Arrival in Madinah

The Prophet ﷺ said:

“Bring a vessel.”

“The one who gives the people to drink drinks last of all.”

After everyone had drunk the milk, the Prophet ﷺ milked the goat again and gave it to Umm Ma‘bad رضي الله عنها, and then he proceeded onward from there.

In the evening, Umm Ma‘bad’s husband, Abu Ma‘bad رضي الله عنه, returned. He had gone out to graze his goats. When he reached the tent, he saw a great deal of milk there. He was astonished to see the milk and said to his wife:

“O Umm Ma‘bad! What is this milk doing here? There is no milk-giving goat in the house.”

What he meant was that the goat that had been there could not give milk at all. Then where had this milk come from?

Umm Ma‘bad رضي الله عنها said:

“Today, a very blessed man passed by here.”

Upon hearing this, Abu Ma‘bad رضي الله عنه became even more astonished and said:

“Then describe his appearance to me.”

In response, Umm Ma‘bad رضي الله عنها said:

“His face was radiant with light. His eyes shone beneath his long eyelashes, and they were deep black. His voice was gentle. He was of medium height (that is, he was not short). He was not excessively tall either. His speech was as though pearls had been strung together in a necklace. After speaking, when he became silent, there was a dignified seriousness upon him. When he commanded his companions to do something, they would fulfill it as quickly as possible; and when he prohibited them from doing something, they would immediately stop.

“He was extremely good-natured. Rays of light seemed to emanate from his neck. His eyebrows were joined together. His hair was extremely black. From a distance, he appeared magnificent, and when seen from close by, he appeared extremely handsome and beautiful. Once the eyes fell upon him, they could not turn away to another direction. Among his companions, he was the most handsome and beautiful, and the most awe-inspiring. He was the most exalted in rank.”

After hearing the description of the Prophet ﷺ given by Umm Ma‘bad رضي الله عنها, her husband said:

“By Allah! This description and these qualities belong to that Qurayshi nobleman. If I had been here at that time, I would certainly have followed him, and now I will try to do so.”

Thus, it is mentioned in the narrations that Umm Ma‘bad and Abu Ma‘bad رضي الله عنهما migrated to Madinah and accepted Islam.

The goat of Umm Ma‘bad رضي الله عنها, which the Prophet ﷺ had milked, remained alive until the time of the caliphate of Hazrat ‘Umar رضي الله عنه.

Meanwhile, when the Quraysh in Makkah could find no information about the Noble Prophet ﷺ, they came to the door of Hazrat Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رضي الله عنه. Abu Jahl was also among them. When they knocked at the door, Hazrat Abu Bakr al-Siddiq’s elder daughter, Hazrat Asma رضي الله عنها, came outside.

Abu Jahl asked:

“Where is your father?”

She replied:

“I do not know.”

Upon hearing this, Abu Jahl struck her with a forceful slap. Because of the slap, the earring from her ear broke and fell down.

Even after this, Hazrat Asma رضي الله عنها did not tell him anything. Abu Jahl and his companions returned unsuccessfully, muttering among themselves.

Meanwhile, the Muslims of Madinah received the news that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ had migrated from Makkah al-Mukarramah and was on his way toward Madinah. Now they became extremely restless. Waiting became difficult for them. Every morning they would leave their homes early and come as far as the place of Harrah, which is a rocky area outside Madinah. When midday arrived and the heat of the sun became intense, they would return disappointed.

Then one day, something happened.

The people of Madinah came from their homes to the place of Harrah. When a considerable amount of time had passed and the heat of the sun became intense, they once again began returning.

At that moment, a Jewish man climbed onto a high mound at Harrah. He saw some people in white clothing approaching from the direction of Makkah. When the Prophet ﷺ became clearly visible through the dust rising from the caravan, the Jewish man called out:

“O group of Arabs! The people whom you were waiting for have arrived.”

As soon as they heard these words, the Muslims ran back and reached the place of Harrah. They found the Noble Prophet ﷺ and his companions resting in the shade of a tree.

According to one narration, a little more than five hundred Ansar came out to welcome the Prophet ﷺ.

From there, the Noble Prophet ﷺ proceeded to Quba. It was Monday that day. The Prophet ﷺ stayed at the house of Kulthum ibn Hidm رضي الله عنه, a man from the tribe of Banu ‘Amr ibn ‘Awf. This household of Banu ‘Amr belonged to the tribe of Aws. It is narrated concerning them that they had accepted Islam even before the Prophet ﷺ came to Madinah.

In Quba, the Prophet ﷺ laid the foundation of a mosque. It was named Masjid Quba. Regarding this mosque, there is a Hadith that whoever performs complete ablution and then offers prayer in Masjid Quba will receive the reward of one Hajj and one ‘Umrah.

The Noble Prophet ﷺ frequently visited this mosque. Allah Almighty also revealed a verse in Surah al-Tawbah concerning the virtue of this mosque.

From Quba, the Prophet ﷺ reached Madinah. As soon as the Muslims received the news of his arrival, their happiness knew no bounds.

Hazrat al-Bara’ رضي الله عنه says:

“I never saw the people of Madinah as happy over anything as I saw them upon the arrival of the Prophet ﷺ.”

Everyone stood on both sides of the Prophet’s path, while the women climbed onto the rooftops so that they could see the scene of his arrival.

The women and children began reciting these verses in happiness:

“The full moon has risen upon us
from the hills of Wada‘.
Gratitude has become obligatory upon us
as long as there remains one who calls upon Allah.
O you who have been sent among us as a Prophet,
you have come with commands that must be obeyed.”

Translation: “The full moon has risen upon us. As long as the one who calls upon Allah Almighty remains in this land, it is obligatory upon us to give thanks for this blessing. O the one who has come among us and has been sent as a Prophet, you have brought such commands whose following and obedience are obligatory.”

On the way, the Prophet ﷺ sat down at one place. Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه stood beside the Prophet ﷺ.

The signs of old age had begun to appear on Hazrat Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رضي الله عنه, whereas the Noble Prophet ﷺ appeared youthful. The hair of the Noble Prophet ﷺ was black, even though the Prophet ﷺ was two years older than Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه.

What happened was that those people who had never seen the Prophet ﷺ before thought that Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and began meeting him warmly.

Hazrat Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه immediately realized this. By that time, the sunlight had also begun falling upon the Noble Prophet ﷺ, so Hazrat Abu Bakr al-Siddiq رضي الله عنه shaded the Prophet ﷺ with his cloak. Then the people realized that this was the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.

After that, the Noble Prophet ﷺ proceeded from that place. He was riding his she-camel, and many people were walking alongside him. Some of them were riding while others were on foot.

At that time, these words were on the tongues of the people of Madinah:

“Allah is the Greatest! The Messenger of Allah ﷺ has arrived!”

On the way, in celebration of his arrival, some Abyssinians demonstrated their skill and performed displays with spears.

At that time, one person asked:

“O Messenger of Allah! As you are proceeding ahead from here, do you desire a house better than our houses?”

In response, the Prophet ﷺ said:

“I have been commanded to live in a town that will consume other towns.”

This meant that it would influence the people of other towns or conquer other towns.

Upon hearing this answer, the people moved aside from the path of the Prophet’s she-camel. Later, everyone came to know that the town referred to was Madinah.

The first name of Madinah was Yathrib. Yathrib was the name of a man. He was from the descendants of Hazrat Nuh عليه السلام.

The Noble Prophet ﷺ arrived in Madinah on a Friday, and therefore the first Friday prayer was offered on that day.