The Hijrah to Madinah
الهجرة إلى المدينة
Summary
The Prophet (peace be upon him) and Abu Bakr migrated from Makkah to Madinah, hiding in the Cave of Thawr for three days while the Quraysh searched for them. Ali ibn Abi Talib slept in the Prophet's bed as a decoy. This event marks the beginning of the Islamic calendar.
Details
The Quraysh held a council at Dar an-Nadwah and decided to assassinate the Prophet by selecting a young man from each clan to strike simultaneously, distributing the blood-guilt. Allah informed His Prophet of the plot. Ali volunteered to sleep in the Prophet's bed. The Prophet and Abu Bakr left by night, heading south to the Cave of Thawr (opposite direction of Madinah). A spider spun its web and a pigeon nested at the cave's entrance. The Quraysh tracker Suraqah ibn Malik pursued them but his horse sank into the sand thrice, after which he turned back. The Prophet promised him the bracelets of Kisra (the Persian emperor) — a promise fulfilled during Umar's caliphate. They arrived at Quba on Monday 12th Rabi' al-Awwal, where the Prophet built the first mosque in Islam (Masjid Quba).