking at the door. Quickly opening the door, they were momentarily dazzled by light. This was not the light from the sun, it was the divine light emitting from Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him. Unused to being visited by him at this time of the day, the three of them were filled with anxiety. The noble Prophet was a frequent visitor to the house in the early morning and evening, but never had he come during the daylight hours. Something important must have happened.

“The Almighty has given me permission to emigrate from Mecca.”

Abu Bakr asked excitedly, “O Messenger of Allah! Will you allow me to come with you too?”

“I’m here to take you with me.”

His eyes filling with tears, Abu Bakr couldn’t hold himself. Crying for some time, he finally turned to the noble Prophet saying, “O Messenger of Allah, I have been preparing for this and have kept two camels for this purpose. You must take one of them.”

The noble Prophet wouldn’t accept the camel as a gift and offered to pay for it. Abu Bakr entreated, “O Messenger of Allah, you are worth the sacri- fice of my entire family. You can pay for the camel if you wish, but let us go as soon as possible.”

The preparations for the journey were completed. A guide was hired and a shepherd named Amir was instructed to bring them food and news of any developments in Mecca.

It was on a Thursday that Abu Bakr and Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, left the house by the back door and began their journey towards Mount Thawr.

As they travelled, Abu Bakr anxiously surveyed the land around them, worried that they had been noticed as they left. If so, he had to be very cautious and he often walked behind Allah’s Messenger to protect him from any possible danger.

Noticing Abu Bakr’s strange behavior, the noble Prophet asked, “O Abu Bakr, why you are sometimes in front of me and at other times behind me?”

Abu Bakr looked affectionately him saying, “O Messenger of Allah, sometimes I think we are being followed so I stay behind you. Sometimes I think they will ambush us from the front, so I walk in front to protect you.”

Allah’s Messenger smiled and with a voice full of love said, “So if we come across any danger, you are thinking you will confront it instead of me?”

Abu Bakr replied without hesitation, “Yes, I swear by Allah who sent you to bring justice, I won’t let any harm come to you. I will confront anything or anyone that might hurt you.”

Finally, the weary travelers arrived at a cave which seemed a good place to spend the night. Carefully climbing up to the cave entrance, Abu Bakr said, “O Messenger of Allah, permit me to go inside first and check the cave. It could be the burrow of a wild animal. Maybe there are snakes or centipede nests inside. Whatever might be inside, I do not want it to harm you.”

Abu Bakr entered the cave, checking everything inside. He blocked some small holes with pieces torn off his shirt and, after assuring himself that the cave was safe and clean, he invited Prophet Muhammad, peace and blessings be upon him, inside. The noble Prophet stooped to enter through the small hole then settled comfortably next to Abu Bakr and they began talking.

Time passed without them noticing, they were so deep in conversation about Allah. It was late evening when they heard the sound of horses whinnying. Shortly after, they were disturbed by the voice of Umayya, the former owner of the slave Bilal and a great enemy of the Muslims.

“We searched every inch of Mecca, but could not find them. I swear by Hubel! I’ll find them even if they are under the seven layers of the earth!”

Following which a scout was heard to say, “Considering their tracks, I think they must have headed up towards that cave over there.”

Then came the excited voice of Abu Jahl, another great enemy of the Muslims. “Then why are we standing here? Let’s go and get them!”

They could hear the men climbing the slope, shortly arriving in front of the cave.

Abu Bakr shook with fear. Holding his breath, he fixed his eyes on the entrance to the cave. “O Messenger of Allah,” he whispered. “These men are going to catch us! If one of them just leans a little to look into the cave he will see us. I swear to Allah,

I’m not worrying about myself, I’m worrying about you!”

The blessed Prophet sat quietly and calmly without a trace of anxiety on his face. “Do not be afraid,” he said peacefully to Abu Bakr. “Allah is with us.”

Meanwhile, the men standing in front of the cave began to speak again. Umayya could be heard shouting angrily to the scouts.

“Didn’t you see this spider’s web covering the entrance to the cave? If they had entered from here, this web would have been torn. You brought us up here for nothing!”

The men grumbled angrily, then mounted their horses and rode away. Something as simple of a spider’s web had protected the two holy travelers. This was truly a miracle from Allah. He had saved the believers, and they were able to continue safely on their journey.