Source note: The migration to Madinah is documented in authenticated hadith, while later biographies provide additional names and travel sequences. This article avoids presenting every later detail as equally certain.
Migration before the Prophet’s departure
After pledges of support from Yathrib, Muslims began leaving Makkah in small groups. Migration meant separation from property, family and clan protection. Some travelled openly, others quietly, and family members did not always depart together.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3925 names Mus’ab ibn ‘Umayr and Ibn Umm Maktum among early arrivals who taught the Quran, followed by Bilal, Sa’d, ‘Ammar and Umar with other companions. The report shows that a community was forming before the Prophet reached Madinah.
Abu Bakr prepares to leave
Sahih al-Bukhari 3905 records Abu Bakr preparing to migrate when pressure became severe. Ibn al-Daghina initially offered him protection in Makkah. Abu Bakr later waited to accompany the Prophet after being told that permission for the Prophet’s own migration was expected.
The cave and the journey
The Quran refers to the Prophet and his companion sheltering in the cave in Quran 9:40. Authenticated reports identify Abu Bakr as the companion and preserve practical details of preparation and concealment. The journey involved planning, guides, animals and people supplying information—not only spontaneous escape.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3906 gives Suraqah ibn Ju’shum’s account of pursuing the travellers after a reward was announced and then turning back. Sahih al-Bukhari 3911 describes the final approach and welcome near Madinah.
What the Hijra required
- Trust combined with practical preparation.
- Support from people with different social positions.
- Willingness to lose property and familiar surroundings.
- Formation of a receiving community before the final arrival.
The companions’ migration was not one single procession. It was a series of difficult departures that reshaped families and created the human foundation of the Medinan community.
Sources
- Quran 9:40.
- Sahih al-Bukhari 3905, 3906, 3911 and 3925.
