The Reception of the Prophet ﷺ

After the dramatic Hijrah journey from Makkah, the stay in the cave of Thawr, the pursuit by Suraqah, and the stay in Quba, the Prophet ﷺ was finally approaching his destination. The Muslims of Madinah had long awaited this moment. For weeks they had scanned the horizon every morning, hoping for a sign of his arrival. Now the waiting was nearly over.

After the Muslims in Madinah heard of the departure of the Prophet ﷺ from Makkah, they went out every day hoping to meet the Prophet ﷺ at Al-Harra, northeast of Madinah. Every morning they braved the heat to wait for him until the midday heat became too much and they returned home. On the last day of this period of waiting, they were about to return home, as always, until a Jewish man from his position on one of their fortresses spotted something in the distance. What he saw in the distance was the traveling party of the Prophet ﷺ, all dressed in white. The Jewish man was certain of what he saw as the approaching figures became increasingly clear. He called out loudly:

The Muslims grabbed their weapons and went out to meet the Prophet ﷺ on the open plain of Al-Harra. This happened on a Tuesday in the month of Rabi’ Al-Awwal. Abu Bakr ﵁ stood up while the Prophet ﷺ sat and remained still. The Ansar, especially those who had never seen the Prophet ﷺ before, began greeting Abu Bakr ﵁, assuming he was the Prophet. But when the sun began shining on the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr ﵁ shaded the Prophet ﷺ with his garment, it became clear to everyone which of the two was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He stayed for about 13-19 nights in the area, in the living quarters of the Amr ibn Awf clan. During that period, they built a mosque: Masjid Quba. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed prayer in that mosque before continuing on his mount toward Madinah. Meanwhile, the Prophet ﷺ had called the Ansar. They eventually arrived and greeted the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr ﵁.

Under military escort of the armed warriors of the Ansar, the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr ﵁ departed toward Madinah. When the Prophet ﷺ finally arrived in Madinah and someone spotted him, the cry went up:

The women and children of Madinah sang the famous welcome song, Tala’a al-Badru Alayna, a song that to this day is sung by Muslims all over the world:

The full moon has risen over us, from the passes of Al-Wada’. Gratitude is due from us, as long as there is one who calls upon Allah ﷻ.

This simple yet powerful song reflected the joy of a community that had waited years for the arrival of the Prophet ﷺ.

It was a day of happiness and joy, a day in the history of Madinah without equal. The people dressed in their finest clothing as if it were a national holiday. In fact, it was indeed a celebration, for it was the day that Islam physically moved from the “confinement” of Makkah to the “expanse” of Madinah and from there to all corners of the world! The people of Madinah received this blessing from Allah with great gratitude. They were thankful that their land was placed in service of Islam. With this in mind, the people had taken to the streets to receive the Prophet ﷺ.

Narrated by Muslim:

When the Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madinah, the men and women stood on top of their houses, the children and servants were spread throughout the streets. They called out: O Muhammad, O Messenger of Allah, O Muhammad, O Messenger of Allah.

After this joyful reception, unmatched in history, the Prophet ﷺ continued on his way until he reached the house of Abu Ayyub al-Ansari ﵁.

Abu Ayyub al-Ansari ﵁, Khalid ibn Zayd ibn Kulayb, was one of the prominent Companions ﵃ of the Khazraj tribe. He was one of the first to invite the Prophet ﷺ to stay with him, and it was his house that received the honor of being the first residence of the Prophet ﷺ in Madinah. Abu Ayyub ﵁ insisted that the Prophet ﷺ take the upper floor, but the Prophet ﷺ preferred the ground floor for the convenience of visitors. The humility of this host was a reflection of the character of the Ansar.

The Prophet ﷺ would stay with Abu Ayyub ﵁ until the mosque and his quarters (for him ﷺ and his wives ﵅) were completed. Abu Ayyub ﵁ took part in all the major battles (Badr, Uhud, Khandaq, and so on). And perhaps as a proof of his iman and his heroism, when he was of very advanced age, he took part in the first expedition under the Umayyads against the Byzantines with the aim of opening Constantinople. He became very ill during the siege of Constantinople, and when he ﵁ was asked if he needed anything, he said:

This marked the end of the Hijrah of the Prophet ﷺ and his Companions ﵃ to Madinah. However, it was not the end of the Prophetic Mission. On the contrary, it merely entered a new phase. Now that the establishment of an Islamic state had been realized, the Prophet ﷺ could build the Islamic society that years later would defeat the great powers of the era!

The Importance of Strategy During the Prophetic Mission

Time and again we see detailed planning and organization by the Prophet ﷺ, despite the fact that he was a Prophet! He may have received revelation (wahi), but that did not mean he ﷺ left everything to chance. He ﷺ did everything within his power to ensure that his mission would succeed. If we look back at the preparations for the Hijrah, we see that the journey was prepared down to the smallest detail:

• He ﷺ visited Abu Bakr ﵁ at the hottest time of day to avoid drawing attention. In this way, he ﷺ would not be discovered by the Quraysh. In some narrations, it is even said that he ﷺ made himself as unrecognizable as possible by wrapping his head and part of his face.
• They departed at night and traveled along unused and unknown roads, even when they were guided by a polytheist.

All of this was also with the help of the heroes of the Hijrah:

• Ali ﵁: He stayed behind and slept in the bed of the Prophet ﷺ to sabotage and confuse the polytheists. But also to return the valuable belongings of the polytheists that had been entrusted to the Prophet ﷺ as an amanah.
• Abdullah ibn Abu Bakr ﵁: He gathered intelligence from the polytheists and shared it at night with the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr ﵁.
• Asma bint Abu Bakr ﵂: She secretly brought provisions from Makkah to the cave, without being seen, at a time when the polytheists were searching for the Prophet ﷺ to kill him!
• Aamir ibn Fuhaira ﵁: A simple but very trustworthy shepherd who also brought provisions in the form of meat and bread to the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr ﵁ while they were in the cave. He also made sure that his flock erased the footprints of the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr ﵁.